Winnipeg Construction IX - Page 511

pspeid · #**10201** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavefromSt.Vital

Western Financial (the company that moved to the Polo Park area) was bought by Wawanesa: https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insur...e-assurance-desjardins-group-1004116532/

Does anyone know if those employees will be integrated into the new building downtown?

That would be a delicious irony. Maybe it depends on whether Wawanesa will let them operate as an entity under their own name or just fold everything under the Wawanesa banner?

On another note, how many new building projects does this make now just for the downtown core (not including the exchange)? Five (or six)? I count the Inuit Art centre at the WAG, the apartments just behind them, Sutton Place, Wawanesa, 300 Main and (hopefully soon) the new RWB residence? I don't remember ever having seen this many projects in the downtown area.

esquire · #**10202** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

Winnipeg has already had a number of offices either leave downtown or choose to locate their office out in the suburbs often due to the lack of close, safe, available and "affordable" parking. The insurance company that moved to Polo Festival was the most public of them.

We can't be too disdainful of parking as an issue, as it is a significant cost of working downtown for many.

If my job moved to suburbia that would be an instant $2500+ a year raise for me, in after tax dollars, just by not having to deal with paid parking. Maybe not life altering, but I could think of something useful to do with that kind of money. Even taking the bus would still run me $1200 a year.

buzzg · #**10203** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pspeid

That would be a delicious irony. Maybe it depends on whether Wawanesa will let them operate as an entity under their own name or just fold everything under the Wawanesa banner?

On another note, how many new building projects does this make now just for the downtown core (not including the exchange)? Five (or six)? I count the Inuit Art centre at the WAG, the apartments just behind them, Sutton Place, Wawanesa, 300 Main and (hopefully soon) the new RWB residence? I don't remember ever having seen this many projects in the downtown area.

You can add:
- Richardson Innovation Centre (south side of Lombard is Downtown, not Exchange)
- Hyatt on Portage East

buzzg · #**10204** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

We can't be too disdainful of parking as an issue, as it is a significant cost of working downtown for many.

If my job moved to suburbia that would be an instant $2500+ a year raise for me, in after tax dollars, just by not having to deal with paid parking. Maybe not life altering, but I could think of something useful to do with that kind of money. Even taking the bus would still run me $1200 a year.

For me, I live on a great bus and bike route where it is actually faster and easier for me to bus or bike than drive and park. The saved time and stress, plus perks of working downtown, are worth WAY more to me than $2,500 ever could be.

It goes to show that good transit works. If it's a good, viable option – people will use it.

optimusREIM · #**10205** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

You can add:
- Richardson Innovation Centre (south side of Lombard is Downtown, not Exchange)
- Hyatt on Portage East

Does anyone have any info on what's going on with the Hyatt?

buzzg · #**10206** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

Does anyone have any info on what's going on with the Hyatt?

Work to resume again ASAP, with opening set for late 2020.

esquire · #**10207** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 3:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

It goes to show that good transit works. If it's a good, viable option – people will use it.

Agreed. The problem is that there just isn't enough of it... at least in terms of routes with fast, frequent quality service.

buzzg · #**10208** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 4:15 PM**

Ya, I live off St. Mary’s in Old St. Vital. There’s only 2 routes (both take the same route to downtown) but a bus comes at worst about every 8 minutes during the day, and much of the route has diamond lanes, almost all of in in rush hour. Fast, frequent service where i don’t even have to think about timing, I just go to the stop. It’s fantastic.

Not to beat a dead horse, but this is why the dogleg is bad - focus on making great, reliable transit corridors in areas that can service a lot of people. If more routes were designed like St. Mary’s, Portage, Main, etc - we would have much better ridership.

I want to see the City buy and test those trackless trams. Think it would be a great fit for Winnipeg, seeing as LRT is a pipedream. Trackless team that takes Blue Line from U of M, through Union Station and Graham, down Portage to Polo and beyond. Add queue jumps all down Portage or even bring back centre transit lanes. Would be amazing.

