Winnipeg | The Forks Market | Railside at The Forks

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by dmacc

If Walmart is offering to spend $200+ million doing so and paying their thousands of employee's an average of $80,000 a year I would definitely consider it.

Are those numbers accurate? People keep bandying about employment figures all being high salary but doesn't skip have a crap tonne of call centre staff making less than median salary? I know whenever IG call centre has a hiring blitz they get a tonne of applicants from skip.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Good idea. How about some combo live-work buildings like at the Ice District in Edmonton? You would think a few floors of condos/apartments with postcard views would be hot sellers. Same with a hotel.

Yeah exactly. On Page one of this thread there's a fantasy rendering from tritondreyja I think. It's a quote from a different thread by Cyro but basically it shows what would, in my opinion, be an appropriate buildout for the site.

bolded: BINGO. The location would be unbeatable, it would also transform the adjacent areas into the hottest real estate in the city, especially if Skip needs space for 2,000 employees. I would imagine you could do a couple of buildings combo 12-15 office with 10-15 residential on top and also do a hotel, some retail and restaurant/commercial. It would be a great little node, the units would go like hotcakes being so close to the forks, build a nice big underground parkade to keep the traveling suburbanites happy. bim bim bam ribadamdam. amazing!

That sort of thing would also help spur development on the sea of empty lots separating P&M from the forks. it would probably create some demand for the lot adjacent the station and the earl's lot. A good Skip office/multiuse complex could be revolutionary for the revitalization of downtown and would form a key piece of the puzzle.

I pray that skip gets this right and that they can get a deal done, it would be a game changer

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Are those numbers accurate? People keep bandying about employment figures all being high salary but doesn't skip have a crap tonne of call centre staff making less than median salary? I know whenever IG call centre has a hiring blitz they get a tonne of applicants from skip.

I was basing my figures off what Amazon was claiming their average HQ2 salaries were going to be and subtracted by 20%. I figured they were both tech companies with many of the same types of employees but obviously Amazon would have had a larger corporate presence which may have inflated those average salaries. There is nothing accurate about the number just a guesstimate. In my defense Amazon isn't only software developers.

[DowntownBooster]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I've wondered that myself. It would seem to be ideal from the city's (and our) standpoint, but companies often like to choose a location that is attractive to their employees. I think there was an insurance company a few years ago that the downtown was trying to convince to build on one of the Portage Place pads, but they built at Polo Park instead because their employees were afraid of the downtown area?? This is a tough thing to overcome.

I think the fact that Skip is currently in the Exchange district proves they are not afraid of downtown like the insurance company was. I think they have the kind of employees that prefer the downtown type of environment to that of the suburbs. Hopefully they can find a location downtown that meets their requirements so that they will stay in the downtown area. The more development occurring downtown can only strengthen the desire for others to want to be there as well.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Just put a Super Wal-Mart there with a huge parking lot. Boom, you've got economic opportunities including hundreds of employees and and the long desired grocery store in the downtown area. The parcel of land is probably large enough for an entire retail power centre, even including a Comfort Suites or Quality Inn with a waterslide.

Who's straw-manning now? Since the comparison is kinda stupid, I'll take it at face value:

1. Skip doesn't need inventory or floor space and can cram far more employees into one space.
2. General retail market downtown? nope.
3. Grocery market downtown? nope.
Many more but that's not the point.

Your inability to think even an inch outside your utopia without reaching for the most absurd and inappropriate comparisons is kind of telling.

We have to deal in reality. Perhaps this isn't your paradise, but it can greatly benefit the city while still playing a strong urbanist card.

Originally Posted by dmacc

If Walmart is offering to spend $200+ million doing so and paying their thousands of employee's an average of $80,000 a year I would definitely consider it.

Well, I'm sure few at Skip are making that and they won't spend anywhere near that on a building. 50M at most. Still substantial, but now you've got a ton of employees incentivized to rent the apts next door.

But your point is good.

Originally Posted by DowntownBooster

I think the fact that Skip is currently in the Exchange district proves they are not afraid of downtown like the insurance company was. I think they have the kind of employees that prefer the downtown type of environment to that of the suburbs. Hopefully they can find a location downtown that meets their requirements so that they will stay in the downtown area. The more development occurring downtown can only strengthen the desire for others to want to be there as well.

Well, I think they found it.

Who knew we'd be so offended. No wonder this city struggles to get anything done, we shit on every B+ idea hoping for an A+ with no skin in the game. This thinking will permeate to gov officials and decision makers.

This thinking is why people leave for Alberta and BC.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

Who knew we'd be so offended. No wonder this city struggles to get anything done, we shit on every B+ idea hoping for an A+ with no skin in the game. This thinking will permeate to gov officials and decision makers.

This thinking is why people leave for Alberta and BC.

Haha Hell! We haven't even seen what their proposal would even be yet so we need to relax for a bit until that happens. Maybe they'll do something super urban and awesome and we can all get along with our lives. Maybe it would even be mixed use.

