SkyCity Centre Winnipeg | 45F | 575 Ft | 175.26 M | Cancelled

[Urban recluse]

Fortress needs to scale down its developments. Yes, a new tallest for Winnipeg would be grand, but not to the extent filling the surface lot with a 20 story tower would be.

[esquire]

^ Good point. A somewhat more modest 24 storey tower located just a block away from 300 Main would create a pretty solid critical mass of new residents on Graham. If that's what Fortress had planned from the outset, it might have been under construction by now.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by Finessing

The house of cards continues collapsing...

50% presales claimed by Fortress yet current syndicated mortgage holders are already in default? There is no chance this thing gets construction financing.

Brett Myers should weigh in and let us know what's going on...

can we unban lilwayne so he can come tell us how great everything is going on this project

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Fortress needs to scale down its developments. Yes, a new tallest for Winnipeg would be grand, but not to the extent filling the surface lot with a 20 story tower would be.

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Good point. A somewhat more modest 24 storey tower located just a block away from 300 Main would create a pretty solid critical mass of new residents on Graham. If that's what Fortress had planned from the outset, it might have been under construction by now.

That wouldn't have made any money.

They need the density to make back the $9M paid land value. That's why they're going so high.

[HoFF]

I'm having a difficult time understanding why Winnipeggers aren't pushing/supporting the build. I guess I'm a bit bias as I've lived as a high-rise dweller for half my life and love it. I understand it's taking time, longer then normal, although from my understanding a lot of new people have taken over where other's have dropped the ball. I'm going to think that those newbies who have come in are ironing out the quirks which popped up. Personally I'll be that person that sees everything with a 'glass half full' attitude

[Urban recluse]

We want it built, that is the issue. The company has been plagued by so many problems, at this point, the discussion is what can be realistically built here. The taller the better, but after so many years, tolerance and patience are growing thin.

[DirtWednesday]

I'm actually happy with this latest city position and I do really want this built. The idea of an open, worthless, empty money pit is worse than the parking lot and not so fine hotel that's there now. If they get that real financing, not this fake syndicated crap, to build, it'll get done. But I wonder if the big banks really trust these guys either. If it does get built to spec, I'm kind of excited about whether anyone is eyeing up the empty parking lot next door.

[robertocarlos]

Originally Posted by DirtWednesday

I'm kind of excited about whether anyone is eyeing up the empty parking lot next door.

A D-Condo built next door to 360 would be awesome. Modify the design if it is too expensive to build on that lot. You might be able to dig three stories deep and take parking away from Artis.

Who knows. It probably will never happen because it is too expensive to build underground parking.

[EndoftheBeginning]

^ Have discussed this with a hydrogeologist in the know a few times. As an example, despite knowing the issues with groundwater infiltration at the Hydro site which is two levels, True North Square developers insisted that their underground parking would also be two levels. They made it happen but it costs money to go deeper than one level in that area of downtown.

Other clients may not be willing to foot that bill. Three underground levels would be even more costly to dewater and keep dewatered.

[robertocarlos]

^ Interesting. I thought they just dig a hole and they hit water or they don't hit water, and that's it. Artis has 3 levels underground. I know about the underground river but don't know it's location.

I also thought Hydro only has one level of underground parking. Like you said, it can be done but it costs extra. And at some price point people will say no thanks. Usually that price point is "not free" but DT can extract 15 bucks for 3 hours of parking from the people with no choice.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by Portage

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/st-regis-demolition-needs-money-proof-1.4135206

Prudent move by the Committee.

[pegaholic]

ya I don't know at this point but considering how many investors there are already I wonder if a different company would be willing to take over this project.

fortress builds all this hype but never delivers..

terribly run company that is probably going to be bankrupt soon

they've pumped so much money into this project yet after 3 years we have nothing on the site .. built sales office for 1 million bought st regis 4 million bought the surface lot for 9 mill.. who knows how much for advertising, architects, designers, sales agents.. what a terrible waste of money now they'll have 100 plus angry condo purchasers who were conned by these fools. Good thing the city has protected itself from getting duped aswell.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by HoFF

I'm having a difficult time understanding why Winnipeggers aren't pushing/supporting the build. I guess I'm a bit bias as I've lived as a high-rise dweller for half my life and love it. I understand it's taking time, longer then normal, although from my understanding a lot of new people have taken over where other's have dropped the ball. I'm going to think that those newbies who have come in are ironing out the quirks which popped up. Personally I'll be that person that sees everything with a 'glass half full' attitude

I gotta say, we all want it built. There are two main factors that irk people here:

1) The possibility of innocent people being ripped off. We all love high-rises here but that's too much collateral for support or sympathy

2) The way the project has been marketed and handled. Some degree of variance in initial promises to final design are expected as developers and architects refine their desired product. But whether sales exaggeration, careless promises of tenants, features or amenities, a lot of this seems half-assed or sketchy. It didn't help that the company's history muddied the waters surrounding the $6.5M grant.

