Saskatoon Construction II - Page 400

circle33 · #**7981** Posted **May 1, 2015, 2:48 PM**

Broadway has been invaded by a swarm of red "B"'s.
The nearly completed 612 Main gracing the background.

Echoes · #**7982** Posted **May 1, 2015, 3:03 PM**

Nice. I like them.

612 Main Street turned out nicely as well.

circle33 · #**7983** Posted **May 1, 2015, 3:48 PM**

Yea, they are different yet practical (though the tree guards were pretty good for locking a bike to as well). The metallic nut/bolt against the red looks a little clunky. I wonder if that will be addressed.

Echoes · #**7984** Posted **May 1, 2015, 4:58 PM**

Yeah, if there were caps over the bolts, they'd be perfect. Would rather seee them spaced away from the trees/tree guards too.

Echoes · #**7985** Posted **May 5, 2015, 3:40 PM**

A peek inside the Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre at the U of S:

http://words.usask.ca/news/2015/04/29/centre-of-support/

Toontone · #**7986** Posted **May 5, 2015, 4:20 PM**

www.lighthousesaskatoon.org/about/history/

Interesting history. Strange how in just over 100 years we can create a beautiful building and then turn it in to something resembling a box.

(not sure if this will work as a live link you may have to cut and paste)

Arts · #**7987** Posted **May 5, 2015, 5:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toontone

www.lighthousesaskatoon.org/about/history/

Interesting history. Strange how in just over 100 years we can create a beautiful building and then turn it in to something resembling a box.

(not sure if this will work as a live link you may have to cut and paste)

Does anyone know if the original brick exterior is still there under the cladding that was put on this building in the 70s?

saskatoonborn · #**7988** Posted **May 5, 2015, 9:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toontone

www.lighthousesaskatoon.org/about/history/

Interesting history. Strange how in just over 100 years we can create a beautiful building and then turn it in to something resembling a box.

(not sure if this will work as a live link you may have to cut and paste)

I don't think it looks so bad now, since the last reno. Albeit the 1970's version was just an ugly box.

EpicPonyTime · #**7989** Posted **May 6, 2015, 8:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

I don't think it looks so bad now, since the last reno. Albeit the 1970's version was just an ugly box.

As I said a few months ago, the changes to this building have to be up there as one of the worst architectural crimes committed in this city.

Echoes · #**7990** Posted **May 7, 2015, 9:02 PM**

Reading through City committee agendas, I found a report about the re-use of the parking meter posts as bike racks. It appears that there will be one particularly interesting design implemented in places, where the posts will be adapted with a bike rack, small tabletop, and folding seat. Looks interesting....

Report starts on page 5, images follow: https://www.saskatoon.ca/sites/default/f...ees/agendas-minutes/2015/a_tr_110515.pdf

Wyku · #**7991** Posted **May 8, 2015, 2:24 PM**

City scales back lot availability
Saskatoon land plans to offer 545 lots for sale throughout 2015, rather than the 2,025 that was originally planned.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/City+scales+back+availability/11039690/story.html

"Saskatoon Land is also postponing plans to make lots available this year in two new west-side neighbourhoods, Elk Point and Kensington.

Single-family lot inventory currently sits at 1,862, the largest chunk of which is located in Kensington (801 lots)."

They'll steamroll ahead on more neighborhoods on the East/Northeast though...

I guess they haven't done a good job of promoting those neighborhoods, Kensington especially. Having such poor access to Kensington probably isn't helping matters.

saskatoonborn · #**7992** Posted **May 8, 2015, 3:15 PM**

Honestly I wouldnt want to buy a new house in the city anyway. I hate the tiny lots and they just keep getting smaller. I saw one that after putting a moderate deck on had about 4 feet between the deck and the garage and its not like they put the extra space in the front. Completely offputting.

Honestly yards are so tiny in some of the Kensington yards for example that you may as well just hold out for one of the big condo developments downtown and buy one with a porch. I know most people here are game for high density city but I hate the track housing look and the tiny yards. I know that a big chunk of it has to do with land cost. I can't be the only one here that doesn't like it.

Sorry for the rant. Haha this has been a concern of mine for awhile.

Wyku · #**7993** Posted **May 8, 2015, 3:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

Honestly I wouldnt want to buy a new house in the city anyway. I hate the tiny lots and they just keep getting smaller. I saw one that after putting a moderate deck on had about 4 feet between the deck and the garage and its not like they put the extra space in the front. Completely offputting.

Honestly yards are so tiny in some of the Kensington yards for example that you may as well just hold out for one of the big condo developments downtown and buy one with a porch. I know most people here are game for high density city but I hate the track housing look and the tiny yards. I know that a big chunk of it has to do with land cost. I can't be the only one here that doesn't like it.

