Northern Ontario developments!

[TbayON]

Lakehead Labour Centre came down yesterday (Monday). Bruno's Cont. is currently hauling away the rubble.

OPSEU will be renovating a vacant building on Memorial Ave. for their offices. The building is located by Badanai and Gore Motors I believe.

[TbayON]

The former Pinewood Court seniors home on James St. S. is being converted into residential units. I don't know yet whether they will be apartments or condos. Work is already underway, and should continue to ramp up into the spring.

[vid]

OPSEU is moving into the old Thunder Bay Business building, the sandstone and blue glass one across from the Tim Hortons. They're planning on demolishing the Video Network building to make more room for parking.

[greyraven8]

Heard the Government building at 33 S. Court, Thunder Bay, has been sold. Think whatever few departments are left in there are moving out.

[Loco101]

I always found it interesting how many in Thunder Bay put the street direction before the street name just like in most of the U.S. and in Vancouver.

The last time I was in T-Bay I noticed that some of the street signs at intersection had the direction before and some after. It looked as though they were in the process of changing them to be like the rest of the province.

I work at a government office that handles applications and I notice that the government puts the direction after the street name but many clients in T-Bay put it before.

[vid]

Port Arthur put the cardinal direction after the name, and Fort William put it before the name.

Port Arthur has odd numbers on the northbound and westbound sides of the street, and Fort William has odd numbers on the southbound and eastbound sides of the street.

Port Arthur has numbers increasing as you head away from Red River Road, Fort William has numbers increasing as you head away from Victoria Avenue. That means that they increase as you head north from Victoria toward William, and as you head south from Red River to William. 1100 Simpson Street is across from 1100 Fort William Road—they're on opposite sides because of the aforementioned switch in which side is even and which is odd.

In Port Arthur and Fort William, numbers go up as you get further from the lake. Fort William is tricky though.

At Edward Street in Fort William, all the street numbers reset to zero and start going up again, so 2800 Arthur Street is across the street from 100 West Arthur Street. And any roads that cross that boundary on Edward Street (which is the centre of Neebing geographic township) are automatically prefixed "West". East of Edward Street, while people say "East Victoria Ave." and "East Arthur St.", they're actually just "Victoria Ave." and "Arthur St.", there is no cardinal direction on the signs, with a few exceptions (we don't have the resources to avoid inconsistencies here). There was an actual East Arthur Street, it was located on the island and its numbers went up as you travelled east from the river, towards the lake. It was renamed Baffin Street in the 1990s.

While people complain about the street naming thing (we have one street, our easternmost north-south arterial if you look at a map, which has six names; seven if you consider that it merges with an east-west arterial and continues on), we actually can't simplify them any further. There would be duplicate street numbers, so we would have to renumber everything, and when you renumber a 16km long road with hundreds of homes and businesses on it... it gets expensive.

I think this was all done to make amalgamation difficult. I can't think of any other city where street numbers reset like ours do at Edward Street, but I'm sure it exists somewhere.

If anything, it just makes Thunder Bay that much more unique. Like Sudbury we're the result of numerous cities combined into a single city, but unlike Sudbury and Timmins, those cities were located very close together, developed simultaneously, and now form a single bizarre agglomeration full of idiosyncrasies like the ones I described above. Zoning by-laws are another neat relic of the two cities growing separately. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that inner city and early suburban housing in one city is different from its contemporaries in the other city. They both had fairly different regulations on development (Fort William preferred smaller lots and tight controls on where property could be developed, while Port Arthur favoured larger lots and allowed development all over the place in a haphazard manner) and even today, we have to have two different zoning types for residential areas in the south and residential areas in the north, because combining them into one made the by-laws too broad.

Another thing you might notice: Fort William put its power lines in the back alleys, Port Arthur had them along the boulevards.

It really is amazing how opposite the two cities were when it came to small details like this.

[mistercorporate]

Any thoughts/insights regarding the significance of the Maley Drive extension project around Sudbury?

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Any thoughts/insights regarding the significance of the Maley Drive extension project around Sudbury?

It will be a municipal road like the old divided highway section of old Highway 17. It will take the truck off of Lasalle.

I am for it.

[TbayON]

I'm hearing that Kelsey's is going to be pretty extensively renovated late spring or early summer. Makes sense considering The Keg was just renovated, Tony Roma's just opened and Wacky Wings will be coming into the market all in the same neighbourhood. If Shoeless Joe's opens at the Holiday Inn, even more reason to renovate.

The third multi-unit building on Kingsway Ave. is under way. Currently framing going up for main floor walls. I believe this one is the last building there is room for at that location.

[TbayON]

Hearing the TBT Engineering is going to be going through a major expansion of their Kingston St. (former Paterson offices) facility over the next five years. Plans include renovations to existing buildings and construction of several large additions, from what I hear. The company would then consolidate all operations from around the city into the one location. I also heard that TBT is looking at a residential component where they will develop condos along the Kam River.

