Winnipeg Construction VIII - Page 315

CoryB · #**6281** Posted **May 13, 2015, 9:12 PM**

^^ No, the trouble is with The Forks is it moved away from its original identity of being a year round farmers market to the mess it is now without any true vision of its purpose. It seems they might have turned a corner and are starting to try and recreate a new, unified vision.

I really hope the make their food hall into a juried incubator space. Say once a year they take in applications from interested parties for a minimum of half the total spaces available in the food hall. The jury then selects what they feel are the best concepts to take of residency. At the end of the first year places can apply for a one year extension or they can leave. At the end of two years there is no extension possible in the food hall. This model could give people with ideas for food trucks or local restaurants an easier in to test the concept and raise some funds to become independent. By being upfront from day one that that clock is ticking before you are required to move out also gives the operators a reason to be thinking ahead for where they will be in one or two years time.

This model would also help keep The Forks fresher with a sense there is always something new and exciting happening. If the model works something similar could be done with some of the other non-food hall spaces to get that buzz back about The Forks as an exciting place to go.

eman · #**6282** Posted **May 15, 2015, 10:27 PM**

Portage Place,,, Now that the theatres are gone I would like to see the Winnipeg Film Group, the National Screen Institute, Film Training Manitoba and On Screen Manitoba move in. The WFG needs a real movie theatre,, I can't stand watching films in that tiny warehouse. Collectively these groups must already be paying a ton in rent,, I think its affordable. They just need to develop a capital campaign to pay for renovations. What do you think of the Winnipeg Film Centre at Portage Place?

headhorse · #**6283** Posted **May 22, 2015, 1:25 AM**

this is a proposal that was done for the Imperial Porperties site at confusion corner (257 Osborne). no idea if this is still active, but it was done by Nadi and Harris + Smith architects

from http://www.nadidesign.com/

BAKGUY · #**6284** Posted **May 22, 2015, 3:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by headhorse

this is a proposal that was done for the Imperial Porperties site at confusion corner (257 Osborne). no idea if this is still active, but it was done by Nadi and Harris + Smith architects

from http://www.nadidesign.com/

This is spectacular. Absolutely what we need. While I would welcome it, this might be most appropriate for downtown and adding a few floors.
We have nothing like it> The closest would be 201 Portage ave that we used to call the TD/Canwest Tower.
I would be shocked to see this happen there on that site.
I recall a puny 6 floor non descript boring building recently scaled back to 5 floors proposed for the site?
I think it is no longer happening?
Anyways,
See link, http://www.imperialproperties.ca/demolition-set-to-begin-for-new-development-at-257-osborne-street

esquire · #**6285** Posted **May 22, 2015, 3:48 AM**

^ Yeah, that is a great design and would make a wonderful focal point for what is probably the most significant node outside of downtown Winnipeg.

Of course, I would imagine that it was purely a concept given that Imperial has been pitching this as the site of a 5-storey building for some time now, with no success (or at least not enough to get the thing built). It's cool to see if for no other reason than it feeds the imagination for what Confusion Corner could eventually be some day.

Interesting find... thanks for posting, headhorse.

LilZebra · #**6286** Posted **May 22, 2015, 7:12 AM**

Re: 257 Osborne proposal

Nice. But a bit largish for that corner.

And will the MoneyMart finally move out of there and somewhere else if this, or anything noticeable be built?

1ajs · #**6287** Posted **May 22, 2015, 12:18 PM**

that would be nice if it moved forward

on another note grumble grumble the lukes buildings are fenced off for demolition

cllew · #**6288** Posted **May 22, 2015, 1:03 PM**

So they are coming down for the church parking lot?

esquire · #**6289** Posted **May 22, 2015, 1:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

on another note grumble grumble the lukes buildings are fenced off for demolition

What a disgrace. Hydro had a chance to pull this off in a way that would have made them look like heroes. Instead they opt to take the most cowardly possible route... they enable the creation of a new surface parking lot where one is not needed by purchasing the buildings so that someone else can demolish.

So the end result is that where there was a block with a thriving business and a surface parking lot, now there will be just a substation and a surface parking lot. Wow.

I'm surprised that some politicos couldn't broker a deal that made everyone happy here. If the stage was ever set for a "Getting to Yes" outcome, this was it.

Read this book, council:

CoryB · #**6290** Posted **May 22, 2015, 2:28 PM**

I was thinking earlier about the age of some of the parkades in downtown Winnipeg and when was the last time a new one was built. Going back in time we have CentrePoint, the surface lot conversion at York and Donald and then Portage Place in 1987. That got me wondering on what overall has really changed in downtown since Portage Place opened and I was surprised to see that very little until the recent burst of activity. We are losing parking spaces though as Assinboine Credit Union on Broadway built on a surface lot, the WCC expansion consumed a surface lot with its underground parking offering less stalls. We also saw the Hydro Building go up increasing demand with very little additional supply being added by it. MTS Centre of course is suppose to be a big driver for change but was the same thought about the library when it was originally built downtown?