Sorry for the rant. Haha this has been a concern of mine for awhile.

Yup, totally agree as well. Just look at the row of houses in the picture at the top of that article--brutal! The land cost for the lot is pretty outrageous, small lot or "large" lot, but the pricing seems to be driving the small lots:

"Lots are becoming too expensive, and many are opting for smaller lots because that's all they can afford, he noted.

Saskatoon Land's annual report backs up Mah's assertion. The average cost of a lot in Saskatoon has dropped from a high of $137,503 in 2013 to $134,872 due to increased demand for smaller lots."

Echoes · #**7994** Posted **May 8, 2015, 3:32 PM**

Meter poles to be reborn as folding chairs, racks

By Andrea Hill, The Starphoenix May 8, 2015

Quote:

Dozens of obsolete parking meters in Saskatoon's downtown, Riversdale and Broadway areas could be converted into bike racks and folding chairs by mid-July.

In a report heading to council's transportation committee Monday, city administrators lay out plans for a pilot project to convert 45 parking meter posts into bike racks. Up to 16 of those will also serve as "pedestrian amenity stations" with folddown seats and table tops.

Brent Penner, executive director of the downtown business improvement district, said he's glad the city is investing in bike racks - albeit somewhat belatedly.

"Having something in place soon would be really ideal. I mean, we're already into May and, for a lot of cyclists, the cycling season is not all year long," he said.

"The city knew long ago that they were changing out the parking meter heads and, to me, it would have been nice if these two projects had been a little more closely aligned."

[....]

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saska...folding+chairs+racks/11039675/story.html

prairieguy · #**7995** Posted **May 8, 2015, 4:15 PM**

I am all for the bike racks, but personally feel the "folding seat" is a complete waste of money and may be impractical to use anyway, once a bike is locked up against it. Would rather see the $$$ for the folding seat go into further bike lane infrastructure; cleaning/sweeping existing bike sharrows of gravel; or bike education.

I do credit the city for thinking innovative, but feel they missed the mark on this one. Is there an example of these being a great success elsewhere??

Just my own opinion.

Wyku · #**7996** Posted **May 8, 2015, 4:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairieguy

I am all for the bike racks, but personally feel the "folding seat" is a complete waste of money and may be impractical to use anyway, once a bike is locked up against it. Would rather see the $$$ for the folding seat go into further bike lane infrastructure; cleaning/sweeping existing bike sharrows of gravel; or bike education.

I do credit the city for thinking innovative, but feel they missed the mark on this one. Is there an example of these being a great success elsewhere??

Just my own opinion.

Maybe they'll be useful if they're by the normal food truck stops?

jigglysquishy · #**7997** Posted **May 8, 2015, 4:37 PM**

I would argue just the opposite. Lots are still a bit too large and the city is effectively selling them at a loss.

Echoes · #**7998** Posted **May 8, 2015, 4:45 PM**

I dunno. I'm on the fence about the seats. They're going above the bare minimum required, but I'm interested in seeing a few piloted to see how they function and are used. Sounds like the majority of retrofits will just be the standard bike rack piece anyway. These kinds of interesting/innovative new uses of our public space and public infrastructure are worth exploring, IMO.

marclikeschicken · #**7999** Posted **May 8, 2015, 4:48 PM**

I heard through a reliable source that Smoke's Poutinerie has finally found a location and finalized the deal in the Downtown core! I'm really excited for this place! I'm told its somewhere by Winston's and Hudson's.

scotty c · #**8000** Posted **May 8, 2015, 7:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

Honestly I wouldnt want to buy a new house in the city anyway. I hate the tiny lots and they just keep getting smaller. I saw one that after putting a moderate deck on had about 4 feet between the deck and the garage and its not like they put the extra space in the front. Completely offputting.

Honestly yards are so tiny in some of the Kensington yards for example that you may as well just hold out for one of the big condo developments downtown and buy one with a porch. I know most people here are game for high density city but I hate the track housing look and the tiny yards. I know that a big chunk of it has to do with land cost. I can't be the only one here that doesn't like it.

Sorry for the rant. Haha this has been a concern of mine for awhile.

We just bought a new house in Kensington and are moving in later in the summer. Compared to our current house in Fairhaven the lot is the same depth but we lose about 14' of width in the lot. So while there are some lane homes with garages in back that don't have much of a yard I personally end up losing about 600 sq ft of lawn area in total. Which depending on how we end up doing landscaping most of that can be made up by less planting areas etc.

I'm not as big of a proponent of density as most on this forum but I don't know how you have dense, walkable development while maintaining huge yards the math just can't work in my brain.