Winnipeg Construction IX - Page 7

bomberjet · #**121** Posted **Jun 16, 2016, 9:17 PM**

http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/construction/studies/neexchangedistrict.stm

Plans are there. Lily will be one lane each way, with a parking lane on each side. Except the through lanes are wider here because of truck traffic. There are bump outs at the intersections so people only have to cross the two through lanes of traffic. Makes the crossing as short as possible.

1ajs · #**122** Posted **Jun 16, 2016, 11:00 PM**

wags_in_the_peg · #**123** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 12:51 PM**

what's going on with the Bay parkade - the entire area has had wooden hoarding built around it. Are they finally re-doing all the railing / exterior?

Labroco · #**124** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 1:28 PM**

The Sterling Building on Portage has been sold for a residental conversion. It will be similar to the Lindsey Building I presume. Another residental rental addition to down town...

drew · #**125** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 2:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labroco

The Sterling Building on Portage has been sold for a residental conversion. It will be similar to the Lindsey Building I presume. Another residental rental addition to down town...

^ that's good news.

Perhaps they will try to undo that 60's disaster that happened to the once fine looking front entrance.

bomberjet · #**126** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 2:44 PM**

Yes, good news. We need all these old buildings to be full on the upper floors. Slowly but surely.

esquire · #**127** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 3:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Yes, good news. We need all these old buildings to be full on the upper floors. Slowly but surely.

Agreed. There are so many buildings in downtown Winnipeg that are unoccupied on the upper levels, and that really needs to change.

As for the Sterling Building, I'm of two minds. On one hand I'm a little sad that there isn't enough demand for lower-end office space to sustain it as an office building, but on the other hand if that can't work then a residential conversion is the next best thing.

I see it as a consolation prize to some extent because while a full office building might be a beehive of activity with dozens of people working on each floor, a residential use in a building with a smallish footprint might mean a handful of apartments with maybe 8-10 people per floor. In other words, a lot fewer people using the building.

Hopefully the businesses that get displaced will move to other office buildings nearby.

drew · #**128** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 3:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Agreed. There are so many buildings in downtown Winnipeg that are unoccupied on the upper levels, and that really needs to change.

As for the Sterling Building, I'm of two minds. On one hand I'm a little sad that there isn't enough demand for lower-end office space to sustain it as an office building, but on the other hand if that can't work then a residential conversion is the next best thing.

I see it as a consolation prize to some extent because while a full office building might be a beehive of activity with dozens of people working on each floor, a residential use in a building with a smallish footprint might mean a handful of apartments with maybe 8-10 people per floor. In other words, a lot fewer people using the building.

Hopefully the businesses that get displaced will move to other office buildings nearby.

If underused buildings keep getting converted into residential - eventually, commercial and office demand downtown will take care of itself.

It is obviously WAY out of balance in our (too large) downtown. IMO we need to keep pumping in residential for many more years before we even approach a scenario where vacant or underused commercial/office space will become scarce.

The Exchange alone is still littered with mostly empty buildings waiting for better utilization - and then consider the pock-marked desolation that exists in wide swaths between Portage and Broadway.

esquire · #**129** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 3:22 PM**

^ Oh yeah, residential use of the old office buildings is far preferable to having the office building just sitting there half-empty and somewhat neglected for another few decades. It's just that it's a symptom of the problem of general lack of demand... in a more bustling city, that kind of lower end office space would typically be filled with small businesses and start-up firms. But alas.

Once TNS gets built I'm sure that other older office buildings will likely end up getting converted to residential too. Thank goodness the demand exists for that use... if it weren't for that, buildings like the Lindsay could have just been boarded up the way Union Bank Tower was.

Cyro · #**130** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 4:39 PM**

City Compilation Thread
WINNIPEG | Projects and Development

Updates appreciated for developments and builds..tough going with Chicago, LA, NY etc..in the mix..lol..

esquire · #**131** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 6:15 PM**

If you're in the market for a nice seven storey fixer-upper, 138 Portage Ave East (AKA the Keewayden) is up for sale together with an adjacent surface parking lot. Asking price $3 million

http://www.cushmanwakefieldwinnipeg.ca/p...Portage-Ave-East-Winnipeg-MB-CAD3000000/

This is the kind of building that 40 years ago would have been demolished without much thought, but somehow it made it through to now. I have no idea what's in there... I don't think I've ever had any dealings at all with anyone based in that building. Broker is pitching it as a prime hotel or residential conversion candidate.