Did I miss some projects that were newly constructed after 1987?

Biff · #**6291** Posted **May 22, 2015, 2:32 PM**

That Confusion Corner render was just a concept.

Beautiful concept though....

Authentic_City · #**6292** Posted **May 22, 2015, 2:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

that would be nice if it moved forward

on another note grumble grumble the lukes buildings are fenced off for demolition

Was the demo approved by City Council?

HomeInMyShoes · #**6293** Posted **May 22, 2015, 2:40 PM**

That Confusion Corner concept is beautiful. Looks like something out of a large European city.

Why can't we get stuff like this? Why? For the sake of humanity why? I know the reasons, but I can still be sad.

HomeInMyShoes · #**6294** Posted **May 22, 2015, 2:43 PM**

Regarding Lukes demoliation. Sounds like a Regina move completely. It would be a different story if something was going there, but a substation and parking lot makes it tragic.

esquire · #**6295** Posted **May 22, 2015, 3:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

I was thinking earlier about the age of some of the parkades in downtown Winnipeg and when was the last time a new one was built. Going back in time we have CentrePoint, the surface lot conversion at York and Donald and then Portage Place in 1987. That got me wondering on what overall has really changed in downtown since Portage Place opened and I was surprised to see that very little until the recent burst of activity. We are losing parking spaces though as Assinboine Credit Union on Broadway built on a surface lot, the WCC expansion consumed a surface lot with its underground parking offering less stalls. We also saw the Hydro Building go up increasing demand with very little additional supply being added by it. MTS Centre of course is suppose to be a big driver for change but was the same thought about the library when it was originally built downtown?

Did I miss some projects that were newly constructed after 1987?

You're right, there haven't been a lot of new parking structures added over the years. That tells me that parking demand is fairly well balanced through most of downtown.

The one area that is a bit different is the Exchange... the area is growing and has added a lot of people over the last 20 years or so, as compared to when it was still dominated by light industrial functions. The West Exchange now has the Reiss parkade, but the East Exchange hasn't had something like that go up. One parkade would probably do a lot to relieve parking pressure around there without fundamentally altering the character of the area... it's possible that creating an off-street parking facility might even be a factor in getting a few of the remaining vacant lots around there developed.

buzzg · #**6296** Posted **May 22, 2015, 3:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

I was thinking earlier about the age of some of the parkades in downtown Winnipeg and when was the last time a new one was built. Going back in time we have CentrePoint, the surface lot conversion at York and Donald and then Portage Place in 1987. That got me wondering on what overall has really changed in downtown since Portage Place opened and I was surprised to see that very little until the recent burst of activity. We are losing parking spaces though as Assinboine Credit Union on Broadway built on a surface lot, the WCC expansion consumed a surface lot with its underground parking offering less stalls. We also saw the Hydro Building go up increasing demand with very little additional supply being added by it. MTS Centre of course is suppose to be a big driver for change but was the same thought about the library when it was originally built downtown?

Did I miss some projects that were newly constructed after 1987?

How could you forget that Ray Wanderfully beautiful parkade on Lombard?

rypinion · #**6297** Posted **May 22, 2015, 3:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

How could you forget that Ray Wanderfully beautiful parkade on Lombard?

Which whenever I've look is empty. Perhaps that's changed - I work on the south side of the Richardson Building now instead of East so I don't get a regular view of it anymore.

cllew · #**6298** Posted **May 22, 2015, 5:43 PM**

Would anybody consider the conversion of the basement of City Place from MPI's facility and agent supply warehouse to parking for Manitoba Hydro by the previous owners of City Place a new parking area?

esquire · #**6299** Posted **May 22, 2015, 6:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

Would anybody consider the conversion of the basement of City Place from MPI's facility and agent supply warehouse to parking for Manitoba Hydro by the previous owners of City Place a new parking area?

Is that really what happened? If so, that would be new parking in my books. How many spaces?

CoryB · #**6300** Posted **May 22, 2015, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

You're right, there haven't been a lot of new parking structures added over the years. That tells me that parking demand is fairly well balanced through most of downtown.

The challenge is that while there haven't been new parking structures, outside of the Hydro building there also hasn't been any significant new construction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

How could you forget that Ray Wanderfully beautiful parkade on Lombard?

I did know I was forgetting something. That piece of work was truly unfortunate. If I recall correctly there was also some new construction near Lombard and Waterfront but are we starting to blur the lines on what is the Exchange and what is "downtown"? I would call downtown west of Main and south of Bannatyne. Its not a perfect definition I know but close.