Winnipeg Construction IX

[esquire]

^ It's true that the downtown Bay no longer carries higher-end labels... that practice stopped about 15 years ago. But then, neither do most of the smaller suburban stores like St. Vital (and prior to that, Kildonan Place and Unicity).

In some ways, the downtown Bay has more in common with those types of smaller suburban locations than with downtown flagships in other cities. If anything, it's the Polo Park location which fits the flagship model now. That said, the small suburban store seems to be an essential part of their model so on that basis you would think there would be room for the downtown Bay in their lineup.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by CoryB

In terms of the downtown Bay being off-brand, Hudson's Bay is trying to move significant up market, think Sak's and Nordstrom's. The current downtown location is closer to Zeller's of old. Bridging that gap isn't a matter of new paint and shipping in some stock either as the high priced items have historically been harder sells in the Winnipeg market as a whole. At some point Hudson's Bay is going to need to do a hard look at what locations it operates and make some tough choices on the Winnipeg market.

Here are a few of the locations for HBC's upcoming stores in the Netherlands.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@52.3712452,4...!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e3!6m1!1e1?hl=en-CA

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/De+Baro...679!4d4.7742354!5m1!1e3!6m1!1e1?hl=en-CA

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Heuvels...233!4d5.0879927!5m1!1e3!6m1!1e1?hl=en-CA


You tell me what's more off brand.
This:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.8910665,-...!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e3!6m1!1e1?hl=en-CA

or this:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.8253371,-...!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e3!6m1!1e1?hl=en-CA

If downtown is off brand, the whole city is off brand. Nothing doesn't say high-end retail like a trashy suburban location. I know I've ranted and raged on here before, but I'm kind of their target market, and I live downtown and try to shop at their downtown location. Bringing in better stock isn't hard. But they lose me and many more as customers because their Winnipeg locations are stuck in the '90s--wildly at odds with the brand they aim to present globally.

If the local market is so hopeless that they have to stay reactive to it, that's one thing. But from here, it sure doesn't look like presenting a coherent brand is that important to them.

[esquire]

^ Yeah, it feels like The Bay only tries half-heartedly in Winnipeg. The surviving locations that they didn't shut down are all lame and stuck in the 90s except for Polo Park's, which is a throwback to a more recent time like 2004.

Personally, I hardly ever go to the suburban locations... if the downtown store doesn't have it, I'm buying it someplace else.

[Wolf13]

While concrete is preferred to wood frame, I think some here are forgetting how commonly used it it still is... and how it isn't regarded as a poor man's choice.

Originally Posted by drew

It's happening.

You can already do it in BC, AB and QC and possibly ON.

You can bet Winnipeg economics will have these types of building construction become the norm quickly.

I hope so. The additional structural requiments and fire protection demands are substantial and require a degree of know-how that I'm unsure we have in Winnipeg. The $/sf of a 6 story wood frame will be well beyond the 4 story wood frame. Question will be if the premium to go concrete isn't worth it.

It will eventually gain traction, I'm unsure it will be instant, however.

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Sad what will be lost for such a nondescript building. I'm a firm advocate for density in the Village, but not without consideration for aesthetics. I see it will also include some surface parking, terrific.

The obsession Winnipeggers have with parking is nothing short of a pathology.

Cost for both.

in particular parking. Any developer needs to factor in their parking ratios, and guess what? Parkades are hugely expensive and make a negligible return.

Developers don't like parking nearly as much as implied, but in order to meet code with sufficient parking, it's simply too expensive to go underground most often. You can add a level of parking at grade underneath the building, but that ain't cheap either, because suddenly you're building a 5 story building (1 concrete parking level + 4 woodframe levels) for 4 story revenue.

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

but why would they pay "near" asking price, what has the MLL done to the building to increase it's value ....NOTHING! Timbercreek needs better negotiators. Or did MLL get such a wicked deal on the building?

