Winnipeg | Exchange District | Developments & Discussions

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by T'Cona

Let's just hope the adjacent lot is replaced with something spectacular.

$20 says it's still a parking lot in August 2031

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by T'Cona

Let's just hope the adjacent lot is replaced with something spectacular.

doubt it. that lots needed to meet parking mins for the builing across the st

[T'Cona]

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by drew

That same panel is on the side of the RIC, and if the Nutty club ever burns down, it will be just as prominent.

Has to be non combustible and its on the property line, so no windows. A blank brick wall would be almost as boring.

Hope the parking lot gets developed and that blank wall goes away.

You’re really comparing those two buildings?

It’s a shame the contractor was negligent and we lost a priceless building. We couldn’t control that.

We could control what replaced it. A background building with a very prominent wall in freezer panels making the brick facade look like a thin plane of decoration, is disappointing. The building shows little imagination. It has nothing special to make up for what was lost.

Brick is not gold, but there were lots of possibilities other than brick. Making the wall interesting could have been done. How about some kind of big abstracted Pepsi ghost sign or something. Anything. Use some imagination. Pretending like that wall isn’t highly visible is disappointing. Hoping something will eventually block its blandness is a disappointing plan. We all know that lot is going nowhere.

To me it’s about being creative and feeling like something special should have been built to make up for destroying something special. Why couldn’t they have saved pieces of that old facade and incorporated it in some unique way? Anything to make it special. Even if they just picked up some stone rubble off the ground and incorporated it in some creative way to tell the story of what happened. What was once there. Imagine a modern facade built of stone rubble. There’s lots of ideas.

It’s not an offensive building. The front facade is very flat, but if it was filling a random parking lot I’d look at it and say, ok, nice to have density. But because of what was lost I was hoping for more. A little bit of special. I’m disappointed that a background building replaced a magnificent heritage building. I get that they couldn’t be forced to do anything but the minimum but I’m still disappointed.

I bet that awesome corten steel frame facade a block away didn’t cost any more. Just took imagination.

[drew]

Why not compare the two buildings?

Or at least the somewhat conflicting view you seem to have of this "freezer panel".

The RIC is a building with 15 times the budget of this one, and funded by a large multi-national corp. - and yet 2 out the 4 main faces of the building are covered in this exact same stuff (let's not talk about who spec'd them... ) RIC even cut back the stone work - so whether or not brick isn't gold, neither is stone, and yet owners need to make cost conscious decisions to save money. You know very well that you need to provide what the owner requests and within their budget.

Let's also not get into any kind of talk of the finish-du-jour (corten steel). That building down the block may have it, but it's straight up lipstick on a pig. The glue in that OSB box building will deteriorate in 50 years. 216 Princess will be around long enough for someone to clad it in gold foil if they so choose. I can't speak to the architectural choices, but I can certainly vouch for the structure.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by trueviking

You’re really comparing those two buildings?

It’s a shame the contractor was negligent and we lost a priceless building. We couldn’t control that.

We could control what replaced it. A background building with a very prominent wall in freezer panels making the brick facade look like a thin plane of decoration, is disappointing. The building shows little imagination. It has nothing special to make up for what was lost.

Brick is not gold, but there were lots of possibilities other than brick. Making the wall interesting could have been done. How about some kind of big abstracted Pepsi ghost sign or something. Anything. Use some imagination. Pretending like that wall isn’t highly visible is disappointing. Hoping something will eventually block its blandness is a disappointing plan. We all know that lot is going nowhere.

To me it’s about being creative and feeling like something special should have been built to make up for destroying something special. Why couldn’t they have saved pieces of that old facade and incorporated it in some unique way? Anything to make it special. Even if they just picked up some stone rubble off the ground and incorporated it in some creative way to tell the story of what happened. What was once there. Imagine a modern facade built of stone rubble. There’s lots of ideas.

It’s not an offensive building. The front facade is very flat, but if it was filling a random parking lot I’d look at it and say, ok, nice to have density. But because of what was lost I was hoping for more. A little bit of special. I’m disappointed that a background building replaced a magnificent heritage building. I get that they couldn’t be forced to do anything but the minimum but I’m still disappointed.

I bet that awesome corten steel frame facade a block away didn’t cost any more. Just took imagination.

