Winnipeg Construction IX

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I've personally worked on at four redevelopment options for the bay...every one of them cut a big hole in the middle....like a giant doughnut.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by CoryB

PS it is somewhat laughable to think the Hudson Bay building in downtown Winnipeg could be renovated to be like the 200 year old Galleria Umberto I in Naples which is part of a UNSECO World Heritage Site.

Why? Why couldn't we turn it into something amazing like this. I swear this is the exact attitude that keeps Winnipeg from realizing its potential. The reason places like Naples have these awesome buildings is because they decided that they could and would do it. I'm not saying that we do stuff like this on the public purse, but just outright dismissing ideas because they're not things that we've done here before is a little ridiculous.

BTW it was just an example, I don't think a carbon copy would be feasible or desirable either.

Originally Posted by trueviking

I've personally worked on at four redevelopment options for the bay...every one of them cut a big hole in the middle....like a giant doughnut.

Yeah that seems to be the most logical way to deal with the size issue.

The bay building presents an incredible opportunity to do something amazing and world class. We should be looking at creating something that distinguishes itself from other projects. Maybe department store retail is dead in downtown Winnipeg but this building can still be turned into a landmark destination. I kind of favour some sort of arrangement like this:



Dream big. That's all I'm saying.

[Urban recluse]

To restore it to a destination would be amazing.

[windypeg]

The corner of Vaughn & Graham is kind of a clusterf*** right now with a very large volume of busses trying to make very tight turns with a very large volume of pedestrians who often ignore the traffic signals, plus the sidewalks are very crowded around the shelters. Obviously a pie-in-the-sky idea, but it would be great better if you could cut a hole or tunnel through the Bay and extend the transit mall through it, move the Vaughn bus stops and integrate them into the Bay, then come out the other side and empty straight onto Osborne. Much easier for busses heading south to the village or north to Balmoral station, plus it makes a little pedestrian corridor connecting Graham to the WAG. Unfortunately I think the elevator shafts are right smack in the way, It's obviously too cost prohibitive to happen anyway but it's my dream. It would be a little like downtown Vancouver where you step off the Canada Line and right into the Bay.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

Why? Why couldn't we turn it into something amazing like this. I swear this is the exact attitude that keeps Winnipeg from realizing its potential. The reason places like Naples have these awesome buildings is because they decided that they could and would do it. I'm not saying that we do stuff like this on the public purse, but just outright dismissing ideas because they're not things that we've done here before is a little ridiculous.


Dream big. That's all I'm saying.

I agree. Some folks are too quick to shoot down "blue sky" ideas, not realizing that often it's these "unrealistic" big ideas that lead to realistic exciting opportunities. Maybe the entire interior of The Bay can't be gutted for a sky-light, but 4-6 individual floor-to-ceiling skylight shafts might be doable, if the building could be sub-divided properly. Maybe a consortium of developers would each want to develop a piece of the building. Lots of different ideas may be possible if we just allow ourselves to consider them.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by windypeg

The corner of Vaughn & Graham is kind of a clusterf*** right now with a very large volume of busses trying to make very tight turns with a very large volume of pedestrians who often ignore the traffic signals, plus the sidewalks are very crowded around the shelters. Obviously a pie-in-the-sky idea, but it would be great better if you could cut a hole or tunnel through the Bay and extend the transit mall through it, move the Vaughn bus stops and integrate them into the Bay, then come out the other side and empty straight onto Osborne. Much easier for busses heading south to the village or north to Balmoral station, plus it makes a little pedestrian corridor connecting Graham to the WAG. Unfortunately I think the elevator shafts are right smack in the way, It's obviously too cost prohibitive to happen anyway but it's my dream. It would be a little like downtown Vancouver where you step off the Canada Line and right into the Bay.

More realistically, why not demolish the south half of the building and renovate the Portage Avenue half, extending Graham to Memorial and bringing the Art Gallery more into the downtown? Then build something more usable on the site of the southern half/parkade.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by CoryB

PS it is somewhat laughable to think the Hudson Bay building in downtown Winnipeg could be renovated to be like the 200 year old Galleria Umberto I in Naples which is part of a UNSECO World Heritage Site.

That photo is actually of the very similar Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan.

[trueviking]

The parkade is not owned by the bay.

[blueandgoldguy]

I wonder if they could just plow an extension of Graham right through The Bay without having to destroy half the building?

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Andy6

More realistically, why not demolish the south half of the building and renovate the Portage Avenue half, extending Graham to Memorial and bringing the Art Gallery more into the downtown? Then build something more usable on the site of the southern half/parkade.

Wow......that's a stupid idea if I ever heard one.

Just slice it in half ? Like really.......we don't need to extend any roads.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

Wow......that's a stupid idea if I ever heard one.