Local media is reporting that East Side Mario's is looking at coming back to the Bay, and Milestones is also going to enter the market. Franchises for both restaurants are currently available in the city. There was a rumour a while back that Milestones was going to set up in the Delta Hotel... not sure if this is still the plan.

[newhere]

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the federal infrastructure plan has been changed to allow for the funding of recreational buildings (rinks)...this will likely breathe new life into the event centre/new arena initiative. This could also be the tipping point for other waterfront investments like the hotel, Milestones and Art Gallery. Could be exciting times.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by newhere

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the federal infrastructure plan has been changed to allow for the funding of recreational buildings (rinks)...this will likely breathe new life into the event centre/new arena initiative. This could also be the tipping point for other waterfront investments like the hotel, Milestones and Art Gallery. Could be exciting times.

Here in Sudbury, just figuring out where it will go is a problem.

[TbayON]

Originally Posted by newhere

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the federal infrastructure plan has been changed to allow for the funding of recreational buildings (rinks)...this will likely breathe new life into the event centre/new arena initiative. This could also be the tipping point for other waterfront investments like the hotel, Milestones and Art Gallery. Could be exciting times.

Hotel is going to go with or without the event centre. Very likely the Art Gallery too with or without the event centre, subject to funding. The event centre would like spur further private investment into restaurant and entertainment businesses, and into hotels like Prince Arthur.

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Here in Sudbury, just figuring out where it will go is a problem.

Took forever to decide that in T-Bay too, and its still hotly debated. It the end, the downtown location was chosen. There is still a lot of discussion in the community around the chosen location, even though the project is essentially dead in the water at the moment.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by TbayON

Took forever to decide that in T-Bay too, and its still hotly debated. It the end, the downtown location was chosen. There is still a lot of discussion in the community around the chosen location, even though the project is essentially dead in the water at the moment.

Was it one of the options to choose from? Here in Sudbury, none of the options are really listing downtown as an option. For something this heated, they should almost make it a referendum.

[TbayON]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Was it one of the options to choose from? Here in Sudbury, none of the options are really listing downtown as an option. For something this heated, they should almost make it a referendum.

The city hired a consulting firm to select feasible locations. Three locations were selected; near the airport, Innova Park (a largely undeveloped light industrial/commercial business park near several major arterial roads, but not much else, and downtown Port Arthur. The airport option was never seriously considered. Proponents for Innova Park thought that proposal better for parking reasons, while the proponents for the downtown location saw it as a possible major boost for a downtown north core that was already beginning to re-invent itself.

The decision was made by city council, and not by referendum. There have been calls for a referendum on the issue here, both for location, and whether to build it at all or not. A municipal election was held right in the middle of the debate, at which time most incumbents were returned to council. This election was thought of as a referendum or sorts by those who don't support holding a vote on the project itself.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by TbayON

The city hired a consulting firm to select feasible locations. Three locations were selected; near the airport, Innova Park (a largely undeveloped light industrial/commercial business park near several major arterial roads, but not much else, and downtown Port Arthur. The airport option was never seriously considered. Proponents for Innova Park thought that proposal better for parking reasons, while the proponents for the downtown location saw it as a possible major boost for a downtown north core that was already beginning to re-invent itself.

The decision was made by city council, and not by referendum. There have been calls for a referendum on the issue here, both for location, and whether to build it at all or not. A municipal election was held right in the middle of the debate, at which time most incumbents were returned to council. This election was thought of as a referendum or sorts by those who don't support holding a vote on the project itself.

The only 2 optoins presented are in the south end and near Falconbridge Rd and The Kingsway. The city and residents are asking "What about downtown?"

How long did your arena take to build?

[tjernobyl]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

How long did your arena take to build?

It never got off the ground. The project was tailored to the funding programs in place at the time the process started. The consultation process was described as being as long and extensive as one would see for a full NHL arena. By the time the design was fleshed out, the funding programs had changed twice and it was no longer eligible. There's some faint hope that the new federal government will find some money, but I'm personally not optimistic.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by tjernobyl

It never got off the ground. The project was tailored to the funding programs in place at the time the process started. The consultation process was described as being as long and extensive as one would see for a full NHL arena. By the time the design was fleshed out, the funding programs had changed twice and it was no longer eligible. There's some faint hope that the new federal government will find some money, but I'm personally not optimistic.

Sounds like a nice mess. Sadly, that may happen here.

[Loco101]

No money for Timmins. We voted NDP. LOL

[TbayON]

It'll go here eventually... I just don't know what eventually is yet. It has more to do with Fort William Gardens than it does to do with getting a new building. I say that because the FW Gardens will come to a point in the not too distant future where it will require substantial work. Upgrading the FW Gardens and making it code compliant would be such a huge, complicated task that the cost of going new would be similar.

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The province has funded two projects in Thunder Bay over the last couple days. The first will see the province investing $2 million into a student wellness centre at Con College's Thunder Bay campus.

A second investment of $6 million will see Kingsway Park School expanded to accommodate students from Hyde Park School (which will be closed). Kingsway will become a kindergarten to grade 8 school. Construction will begin on this project next year.