Winnipeg Construction VIII - Page 316

CoryB · #**6301** Posted **May 22, 2015, 7:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

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

The conversion of the MPI basement space to Hydro parking definitely happened. I actually heard about it from employees on both sides. That is almost exclusively what prompted MPI to buy CityPlace. It was also the direct fallout of the Hydro site not being suitable for the amount of underground parking they had originally planned. It is not something a lot of people know about. Much like the basement of the Dearman Build in the 200 block of Portage was converted to parking about five year ago. The question is then if the existing lots before those two conversions was sufficient at meeting existing demand where was the financial driver pushing those conversions?

cheswick · #**6302** Posted **May 22, 2015, 7:12 PM**

The thing about parking is that its extremely easy to meet demand by adjusting prices. When Hydro building went up, monthly parking rates followed suit. Priced certain people out of the market, and an equilibrium was met. Adding more parking or eliminating parking, there will always be a balance because pricing adjusts accordingly.

esquire · #**6303** Posted **May 22, 2015, 7:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

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.

Over the last 15 years I'd say that there have been a good many people added to downtown partly through the renovation and more intensive use of older buildings. If you saw Winnipeg in the late 90s, there were still massive buildings that were either completely empty or mostly empty (Paris Bldg., Free Press Bldg, former Birks Bldg./now The Property Registry, Lindsay Bldg., probably a couple of dozen mostly nondescript buildings in the Exchange District). A lot of those buildings have filled right up, and even though it doesn't pack the visual punch of new skyscrapers, there are still more people in the area.

Quote:

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.

Wan parkade always struck me as a Grain Exchange tenant thing and maybe a P&M focused parkade as opposed to something Exchange oriented. I doubt there is more than a tiny handful of parkers who park there and live/work north of Market or west of Main Street. It's not really of any use to someone who lives or works around Sky.

That thing is awful, BTW. I agree with whoever described it as looking like a heritage building in the process of being demolished.

cllew · #**6304** Posted **May 22, 2015, 8:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

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

MPI ended up leasing space out on Century to house all of the "stuff" that the different departments had warehoused in the basement. MPI still has some storage in City Place, but its basically behind the elevators where it would be too hard to get cars in and out.

The entry to this parking level is the underground loading ramp covered door off of St. Mary Ave next to Boston Pizza.

the financial driver to convert this to parking came from the fact that the REIT that owned City Place at the time (Huntington) was having financial problems and thought that monthly parking for Hydro would bring in more money than rent for the space.

1ajs · #**6305** Posted **May 26, 2015, 4:11 AM**

oftheMoon · #**6306** Posted **May 27, 2015, 7:12 PM**

According to Bartley Kives on Twitter, CentreVenture has sold the St. Regis Hotel to Fortress.

buzzg · #**6307** Posted **May 27, 2015, 10:20 PM**

Today city council approved a 15-yr funding for new UW residences at 460 Portage. That address is the Buhler Centre, and the apartments currently being built are at 320 Colony. Is this another new project?

If no, why did UW go ahead without this funding before (and why the address change), if yes, where is it going since there's no more land on that site (unless they will connect these two buildings....???)?

esquire · #**6308** Posted **May 28, 2015, 12:00 AM**

^ Sounds to me like it's the same project that's under construction:

http://www.thecarillon.com/provincial/U-...-student-housing-project--305243911.html

Quote:

An administrative report to council said the university is building a 14-storey, 102 unit apartment tower at 460 Portage Ave., which used to be a surface parking lot.

The total cost of the project cost is $24.3 million.

Labroco · #**6309** Posted **May 28, 2015, 3:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

According to Bartley Kives on Twitter, CentreVenture has sold the St. Regis Hotel to Fortress.

What is the development agreement that went with the sale?

buzzg · #**6310** Posted **May 28, 2015, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Sounds to me like it's the same project that's under construction:

http://www.thecarillon.com/provincial/U-...-student-housing-project--305243911.html

Yeah the whole thing's kinda weird though, does anyone know if UW needed this money for the project, and why it came in after construction? Also why would the address change. the building doesn't front Portage.

emeraldeyes · #**6311** Posted **May 28, 2015, 2:29 PM**

Exciting proposal for Maryland/Westminster!

ba_split · #**6312** Posted **May 28, 2015, 2:53 PM**

How busy is it in the Arch. and Struc. offices?
Not many "Steel" projects out there right now

esquire · #**6313** Posted **May 28, 2015, 2:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by emeraldeyes

Exciting proposal for Maryland/Westminster!

This is a fantastic proposal for that site... there is so much happening on Sherbrook but Maryland to now has felt like such an afterthought. A building like this would do a lot to fill out one of the most prominent intersections in the area and connect the thriving Sherbrook strip to Maryland and by extension, to Wolseley.

I'd love to see this (or something like it) happen.

drew · #**6314** Posted **May 28, 2015, 3:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

This is a fantastic proposal for that site... there is so much happening on Sherbrook but Maryland to now has felt like such an afterthought. A building like this would do a lot to fill out one of the most prominent intersections in the area and connect the thriving Sherbrook strip to Maryland and by extension, to Wolseley.

I'd love to see this (or something like it) happen.

This corner is in dire need of a change. It's basically 4-lots with one lone rental house standing pat, and the rest empty.

There is also something in the works directly across the street (100 Maryland?) where an existing rental house is supposed to be coming down for a new 4-unit condo.

esquire · #**6315** Posted **May 28, 2015, 3:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

This corner is in dire need of a change. It's basically 4-lots with one lone rental house standing pat, and the rest empty.

There is also something in the works directly across the street (100 Maryland?) where an existing rental house is supposed to be coming down for a new 4-unit condo.

Great news. Considering how busy the area is in terms of foot traffic and storefront retail, and the car/pedestrian traffic levels along Maryland, it's somewhat surprising to me that Maryland at Westminster hasn't already intensified a little more than it has.

armorand93 · #**6316** Posted **May 29, 2015, 1:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Great news. Considering how busy the area is in terms of foot traffic and storefront retail, and the car/pedestrian traffic levels along Maryland, it's somewhat surprising to me that Maryland at Westminster hasn't already intensified a little more than it has.

Now it just needs another 4-6 storeys... densify the HELL out of the West End.

rypinion · #**6317** Posted **Jun 1, 2015, 2:32 PM**

Lofty condo plans for the West End

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/Lofty-condo-plans-for-the-West-End-305684041.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by WFP

The West End is undergoing a renaissance and another group of developers is hoping to get in on the action by building a five-storey condo complex on a mainly commercial/ industrial stretch of Burnell Street.

Consulting engineer Alan Roberts and residential property manager/ investor Brett McLaren hope to build their 34- to 36-unit, $8-million, W.E. Lofts (pronounced We Lofts) complex on an empty lot at 361 Burnell St.

rkspec · #**6318** Posted **Jun 1, 2015, 3:50 PM**

anyone know a time we can expect the decision of true north square?

Biff · #**6319** Posted **Jun 1, 2015, 4:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkspec

anyone know a time we can expect the decision of true north square?

I'm sure it will be extended again.

esquire · #**6320** Posted **Jun 1, 2015, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

I'm sure it will be extended again.

The whole thing seems so airy-fairy at this point with the malleable deadline and non-committal approach that I don't know why it gets as much press as it does. The Free Press was trying to make it sound like Bowman hurting Chipman's feelings is the sole reason the project might not get off the ground, but this sounds like far from a sure thing to begin with.