Cyro · #**132** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 6:59 PM**

Some reno work done, commercial tenants, in early 2000..interesting location for some new residential space.

hexrae · #**133** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 8:03 PM**

If I win the lotto max tonight...

flatlander · #**134** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 10:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Oh yeah, residential use of the old office buildings is far preferable to having the office building just sitting there half-empty and somewhat neglected for another few decades. It's just that it's a symptom of the problem of general lack of demand... in a more bustling city, that kind of lower end office space would typically be filled with small businesses and start-up firms. But alas.

Once TNS gets built I'm sure that other older office buildings will likely end up getting converted to residential too. Thank goodness the demand exists for that use... if it weren't for that, buildings like the Lindsay could have just been boarded up the way Union Bank Tower was.

I'm always glad to hear of more residential supply downtown, but downtown also needs it's business incubators - the Hammonds, Silpits, etc. The Sterling or 272 Main could also be in that category. Coworking seems to be taking off.

Cyro · #**135** Posted **Jun 17, 2016, 10:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flatlander

I'm always glad to hear of more residential supply downtown, but downtown also needs it's business incubators - the Hammonds, Silpits, etc. The Sterling or 272 Main could also be in that category. Coworking seems to be taking off.

Spent many a day in/out of these buildings, 70 Arthur was one of many. I remember the garment industry in full swing in 50% of the buildings, what's located at the Silpit building presently? Just don't have the time to revisit the exchange district and wander through most of the buildings in the East/West of the area.. plus my access level would have been taken down a notch..

1ajs · #**136** Posted **Jun 18, 2016, 3:01 PM**

that building on portage ave east a few years ago had all the point work redone and new windows along the back side fyi

the old warehouse one space one portage the landlord wants 30$ a sqft thats insane...

the downtown biz has setup a small retail experiment space in there for the summer painter and a clothes designer, and july 7 one of the tribe called red guys will be performing in it

Urban recluse · #**137** Posted **Jun 19, 2016, 5:11 PM**

272 Main: preliminary construction right now. Structural steel is done and windows ordered. All floors polished as well. There are some last minute changes that will affect the main permit process. They are looking into adding 4 more apartments with two in the lower level and two really cool loft units at the very back of the main floor. These two will be accessd from Main Street but living area will be on the mezzanine level. This will simplify the commercial space. There is interest from a restaurant now but they are waiting for final confirmation on the floor plan to see how this could change the commercial floor plate.

Oops, this should have been posted in Winnipeg construction.

Tacheguy · #**138** Posted **Jun 19, 2016, 6:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

272 Main: preliminary construction right now. Structural steel is done and windows ordered. All floors polished as well. There are some last minute changes that will affect the main permit process. They are looking into adding 4 more apartments with two in the lower level and two really cool loft units at the very back of the main floor. These two will be accessd from Main Street but living area will be on the mezzanine level. This will simplify the commercial space. There is interest from a restaurant now but they are waiting for final confirmation on the floor plan to see how this could change the commercial floor plate.

Oops, this should have been posted in Winnipeg construction.

That sounds interesting. Will have to check it out..

esquire · #**139** Posted **Jun 20, 2016, 1:27 PM**

There is a notice in the Metro today regarding a lowrise development on Pembina Highway in St. Norbert. It's a cool 5468796 design which will be a nice antidote to the less appealing buildings that have popped up around there in recent years... looks pretty sleek.

source: janicelukes.ca

esquire · #**140** Posted **Jun 20, 2016, 5:25 PM**

Looks like the big Hopewell development near Pembina and Bishop Grandin is getting ready to start rolling, with site servicing to begin next spring.

Bishop Grandin Crossing is being billed as TOD but I think TOD-lite might be a better description... with the proximity to the SWBRT it won't be as transit hostile as many new developments typically are, but it still appears to be fairly car oriented. I'd give this project points for density and being essentially an infill development... it's not hard to imagine a low-density sprawling 70s-style industrial park filling this space, so what's proposed is much better in my opinion.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busines...-have-it-all-383617471.html#&gid=2&pid=1