Winnipeg | Downtown Developments & Discussions

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I don't think anyone who works with people suffering from addictions feels supervised injection sites are a "solution" per se, but they do seem to alleviate some of the worst effects of their situation. To that regard I think this is a good step, but it's really only "a step".

Supervised consumption sites are generally seen as a harm reduction strategy, not a solution to a problem. The main idea is that those consuming hard drugs are going to do it regardless, but out on the streets they're at risk of other issues that cost society much more than operating the site and providing a safer place to do it.

Risks include:
to themselves with overdoses that aren't caught immediately, disease transmission from dirty needles (and subsequent healthcare cost), self-harm, accidents due to lack of awareness of their surroundings.

to society being vandalism, violence to others, DUIs etc...

and these sites will have medical staff that can also link these individuals to resources to better themselves if they are open to it. Sometimes it may just be the connection they need to start pulling themselves out of the hole they're in.

Harm reduction is like acknowledging your uncle Jim is an alcoholic and no one in the family can convince him to stop drinking, he will drink at Christmas whether sneakily or openly, but you take his car keys away and give him the guest room to sleep when he comes over so he can't drive away at the end of the night and kill someone. It doesn't solve uncle Jim's alcoholism, but it reduces the risk that comes with it.

[bon_vivant]

Originally Posted by FactaNV

I'd love to hear about your experience on Hastings and in the area generally. Is it as bad as it's made out to be?

It's terrible, always has been, and now it's worse. Main and Hastings is a complete and utter circus. Take a google maps street tour of the area and see for yourself. Vancouver has the added pressure of being a port city (greater influx of drugs) and a warmer climate which obviously attracts more homeless people from other cities. If I were homeless and drug-addicted, I'd hitch a ride there in a heartbeat.

There's so much talk about safe consumption and harm reduction, which is all good and well, but where is the will among our leaders to really and truly stop the flow of illegal and deadly drugs? Instead we just continue to treat the symptom and not the cause. Is it outlandish to think there are people with authority who are being paid off to keep the drugs flowing? Anything is possible if the will is there, but it isn't. Why is that? Anyway... I don't want to derail this thread with my rant.

[ColdRain&Snow]

Originally Posted by FactaNV

I'd love to hear about your experience on Hastings and in the area generally. Is it as bad as it's made out to be?

I was in Vancouver about a year ago and decided to take about 2 hours to walk around the Downtown East Side to see how bad it was. East Hastings itself is very bad, much worse than anything here in Winnipeg. Lots of homelessness, drug use, and mental health illnesses. That said, I walked right down East Hastings during the day and no one bothered me. The surrounding streets (Cordova, Powell, etc.) are still pretty sketchy, but not nearly as bad as East Hastings. Comparable to the area surrounding Main and Higgins in Winnipeg.

I think the largest difference between Main & Higgins and the Downtown East Side is that not many Winnipeggers actually live near Main & Higgins. There's a lot of vacant lots and industrial businesses. The DES on the other hand, has lots of ordinary Vancouverites who are essentially forced to live there due to the insane housing costs in Vancouver. I feel bad for the people who can't afford to live anywhere else.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by bon_vivant

There's so much talk about safe consumption and harm reduction, which is all good and well, but where is the will among our leaders to really and truly stop the flow of illegal and deadly drugs? Instead we just continue to treat the symptom and not the cause. Is it outlandish to think there are people with authority who are being paid off to keep the drugs flowing? Anything is possible if the will is there, but it isn't. Why is that? Anyway... I don't want to derail this thread with my rant.

I'm no expert, but I think drugs are a symptom too. It seems drug use exploits unhappiness. That can be caused by multiple factors, but it seems the most devastating contributors are economic factors and social issues like an abusive household.

That being said, i'm sure there's plenty of drug use going on in prosperous households, we just don't see it as often.

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by ColdRain&Snow

The two buildings located at 262 & 268 Portage Ave are up for sale. The property is being advertised as a good spot for new mixed-use development. The asking price is $1.15 million for a 11,416 sq ft lot, which actually seems pretty reasonable for downtown.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/27707142/262-portage-ave-winnipeg

https://api.commercialexchange.com/api/i...54_262_268_portage_ave_sale_brochure.pdf

Good price and would love to see residential there. I remember Hurtig Furs in that building.

Purchased an unplucked blonde beaver coat from them as a young man 40 years ago! Lol

[WinCitySparky]

You had me at blonde beaver

[1ajs]

the hertic building is a neat building my mother used to rent space up there 20yrs ago

it used to be a taller building befor a fire in the 20's that affected it and the building next door that was demolsihed for the expansion of the old scotia bank aka vital stats building today
most of the tin ceilings are still intact hiden skylights throughout it as well

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by coldrain&snow

the two buildings located at 262 & 268 portage ave are up for sale. The property is being advertised as a good spot for new mixed-use development. The asking price is $1.15 million for a 11,416 sq ft lot, which actually seems pretty reasonable for downtown.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/27707142/262-portage-ave-winnipeg

https://api.commercialexchange.com/api/i...54_262_268_portage_ave_sale_brochure.pdf

cool design!

[WinCitySparky]

It totally is

[ColdRain&Snow]

Any work happening on the Boyd Building recently? I think Biff mentioned that residential renovations were going to get started this fall/winter.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

It totally is

thanks

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by ColdRain&Snow

Any work happening on the Boyd Building recently? I think Biff mentioned that residential renovations were going to get started this fall/winter.

