Saskatoon Construction II

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by ToonTownRob

Saskatoon home builder who has never done a large commercial office tower before announces a new 8 or 9 storey office tower for downtown Saskatoon.

Construction to start in three months...

This is the same home builder who:
Announced plans for the tallest building in Saskatchewan on this site.
Announced construction to start two years ago.
Said construction delayed due to high building costs.
Changed plans.
After building costs go down, said construction not going ahead due to low demand.
Announces 8 or 9 storey building with fancy name, fronted by best-buddy former mayor who pushed through construction of a replica bridge of a 100+ year old structure with no redeeming qualities of its own, and which is no longer needed.

How many announcements of office towers in Saskatoon have been discussed in this thread? And still, not even a hole in the ground anywhere.

An office 'tower' for Saskatoon? By a company that has never built one?

Yeah, right!

River centre II wouldve been a perfect tower for this. I dont think we should be putting smaller developments on parcels that could be slated for massive high density development. Even the old patricia hotel lot wouldve been a good spot too..(imo). But maybe 9 storeys is considered high density? I dont think so

[casper]

Originally Posted by ToonTownRob

Saskatoon home builder who has never done a large commercial office tower before announces a new 8 or 9 storey office tower for downtown Saskatoon.

Construction to start in three months...

This is the same home builder who:
Announced plans for the tallest building in Saskatchewan on this site.
Announced construction to start two years ago.
Said construction delayed due to high building costs.
Changed plans.
After building costs go down, said construction not going ahead due to low demand.
Announces 8 or 9 storey building with fancy name, fronted by best-buddy former mayor who pushed through construction of a replica bridge of a 100+ year old structure with no redeeming qualities of its own, and which is no longer needed.

How many announcements of office towers in Saskatoon have been discussed in this thread? And still, not even a hole in the ground anywhere.

An office 'tower' for Saskatoon? By a company that has never built one?

Yeah, right!

To their credit North Prairie did the office Towner next door that BHP is in. That was the first new office space in downtown Vancouver in what 15 years?

If you just finished an 8 storey office block, the jump to 8-9 does not sound far fetched. Going to 20 maybe a bit more of a stretch..

[EpicPonyTime]

Originally Posted by mitchellk12

River centre II wouldve been a perfect tower for this. I dont think we should be putting smaller developments on parcels that could be slated for massive high density development. Even the old patricia hotel lot wouldve been a good spot too..(imo). But maybe 9 storeys is considered high density? I dont think so

I think you're 100% correct here. This would be a very good proposal for that site, even if they used the pre-existing design.

[Ziggy4Prez]

Does Canwest not have a working website or phone number?

http://www.canwestclc.com doesn't work.

411 lists their number as (306) 373-1723, which also doesn't work.

[ToonTownRob]

Originally Posted by casper

To their credit North Prairie did the office Towner next door that BHP is in. That was the first new office space in downtown Vancouver in what 15 years?

If you just finished an 8 storey office block, the jump to 8-9 does not sound far fetched. Going to 20 maybe a bit more of a stretch..

I don't really understand what you are saying. Bhp's head office is 3? stories and if I recall correctly, a steel frame erector. That is a long way from a poured concrete office tower. Even their multi-story condo building doesn't put them in a commercial high-rise tower class.

I would have more faith if Ken Achs (nexus bldg) was talking about this, but NPD just seems like another kid at the table who's eyes are way bigger than their stomach. To announce their plans for not one, but two towers in dt Saskatoon, both of which would be the two new tallest towers in the province, only to back off so quickly, just says so much. Let's see you walk and then skip and then jog before you run. But to announce that you are going to win both the 60m and 1500m and then not even show up at the meet says a lot.

The list of people who have announced projects in Saskatoon, only to abandon them, is long and distinguished. And some of them even came from people who had enough of a track record that they should have been abke to complete them. And still nothing. Doesn't that tell someone like John Williams (npd) to keep quiet until you actually put shovels in the ground? You just end up looking no different from all the monorail promoters that have come before (Monorail!).

When it comes to Saskatoon development it is all about "Fool me once..."

[Ziggy4Prez]

[casper]

Originally Posted by ToonTownRob

I don't really understand what you are saying. Bhp's head office is 3? stories and if I recall correctly, a steel frame erector. That is a long way from a poured concrete office tower. Even their multi-story condo building doesn't put them in a commercial high-rise tower class.

