Winnipeg Construction VIII

[1ajs]

is freizen token moving off water front they have for sale signs hanging off their balconies

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by Biff

^^^RRC put out a RFP for Feasibility Study last summer for the redevelopment of the buildings at 319 - 325 Elgin Ave. I assume that's a conceptual render of what could be.

Yeah, and I believe that the lot fronting Princess, the former DesignType warehouse on William and the PSB lot were actually all included in some sort of grand vision analysis on all the possibilities for the future. As much as I'd love to see the Princess lot developed I believe it's tied to the dentist building there and I doubt they want to give up parking.

Looking at that render though, it appears the building is set back pretty far, which is interesting because there's a lane there... also curious what (if any) implications that would have on the proposal for the condo/townhouses beside Frame on Ross.

[Urban recluse]

Great article in the FP today about CV's focus on the Graham retail village concept, including TN, and the Bay. Also mentioned was south Main and the PSB. It reassures me to know they know there is a lot to be done downtown.

[oftheMoon]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Great article in the FP today about CV's focus on the Graham retail village concept, including TN, and the Bay. Also mentioned was south Main and the PSB. It reassures me to know they know there is a lot to be done downtown.

Agreed, but a little disappointed there wasn't a hint of anything on the CV owned James Pumping Station. Almost likes it's been forgotten or doesn't exist.

[bomberjet]

CV is quite on that front because of the embarrassment. Nothing will happen there except either demo or turn it into a publicly funded museum if it's so important. Sad to say, but it's reality. Unless there is some magical proposal coming down the pipe, again, to save it.

[esquire]

^ The pumping station has become quite an albatross around that area. I don't think the heritage value of that building is so great that it should hold up the progress of the neighbourhood that is emerging around there... after nearly 20 years and still no answers as to what to do with it, at what point does the city just cut bait and move on?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

is freizen token moving off water front they have for sale signs hanging off their balconies

FT3 is moving to the Rice Building on Portage. They have out grown their space.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Agreed, but a little disappointed there wasn't a hint of anything on the CV owned James Pumping Station. Almost likes it's been forgotten or doesn't exist.

Apparently there will be an announcement in March-ish regarding the Pumphouse redevelopment.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Agreed, but a little disappointed there wasn't a hint of anything on the CV owned James Pumping Station. Almost likes it's been forgotten or doesn't exist.

Good point. At this point, we can celebrate efforts to save it, but given the consistent failures, it should be demolished and a new building erected.

[Urban recluse]

Regarding the western exchange and the fringes around Princess and Logan, as well as the northern Waterfront area, I am somewhat annoyed they are not part of CV's efforts; I suppose at some point, the private sector needs to play a larger role.

[1ajs]

Speaking of the pump house has anyone herd anything about that proposal on Sherbrook at all lately?

As for the pump house I think I know who's behind it I think...

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Speaking of the pump house has anyone herd anything about that proposal on Sherbrook at all lately?

As for the pump house I think I know who's behind it I think...

Someone credible I hope. It would be great to see a project developed at that site.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

Speaking of the pump house has anyone herd anything about that proposal on Sherbrook at all lately?

As for the pump house I think I know who's behind it I think...

If they don't drop the goofy stipulation that all the scrap iron must remain in the pump house anything will be a tough go.

[1ajs]

It's not scrap iron these pumps work

It's an important peic of our cities history that should not be lost

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

It's not scrap iron these pumps work

It's an important peic of our cities history that should not be lost

Why is it so important and who's going to sit around in wide-eyed wonder staring at it thinking of the early days of our fair city ?

I'm not the type to say that we shouldn't try to preserve spaces the keep us in touch with our history but there's a line that needs to be drawn. Are there really that many people who care about it that it can't be scuttled ? I doubt it although I could be wrong.

If the city isn't going to allow anything financially feasible to go up then it should pony up the cash to restore the place and turn it into a museum that nobody's going to go to. That won't happen because we can all think of things we'd rather spend that money on.

[trueviking]

most people would say destroy all our built heritage. But that's not a reason to do it.

The machinery is the heritage value of that building.

I've heard it's a great plan.

[lilwayne]

they definitely need to build something on Donald and st marys surface lots... those are some huge lots that need to be developed anything proposed for those

[CoryB]

^^ If there was a choice between doing something with the buildings on Portage Ave opposite MTS Centre or the surface lot on Donald at St Marys which would be the priority, and only one could be picked.

That is the scenario I was mentioning recently. While it might be nice to see something happen on Portage Ave there are lots of other high priority areas. The triangle lot at Ellice and Smith being another prime example.

[esquire]

^ Portage Avenue is in decent shape insofar as by the grace of God there are somehow no surface lots along it for the entirety of the downtown strip.

IMO the top priority sites for development are:

1. Portage and Main - the vacant lot north of 201 Portage and the half-built Winnipeg Square site are just eyesores and a drain on vitality on what should be the city's undisputed hub.

2. Main Street South - it is embarrassing how the east side of Main south of Portage has one surface lot after another. Given the proximity to The Forks, these should have been developed ages ago.

3. Broadway between Smith and Main - too many surface lots for one of Winnipeg's premiere avenues. For all the development downtown in recent years almost none of it has happened around here for some reason.

4. The Ellice/Notre Dame Triangle - a good development here could really help to seamlessly integrate the Exchange with the Portage Avenue downtown area.

5. Donald Street - the vast gap near York just makes the area look forlorn. There is a noticeable absence of any buildings built post 1983 when you stand at the corner of Donald and St. Mary's.

(Dis)honourable mentions to the big lot behind WCB, the ones near Shaw Park along Westbrook, and the one on Graham opposite the Cargill Building.

I specifically left out any sites which have actual development proposals, otherwise the TNS and Skycity sites would have been on the list too.

[CoryB]

^^ I would actually put Ellice Ave between Gary and Colony at the top of the list. Between the high frequency of surface lots and the perception of certain properties being "bad" leads to people having the perception that all of downtown is a "no-go" area. If the changes that CentrePoint is doing could spread across the whole of Ellice it would start putting pressure onto the Central Park neighbourhood as a desirable place. The long term impact of that kind of change, if it happened, could really start cascading through the more urban neighborhoods of Winnipeg.