Winnipeg Construction IX

[EspionNoir]

It’s probably barely mentioned. Seems that U of M is putting on the finishing touches of a newly constructed building next to the engineering faculty. It’s an all glass building.

[peg]

Originally Posted by EspionNoir

It’s probably barely mentioned. Seems that U of M is putting on the finishing touches of a newly constructed building next to the engineering faculty. It’s an all glass building.

https://www.stantec.com/en/projects/canada-projects/s/stanley-pauley-engineering-building

It's the new Stanly Paul engineering building. I see it every day, its very monolithic lol

[esquire]

^ Nice. After bottoming out somewhat from the late 80s to the early 00s, the quality of design on the U of M campus has improved markedly in recent years.

[Authentic_City]

^True. Design has really improved. I really like the newish (2010?) Apotex Centre building at the UM Bannatyne Campus.

http://www.prairiedesignawards.com/2010/apotex_centre.html

[esquire]

Freep says that an official announcement is coming on Monday about the move of the WHL's Kootenay Ice to Winnipeg. Apparently the plan involves construction of a 4,500 to 6,000 seat arena just outside city limits off McGillivray... in the meantime the team will play at the Wayne Fleming Arena on the U of M campus.

Considering the epic struggle involved to get a new arena built in Winnipeg back in the 90s and early 00s, this is quite an ambitious and potentially risky undertaking by Winnipeg standards. But that said, I always thought it was a bit odd that a city as big as Winnipeg didn't up to now have a secondary indoor arena. It drops off from the MTS Centre right down to Wayne Fleming Arena (which is basically a community centre level facility) with no in between. If the promoters can carve out a fanbase for their WHL team though, they can probably keep the building pretty busy between that and a slate of concerts by performers that don't need the full size of the MTS Centre.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to hear the details on the arena. New junior hockey rinks are pretty impressive these days, they're basically like scaled down NHL venues. Here's the one in Moose Jaw that opened up a few years ago:

[Urban recluse]

Outside city limits? Fuck that.

[dmacc]

Where do city limits end down McGilvary? it's before the perimeter, right?

[drew]

If this 3-team scenario lasts beyond a few years, I think it will ultimately relegate the Moose to be more of the "blue-collar" minor league team, if it survives at all.

IMO this new arena, where it is positioned in the city, and the likely abundance of on- site free parking will immediately capture the market in SW Winnipeg.

The WHL team will be plunked in/around the most affluent area of the city, complete with the highest percentage of kids actually playing the game.

[buzzg]

I just don't think enough people would care about the WHL to go, when there's already two professional teams. Unless you're a hockey diehard, most people here have never even given a thought to the WHL.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by drew

If this 3-team scenario lasts beyond a few years, I think it will ultimately relegate the Moose to be more of the "blue-collar" minor league team, if it survives at all.

IMO this new arena, where it is positioned in the city, and the likely abundance of on- site free parking will immediately capture the market in SW Winnipeg.

The WHL team will be plunked in/around the most affluent area of the city, complete with the highest percentage of kids actually playing the game.

I have a hard time imagining the 3-team scenario lasting for very long. Either TNSE and the Ice have a deal worked out where the Moose leave town (which would not be shocking considering how poorly the Moose are drawing this year, which leads me to believe TNSE isn't putting much of an effort into sales and marketing anymore), or they are going to clash in which case the WHL team will likely win partly for the reasons you mentioned, and partly because it takes less to sustain a WHL team... they'll be able to make money on cheaper tickets relative to the AHL.

I think part of the issue for the Moose has to be ticket pricing. $29 all in for the cheapest ticket is a lot considering that you can easily buy a resale Jets ticket starting at not much more than $60. Given that the Jets are a star-studded Stanley Cup contender now, the entertainment value of the Jets game is always going to be way higher than watching the relative no-name Moose (and I say this as someone who enjoys Moose hockey) put up another loss as they have been so far this season.

[drew]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I just don't think enough people would care about the WHL to go, when there's already two professional teams. Unless you're a hockey diehard, most people here have never even given a thought to the WHL.

I think it will ultimately come down to convenience.

It will be far too convenient to go to a WHL game close to home, and without the downtown related hassles for many people.

IMO the Jets/WHL tandem with different arenas would be far more successful than the current Jets/Moose tandem.

The loser in this scenario is the Moose. Without a doubt. They have to be on the move. And if not, they will be by the time the new arena opens.

[wardlow]

Originally Posted by dmacc

Where do city limits end down McGilvary? it's before the perimeter, right?

Brady Road, well before the Perimeter.

[WildCake]

Anyone have construction updates for this proposal?

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busine...house-problem-near-u-of-m-475117813.html

The 13-15 storey residential building on south pembina between the Petro-can and Esso near Perimeter.

I drive by frequently and they recently added some fairly heavy-duty chain link fence (not the cheap stuff they usually do for worksites). I did notice the empty lot being used quite frequently by taxis and random vehicles, and most recently by some asian semi-trailer training vehicle, so I wonder if the fencing is to keep them out or if there was serious progress moving on this.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by drew

I think it will ultimately come down to convenience.