I would have more faith if Ken Achs (nexus bldg) was talking about this, but NPD just seems like another kid at the table who's eyes are way bigger than their stomach. To announce their plans for not one, but two towers in dt Saskatoon, both of which would be the two new tallest towers in the province, only to back off so quickly, just says so much. Let's see you walk and then skip and then jog before you run. But to announce that you are going to win both the 60m and 1500m and then not even show up at the meet says a lot.

The list of people who have announced projects in Saskatoon, only to abandon them, is long and distinguished. And some of them even came from people who had enough of a track record that they should have been abke to complete them. And still nothing. Doesn't that tell someone like John Williams (npd) to keep quiet until you actually put shovels in the ground? You just end up looking no different from all the monorail promoters that have come before (Monorail!).

When it comes to Saskatoon development it is all about "Fool me once..."

The point I was making was North Prairie owns one fairly new office block in Saskatoon. Building another one that is 8-9 stores is not a big stretch. The engineering and construction is all getting contracted out. It is not like North Prairie staff are going to pour concrete.

Having them go from having 4 story office blocks to suddenly 15-20 is a bit more of stretch.

As for the likely-hood of it getting built this decade. Hard to say. For an office building like this they need a anchor tenant that wants to consolidate operations in a single location and is willing to sign a long-term lease. If one of the big guys BHP, Potash, Cameco etc. or government come along and say we want this number of square feet can you offer us something it will go to who ever gives them a good deal. That could be NPD or Achs or a REIT.

I don't think NPD has the deep pockets to go build it on spec with the hope that tenants will magically appear. A big REIT maybe, but they are going to look at the vacancy rate and probably pass without an anchor tenant.

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by Ziggy4Prez

Does Canwest not have a working website or phone number?

http://www.canwestclc.com doesn't work.

411 lists their number as (306) 373-1723, which also doesn't work.

This is weird.

Update: I found a Google cached version with the following contact information. Yes that is their spelling of "Atchison".

Contact

For general inquiries please contact:

Tyler Williams
Email: [email protected]
Office: (306) 931-2880
Cell: (306) 229-5341

Don Atchinson
Email: [email protected]
Office: (306) 931-2880

John Williams
Email: [email protected]
Office: (306) 931-2880
Cell: (306) 229-5341
Canwest Commercial Land Corp.

110-319 Wellman Lane
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7T 0J1
Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm

[The Bess]

I tried looking also and found nothing

[Echoes]

City hall to study market for downtown grocery store

Phil Tank, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Published on: March 7, 2017 | Last Updated: March 7, 2017 6:01 PM CST

Saskatoon city hall will explore how to solve one of the city’s key growth conundrums: The lack of a grocery store downtown.

Coun. Cynthia Block, whose ward includes the downtown Central Business District, has asked for a “market sounding” by City of Saskatoon staff to determine the interest in operating a downtown grocery.

“We’ve heard it for years that downtown needs a grocery store and that we need to get more people to get a grocery store and we need to get a grocery store to get more people,” Block said in an interview on Tuesday.

She cited the high demand for units in a new condominium tower at River Landing as an indication the downtown could be attracting enough residents to support a grocery store.

In an inquiry she made at a city council meeting on Feb. 27, Block noted 15,000 people are expected to live downtown in the next two decades. The Central Business District was home to 3,372 residents in 2016, according to the city’s estimate — a slight drop from 3,392 in 2014.

The 2013 city centre plan, designed to guide development in the core, acknowledged incentives may be needed to convince a grocery chain to locate downtown, Block noted in her inquiry.

The market sounding will give city hall some indication of the best direction to encourage a grocer to locate downtown, she said.

“It could lead us to conclude that there’s little market interest and the barriers are too great. As a city councillor downtown, I’m concerned that we don’t have a grocery store downtown. I think a downtown grocery store is urgently needed.”

Block said she thinks the timing is right for a downtown grocery and some interest has been expressed, although she declined to be specific.

Brent Penner, executive director of Downtown Saskatoon, the downtown business improvement district, said grocery chains approached about retail space have routinely cited the lack of downtown residents as an impediment.

[....]

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/city-hall-to-study-market-for-downtown-grocery-store

[Brutopian]

Bus rapid transit system on 'ambitious' schedule

By Phil Tank, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
March 8, 2017

City hall staff say they will move “quickly and deliberately” to design Saskatoon’s bus rapid transit system to qualify for federal transportation infrastructure money.

