Economy Thread

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by bolognium

If this building was literally anywhere else I'd be pretty upset, but Highbury is London's 🞵🞵🞵 crack.

Wellington 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. Oxford 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. Adelaide 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. Hyde Park 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. They all 🞵🞵🞵🞵.

But none of them 🞵🞵🞵🞵 like Highbury.

what the hell is that guy doing at the corner of the building, set way back from the sidewalk, looking at his watch? Is he some kind of stalker (maybe of the gal on the right)?


Agreed that Highbury is the asscrack of London. You also forgot that Wonderland 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. Wharncliffe also 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

what the hell is that guy doing at the corner of the building, set way back from the sidewalk, looking at his watch? Is he some kind of stalker (maybe of the gal on the right)?

That guy has been waiting over 2 hours for his drug dealer. I remember the day when you could get service in 10 minutes or less.

[jammer139]

I think a better use for this entire property would have been to see the old factory demolished and the site cleared for the construction of a couple of mid-rise affordable housing apartment buildings with some ground floor commercial/retail and a childcare centre. There is a grocery store just across the overpass and transit. Would have made a nice infill project and put a dent in the 3000 affordable housing unit plan for the city. Sadly another self storage facility is not what we needed. This just extends the life of the strip of land along Bridges and the tracks as a light industrial brownfield. Would be great to see Bridges revitalized with new residential developments

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by jammer139

I think a better use for this entire property would have been to see the old factory demolished and the site cleared for the construction of a couple of mid-rise affordable housing apartment buildings with some ground floor commercial/retail and a childcare centre. There is a grocery store just across the overpass and transit. Would have made a nice infill project and put a dent in the 3000 affordable housing unit plan for the city. Sadly another self storage facility is not what we needed. This just extends the life of the strip of land along Bridges and the tracks as a light industrial brownfield. Would be great to see Bridges revitalized with new residential developments

this

[Djeffery]

I don't know. Brydges is a light industrial street west of Highbury, I can't see new residential being appealing there. Fedex is getting ready to break ground on a large 24/7 trucking terminal on their property down the street and there are tons of construction and automotive businesses down there. Not to mention whatever rebuild London Transit does across the street. I'm not so sure another storage place is what is needed there, but not sure what is a better use. I think if a company was interested in building a couple tall buildings on that corner, they might have come forward in the years that this building was vacant with a proposal.

[jammer139]

Farhi puts some new paint and flooring into hotel in Windsor.


https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/i-be...ns-waterfront-hotel-after-25m-investment

[Blitz]

^ He totally gutted that building - just like he did with two other downtown hotels a few years ago. I have to admit he's really done a lot for Windsor...besides the hotels, he is building 2 high rise residential towers downtown, has redone the largest downtown parking garage, and is currently building a $250 M subdivision on the east side of town containing 6 mid-rise residential buildings. He has made digs at London to the Windsor media saying that London city admin is anti-business and other such nonsense.

[MolsonExport]

He is the most pro-parking lot person on the planet. And I hate that stupid cap that he wears. Bottom line is that he has tried to corner the downtown office building market.

[Blitz]

It's weird because I hate what he has done to London (and I totally get why Londoners dislike him) but he has a completely different reputation in Windsor.

[jammer139]

So to summarize he has repainted the hotel rooms, replaced the flooring on existing hotel buildings. Likely bought new chairs and mattresses and linens too. He patched and repainted an existing parking garage. He has rezoned two lots for potential new high rise buildings but no shovel has hit the ground as of yet. He has zoned a new sub-division and sold of the lots to home builders to sell to buyers. (He did the same with Talbotville Meadows sub-division). Seems to be very much the same pattern we have seen here in London region. Look forward to seeing general contractor and excavation-foundation contractor on the site of one of these high rise proposals soon.

Originally Posted by Blitz

^ He totally gutted that building - just like he did with two other downtown hotels a few years ago. I have to admit he's really done a lot for Windsor...besides the hotels, he is building 2 high rise residential towers downtown, has redone the largest downtown parking garage, and is currently building a $250 M subdivision on the east side of town containing 6 mid-rise residential buildings. He has made digs at London to the Windsor media saying that London city admin is anti-business and other such nonsense.

[ssiguy]

I still think that the best solution for London is to phase out parking lots.

Note that I said parking LOTS and not SPACES. If a business has parking for their customers or employees than they should be able to keep them. If, however, these are empty parking lots serving no businesses then the city should change the planning by-laws and have them phased out.

AS an example, all parking lots larger than 30 spots would not be allowed by 2025 giving the owner lots of notice. Then 20 spots by 2028 and 10 spots by 2031. The city cannot force anyone to sell their properties but by changing the zoning, those lots would no longer be able to provide parking but still have to pay the property taxes on them..............they become a money pit.

