Winnipeg Construction IX

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by wardlow

More like 12-18. A good height for this part of downtown. I shouldn't say anything more, and I have no idea if this is one of the proposals Viking etc. are talking about.

Thanks, this is great. Good to hear, that stretch of Donald need a boost of density and buildings.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by wardlow

I shouldn't say anything more

There are eyes and ears everywhere. They are likely watching you right now! You should drop everything and head to the safe house right now.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by wardlow

There's something planned for that site. Nothing super tall, I don't think, but will fill up part of a very vacant part of downtown.

There's another proposal that will take away more surface parking too far away, too.

That's interesting and very surprising, I thought that was one of those surface lots that would remain that way until the end of time given that it's attached to a hotel. A building there would really help provide some definition to the street wall, and even 12 storeys would be a good height.

Along with the stretch of lots on Graham and the south Main strip, that area around York and Donald is one of the last remaining large voids of surface parking lots left downtown. Seeing something happen around there will be great. It will help eliminate the thruway feel that Donald has around there.

(On a related point, as the number of large stretches of surface parking starts to diminish, I wonder if we'll start to see more attention being given to redeveloping lightly-used sites downtown? I'm thinking of things like single storey commercial buildings, or older two/three storey walkup apartments, that sort of thing...)

[BigG]

Originally Posted by dmacc

Thanks, this is great. Good to hear, that stretch of Donald need a boost of density and buildings.

With all these major projects and tidbits of major projects coming, I can only think of one word - momentum. I sure hope this upswing can be sustained. Truly exciting times, I haven't seen this much activity in Winnipeg in all my life. The average was about one per decade.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by BigG

With all these major projects and tidbits of major projects coming, I can only think of one word - momentum. I sure hope this upswing can be sustained. Truly exciting times, I haven't seen this much activity in Winnipeg in all my life. The average was about one per decade.

There were some sustained boom periods within recent memory... certainly the 1960-1990 era redefined the skyline of pretty well every Canadian skyline, including Winnipeg. Then in the 90s there was virtually nothing, and really not much until the early 2000s.

Although we obviously haven't experienced anything resembling the booms of the largest cities, it does seem as though there have always been at least a couple major projects on the go downtown at any given time over the last 10 or 12 years. Certainly the pace of progress right now would have been almost unfathomable 15 or 20 years ago when I wondered if there would ever be another tower going up in Winnipeg. The only thing that's missing right now is a really big megaproject along the scale of IGF, the airport, MTS Centre, etc. Unless maybe TNS counts, given that it involves several towers. I guess the Diversity Garden is probably the closest thing to a pure, city-defining megaproject we have going right now?

[trueviking]

wow...that's awesome. That area is so depressing....amazing news. I rarely go to that side of downtown, basically only when going to the city offices. It always makes me sad. I forget about the non exchange part of the city centre. There is another developer sniffing the area too, but probably a year or two away.

Once the public housing building on smith and the medical arts buildings are made residential, there will be some momentum in that part of downtown....and of course the completion of true north....so many massive parking lots, but one at a time.

none are the projects I'm talking about.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by esquire

(On a related point, as the number of large stretches of surface parking starts to diminish, I wonder if we'll start to see more attention being given to redeveloping lightly-used sites downtown? I'm thinking of things like single storey commercial buildings, or older two/three storey walkup apartments, that sort of thing...)

Sounds like you are describing Fort St to a tee. Between Portage and Broadway it is essentially 1&2 storey or surface lots.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

Sounds like you are describing Fort St to a tee. Between Portage and Broadway it is essentially 1&2 storey or surface lots.

I was actually thinking specifically of that corner of downtown when I wrote that... Fort St., the area near York Ave., even the streets between Broadway and Assiniboine.