I'm certain the owner would have considered your ideas had you offered to finance them.

[Labroco]

Yes an unfortunate loss of a heritage building…

I must give the developer credit for picking up the pieces and marching this project forward.

Half the city block has been repurposed into a positive addition to the street and neighbourhood and the replacement building adds height, density and materials I can live with thank you. All of that spells WIN for me. As for the party wall, I have no issues with the material but perhaps a variation of panels for no additional cost could have been considered.

That minor detail could have been addressed at the City’s Urban Design Review process. I’m sure coloration / variation of the panels could have been address for no additional cost if they felt it was an issue. I guess they didn’t.

As the owner of the two largest party walls and painted signs on Princess (Silverwood Dairy & Pro Auto), may I suggest perhaps in the fullness of time a mural will find it’s way to animate the building and area as well! I remember being on the swing stage when Pro Auto was painted. It’s twin is still located on 92 Gomez and can be seen from the Disraeli.

I would say thank you to that developer and risk taker and give them a pass on the party wall. I’m sure no one complained about the 44 Princess party wall when it was built. It’s “empty” profile is even more visible but just has a way of blending in. This one will too.

[Wigglez]

Originally Posted by Riverman

I'm certain the owner would have considered your ideas had you offered to finance them.

I feel like there's a difference between complaining about the quality of a new build, and complaining about the quality of a build that resulted in the demolition by negligence of an attractive heritage building.

If this was built on a former surface parking lot I don't think anyone would really care. It's boring but its also not offensive - essentially the best we can hope for in Winnipeg these days. But it wasn't built on a parking lot, it was built on the corpse of a heritage building the developers failed to properly support.

I'm not saying it encourages further developers to casually neglect a heritage building during a reconstruction so they can build fresh, but this whole thing also won't discourage anyone from doing that...

[1ajs]

wish they had paid a little homage the the facade that had been lost otherwise its a welcome addition to the area.

re 92 goemz gues i need to look closer at the old signs on it

[NewIreland]

Any word about the project on Bannatyne that the Nimby's shut down?

[Biff]

Still going ahead. Currently reworking the height issue.

[buzzg]

https://www.carriageworks.ca/ – website for the new Princess building in question. No info or photos yet, says pre-leasing September.

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by NewIreland

Any word about the project on Bannatyne that the Nimby's shut down?

Did NIMBYs shut it down or did the city just follow it's neighbourhood guidelines and said it was too tall?

[zalf]

Originally Posted by buzzg

https://www.carriageworks.ca/ – website for the new Princess building in question. No info or photos yet, says pre-leasing September.

Will be very curious to see what materializes.

As an aside, I totally get that it's just stock imagery, but it would have been nice for them to have a shot of the Winnipeg skyline instead of Kansas City.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by zalf

Will be very curious to see what materializes.

As an aside, I totally get that it's just stock imagery, but it would have been nice for them to have a shot of the Winnipeg skyline instead of Kansas City.

Ok...My understanding was their inventions are eventually to build many of those hi-rises to resemble Kansas city for a great view for the tenants leasing there. lol. Regina Phalangy told me

[hello]

Does anybody know what is happening with 138 Portage Ave East? Heard a group may have bought it. Anybody know who bought it and their plans?

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by hello

Does anybody know what is happening with 138 Portage Ave East? Heard a group may have bought it. Anybody know who bought it and their plans?

Isn't it owned by MMF? If those empty lots are developed it would dramatically improve Winnipeg's DT.

[drew]

Originally Posted by hello

Does anybody know what is happening with 138 Portage Ave East? Heard a group may have bought it. Anybody know who bought it and their plans?

There is a tentative deal in place by a local developer. Wont know for sure till 2022.

I think the plan would be apartments, not hotel.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by NewIreland

Isn't it owned by MMF? If those empty lots are developed it would dramatically improve Winnipeg's DT.

No, MMF just owns BMO.

Originally Posted by drew

There is a tentative deal in place by a local developer. Wont know for sure till 2022.

I think the plan would be apartments, not hotel.

Residential would be even better, would have actual residents getting annoyed and fighting to open P&M.

[DavefromSt.Vital]

Article in the WFP re: the Carriage Works/216 Princess:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/charm-not-without-challenge-575294712.html