Winnipeg Construction X - Page 191

H2man · #**3801** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 4:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

At first I shuddered at the thought. Within 10 seconds I began to think, this could salvage the building & rescue it from becoming another St Regis.
Some of the elements from The Marlborough Inn Hotel are exceptional & desperately need to be restored.
There are 2 sections, the older Fashion mall that have been offices and of course the Hotel itself.
My preference would be a complete reno & something similar to what they did in Montreal @ The Ritz - Carlton.
Have the cafe, dining room, ballrooms remain, possibly some greatly renovated boutique style, smaller number of guest rooms than now, perhaps on 1, 2 or 3 floors? with the rest as residential.

This is what I was thinking, too. There are some real beautiful elements fit (or can be fit with some shoe polish) to remain as public amenities that are revenue-generating (or again, can be with a "reimagination"). My wife's (then gf's) masters class Christmas parties were in that ballroom and the architecture enriched the experience. I bet they could still make some $$ for these types of events (and weddings, and maybe small business conferences/seminars) if they kept that portion open. Same with a cafe and restaurant for local office workers wanting their morning coffee and lunch.

The last live show I saw before the world sucked was Allan Doyle in February at The Burt, and my grand plan was to hit up The Marlborough lounge for some pre-show beer and apps (knowing full well The Yellow Dog would be insane, and it was). The place had a lot of promise to be "the place" for pregaming before shows at The Burt, given there aren't that many options right across the street, and also having The Garrick Theatre right behind it (although now shuttered

). However, I think it would need some reimagining to become that from its current MO.

Lots of potential. And no doubt it's a gorgeous building. Housing would at least remove the transiency of the hotel crowd.

CoryB · #**3802** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 4:29 PM**

The Malborough has some really great historic elements that need some face lifting to truly reach their potential. I think a big part of the problem is the overall facilities got really tired with age and need a significant investment to refresh them. The current owner seems to either lack the necessary funds or the interest to undertake that. There also doesn't seem to be any outside demand to take over the place. So rather than do the updates the current owner seems to be making the best of their current situation and taking whatever income they can get, which in turns leads to a less desirable reputation and basically furthers the cycle of issues with the property.

esquire · #**3803** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 4:40 PM**

^ Feels like the Marlborough has been a fairly marginal venture as far as hotels go since about the 80s, when it lost its Delta affiliation. Since then it has slowly declined from midrange to low end.

BubberMiley · #**3804** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 5:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Feels like the Marlborough has been a fairly marginal venture as far as hotels go since about the 80s, when it lost its Delta affiliation.

Yes, but Ramada and the 1990s/early 2000s. It seemed to still be doing okay when they renovated the Garrick as a conference centre.

esquire · #**3805** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 5:22 PM**

^ It was already on the downswing by then when that German society bought them in the early 90s and turned it into a Ramada...then it was a Days Inn for a while as I recall.

joshlemer · #**3806** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 6:06 PM**

Had the good opportunity to tour the Marlborough this year during Doors Open Winnipeg. The owner is quite keen on the building's history and preservation, sharing with us minute details and history of the building's many design features. The ball room up top is quite nice and has a decent (wouldn't say amazing) view overlooking the exchange. I wonder though if it would be more valuable as space for amenities for residences if it were to be converted to residential (so maybe a gym, sauna, hot tub..). A few other large fancy rooms in the hotel but which are coming apart, (though the owner apologized and said he's working on it). We never got to see any of the rooms, I'd be interested to see them.

Some cool facts about the building (as per the owner, I can't verify any):
* Winston Churchill was there in the 20s and now they have a big facy dining room on the main floor which they still call the Churchill Room.
* The restaurant was originally a bar, and was at one point "the longest bar in Winnipeg" which apparently was a big attraction 100 years ago (Mariagi's Hotel in the exchange also bragged about this point, they were the longest bar at some point previously)
* I forget exactly when, maybe in the 40s, a 16 year old girl was strangled to death in one of the rooms, and the murderer was one of the last people to be hanged in Headingly
* The Royal Canadian Legion had its start in the building, it's where their original charter or whatever was signed. They have a whole plaque/shrine kind of display to the Legion on the main floor.