Originally Posted by pegaholic

ya I don't know at this point but considering how many investors there are already I wonder if a different company would be willing to take over this project.

fortress builds all this hype but never delivers..

terribly run company that is probably going to be bankrupt soon

they've pumped so much money into this project yet after 3 years we have nothing on the site .. built sales office for 1 million bought st regis 4 million bought the surface lot for 9 mill.. who knows how much for advertising, architects, designers, sales agents.. what a terrible waste of money now they'll have 100 plus angry condo purchasers who were conned by these fools. Good thing the city has protected itself from getting duped aswell.

Northstars?

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by HoFF

I'm having a difficult time understanding why Winnipeggers aren't pushing/supporting the build.

I think it isn't so much that Winnipegers don't like the proposal but rather the track record of the developer and the reports of how little of their own money they have in this development which are leading people to be cautious.

[bomberjet]

It's not a matter of if you hit water, its how deep and how you deal with it. I would think all the underground developments below one story are pumping water out via their sump/weeping tile type system.

Does anyone know how much water TNS is pumping out? I assume they are pumping non stop, and will be forever.

Just like a lot these new housing developments. People's sumps are running non stop even in winter.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by DowntownBooster

No, it was someone else that seemed to enjoy posting negative comments similar to NorthStarsProject.

I recall that. In it's closing days, JHendrix threatened to ban anyone who created a topic or advocated going by the "Jets" name. Darren Ford insisted the team would be called "Polar Bears" with powder blue jerseys.

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

I recall that. In it's closing days, JHendrix threatened to ban anyone who created a topic or advocated going by the "Jets" name. Darren Ford insisted the team would be called "Polar Bears" with powder blue jerseys.

They did have some issues with people being caught up in the "movement" and then doing stupid things on behalf of it such as sending nasty emails to Chipman etc.

But yes, they did get a little full of themselves. The Polar Bears thing was funny because Darren released that info right before he was going to some event and couldnt delete it for awhile. The loyalists spun it as Darren joking and he let that stand when he was simply mistaken.

Jetsowner was cool in that it was nice to go somewhere where so many people shared the same positive outlook for Winnipeg and the return of the NHL. And there were some very smart people there that could produce facts and numbers to support the idea (and refute the naysayers). But realistically it had nothing to do with the NHL returning. But it likely helped spread a more positive outlook on why it was possible.

It got weird though where they began censoring posts. For example, some people guessed David Thomson was involved due to his stake in the Eaton's land/MTSC but for ages, anyone suggesting it was censored because Darren thought mentioning David's name would cause the deal to fall apart....ummm yeah.

The biggest boner was, of course, selling out to the Free Press at the end and killing the website.

I was very active there until the end. And happily recruited to several "new" Jets forums when everyone realized Darren sold out and the Freep site sucked. I now discuss the NHL at a "Bombers" forum that has a Jets subsite. Great site.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Does anyone know how much water TNS is pumping out? I assume they are pumping non stop, and will be forever.

It is not new and sexy but in terms of underground parking Carlton Square (155 Carlton, the Holiday Towers, Delta Hotel) would seem to be the local point of contact to figure out the water remediation issues. Best I can recall they have about five levels of underground parking and would seem to be the deepest in Winnipeg.

[esquire]

Sorry for wandering off topic, but I had to add that I had an account in Jetsowner forum, it was kind of a strange parallel universe given that the conventional wisdom at the time was that the NHL was never coming back. When it began around 2003 no one really thought it would happen. It probably wasn't until about 2010 or so after the aborted purchase of the Coyotes that people began to realize that it was realistic.

You can kind of get a taste of the whole thing in the return of the NHL thread that still exists in this forum... it was treated as a ridiculously outlandish idea in the 2000s, and the skepticism diminished with every passing year. I particularly remember the Oilers fans who got angry about the idea on the basis that having Winnipeg back in the league would diminish Edmonton somehow. Sorry about how that played out feepa and SHOFEAR

[The Unknown Poster]

Originally Posted by esquire

Sorry for wandering off topic, but I had to add that I had an account in Jetsowner forum, it was kind of a strange parallel universe given that the conventional wisdom at the time was that the NHL was never coming back. When it began around 2003 no one really thought it would happen. It probably wasn't until about 2010 or so after the aborted purchase of the Coyotes that people began to realize that it was realistic.

You can kind of get a taste of the whole thing in the return of the NHL thread that still exists in this forum... it was treated as a ridiculously outlandish idea in the 2000s, and the skepticism diminished with every passing year. I particularly remember the Oilers fans who got angry about the idea on the basis that having Winnipeg back in the league would diminish Edmonton somehow. Sorry about how that played out feepa and SHOFEAR

One of my favorite things was the capitulation of Geoff Currier. He was such a jerk to anyone calling his show in support of the NHL's return and he'd always give ridiculous numbers (are 15,000 people going to pay $150 dollars a game for 82 games?). And then there he was covering the Season Ticket sale live at MTSC, glowing about it, kissing TN's ass because CJOB wanted the rights. When the tickets sold out in two seconds, boy was his tune changed!