London has excess office space and so the vast majority would be turned into apts/condos increasing tax revenue, providing needed housing, and greatly increasing the downtown population which is key to a healthy Core. I think the city should build a parking garage to ensure that there is still ample supply of parking for consumers. Contrary to popular belief, some garages can be both architecturally handsome and most modern ones also have retail at the base so they add to the pedestrian realm. Fewer parking spots has the added benefit of making transit a more appealing alternative to get downtown which works well with the city's BRT.

Now that YOU have a new council and Mayor, this is something YOU GUYS can bring up with your local representative and media. I think vast majority of Londoners would support the idea because everyone knows that Farhi owns most of these lots and he is the one person that everyone in London uniformly hates and hence would view such a move as divine retribution. Such a move would be very politically palatable because anyone who takes on Farhi would reap the political rewards.

[MolsonExport]

The problem is the city has been completely Josh Morganed. Which means, the status quo of the mayor being in the back pocket of developers has been prolonged. As councillor, Morgan conveniently used the 'conflict of interest' provision to duck out of any contentious issues (which effectively swayed the motion, usually in favour of the developers, and usually against mass transit/bike advocates). My neck of the woods is Hyde Park, and it is a paradise for the pro-car/truck, anti-pedestrian crowd. It is clearly evident that cars come first, and probably also second in Hyde Park. Maybe third as well. Actual people (outside of their vehicles, that is) come last.

[ssiguy]

I understand that you have a new cruise-control Mayor but I bet developers themselves would actually support such a move.

Farhi is NOT a developer but rather a parking lot owner. With London's soaring population, I bet there are a lot of developers who would love to put up some new housing in the Core but don't because they have to deal with Farhi. Not only is the guy a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 but because he owns nearly every parking lot in the Core, he has a monopoly and hence developers have no bargaining power.

I think it's developers themselves that could be the city's best ally.

[Blitz]

Originally Posted by jammer139

So to summarize he has repainted the hotel rooms, replaced the flooring on existing hotel buildings. Likely bought new chairs and mattresses and linens too. He patched and repainted an existing parking garage. He has rezoned two lots for potential new high rise buildings but no shovel has hit the ground as of yet. He has zoned a new sub-division and sold of the lots to home builders to sell to buyers. (He did the same with Talbotville Meadows sub-division). Seems to be very much the same pattern we have seen here in London region. Look forward to seeing general contractor and excavation-foundation contractor on the site of one of these high rise proposals soon.

But no other developer showed any interest in doing those things - that's the difference. All those buildings were tired, and that subdivision is being built on formerly contaminated land which everyone else avoided. City council just approved his highrise proposal last week. I'm just saying that if you ask a Windsorite what their opinion is of Farhi you'll get a completely different response than if you ask a Londoner. It's really odd.

[Djeffery]

VW eyeing Canada for an EV battery plant, and the London region may b
in the running.

https://lfpress.com/business/local-busin...zTZCJMpfZsjT1Um9sbMZ8#Echobox=1670190143

[jammer139]

Listening to some of the automotive news podcasts; and their pundits think Quebec is being considered very seriously due in large part to cheap green hydro power. It takes alot of power to process and refine the raw materials to make batteries.

Originally Posted by Djeffery

VW eyeing Canada for an EV battery plant, and the London region may b
in the running.

https://lfpress.com/business/local-busin...zTZCJMpfZsjT1Um9sbMZ8#Echobox=1670190143

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Movati closed both London locations, putting 100 out of work.

Dammit. I have had a movati membership since 2005.


'Perfect storm' as home-grown Movati suddenly shuts London gyms

Both clubs reopening in January under the ownership of landlord Southside Group, and will be named after London Olympian Damian Warner. Warner will also have a hand in setting up programming at the 2 clubs, and Vito says Damian will be in management after his racing career if he wishes.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/two-...Kvs3-r-ZOS4Xajn7YfZ_KdO10DnBI1KuPr85lYrg

[jammer139]

Skilled trades shortage to get worst. Will take more then just immigration to address this. Need to reverse the decades of stigma against skilled trades and change our education system.



LFP article = https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/extr...lled-trades-at-record-low-in-london-area

[Pimpmasterdac]

The biggest way to help correct the shortage of skilled trades is for the provincial government to stop giving subsidized tuition for basket weaving bachelor's degrees from universities. Remove all subsidies from these programs charge full international tution rates and limit OSAP Grant and bond qualifications, while giving a higher emphasis and subside to skilled trades would be more beneficial in the long run both for us as a society and for young people trying to find a career.

Originally Posted by jammer139

Skilled trades shortage to get worst. Will take more then just immigration to address this. Need to reverse the decades of stigma against skilled trades and change our education system.



LFP article = https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/extr...lled-trades-at-record-low-in-london-area

[Ryeguy01]

Originally Posted by jammer139

Skilled trades shortage to get worst. Will take more then just immigration to address this. Need to reverse the decades of stigma against skilled trades and change our education system.



LFP article = https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/extr...lled-trades-at-record-low-in-london-area

I don’t see it getting much better. Parents need to also encourage their kids to join the trades and not just going to university. At least there is always job security in the trades and good wage plus benefits and pension