CoryB · #**3807** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 7:21 PM**

Wasn't the Malborough also home to the Winnipeg Press Club lounge/bar/whatever? Pretty sure there is still an interior sign over the entrance to where it was in the basement (?).

joshlemer · #**3808** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 7:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

Wasn't the Malborough also home to the Winnipeg Press Club lounge/bar/whatever? Pretty sure there is still an interior sign over the entrance to where it was in the basement (?).

Yes that's right. It was also a stand up comedy club until COVID hit.

esquire · #**3809** Posted **Dec 17, 2020, 7:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshlemer

Yes that's right. It was also a stand up comedy club until COVID hit.

Oh yeah, forgot about that... Winnipeg's only comedy club for QAnon enthusiasts.

trueviking · #**3810** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 1:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Not sure if it was mentioned.

The pedestrian bridge over Assiniboine river was selected to be a cable stayed bridge.

https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pede...ommendedbridge

They chose the right design but with no funding I’m not holding my breath. Note the 2018 dates on the public consultation. Winnipeg Foundation offered to pay for half and they were laughed at.

bomberjet · #**3811** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 5:10 PM**

Ya we'll see what comes of it.

Why would the Winnipeg Foundation be laughed at? Seems like the City makes it hard for people to donate money. A la the flashing light guy most recently.

esquire · #**3812** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 5:17 PM**

I can understand why they didn't like the flashing light guy since that was embarrassing for them (they didn't want something that would make reduced speed zones more visible, which made them look foolish). But the Winnipeg Foundation situation is harder to grasp.

On AT bridges generally, I'd be pretty surprised to see more than 1 or 2 get built across the Red. The Red is so wide, you could probably build two over the Assiniboine for the cost of one across the Red.

bomberjet · #**3813** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 5:25 PM**

If I'm the City, and people are offering to pay for stuff out of the goodness in their hearts. I jump on that ASAP.

trueviking · #**3814** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 6:33 PM**

It meant they had to come up with the other half, which they had no interest in doing....kind of makes me skeptical that they will want to find the money for the whole thing anytime soon.

cuz you know....potholes.

bomberjet · #**3815** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 6:53 PM**

Lol right.

OTA in Winnipeg · #**3816** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 8:29 PM**

Something's going in to the old Mac's at Carlton and Cumberland. Saw workers there today.

H2man · #**3817** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 9:50 PM**

Just looking at google maps and wondering...has there ever been an appetite to develop the South Point Park, on the south side of the Assinaboine across from The Forks?

I don't mean a complete urbanization- even just development as a park, with something unique. At the point it's literally the fork of the two rivers. I have heard of some resistance to the development of the parcels of surface lots across from CMHR into high-ish rise residentials, with the argument being that it "ruins" the separation of The Forks as a special place from the downtown and its urban-ness (I do not share this opinion).

So in response, The Forks itself could just grow across the Assinaboine. Again, I don't want to wreck perfectly good central greenspace, but it's ripe for something more special than what's currently there, I think.

Any thoughts on that? Just trying to spur discussion.

optimusREIM · #**3818** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 9:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by H2man

Just looking at google maps and wondering...has there ever been an appetite to develop the South Point Park, on the south side of the Assinaboine across from The Forks?

I don't mean a complete urbanization- even just development as a park, with something unique. At the point it's literally the fork of the two rivers. I have heard of some resistance to the development of the parcels of surface lots across from CMHR into high-ish rise residentials, with the argument being that it "ruins" the separation of The Forks as a special place from the downtown and its urban-ness (I do not share this opinion).

So in response, The Forks itself could just grow across the Assinaboine. Again, I don't want to wreck perfectly good central greenspace, but it's ripe for something more special than what's currently there, I think.

Any thoughts on that? Just trying to spur discussion.

I like the idea, but I think more environmentally sensitive folks would have an aneurysm.

Jeff · #**3819** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 10:15 PM**

^^^ It's still forest and not a gravel lot.. I say leave it be. I've seen deer, foxes and bald eagles utilizing that spot.

esquire · #**3820** Posted **Dec 18, 2020, 10:58 PM**

I know that for at least the first 25-odd years The Forks' vision for that area was to have it take on an Indigenous character. With what exactly I don't recall, I don't think it was supposed to be too heavily built up. But I'm not sure if that's still the case.