I was just thinking that this morning. Now that I have to drive to work, I go past different things....that property looks like 1990's Detroit...so embarrassing.

[WinCitySparky]

^ It kills me because it’s such a beautiful building sitting there doing nothing in the hands of a local greasebag outfit aka Caspian Construction.

Side note to that, a recent news article discussed how the city had not yet received its remuneration from the court case against them, and suggested it had a short list of certain target properties of theirs, and it was mentioned in the article that they were considering seizing some or all of them to pay the amount owing. I wonder if Boyd could be one of those targets. If so PLEASE DO IT CoW. End rant.

Edit: Apparently it is not. Sad trombone.

https://www.mpamag.com/ca/news/general/w...0litigation%20against%20the%20contractor.

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by trueviking

thanks

Was that a serious design proposal or just a rendering made only for the brochure?

[bomberjet]

I will say again this civil vs criminal court BS makes zero sense me to me. They're guilty, but not guilty at the same time. Guilty enough to pay for the crime, but not guilty enough to make it a crime.

[WinCitySparky]

Yep it’s pretty absurd all right

[Wpg_Guy]

Hampton Inn by Hilton Winnipeg Downtown opens at ‘next level’


WITH two more floors than it had five years ago, there’s a good chance there will be room in the inn this Christmas.

The Hampton Inn by Hilton Winnipeg Downtown celebrated its grand opening Monday. Located at 330 York Ave., the establishment was formerly the Charter House Hotel before rebranding as the Best Western Charter House and then as Best Western Plus Downtown Winnipeg.

Toronto-based Alamo Management, who’s owned the property since 2000, started planning the renovation and rebranding in 2018. After COVID-19 pandemic-related delays, demolition began in November 2021; the hotel opened its doors July 18.

“We’ve been here for 25 years and we (thought we had to) either sell the hotel or move it to the next level,” said Alamo co-owner Altaf Mohamed. “And we moved it to the next level.”

Adding two floors to the building allowed for an increase in the number of rooms and suites, to 134 from 87. Colours throughout the hotel were updated to give it a look management describes as conservative and contemporary. South-facing rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies that overlook the RBC Convention Centre, which is just steps away.

The basement includes two meeting rooms that can be converted into one large meeting space. The main floor features a gym, a six-person board room and an area where guests can enjoy a complimentary hot breakfast.

There’s a bar in the lobby, which is unusual for a Hampton Inn, according to hotel manager Amanda Janz.

The pet-friendly hotel also boasts a multi-sport simulator where people can play on world-class golf courses or choose from sports like soccer, baseball, hockey and football. The cost is $25 per half-hour or $45 an hour, plus taxes and fees. Hotel guests receive discount rates.

Alamo Management started planning the renovations in 2018. In addition to the pandemic, inflation, construction costs and rising interest rates posed challenges along the way. What was projected to be a $15 million project ended up with a $30 million price tag.

“God knows it wasn’t easy, but (the hotel) is spectacular,” said Jeff Curry, senior director of franchise development for Hilton Canada. The industry term for what the hotel underwent is “a conversion,” but that’s an understatement, he said.

“This is not a conversion,” Curry said. “This is a complete transformation, down to the studs.”

The wait was worth it, according to Janz. “It’s amazing to finally have it open and be operating, and have our guests back and just be a part of the community again.”

The renovated hotel is the first in a three-phase project Alamo Management is undertaking. Mohamed said the company plans to add a parkade and another hotel in downtown Winnipeg in the next three to five years. The company will invest in excess of $70 million in the projects.

For now, he and his partners — which include his sister-in-law, Laila Jiwani, and her children — are happy the Hampton Inn by Hilton is open for business.

“We’re very excited about this investment in Winnipeg’s downtown,” Mohamed said.

The renovated hotel is an exciting addition to the area, according to Michael Juce, Manitoba Hotel Association president and CEO.

The global hotel industry had a phenomenal year in 2023, he said, with many people participating in “revenge travel” — taking trips that weren’t able to happen due to the pandemic.

This year hasn’t been quite as successful, with higher interest rates and inflation leaving people with less money for leisure travel.

“2024 is going to be a good year, but softer than 2023, which was unique,” Juce said.

While it’s too early to tell what 2025 will be like, Juce is excited about what hosting the Canadian Elite Basketball League championship in August and the CFL’s Grey Cup title game in November will mean for Winnipeg’s hotel industry.

“(It’s) shaping up to be an exciting year with all of these events coming to town,” he said.

The Hampton Inn by Hilton Winnipeg Downtown is Canada’s 71st Hampton Inn. It joins a network of 3,072 Hilton hotels in more than 41 countries around the world.

The building was originally constructed in 1959.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busine...on-winnipeg-downtown-opens-at-next-level

[Mr Tall Forehead]

Article on the renovation of the Charter House hotel.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busine...on-winnipeg-downtown-opens-at-next-level

This paragraph is interesting:

The renovated hotel is the first in a three-phase project Alamo Management is undertaking. Mohamed said the company plans to add a parkade and another hotel in downtown Winnipeg in the next three to five years. The company will invest in excess of $70 million in the projects.


A parade would presumably go on the surface lot east of the hotel. Hopefully it includes some ground floor commercial. Also curious where they intend on building the new hotel?

[bomberjet]

You guys posted the same thing at the same time lol

It's the lot in front from what I remember.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

You guys posted the same thing at the same time lol

It's the lot in front from what I remember.