CoryB · #**10209** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

We can't be too disdainful of parking as an issue, as it is a significant cost of working downtown for many.

If my job moved to suburbia that would be an instant $2500+ a year raise for me, in after tax dollars, just by not having to deal with paid parking. Maybe not life altering, but I could think of something useful to do with that kind of money. Even taking the bus would still run me $1200 a year.

Not only is the cost and availability of parking downtown an issue the cost of the office space itself can often be cheaper in the suburbs so it can be a win across the board for both the employer and the employees. It is reality that Winnipeg downtown needs to compete with. Turning a blind eye to it saying the "parking will be somewhere else" and then later saying "we should develop all those surface lots into towers" is really overlooking realities.

When Winnipeg cannot build multi level underground parking like there is at the Delta it needs to look at alternatives like the Radison with a street level presence of some sort followed by many levels of above ground parking and then build the tower on top of that. The benefit of that structure is not only does it address the parking needs of the new building but it will add to the overall height of the project.

Harsh reality is the 300 Main project is going to put its own major parking crunch on the Winnipeg Square parkade.

Biff · #**10210** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 4:36 PM**

You will likely see Artis build a parkade nearby.

robertocarlos · #**10211** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

You will likely see Artis build a parkade nearby.

Yup. One thousand spots on 3 underground levels. Just on the other side of Fort. Strong enough to add a 40 story building on it in the future.

robertocarlos · #**10212** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 5:41 PM**

I was happy when the dentist left the Medical Arts building for Polo Park. You do not need a bus schedule to travel to Polo Park from downtown.

Wpg_Guy · #**10213** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 5:57 PM**

We can expect another major development from Artis sooner rather than later.

esquire · #**10214** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

We can expect another major development from Artis sooner rather than later.

Between what you and Biff are suggesting, I wonder if we might see a scaled down iteration of SkyCity coming down the pike somewhere near Winnipeg Square? A podium with a big parking garage and perhaps 20-some floors on top of that residential for a ~30 storey tower?

cheswick · #**10215** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 6:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

I was happy when the dentist left the Medical Arts building for Polo Park. You do not need a bus schedule to travel to Polo Park from downtown.

Don't need one to travel to medical arts from downtown either.

optimusREIM · #**10216** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Between what you and Biff are suggesting, I wonder if we might see a scaled down iteration of SkyCity coming down the pike somewhere near Winnipeg Square? A podium with a big parking garage and perhaps 20-some floors on top of that residential for a ~30 storey tower?

That would be amazing. Remember, Artis either sold or is looking to sell its stake in 300 Main, meaning it has the capital to undertake another project. Unless I am misremembering things. Either way, I am fairly certain that that is the case.

Any teasers as to a timeline guys in the know?

Gm0ney · #**10217** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

Perhaps they could be shuffled into Wawanesa's old building on Broadway. Maybe there are enough employees to fill that up. Does anyone know if Wawanesa owns the surface lot on the corner? I would think not because it was mentioned they would have built there if possible but I'm not sure.

It's all one lot on the Winnipeg Assessment map (assessed at $14,862,000).

Gm0ney · #**10218** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 7:17 PM**

People seem a little touchy about this parking stuff... I take great pains to avoid bringing my car downtown to work. I take the bus every day and would be happy to see more people do the same. Heck, I've been suggesting on here that there should be substantial levies on surface lots city-wide to help fund transit.

I just thought it was odd that the new Wawanesa building at TNS is only planning on 30 spots. Yes, there are lots of parkades and lots nearby, but the demand will outstrip supply when the apartment block, hotel, condo tower and Wawanesa all get built. So yeah, I'd expect a new parkade somewhere close when all this comes online.

Wpg_Guy · #**10219** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 7:27 PM**

Where was it said they we’re planing 30 spots?

Gm0ney · #**10220** Posted **Jun 14, 2019, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Where was it said they we’re planing 30 spots?

It was a few pages back:

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

Twelve hundred employees with parking for 30 cars on one underground level.

Maybe this was a joke? [Citation needed]