Winnipeg Construction X - Page 164

buzzg · #**3261** Posted **Sep 30, 2020, 7:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

They actually already tried the stealth surface parking lot and were quickly shut down.

To be fair, IIRC the park before it was also shut down by the city because it wasn’t publicly owned so the property owners needed to get extra insurance which they did not want to pay for, understandably. Sometimes (always) our city was willing to more creative. ($1 lease to city for park status?)

buzzg · #**3262** Posted **Sep 30, 2020, 11:02 PM**

Sign at 201 Portage says the new BMO opens Monday October 5. I don’t know where exactly it’s going but from the outside it doesn’t appear anything in the podium is near ready. There is a new BMO sign on the corner though right beside the old TD pillar sign. Variance notice also up stating a new 31’ sign is going up there.

RepomanYWG · #**3263** Posted **Oct 1, 2020, 1:13 AM**

Not sure what the crane is for but saw this at work today:

Sunday October 4, 2020 7:00 to 18:00 SB Garry will be closed between Ellice & Portage to
accommodate a crane.

Biff · #**3264** Posted **Oct 1, 2020, 1:42 PM**

Likely HVAC rooftop work to a nearby building.

buzzg · #**3265** Posted **Oct 1, 2020, 9:52 PM**

I randomly happened to bump into people working on the lot beside Boyd project. They are actually going to be turning it (back) into a park! The city is on board. Art will be going up on the buildings soon. The plan is to have it there for 2-3 years until they’re ready to develop the lot. Sounds like that original rumour of a 15 storey building is still the hope.

bomberjet · #**3266** Posted **Oct 1, 2020, 11:57 PM**

http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/DMIS/perm...1007(RM)CCC-17

I'm not sure what state the overall development is at with Bishop Grandin Crossing. But these I think are the first 2 buildings built at the eats end near the BRT station. 4 and 6 storeys. Not as big as I thought would be going in there. Prencinct plan shows 7 12 and 15 sotrey buildings.

Wpg_Guy · #**3267** Posted **Oct 2, 2020, 8:34 PM**

The Hudson’s Bay Company will be closing its 'landmark' Downtown Winnipeg location in February 2021.

Edit see retail thread: https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...74131&page=508

WinCitySparky · #**3268** Posted **Oct 2, 2020, 8:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

The Hudson’s Bay Company will be closing its 'landmark' Downtown Winnipeg location in February 2021.

A step in the sensible direction and a step towards a well-deserved new life for this site.

cheswick · #**3269** Posted **Oct 2, 2020, 8:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

A step in the sensible direction and a step towards a well-deserved new life for this site.

Don't think the Bay occupying it had anything to do with lack of new life on the site. Haven't they been willing to give the building away for years?

WinCitySparky · #**3270** Posted **Oct 2, 2020, 9:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheswick

Don't think the Bay occupying it had anything to do with lack of new life on the site. Haven't they been willing to give the building away for years?

Don’t think so? Multiple people here have disclosed they’ve participated in draft plans for proposals for its redevelopment, however I don’t know anything about their willingness one way or the other. The point is, it’s now entirely empty and purposeless, so regardless, it’s still a step towards something, even if it takes another 100 years.

pspeid · #**3271** Posted **Oct 3, 2020, 3:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

Don’t think so? Multiple people here have disclosed they’ve participated in draft plans for proposals for its redevelopment, however I don’t know anything about their willingness one way or the other. The point is, it’s now entirely empty and purposeless, so regardless, it’s still a step towards something, even if it takes another 100 years.

I agree. While The Bay still had a retail presence there, proposals had to work around them. Without the retail proposals can look at how best to use the entire building.

Now I have NO idea if there is a realistic plan on the table, but I am HOPING our civic leaders have been doing something behind the scenes to get ready for this da. They have certainly had the time to prepare for it.

Conjecture: Money, as always is THE issue. I wonder if any of the newly announced Federal infrastructure $$ could go towards this? Yes I know it's supposed to be for public transit, etc., but in the news conference the idea was floated that the parameters for accessing the fund will be quite broad.

More conjecture: how will the effect the Portage Place project? Yes, I know they are still waiting on the $20 million they say they need the Feds to dish up, but will any Bay redevelopment make that easier or worse?

esquire · #**3272** Posted **Oct 3, 2020, 5:39 PM**

Portage Place's redevelopment always seemed so tenuous... you have to wonder if the events of this year might undo Starlight's plans. With so many people working from home and going to school at home for the foreseeable future, who would want to start a project right now that depends on filling hundreds of downtown residential units to succeed? I would think they must be giving serious thought to parking this one for now.

Wpg_Guy · #**3273** Posted **Oct 3, 2020, 7:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Portage Place's redevelopment always seemed so tenuous... you have to wonder if the events of this year might undo Starlight's plans. With so many people working from home and going to school at home for the foreseeable future, who would want to start a project right now that depends on filling hundreds of downtown residential units to succeed? I would think they must be giving serious thought to parking this one for now.

Opening would be at best 4 years away, now seems like the prefect time to get this done to me, have it ready just in time for return to normal.

esquire · #**3274** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 1:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Opening would be at best 4 years away, now seems like the prefect time to get this done to me, have it ready just in time for return to normal.

I take your point, but selling the downtown of 2019 vs. selling the downtown of a potentially covid-ravaged, hollowed out downtown of 2024 could turn out to be two very different things.

Jeff · #**3275** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 5:12 AM**

Since Glen Murray didn't win the Green Party leadership I think the city and province should hire him to be the Bay redevelopment guy! He had the vision for a few worthwile projects while at the helm..

wags_in_the_peg · #**3276** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 12:43 PM**

Vision does not equal 100's of millions of dollars required. and I agree what others have said, large offices might be reduced for many,(not all) forever....

esquire · #**3277** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

Vision does not equal 100's of millions of dollars required. and I agree what others have said, large offices might be reduced for many,(not all) forever....

Yeah, this is definitely a lousy time to hit the market with hundreds of thousands of square feet of floorspace to fill.

one_brick_at_a_time · #**3278** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 2:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Yeah, this is definitely a lousy time to hit the market with hundreds of thousands of square feet of floorspace to fill.

Where is the closest grocery store? Could that and a gym work in that space? Residential above with open concept office? Sounds like more residential in that area might help spur other tenants possibly.

esquire · #**3279** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Where is the closest grocery store? Could that and a gym work in that space? Residential above with open concept office? Sounds like more residential in that area might help spur other tenants possibly.

It's over 650,000 square feet of space... it's equivalent to about a 35-storey office tower. So it's a daunting task to say the least.

HBC's store has been on the market for years and there have been many concepts floated. But the problem is that it's so big and old and requires so many upgrades that really nothing can be done on a for-profit basis. It can only work if government steps in to cover some of the costs. And that possibility is out the window for at least the next few years.

It's sort of like Winnipeg's version of the old Detroit Packard plant that has been sitting vacant since the 1950s... it's old and useless by modern standards and there's no real demand for the space, but it's way too expensive to demolish and redevelop.

pspeid · #**3280** Posted **Oct 4, 2020, 3:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

Where is the closest grocery store? Could that and a gym work in that space? Residential above with open concept office? Sounds like more residential in that area might help spur other tenants possibly.

IMO residential is not only the best way to go for The Bay building, but probably the only way to go right now. Personally I would like to see:

-middle of the building opened up as an atrium
-first floor and basement as some kind of retail
-floors 2-5 as mixed low/middle income residential
-floor 6 as higher income residential/maybe high end restaurant/club?
-repair/replace parkade with new parkade

Now where did I put that half a billion dollars??