Saskatoon Construction III

[Jerry]

Construction of office tower begins at Saskatoon's River Landing

Despite Saskatoon's high downtown office vacancy rate and a recovering economy, the consortium building three towers on Parcel Y at River Landing has started the first of two office towers.

Phil Tank, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Published on: December 14, 2017 | Last Updated: December 14, 2017 7:15 PM CST



The prime riverfront site, which had become symbolic of delayed and shifting proposals and changes in ownership over a decade, is now helping alter the downtown skyline.

The condominium tower has risen to about half of its eventual 20 storeys next to the just-opened Remai Modern art gallery. The adjacent Alt Hotel is also taking shape. Preliminary work has begun on the office tower site, where digging is set to start in January [...]


Source

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by The Bess

Here's a good opinion read on future Saskatoon density

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-growth-plan-density-downtown-1.4442717

i hope the city can be committed fully to creating more density. id love to see the north downtown project begin next year, as well as the city push more for projects like the market mall condo one, university drive condo, i dont think we will get where we want to be unless the city pushes hard

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Construction of office tower begins at Saskatoon's River Landing

Source

The article notes that the public plaza will be constructed at the same time as the East Tower.

Also, a rendering is included that I've not seen before:



But it doesn't reflect the increase to the height of the condo tower.

[macca]

http://media.urbancapital.ca/pdf/SiteMagazine2017.pdf

Hot on the heels of its highly successful launch of No 1 River
Landing, Urban Capital is working on a second development
in the “Paris of the Prairies”. Perched on the south bank of the
South Saskatchewan River, just off of the city’s hip Broadway
Avenue, this approximately 100 unit building will bring the
elegant modernism of Toronto’s architectsAlliance to this very
prominent Saskatoon location.

[Echoes]

Thanks for the scoop. Was waiting for the story on this to break.

This is the vacant site at the top of the bridge next to Broadway Roastery. So excited.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Thanks for the scoop. Was waiting for the story on this to break.

This is the vacant site at the top of the bridge next to Broadway Roastery. So excited.

What is the height restriction on that side of the river? Will this development include the adjacent community garden?

[prairieguy]

this is very exciting news....given they are talking about 100 units, I would think it will have some height to it...15 stories?? Can't wait for some kind of rendering.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Stormer

What is the height restriction on that side of the river? Well this development include the adjacent community garden?

I'm not sure about the community garden, but I'm confident a zoning change will be required to accommodate whatever they propose. It will be interesting - that part of the neighbourhood is still licking their wounds after Council rezoned the Meridian property for a 7-storey condo a block away just weeks ago. But I think (or hope) that people are more resigned to the expectation that there will be density on this site, and would like to see it developed.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Echoes

I'm not sure about the community garden, but I'm confident a zoning change will be required to accommodate whatever they propose. It will be interesting - that part of the neighbourhood is still licking their wounds after Council rezoned the Meridian property for a 7-storey condo a block away just weeks ago. But I think (or hope) that people are more resigned to the expectation that there will be density on this site, and would like to see it developed.

I just checked. Most of the site is zoned RM1, low density multiple residential and a little bit is RM5, high density multiple residential. Assuming they can have the whole thing rezoned to RM 5, the height limit would be 46 m, which probably restricts them to about 14 floors

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I just checked. Most of the site is zoned RM1, low density multiple residential and a little bit is RM5, high density multiple residential. Assuming they can have the whole thing rezoned to RM 5, the height limit would be 46 m, which probably restricts them to about 14 floors

Thats still do-able and would still be a huge hit for that neighbourhood. Does anyone know how soon they would like to build this?

[1ajs]

so so so slippery post more from my trip down the the new ped bridge nice but damn this ice....

[Echoes]

^ Nice shot. Look forward to seeing more.

[Echoes]

Meridian Developments buys Saskatoon's former STC bus depot

ERIN PETROW, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX
Published on: December 17, 2017 | Last Updated: December 17, 2017 4:34 PM CST

Buying the downtown Saskatchewan Transportation Company bus depot is a unique opportunity to create a landmark in Saskatoon’s downtown core, says Meridian Development’s Karl Miller.

The company took possession of the building on 23rd Street East on Thursday. Miller said there are currently no plans to replace it with something new.

“Our plan right now is to not knock it down,” he said. “We think it’s a pretty cool building and it’s something we could rehash and repurpose and make into something that would add to the vitality of downtown Saskatoon.”

Miller said the company was immediately interested in buying the space when STC’s closure was announced, because the building is “unique and interesting” with the additional benefit of being in an ideal location downtown. Midtown Plaza and TCU Place are close by, and the rest of the downtown core is easily accessible.

He said Meridian is searching for tenants who would be interested in occupying all or a portion of the 20,000-square-foot space, which takes up an entire city block and sits on one acre of land.

[....]

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-new...nts-buys-saskatoons-former-stc-bus-depot

[alt_center]

This gem is gracing the fairly prominent intersection of Warman Rd. and 7th Ave.

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Meridian Developments buys Saskatoon's former STC bus depot

ERIN PETROW, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX
Published on: December 17, 2017 | Last Updated: December 17, 2017 4:34 PM CST



http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-new...nts-buys-saskatoons-former-stc-bus-depot

interesting. i agree with not knocking it down, however, maybe add 2-3 stories to densify it a little bit. the restaurant is a good idea, maybe a gym?

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by mitchellk12

interesting. i agree with not knocking it down, however, maybe add 2-3 stories to densify it a little bit. the restaurant is a good idea, maybe a gym?

I'd be so happy if a modern gym moved downtown.

[prairieguy]

There is Freedom Fitness already downtown...but probably room for another modern gym.

[Echoes]

'We have tremendous interest in the site': New retail building planned for former Lydia's Pub spot

Construction on Saskatoon's former Farnam Block expected to start this spring

By David Shield, CBC News Posted: Dec 18, 2017 6:00 AM CT| Last Updated: Dec 18, 2017 6:00 AM CT

The former home of Lydia's Pub on Broadway Avenue could be seeing new life starting this spring.

The site's owners are putting the finishing touches on architectural drawings for a new one-storey retail building that will be built on the property. After that, they will apply to the city for building permits.

"We have tremendous interest in the site," said realtor and project spokesperson Gaby Akl. "We feel very confident about it."

The historic Farnam Block building was torn down in 2015 and has been a parking lot ever since. While the ownership group initially looked into saving the famous Broadway landmark, architects found the large brick building had deteriorated past the point of saving it.

While initial plans had been made to add a multi-storey condominium development to the project, Akl said those plans were scrapped early on in the development.

"We knew those plans were just not feasible," he said. "With the size of the site and the restrictions on the parking and the cost involved in that, plus you add in the turn in the economy when it comes to condos, it was just not the right thing to do."

The former Turning The Tide bookstore was also demolished by the developers.

Akl believes construction could start by March or April.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/construction-saskatoon-farnam-block-1.4450884

^ I'm eager to see redevelopment occur, but it is pretty disappointing that we lost the Farnam, with 3 functional floors, to get a one-storey retail building in its place. I was hopeful that whatever went up here would help evolve Broadway as an urban corridor, not more status quo.

[macca]

new developer in history has built more than one story on such a small site, we can't blame them

[Echoes]

Not assigning any blame, just expressing my disappointment.

I know that they tried to do different things there. There was an earlier rendering showing 2 stories, and a parkade plan that went to Council seeking permission to build underneath the sidewalk in order to be able to fit something functional.