But we can't start shitting on the idea before it has even been made public, especially without knowing details. There are design standards that will be enforced, so theoretically we shouldn't end up with a suburban office park building.

[EspionNoir]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

Who's straw-manning now? Since the comparison is kinda stupid, I'll take it at face value:

1. Skip doesn't need inventory or floor space and can cram far more employees into one space.
2. General retail market downtown? nope.
3. Grocery market downtown? nope.
Many more but that's not the point.

Your inability to think even an inch outside your utopia without reaching for the most absurd and inappropriate comparisons is kind of telling.

We have to deal in reality. Perhaps this isn't your paradise, but it can greatly benefit the city while still playing a strong urbanist card.

Well, I'm sure few at Skip are making that and they won't spend anywhere near that on a building. 50M at most. Still substantial, but now you've got a ton of employees incentivized to rent the apts next door.

But your point is good.



Well, I think they found it.

Who knew we'd be so offended. No wonder this city struggles to get anything done, we shit on every B+ idea hoping for an A+ with no skin in the game. This thinking will permeate to gov officials and decision makers.

This thinking is why people leave for Alberta and BC.

Lol not every plan can be A+ like some projects here, like TNS and Diversity’s Gardens

[esquire]

Based on past experience, I'm sure that once a rendering of this campus is released, I will be completely and helplessly seduced and all of my objections will evaporate.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by esquire

Based on past experience, I'm sure that once a rendering of this campus is released, I will be completely and helplessly seduced and all of my objections will evaporate.

Fingers are crossed. Although knowing the city's propensity for egregious behavior I wouldn't hold my breath.

All cynicism aside, I think that skip has what it takes to be a responsible developer based on their willingness to take on space in the exchange and their commitment to staying in Winnipeg and downtown. Whatever they propose will probably be ok, and maybe even good!

[esquire]

^ Very good point... they have already demonstrated an admirable commitment to the city.

[Wolf13]

Well, they love Winnipeg, and aren't developers, meaning perhaps they wouldn't let vicious pragmatism override their vision. That said, it depends on whoever they partner with.

[buzzg]

So Portage Place has been (and will keep) doing minor cosmetic upgrades to "stage" the mall for sale. The goal post has apparently been set to put it up for sale in 2 years, with that number coming from when TFNP is projecting they will be able to sell all the North Portage property (including PP parkade) and be self-sufficient from activity at The Forks proper.

As a reminder, the reason there hasn't been any movement on PP is because TFNP owns the land and parkade, not the mall. People have been kicking tires on buying the mall, to develop the pads, but no one will buy it without getting the parkade and land with it.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by Bdog

My goodness, this mentality is just depressing. A homegrown, tech company is looking to invest tens of millions in new office space downtown on the edges of the exchange. This company would keep and bring over 2000 well-paying jobs downtown, most of those jobs held by a young demographic with disposable income. Demand for restaurants, housing and services in the area would continue to increase. Amazingly, this is proposed on a vacant lot that's been used for decades as PARKING, and not a single building would be demolished.

What's our response?

Not tall enough.
Logo won't look good from CMHR.
They might go bankrupt.
Hope we don't give them a cent.
Tech companies aren't profitable.
Some random parking lot I know of downtown is better for this.
201 Portage lost a few tenants, put them there.
Are they even really a tech company?
Very bad look when families take a CMHR selfie.
Skip is for lazy suburbanites anyways.

100% this

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The Forks festival stage now carries the name of the rail line that's been a part of the area since the early 1900s.

As of Friday, the stage is now known as CN Stage and Field, thanks to a new partnership between the historic rail line and popular tourist spot.

"With over 130 years of railway history at The Forks, and almost 40 trains travelling through here every day, it's exciting to welcome CN as a partner to continue to make history at the site," The Forks CEO Paul Jordan said.

Winnipeg is home to a central CN hub in the company's transcontinental rail network.

Wpg Free Press

New signage up on the stage

[Biff]

With that logo and the shit design of the structure, it really does look like a train shed.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

With that logo and the shit design of the structure, it really does look like a train shed.

*gasp*

That's a Gaboury you're talking about!

Seriously though, something was always a little off with it. Now it looks out of place next to the CMHR.

Between that and the 546 cube with its functional challenges, it seems as though an outdoor stage is more difficult to design than one might initially believe.

[DonaldSmith]

Originally Posted by Biff

With that logo and the shit design of the structure, it really does look like a train shed.

It is a former rail yard...

[Biff]

I generally love Gaboury's work.....but the roof structure has to go.

[borkborkbork]

I've never understood how worked up people here get about that stage structure. I mean, it's fine. Yes, it's not the highest and best use of that space, and no, it's not well-designed for large crowds, but honestly, it feels like really splitting hairs.

[Wolf13]

Yeah, gotta say the stage structure doesn't bug me much. It's not county fair prize, but whatever.