Winnipeg | Osborne Village & Fort Rouge - Page 11

esquire · #1 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 4:09 PM**

^ I'd be satisfied with a low-rise 3 to 6 storey building that hugs the sidewalk... that alone would be an improvement. However, a one-storey strip-mall along the lines of the TD building further north would be a major letdown...

Simplicity · #2 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 8:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I'd be satisfied with a low-rise 3 to 6 storey building that hugs the sidewalk... that alone would be an improvement. However, a one-storey strip-mall along the lines of the TD building further north would be a major letdown...

The issue here is that land is generally sold at its greatest entitlements, not the most feasible. And this is generally why legitimate and knowledgeable developers have opted to stay in the suburbs for the most part. The reason I brought up the Winter Club lands is because it's a very similar situation. The vendor and its representatives look at the very basic entitlements associated with the property and derive from there how many units one can squeeze out. They then assign a land value per unit based on comparable sales, multiply it out, and out of a very simple hat comes a price.

The problem with doing something like this is that it leaves aside most of the variables that go into determining the value of land. That is, requirements for easements, rights-of-way and setbacks, certain engineering constraints, required parking, and our very favorite, costs of construction. The land actually becomes less valuable as the costs of construction rise because the consumer rarely differentiates between wood frame and concrete for the price they're willing to pay for a unit of similar layout and spec. So while realtors think that valuing property is as easy as comparing two similar addresses with similar entitlements, it doesn't work that way at all.

And that's why lots sit undeveloped. If you're paying for land that accommodates 100 units but you're a chasing a rate of return that doesn't exist, you don't have a project. And that's what's happened on the Winter Club land. You'll never sell 100 units and you can't build to rent them at sustainable revenue streams, so they hit the market waiting for the next greater fool to come along.

buzzg · #3 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 5:16 PM**

Does anyone know what/if any requirements are for new dev on Osborne now (after Shoppers happened and new area plan came out)? I'd hope that if it's demolished they wouldn't be allowed to build a strip mall. I'd also love if they were to build a new hotel that it be right up to the street and be forced to have another entrance for dropoff/valet/etc in the back. That lane behind is actually part of their property, so it'd be completely reasonable to put it there.

buzzg · #4 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 6:08 PM**

Interesting tidbit in the Sun article is that the BIZ is doing some streetscaping (outside of sidewalk renewals) including redoing the clock tower plaza.

esquire · #5 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 6:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

Interesting tidbit in the Sun article is that the BIZ is doing some streetscaping (outside of sidewalk renewals) including redoing the clock tower plaza.

About time... much of the 90s-era streetscaping treatments around Osborne Village are looking pretty tired.

I know I've said it before but I really wish something would happen with the fire station and clock tower plaza... that intersection has such potential being at the centre of one the city's most interesting neighbourhoods, but the City just sits on two of the four corners there.

LilZebra · #6 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 6:29 PM**

Interesting that I posted on my blog about the Inn just two weeks ago, saying that it's one of my personal Winnipeg eyesores and that it should be replaced by something nicer. As of today there were only 7 views of that post, so perhaps it was just coincidence.

http://lilzebra1968.blogspot.ca/2015...-winnipeg.html

My list included:

Osborne Village Inn
Sherbrook Inn
Outdated (1970s-ish) paint job on the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre.

I imagine a ~6-storey hotel, something along the lines of the Humpty Dumpty Inn built at the OV site. If they tastefully used stone, like at the HD Inn, it could look quite impressive.

One down, two more to go...

esquire · #7 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 6:56 PM**

^ Haha, good point about the paint job on the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre. That could stand to be updated. I learned recently that the building was once a supermarket (a Dominion, I think?)... it makes sense when you look at it.

And I think you're thinking of the Humphry Inn on Main Street? That hotel is appropriately scaled, but personally I'd like to see something a bit more modern-looking for Osborne Village. In terms of its exterior appearance, I'd say that the Humphry looks better suited to an airport suburban location...

LilZebra · #8 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 7:15 PM**

Fort Rouge Leisure Centre t'was an Economart before.

cllew · #9 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 11:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

Fort Rouge Leisure Centre t'was an Economart before.