Bro-Ass in particular has a lot of small, tired, older apartment buildings in prime locations that seem ripe for some sort of redevelopment. Buildings like this one on Broadway, specifically:

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

It looks drastically different to me based on the renders in this CBC article:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/tache-promenade-gets-federal-funding-boost-1.4023733

"It will be the only one like that in the city of Winnipeg where you are basically perched up amongst the trees and looking at the cityscape," he said. "It will be a perfect viewing spot for the city of Winnipeg."

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by esquire

i was actually thinking specifically of that corner of downtown when i wrote that... Fort st., the area near york ave., even the streets between broadway and assiniboine.

Bro-ass in particular has a lot of small, tired, older apartment buildings in prime locations that seem ripe for some sort of redevelopment. Buildings like this one on broadway, specifically:

we are not calling broadway-assiniboine "bro ass" 😂😂😂

[BigG]

Originally Posted by trueviking

wow...that's awesome. That area is so depressing....amazing news. I rarely go to that side of downtown, basically only when going to the city offices. It always makes me sad. I forget about the non exchange part of the city centre. There is another developer sniffing the area too, but probably a year or two away.

Once the public housing building on smith and the medical arts buildings are made residential, there will be some momentum in that part of downtown....and of course the completion of true north....so many massive parking lots, but one at a time.

none are the projects I'm talking about.

If that's the case, that's even better news.

[BigG]

Originally Posted by esquire

There were some sustained boom periods within recent memory... certainly the 1960-1990 era redefined the skyline of pretty well every Canadian skyline, including Winnipeg. Then in the 90s there was virtually nothing, and really not much until the early 2000s.

Although we obviously haven't experienced anything resembling the booms of the largest cities, it does seem as though there have always been at least a couple major projects on the go downtown at any given time over the last 10 or 12 years. Certainly the pace of progress right now would have been almost unfathomable 15 or 20 years ago when I wondered if there would ever be another tower going up in Winnipeg. The only thing that's missing right now is a really big megaproject along the scale of IGF, the airport, MTS Centre, etc. Unless maybe TNS counts, given that it involves several towers. I guess the Diversity Garden is probably the closest thing to a pure, city-defining megaproject we have going right now?

I agree, although I do consider TNS a major project and 300 Main being the new tallest.

[Biff]

Board at work (Updated)

[esquire]

^ Nice... you definitely have the talent to get a job at Ray Wan's Chinese rendering sweatshop

[Wpg_Guy]

Considering Artis also owns the BellMTS building I & II across the street from 360 Main, it would be nice to see some redevelopment or reinvestment in and around those properties next.

[bomberjet]

^Pardon my ignorance. Are those buildings the tower and smaller building right next to it? I did not know this.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

^Pardon my ignorance. Are those buildings the tower and smaller building right next to it? I did not know this.

Yes that is correct, 333 Main Street & 191 Pioneer Avenue, they also own the Grain Exchange Building on Lombard, they have alot of vested interest in the area of Portage and Main.


https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/image...Ec6pTqzDhJMvyeClKfxsJz2DtWSUSNz8VAE4jXxw

[bomberjet]

Thanks for the info. I went and had a look at their holdings and it is quite impressive. Many buildings in many cities.
https://www.artisreit.com/our-portfolio/portfolio-map/

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by esquire

I was actually thinking specifically of that corner of downtown when I wrote that... Fort St., the area near York Ave., even the streets between Broadway and Assiniboine.

Bro-Ass in particular has a lot of small, tired, older apartment buildings in prime locations that seem ripe for some sort of redevelopment. Buildings like this one on Broadway, specifically:

I hope not. Broadway-Assiniboine is a nice neighbourhood, and even once the major holes downtown are filled there will stil be lots and lots of empty and underused sites to develop. I wouldn't really want B-A to be touched until the rest of downtown is at least as dense as it is now.

[robertocarlos]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Nice... you definitely have the talent to get a job at Ray Wan's Chinese rendering sweatshop

The cars are going the right way down the street. They should be going the wrong way down the street.


I asked those guys at Donald and York if they were drilling for oil. They said a building is going up there. I don't believe it will be more than 6 stories.