It will be far too convenient to go to a WHL game close to home, and without the downtown related hassles for many people.

IMO the Jets/WHL tandem with different arenas would be far more successful than the current Jets/Moose tandem.

The loser in this scenario is the Moose. Without a doubt. They have to be on the move. And if not, they will be by the time the new arena opens.

I think you're probably right. The Moose are probably worth more as the marquee attraction in a smaller city than they are as the B-team in Winnipeg. I prefer the Moose to any WHL team, but I'm just not sure that the hockey fanbase here is interested enough to spend the money it would take to keep them here for the long haul.

I live a stone's throw from the U of M and I'll for sure be taking my kids to a couple WHL games there next season... the sheer convenience is hard to beat.

[buzzg]

I just can't see people deciding on Ice vs. Moose based on convenience – it's two very different levels of hockey. Half the appeal of the Moose is your seeing future Jets and almost NHL-ready (or past NHL) players.

I do agree though that I wouldn't be overly surprised to see the Moose eventually wind up in Thunder Bay. However as people have mentioned, TNSE saves a ton of money and headaches by having the Moose play here as opposed to anywhere else, so that's always going to be a factor.

One thing to note is that one of the majority owners of the Ice (Matt Cockell) left an executive position at TNSE to buy the Ice – so I'm sure both sides have been talking this whole time.

[wardlow]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I just can't see people deciding on Ice vs. Moose based on convenience – it's two very different levels of hockey. Half the appeal of the Moose is your seeing future Jets and almost NHL-ready (or past NHL) players.

I do agree though that I wouldn't be overly surprised to see the Moose eventually wind up in Thunder Bay. However as people have mentioned, TNSE saves a ton of money and headaches by having the Moose play here as opposed to anywhere else, so that's always going to be a factor.

Yep. It seems to me, and my nine year-old son would back me up on this one, that a big part of the Moose is that they're the Jets' farm team, and they play in the same venue.

Plus this is a growing city and the notion that people just float to wherever parking is cheap has never been more archaic. How convenient for a family in River Heights or North Kildonan is an arena in the RM of Macdonald? Maybe not much more than one at Portage and Donald.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by wardlow

Yep. It seems to me, and my nine year-old son would back me up on this one, that a big part of the Moose is that they're the Jets' farm team, and they play in the same venue.

For whatever reason that interest hasn't translated into ticket sales. I've seen pictures on Instagram of Moose games this season where it looks like there are barely 1,000 people in the seats in the middle of the game.

In some respects the timing of the Moose's return was not ideal... consider the conditions:

-Jets are better than they have ever been since their WHA days and their players are household names
-Jets tickets have never been more accessible in the 2.0 era with tons of tickets available for almost every game at or near STH cost
-Moose are playing terribly this season
-Moose have lost their biggest names from last year to the Jets (which is as it should be in the grand scheme of things, but it still doesn't do much for Moose ticket sales)

The Moose probably would have gone over like crazy had they come back in 2012 or 2013 when demand for Jets tickets still vastly exceeded the supply. To come back to town when the Jets are on fire and to charge what is probably among the higher price points in the AHL is a tough sell. But as buzzg said, maybe TNSE is more concerned with player development and convenience for the parent club than necessarily trying to turn a huge profit on the farm team. And I'm sure that playing in the same city as the Jets reduces the overhead costs substantially since the Moose can piggyback on the Jets for virtually everything... I'm sure the break-even point is a lot lower as a result.

[bomberjet]

For me driving down to McGillivray is a complete hastle since I live in the NE. That said, I would for sure check out a game or two, mostly for the novelty.

The new rink is said to be going on the same property as The Rink's new complex (confused yet haha) I think it's the same owners too. The people who own In Touch 24/7.

[drew]

Originally Posted by wardlow

Yep. It seems to me, and my nine year-old son would back me up on this one, that a big part of the Moose is that they're the Jets' farm team, and they play in the same venue.

Plus this is a growing city and the notion that people just float to wherever parking is cheap has never been more archaic. How convenient for a family in River Heights or North Kildonan is an arena in the RM of Macdonald? Maybe not much more than one at Portage and Donald.

That's the thing though. The WHL likely isn't counting on the support of people much beyond the immediate vicinity.

Think about the amount of upper middle class families basically at the doorstep of this new arena. They just need to capture that market.

That's why I was saying, IF (and that's a big if) this 3-team set up lasts, the Moose will be the "blue collar" team. Relying on support from the inner city and the north half of the City.

[bomberjet]

From the investments made at both Bell MTS Centre and IcePlex, I don't see the Moose going anywhere. There were some comments made on Twitter how the Moose are actually more profitable than the Jets and concerts. In terms of profit margin.

I think the Jets have also learned having the Moose in the same building is an huge plus in logistics and in oversight. Attendance will bottom out at some point for the Moose and they'll continue to chug along.

As for the Ice, it's a big risk to invest in that type of facility. They'll really need to keep up on promotions and making it fun for families with kids to be there. And as was mentioned being in close proximity to the south Winnipeg money won't hurt. I also wonder if the owners have other plans to integrate The Rink and potentially other hockey markets we're not thinking of. There will also be a soccer complex down there too I think?