Winnipeg Construction VIII

[Tacheguy]

there is a reason why the little bits of green we have downtown are not well - maintained, and that is because none of them is of sufficient scale to have any kind of political constituency.

contrast that with the public outcry against the proposed water park and the speed with which the politicians backed off. that was because many winnipeggers feel a sense of ownership of the forks site and, to some extent, the museum.

[BubberMiley]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

The Higgins and Main "park" cannot be what it should until most of the area is razed, and gentrified.

I think they finished razing it around 20 years ago. Not much left to tear down.

[Urban recluse]

Most of everything north of it.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by BubberMiley

I think they finished razing it around 20 years ago. Not much left to tear down.

Pretty Much..
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.9045243,-...bxEuAxZBgPATA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[headhorse]

hey Cyro, not sure if someone else has taken over, but I'm close to being finished updating the front page.

[GarryEllice]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

And second which you seem to miss all the time as you want a concrete jungle for some reason is people living downtown need green space. That area has zero right now and we could make a interesting asain themed one to fit the areas cultural feel.

Speaking as someone who lives very close to the site, there is plenty of green space around. What I want is dense urban development that gets as many people working and living in the area as possible. That you would refer to this as a "concrete jungle" says more about your lack of understanding of urban life than anything else.

There seems to be a widespread view in Winnipeg that more green space is the solution to any urban ills, but to quote Jane Jacobs: "Parks are not automatically anything."

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by GarryEllice

Speaking as someone who lives very close to the site, there is plenty of green space around. What I want is dense urban development that gets as many people working and living in the area as possible. That you would refer to this as a "concrete jungle" says more about your lack of understanding of urban life than anything else.

There seems to be a widespread view in Winnipeg that more green space is the solution to any urban ills, but to quote Jane Jacobs: "Parks are not automatically anything."

Jane Jacobs lived a within a healthy walking distance of Central Park.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

The Higgins and Main "park" cannot be what it should until most of the area is razed, and gentrified.

I believe it's actually part of the First Nations land which includes most of that area. I know they wanted to make a University on the vacant land once. The entire area was supposed to be a First Nations RRC style area. I actually would support that more then just throwing money all over for them.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by GarryEllice

Speaking as someone who lives very close to the site, there is plenty of green space around. What I want is dense urban development that gets as many people working and living in the area as possible. That you would refer to this as a "concrete jungle" says more about your lack of understanding of urban life than anything else.

There seems to be a widespread view in Winnipeg that more green space is the solution to any urban ills, but to quote Jane Jacobs: "Parks are not automatically anything."

So you want the city to start doing housing and building condos? The land cannot be privatized. This is why I said Park. Or would you rather they build some " low income housing " because they are so good at that as we all know. And then your area will have lots of night life. Car alarms. Broken glass etc.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

I believe it's actually part of the First Nations land which includes most of that area. I know they wanted to make a University on the vacant land once. The entire area was supposed to be a First Nations RRC style area. I actually would support that more then just throwing money all over for them.

That could be a great component of the redevelopment of Point Douglas. I remember the plan to transform the area into a larger village/campus, but that was a decade ago, and there has been no progress. Between Higgins, Main, Jarvis/Hallet, west to Aikins Street, there are blocks and blocks of decay and industrial blight. The city needs to get serious about developing these areas, and less about new suburbs.

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

That could be a great component of the redevelopment of Point Douglas. I remember the plan to transform the area into a larger village/campus, but that was a decade ago, and there has been no progress. Between Higgins, Main, Jarvis/Hallet, there are blocks and blocks of decay and industrial blight. The city needs to get serious about developing these areas, and less about new suburbs.

The cp station has been transformed into the Winnipeg Aboriginal Centre. Associated with that is the Neeginen Training Centre which basically provides skills training to aboriginal people who either wouldn't get into Red river or who aren't comfortable going there. They work very closely with certain industries who agree ahead of time to hire the graduates. I have been through the place a few times with various federal ministers who consider it a bit of a feel good story. Plenty of growing pains though. There is also student housing in the area. It is not untypical to see single parent students in their thirties with four or five kids. Some of them have been hired by aerospace firms. Haven't seen any recent comprehensive evaluations of those programs though.

[Urban recluse]

Plans for the area were larger in scale. I cannot say if there were formal plans (on paper), but I remember talking with someone involved, and there was great vision for the area. That would have been in 2008.

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Plans for the area were larger in scale. I cannot say if there were formal plans (on paper), but I remember talking with someone involved, and there was great vision for the area. That would have been in 2008.

Mary Richard and friends certainly had some large scale plans to repurpose Thunderbird House and the surrounding area, including touristy sweat lodges and things like that. Never got any traction for funding.

[1ajs]

when thunderbird house was built there was a whole plan laid out for the area it died

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

That could be a great component of the redevelopment of Point Douglas. I remember the plan to transform the area into a larger village/campus, but that was a decade ago, and there has been no progress. Between Higgins, Main, Jarvis/Hallet, west to Aikins Street, there are blocks and blocks of decay and industrial blight. The city needs to get serious about developing these areas, and less about new suburbs.

I would love the campus idea and save what is worth saving with the old industrial buildings. But the rest I would like to see actual housing. Not all condos. But real side by side houses. Kind of compliment what's already there for houses. I keep being told its full of artsy people. So maybe it could become a version of Wholsley. And then the few larger industrial buildings could be converted into lofts for rental for up and coming artists. Would change that area for good and even make north point Douglas a better place.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

Mary Richard and friends certainly had some large scale plans to repurpose Thunderbird House and the surrounding area, including touristy sweat lodges and things like that. Never got any traction for funding.

Isn't that sad we are already trying to repurpose it lol. It's not even that old.

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

Jane Jacobs lived a within a healthy walking distance of Central Park.

And if you live in the East Exchange you live within a healthy walking distance of Juba Park.

In the West Exchange you live within a healthy walking distance of Central Park.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

Jane Jacobs lived a within a healthy walking distance of Central Park.

Jane Jacobs lived at 555 Hudson Ave in New York. She was a good 4-5 km from Central Park. Which is nearly the distance to Assiniboine Park from parts of the Exchange District.

People living in the Exchange do NOT need more parks. Stephen Juba Park, Central Park, Bonnycastle Park, The Forks, The Legislative Grounds and even Whittier will suffice. If you really want to go to Assiniboine Park you can also take a pretty short bus ride to get there... or just take a "healthy walk" there.

[BKB]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

Jane Jacobs lived a within a healthy walking distance of Central Park.

A 9KM walk from Greenwich Village to Central Park is a healthy walk.

[bomberjet]

I'm a bit lost here in the convo. We're still talking about putting a park at the PSB site? Like you guys said, there's parks everywhere. If there were more people around, the parks would be more heavily used. We don't need to build more parks to further spread the park attendees downtown.

And no one is saying the City needs to build residential to get people downtown, obviously... We need a dense, urban downtown that is created by demand and will utilize all the park space currently available. Winnipeg will never have a central park like NYC.