The system forms the centrepiece of the city’s growth plan, designed to guide decisions as the population grows to 500,000 people.

A report presented to city council’s planning, development and community services committee on Monday outlines a schedule to hit “ambitious timelines” to meet requirements for federal funding.

The federal government’s new Public Transportation Infrastructure Fund, which is worth $3.4 billion, requires that most money be spent by March 31, 2018.

[........]

Read more:
http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/bus-rapid-transit-system-on-ambitious-schedule

[Echoes]

City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Tribal Council have announced a partnership to develop a ~$60M hydropower station at the weir.

From the news release:
"The project will involve restoring the weir’s current infrastructure, and the construction of a river crossing for pedestrians and cyclists that will be wider, safer and more accessible than the current one on the CP Rail Bridge."

https://www.saskatoon.ca/news-releases/proposed-weir-hydropower-project-could-deliver-many-benefits

[Echoes]

https://www.saskatoon.ca/services-reside...toon-light-power/hydropower-station-weir

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Echoes

City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Tribal Council have announced a partnership to develop a ~$60M hydropower station at the weir.

From the news release:
"The project will involve restoring the weir’s current infrastructure, and the construction of a river crossing for pedestrians and cyclists that will be wider, safer and more accessible than the current one on the CP Rail Bridge."

https://www.saskatoon.ca/news-releases/proposed-weir-hydropower-project-could-deliver-many-benefits

Wow this sounds like a great deal for the City. No cost and a brand new accessible crossing!

[Brutopian]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Wow this sounds like a great deal for the City. No cost and a brand new accessible crossing!

Very cool.

Kudos to STC and C of S for embarking on this partnership.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Echoes

City hall to study market for downtown grocery store

Phil Tank, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Published on: March 7, 2017 | Last Updated: March 7, 2017 6:01 PM CST



http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/city-hall-to-study-market-for-downtown-grocery-store

What would be interested in see in some of the underserved locations in Saskatoon is last-mile delivery lockers (www.omnioninc.com and www.mightyplus.com ) with online grocery ordering. This is the trend in Europe. Vancouver has these. Some of the traditional online only operators in Vancouver have started to open up downtown pick locations that are also small form-factor stores for the daily order.

[skSK]

Originally Posted by Echoes

City of Saskatoon and Saskatoon Tribal Council have announced a partnership to develop a ~$60M hydropower station at the weir.

From the news release:
"The project will involve restoring the weir’s current infrastructure, and the construction of a river crossing for pedestrians and cyclists that will be wider, safer and more accessible than the current one on the CP Rail Bridge."

https://www.saskatoon.ca/news-releases/proposed-weir-hydropower-project-could-deliver-many-benefits

This is awesome--the background research is solid from the feasibility study done in 2009 and it seems like all the bases are covered. Looks like a win for everyone, even the fish and pelicans!

[jigglysquishy]

Thrilled BRT is being streamlined. It's the most necessary project in the city

[gowest]

The steel work started today on the third span of the Traffic Bridge. Amazing how fast this gets done.

[Echoes]

Consultant chosen to study arena, convention centre future

PHIL TANK, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX
Published on: March 9, 2017 | Last Updated: March 9, 2017 5:50 PM CST

The same company that helped lay the groundwork for Edmonton’s new arena district will help study the options for the future of SaskTel Centre and TCU Place convention centre.

The boards for Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre arena and entertainment facility and TCU Place announced Thursday they have selected the companies that will conduct a market analysis to help determine the future of the two facilities.

“We got some really strong bids from some very reputable firms from across North America,” SaskTel Centre CEO Will Lofdahl said in an interview on Thursday.

Toronto-based HLT Advisory Inc. and Conventional Wisdom Corp. of Orlando, Florida were chosen to conduct the study. HLT Advisory’s projects include Edmonton’s arena district, featuring the Rogers Place arena that opened in 2016. Conventional Wisdom’s projects include the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

A committee was struck to choose the successful bidder, Lofdahl said. The study is expected to cost $261,000 and be completed by the end of 2017. The boards are paying the cost.

Both SaskTel Centre and TCU Place are city-owned facilities run by independent boards.

The market analysis will look at two options to replace SaskTel Centre with a downtown arena, renovations at the arena’s current north-end location and a combined downtown arena and convention centre.

[email protected]

twitter.com/thinktankSK

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/consultant-chosen-to-study-arena-convention-centre-future