And before that it was a Loblaw's.

It was almost the same design as the Loblaws/Penners/Sobey's that use to be on the north side of the Northdale Shopping Center on Henderson before that shopping center was changed.

There is also the former Loblaw's at Pembina and McGillivray which is still standing and was home to the south Winnipeg KEG for years.

cutchemist42 · #10 Posted **Aug 12, 2015, 3:56 AM**

http://globalnews.ca/news/2158202/os...otor-inn-sold/

optimusREIM · #11 Posted **Oct 13, 2015, 7:29 PM**

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/mani...ttee-1.3268276

Yay or nay

buzzg · #12 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Haha, good point about the paint job on the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre. That could stand to be updated. I learned recently that the building was once a supermarket (a Dominion, I think?)... it makes sense when you look at it.

And I think you're thinking of the Humphry Inn on Main Street? That hotel is appropriately scaled, but personally I'd like to see something a bit more modern-looking for Osborne Village. In terms of its exterior appearance, I'd say that the Humphry looks better suited to an airport suburban location...

Yeah I'd hope for something that has a restaurant/cafe right on the street like now, plus another lounge/bar/venue in there would be great. Praying for "Mere meets Drake Hotel (t.o.)."

esquire · #13 Posted **Aug 11, 2015, 7:24 PM**

^ Thanks!

bomberjet · #14 Posted **Oct 13, 2015, 7:46 PM**

Is there a render for this? Same project that was proposed, and floated around on here, a few years back?

esquire · #15 Posted **Oct 13, 2015, 7:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Is there a render for this? Same project that was proposed, and floated around on here, a few years back?

Vike just happened to stumble upon an ad in the Free Press for the project which he took a picture of and posted a month or two ago... it's definitely back but looks a bit different than the previous iteration.

rypinion · #16 Posted **Oct 13, 2015, 7:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Vike just happened to stumble upon an ad in the Free Press for the project which he took a picture of and posted a month or two ago... it's definitely back but looks a bit different than the previous iteration.

Here's some renders:

http://roslynfaq.ca/

Cyro · #17 Posted **Oct 13, 2015, 8:05 PM**

Esquire, here's the previous info posted...

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

Yeah, its completely different. It is 7 stories now.

edit: an image from the site posted above http://roslynfaq.ca/files/roslyn-boards.pdf

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyro

^ Pretty much all you need to know about this project can be found here, parking included...
Not able to post or convert any plans, photos, etc...at the moment for posting..

September 16, 2015 City Centre Community Committee Regular Meeting Agenda

Scroll down to hearings 6:00 pm #10 #9 # 8...#10 gives you the most info if interested..

http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/View...onId=&InitUrl=

OptimusREIM.Yes.

bomberjet · #18 Posted **Oct 13, 2015, 8:30 PM**

Ah, thanks.

trueviking · #19 Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 2:57 AM**

if we are going to start caring about protecting old houses because they are old, we should have started in a location where a collection created a streetscape....wellington crescent as an example. This house is very nice, but it is alone, wedged up against the blank wall of a safeway. It doesn't have heritage value as part of a collection and doesn't have any specific value on its own beyond it being old and nice.

Most of the opposition has nothing to do with the house itself.

CoryB · #20 Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 2:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

if we are going to start caring about protecting old houses because they are old, we should have started in a location where a collection created a streetscape....wellington crescent as an example. This house is very nice, but it is alone, wedged up against the blank wall of a safeway. It doesn't have heritage value as part of a collection and doesn't have any specific value on its own beyond it being old and nice.

Most of the opposition has nothing to do with the house itself.

I would argue that we long lost the push to protect old housing. Pretty sure must here have figured out I rarely speak against parking but the surface lot behind Great West Life and the alone home left on the east side and what that street once was and is not a surface parking lot is purely depressing. They could easily have preserved that row of housing and built a multi floor parking structure behind their complex and had a lot more positive impact on the community. Instead they ensured they were the top bidder and removed the older homes.

Along those same lines there are still a few hints that between Broadway and Portage, Main and Osborne, there used to be single family residential. Now that is some of the ugliest areas of downtown. It is sad to think what might have been if more effort was put into preserving those houses.