Winnipeg Construction X

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Rumor is that building got torn down largely to save David Asper seconds getting to his parking spot (aka it was torn down to make a private driveway).

This is the most Winnipeg story I've ever heard

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by trueviking

What a sad commentary on the state of our world.
A magnificent banking hall abandoned for a predictable cookie cutter branch style bank suitable for a town like Plum Coulee or similar. No offence..but this is what we get for a city approaching a million at a famous intersection such as P & M ? Ouch!

[EspionNoir]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

What a sad commentary on the state of our world.
A magnificent banking hall abandoned for a predictable cookie cutter branch style bank suitable for a town like Plum Coulee or similar. No offence..but this is what we get for a city approaching a million at a famous intersection such as P & M ? Ouch!

Operating in the original building doesn’t make economic sense for BMO anymore.

I remember the building is going to become the Métis National Heritage Centre? The Métis flag is already raise at the top of the building.

So I’d say now it again has a meaningful use,

[esquire]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

This is the most Winnipeg story I've ever heard

It sounds like an urban myth. The building was torn down at a time when Creswin was actively pursuing redevelopment of the site.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

This is the most Winnipeg story I've ever heard

I sometimes look at posts on other city's threads, or scan comments on other city's websites. It seems every city seems to have it's share of the "everything stinks here/we're so pathetic" posters. I'm not saying CoryB or borkborkbork are this type of poster, but I do want to point out that some of the negativity we see here is definitely not confined to Winnipeg. It seems to be a "people" thing, rather than a "city" thing.

[EspionNoir]

Originally Posted by pspeid

I sometimes look at posts on other city's threads, or scan comments on other city's websites. It seems every city seems to have it's share of the "everything stinks here/we're so pathetic" posters. I'm not saying CoryB or borkborkbork are this type of poster, but I do want to point out that some of the negativity we see here is definitely not confined to Winnipeg. It seems to be a "people" thing, rather than a "city" thing.

Yeah I’d say Winnipeg subforum’s pessimism level is probably lower that some other cities lol. Subforums with more frequent viewers are more prone to have more posters who have a more negative point of view.

[esquire]

With all due respect to CoryB, the idea that someone would demolish a significant asset to remove like 25 m from their commute is absurd on its face. Unless the Aspers actually admitted to it, I would never believe that story.

[peg]

Found another image of the old Canwest / Asper Proposal.

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by peg

Found another image of the old Canwest / Asper Proposal.

What are those white lines on the pavement and why are people walking on the street?

[Andy6]

Crosswalk from Fort Street. Looks like some weird reconfiguration of the intersection. It's all so curvy. Whoever drew this seems to have been using a Spirograph.

[buzzg]

I remember them specifically referring to making it feel like Times Square with all the video screens. Wish we woulda got that instead of just one giant one.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TC02VaB1Rw



Just wait until there's a bus terminal

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by esquire

With all due respect to CoryB, the idea that someone would demolish a significant asset to remove like 25 m from their commute is absurd on its face. Unless the Aspers actually admitted to it, I would never believe that story.

The person that told me knew insiders at what is 201 Portage at the time and they worked in the Electric Railway Chambers building. For a time I believe they even had a key to the vacant building that became the most expensive driveway in Winnipeg as it was a smokers hangout once it was vacant before it was demoed. Also of note, the timing would be when David Asper was still running his media empire out of Winnipeg and the Canwest offices were in 201 Portage. Further, the building in questioned somewhat hid the 201 loading dock and lane to the underground parking where he would have parked. This presented an opportunity for "undesirable" elements to do things mostly unseen in the shadow of Portage and Main. The approaches from the lane to the parking were somewhat awkward too.

All that said, if there isn't some shading of truth here why did the building get torn down? And why is there a private driveway that is almost never used through would could otherwise have been a full courtyard?

[Biff]

The proposed 10 storey CanWest MediaWorks Tower that the old 3 storey building was demolished for was a real thing. It had a completed design and tender documents and went out for trade pricing. It was cancelled, for whatever reason at the last minute....the rest is history now.

Ray Wan has had two towers cancelled at that corner.

[esquire]

^ There we have it.

It's not like it was a secret at the time either, Canwest was a pretty splashy company and their plans were front-page news. Creswin, the real estate arm of the Asper family, was certainly seen as a credible developer. It was seen as a sure thing and I remember being surprised when the plans fell through.

It's funny because a 10 storey office building or whatever it was that Canwest proposed would not really be a big deal these days, although it was big big news back then when there was way less downtown development in general.

[Biff]

^^^It was small though, only about 85,000 sq ft. It is a pretty tight site. By contrast the proposed Wawanesa headquarters is 350,000 sq ft.

[Luisito]

It's a real shame this one didn't go through.

Originally Posted by Biff

The other side of 201 Portage proposal that almost made it:

[esquire]

That one was the Le Meridien hotel, right? Would have completely changed the feeling of that stretch of Main. Too bad it fell through. I wonder what aspect of the project's financials ended up killing it?

[drew]

^ I seem to remember it had something to do with the geotechnical testing they did. Maybe the foundation was going to cost way more than budgeted for.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

That one was the Le Meridien hotel, right? Would have completely changed the feeling of that stretch of Main. Too bad it fell through. I wonder what aspect of the project's financials ended up killing it?

Was going to be a Westin