Just slice it in half ? Like really.......we don't need to extend any roads.

Again, I on't think we need to call an idea "stupid" is we disagree with it, or even if it is simply floating ideas. When I read this i thought "maybe" the font half of the store can be used for retail, and the back half developed for residential, with only the facade kept". Even if ideas turn out to be unrealistic, one idea leads to another until a realistic and practical one emerges.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by pspeid

Again, I on't think we need to call an idea "stupid" is we disagree with it, or even if it is simply floating ideas. When I read this i thought "maybe" the font half of the store can be used for retail, and the back half developed for residential, with only the facade kept". Even if ideas turn out to be unrealistic, one idea leads to another until a realistic and practical one emerges.

It's pretty obvious that this building has no real potential uses. So chop it up: keep most of the facade that people like but cut it off halfway, building a wall along the extended Graham that would let the needed light in and enable the conversion of the top 4 floors to apartments while leasing the bottom two for retail if you can find any. Then you've got a window down Graham to the Art Gallery district, a much more efficient transit mall plus a nice property (when combined with the parkade lot) to the south that could be developed with a new parkade and new U of W or arts-related building on the south side of Graham. All problems solved. (c) by me.

[eman]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I've personally worked on at four redevelopment options for the bay...every one of them cut a big hole in the middle....like a giant doughnut.

Why not a tower like the Hearst Tower in NYC? One of favourite buildings in the world. A six floor limestone podium would be a most elegant sophisticated design combined with a new world class tower for a client like Great West Life, IG or long shot tech company. No donuts thanks,,

https://www.instagram.com/p/4pQTsazc-f/

[Urban recluse]

Economics.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I've personally worked on at four redevelopment options for the bay...every one of them cut a big hole in the middle....like a giant doughnut.

The Gimbel's store in downtown Pittsburgh was redeveloped, and it included an atrium. There really is no way around this IMO. With such large floor plates, to market the space, light is needed on the floors.

http://mcknightrealtypartners.com/heinz-57-center/

On the other hand, the former Gimbel's in downtown Milwaukee was converted into a hotel without being butchered.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mkeri-residence-inn-milwaukee-downtown/

[eman]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Economics.

Even if it has to moth balled for while, I am ok with waiting for the economics and stars to line up to build another tower. All it would take is for IG or GWL to buy up another firm and need more space if they are not already over capacity.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by eman

Why not a tower like the Hearst Tower in NYC? One of favourite buildings in the world. A six floor limestone podium would be a most elegant sophisticated design combined with a new world class tower for a client like Great West Life, IG or long shot tech company. No donuts thanks,,

https://www.instagram.com/p/4pQTsazc-f/

I think the problem with this scenario is that it would be a 600,000 sq ft podium. Already one of the largest buildings in the city. Adding more sq ft would likely make it even more challenging. Unfortunately I think I agree with Andy and we might have to do whatever is needed to make it smaller and more palatable and easier for reuse. From all I have heard over the years, a lot of ideas and people have taken a run at what to do with it and all hav3 been un-economical.

[GEli]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

nice find! Interesting remodel of 200 Portage, not sure about that particular business at Portage and Main but ok, would have been nice to see a restaurant or retail on that space with the potential opening of the intersection.







If im not mistaken, Carmyn Aleshka and her husband own the entity 200 Portage Ave Inc.

Update: G3 Canada is moving out of the CWB building and onto the 3rd floor of 200 Portage mid-2019 and appear to have purchased the naming rights. Renders show just their smaller logo in the top right corner of the P&M-facing facade and in the corner nearest the RBC building on the Portage side.

Not sure what the vision is for the CWB building. With Skip leasing one floor now and potentially taking over G3's floor lease, I wonder if we'll see it become the Skip building?

[EspionNoir]

Not sure. But it surely seems that this renovation will bring more 21th century to P&M

It will probably have the logo of the most successful and famous of them all

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by Biff

I think the problem with this scenario is that it would be a 600,000 sq ft podium. Already one of the largest buildings in the city. Adding more sq ft would likely make it even more challenging. Unfortunately I think I agree with Andy and we might have to do whatever is needed to make it smaller and more palatable and easier for reuse. From all I have heard over the years, a lot of ideas and people have taken a run at what to do with it and all hav3 been un-economical.

You guys and chop it up are horrible, once it's gone it's gone. It's a very unique Winnipeg Landmark building . Way better known the so called OMFG open portage and main.

And building a tower on top of it would shrink those floor plates alot, that tower would have to be built RIGHT through this building. Elevators shafts, proper foundation, massive piles to bedrock. This wouldn't be a 600K sqft building anymore , I bet it would end up being under 400K if that. Just look at how much went into TNS , and this would have to be done inside this building .