Winnipeg Construction IX

[trueviking]

interesting comparison of canadian downtowns...same scale

Calrgary's includes the Beltline...there's a good argument that is not downtown.



https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/six-maps-put-canadas-downtown-cores-context

[buzzg]

That's super interesting. Halifax is almost the size of Winnipeg – except 1/3 of it is park/greenspace.

Following the link and looking at details, Winnipeg seems to take the cake on "cultural facilities" – even compared to the big 3. We have a lot of attractions in the downtown area – if we can continue to fill in the voids with more residential (and other) development – it would be an pretty incredible area to live. For how spread out our downtown is, we certainly have quite a lot of attractions centred here.

[buzzg]

Just walked by 138 Portage. I would be shocked if this is the Hyatt – there’s just no space for modern amenities, and I don’t think it could even fit 100 rooms in there. Plus the windows are quite small. Would think it has to be a boutique, or boutique-style flag like Radisson RED, EVEN, or some of the other Alt-like brands that are blowing up all over the US and world. Interesting to note that most of these burgeoning brands are opening their earliest US locations in Minneapolis.

Also, the parking lot behind 138 Portage is currently being dug up, but there isn’t much room for a notable expansion there.

[scryer]

Hmm... Those maps are interesting, particularly Toronto's and Vancouver's.

In reality, downtown Vancouver is that entire peninsula including Stanley Park and the West End .

And Winnipeg's downtown seems a little large to me... Again past Chinatown, should be cut out and the zone goes a little too deep west of the Exchange District.

Lastly, why wasn't Ottawa on there? Ottawa is larger than Winnipeg and it's the nation's capital (?).

But in all fairness, I am not trying to start any arguments. Just some observations.

[cllew]

Sounds like the hotel will be located near the outlet mall in south Winnipeg if I heard the news report correctly this morning.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by cllew

Sounds like the hotel will be located near the outlet mall in south Winnipeg if I heard the news report correctly this morning.

That's Hyatt House, a different Hyatt brand than whats talked about for downtown.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by trueviking

interesting comparison of canadian downtowns...same scale

Calrgary's includes the Beltline...there's a good argument that is not downtown.



https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/six-maps-put-canadas-downtown-cores-context

So does this debunk the idea that Winnipeg has a massive sprawling downtown in comparison?

[drew]

^ not really. Take out the Beltline from Calgary and the parks from Halifax and Winnipeg still has a comparatively large downtown.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by Ando

So does this debunk the idea that Winnipeg has a massive sprawling downtown in comparison?

Not even remotely – aside from Halifax we're less than half the size of all other metros. Only one even close to the same level is Calgary, but they're still much bigger, and that includes the Stampede grounds.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by Ando

So does this debunk the idea that Winnipeg has a massive sprawling downtown in comparison?

I think you do need to take population into consideration. What makes for a sprawling downtown in a city of 750k vs. 1.5M is probably different.

[headhorse]

^ i'm curious how much space is taken up by roads vs developed sites/lots in those maps... winnipeg's downtown has always felt so huge to me partly because of all the massive roadways.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

I think you do need to take population into consideration. What makes for a sprawling downtown in a city of 750k vs. 1.5M is probably different.

Winnipeg had 25% more people than Calgary as recently as the 1970s. The downtowns were probably more or less defined by then. Certainly, Winnipeg’s is exactly the same as it was.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

That's Hyatt House, a different Hyatt brand than whats talked about for downtown.

Thanks, all I heard was Hyatt hotel and outlet mall so I thought it was the location of the one that was thought to be downtown.

[Biff]

Thought it best to put here for now.

Thanks Esquire;

Originally Posted by esquire

Ha, sometimes this stuff is just hiding in plain sight. I just googled this rendering taken from a 10 MB PDF file that has a date of October 2016.



Looks like they're going to stretch the building up by a few storeys. Looks like maybe 12 storeys total?

Unfortunately but not that surprisingly, to my squinting eyes it looks like there will be a dropoff lane and small parking area on the lot immediately to the east, so my hopes of having a surface lot filled in have been quashed.

[pegcityfan]

Originally Posted by Biff

Thought it best to put here for now.

Thanks Esquire;

Nice find Esquire. Here's more from same site:







source: http://mydirectmortgage.com/dm-projects/hyatt-place/

[esquire]

^ Oh wow, pegcityfan... much better. Thanks.

That building is not really one of my favourites and the elevated main floor doesn't help much in terms of promoting street life. But I like what they're proposing to do with it... this expansion would breathe some new life into the building.

[buzzg]

Wow, stunning – absolutely love it. Will be a signature hotel for them, and the city. Knew 138 couldn't support it on its own, and this explains the excavation of the small parking space behind the building.

It will almost force Fairmont's hand to do something, because even though they in theory go after a different demographic – it's gonna be a tough sell to consistently get people into the hideous Fairmont with this across the street.

Only thing slightly scary, hopefully just a typo, is in the gallery on the site, the Portage-facing side is listed as "rear view" and the lane-side is listed as "street view."

[borkborkbork]

This feels like it will have to add to the pressure to get P&M opened up to pedestrian traffic.

Fairmont might be able to live with its guests being cut off from the rest of downtown because (1) a lot of its guests would be staying within the building for conferences or events, and (2) the walkway to Lombard St. connects them with the east Exchange a bit.

But 138 Portage lacks the ped connection to the east Exchange, and won't have the kinds of keep-you-in-the-building amenities. It seems critical that it not be disconnected from the rest of the downtown.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Wow, stunning – absolutely love it. Will be a signature hotel for them, and the city. Knew 138 couldn't support it on its own, and this explains the excavation of the small parking space behind the building.

It will almost force Fairmont's hand to do something, because even though they in theory go after a different demographic – it's gonna be a tough sell to consistently get people into the hideous Fairmont with this across the street.

Only thing slightly scary, hopefully just a typo, is in the gallery on the site, the Portage-facing side is listed as "rear view" and the lane-side is listed as "street view."

Is it the Fairmont that has to spend money on the building, or the Richardson Company who I believe own the hotel building and have the hotel chain operate it under a management contract?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by cllew

Is it the Fairmont that has to spend money on the building, or the Richardson Company who I believe own the hotel building and have the hotel chain operate it under a management contract?

I mean it depends who actually owns the franchise and operates it. AFAIK that is Fairmint, the tenant. I don’t think this would be different than tenantleashold improvements at any other commercial space – tenant pays cuz it benefits their business, but often landlord chips in as it increases property value.

If Richardson does have a lot of control, or Fairmont really wants, there’s def a possibility these rumoured expansions of Richardson building and Fairmont could be connected.