MLL got the lot AND a funcioning building for less money than Ski City got their lot.

They sold it at what might very well be market, but they got it for a song.

[lilwayne]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

I cannot wait to see what is in store for the Medical arts building's exterior.

any chance they tear the old bldg down and build a brand new 20 - 25 story mixed use apartment building.

I think it would probably be more cost effective to just build something brand new rather than do a conversion.

[lilwayne]

or maybe build another tower on the vacant parking lot

[Urban recluse]

I am sure Drew could shed some light on this, but I would argue it is less expensive to renovate.

[esquire]

I'll be interested to see what will happen with the little parking lot at Graham and Kennedy. With TNS under way, that is really the only hole on Graham from Vaughan right through to Smith and it interrupts the continuity of that strip... even a modest three storey commercial building would be an improvement over what exists now.

[Urban recluse]

Agreed.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

I am sure Drew could shed some light on this, but I would argue it is less expensive to renovate.

I think the Wolf may have more insight in terms of actual costs.

IMO it's almost always better to renovate versus demolish and build new. But that just my own personal opinion.

In terms of the medical arts bldg, it will come down to what the layout and structure of the building allows to rearrange the interior from office to residential.

I can't imagine any realistic scenario where it will be cheaper to implode a modern reinforced concrete mid-rise, with parkade - and replace it with something new of a similar size and amenities.

[esquire]

^ In this case, the developer's niche seems to be efficiently renovating somewhat neglected properties. I can't imagine that they're taking this on with the intention of demolishing and rebuilding.

[Urban recluse]

That's what I am thinking. Ohhhhh Woooooolf???

[trueviking]

They are not tearing down the building. Not sure how having walls, roof and foundation etc already in place could possibly be cheaper than demo and building new. Hopefully renovation makes it cheap enough to do without the TIF.

So...new building at the corner of Albert and Bannatyne. The wedge. The little restaurant building got green light for demo. Important site. Anxious.

[esquire]

^ Being discussed in the Exchange District thread

[wags_in_the_peg]

The Imrie Demolotion signs are up at south corner of the WAG, getting ready to tear down for the Inuit art centre

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by trueviking

They are not tearing down the building. Not sure how having walls, roof and foundation etc already in place could possibly be cheaper than demo and building new. Hopefully renovation makes it cheap enough to do without the TIF.

So...new building at the corner of Albert and Bannatyne. The wedge. The little restaurant building got green light for demo. Important site. Anxious.

interesting i herd a rummer of a condo project and office space for the new owners they rented the upper 3 floors for 650 a month for a yr to a local muscian artist

[1ajs]

Red River College to unveil plans for Exchange District campus expansion today
$95M project will involve renovating Scott Fruit Company historic building on Elgin Avenue
CBC News Posted: Apr 27, 2017 4:00 AM CT Last Updated: Apr 27, 2017 4:00 AM CT

Red River College's presence in downtown Winnipeg is about to grow once again, thanks to a $95-million expansion that will be announced today, CBC News has learned.

College officials are scheduled to unveil plans for the expansion on Thursday morning. Federal government representatives will be on hand to announce funding for the project.

The expansion will extend the college's Exchange District campus north of Elgin Avenue. The former Metro Motors garage will be torn down while the Scott Fruit Company warehouse, a city-designated historic site, will be renovated.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/red-river-college-princess-campus-expansion-elgin-1.4086516

[BigG]

I wonder if the Public Safety Building is also in their plans.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by BigG

I wonder if the Public Safety Building is also in their plans.

That's a good point, if RRC is planning to go this big on a project, I wonder if there is any merit to incorporating it into the block currently occupied by the PSB?

Although that said, the thought of centring a campus on Elgin is a pretty tempting idea too. It would really shore up the western edge of the Exchange.

[pegcityfan]

Originally Posted by BigG

I wonder if the Public Safety Building is also in their plans.

Future plans I of from way back, have them taking over the buildings behind the college not the PSB.