Winnipeg Retail

[bomberjet]

My guess is the Safeway site will turn into condos. Henderson is slowly converting from retail to 55+ residences.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

My guess is the Safeway site will turn into condos. Henderson is slowly converting from retail to 55+ residences.

Most of the Condo's on Henderson in that area have been on the river side where the large lots have been sold and rebuilt.

There is a chance that there could be a dollar store or some second tier type of retailer go in here, maybe subdividing with a fitness place as they seem to pop up everywhere.

I wonder if and when the two old Esso lots a little further north on Henderson will be redeveloped? They have been empty for years and no takers.

[Riverman]

Seems that the condos near Bredin Drive have hit a snag. One of the homeowners won't sell.

[cllew]

would the developer not have had either title to the lot or at least a conditional (on zoning changes being approved) contract to buy the lot before they decided to spend the money on the zoning changes and design work?

[Riverman]

Don't know.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

My guess is the Safeway site will turn into condos. Henderson is slowly converting from retail to 55+ residences.

Good location for a low to mid rise apartment or condo's, 55+ would be perfect with senior centre across the street, good bus service and relativity close to downtown.

Still waiting for the day a half decent restaurant/lounge/anything opens along the Elmwood to NK Henderson Highway corridor.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Seems that the condos near Bredin Drive have hit a snag. One of the homeowners won't sell.

Not at all impressed by the condo's built on the river side of Henderson, crap built all wood structures about as visually appealing as 70's Manitoba Housing projects, ugly stucco wall along the highway to block the view of one of the monstrosities!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Still waiting for the day a half decent restaurant/lounge/anything opens along the Elmwood to NK Henderson Highway corridor.

It's amazing how wildly the city varies in terms of new restaurants across town... no one will hesitate to be the millionth person to jump into SW Winnipeg with a new restaurant, but nothing ever seems to open up on the north side of the city be it NW (Maples) or NE (EK/NK), unless you count Tim's locations and fast food joints.

[cllew]

I have heard that for the longest time it has been hard to find proper space in EK/NK on Henderson Hwy. Parking is the problem as if the lot doesn't have enough space it flows on the residential streets and the complaints start to the city leading to silly parking restrictions.

Boston Pizza had apparently been looking for a number of years before the land in the new Safeway mall at Whellams Lane opened up.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Good location for a low to mid rise apartment or condo's, 55+ would be perfect with senior centre across the street, good bus service and relativity close to downtown.

Still waiting for the day a half decent restaurant/lounge/anything opens along the Elmwood to NK Henderson Highway corridor.

Imperial OIL is looking for $750,000 for their land on Linden @ Henderson and it's about 1/3 as much in size as the Safeway lot. I guess then the Safeway land is over $1.5 million in value, could a developer buy that land, demolish the store, build a new building and still sell or rent at a price that would get people in?

Before anybody brings up the apartments that replaced the Springfield Heights shopping center, Edison Properties owned that land for years so all they had to cover was the demolition costs. The land was probably "free" as the rent over the years from the mall tenants paid off the mortgage to buy it back in the 60's.

[buzzg]

Earls was seriously considering opening in Transcona or Elmwood (NE) area a few years back but ran into the same problem. Only land they could really find was along Regent but they didn't feel it was really the right fit for them. I think it's on the backburner now as they figure out what to do on Main.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by esquire

It's amazing how wildly the city varies in terms of new restaurants across town... no one will hesitate to be the millionth person to jump into SW Winnipeg with a new restaurant, but nothing ever seems to open up on the north side of the city be it NW (Maples) or NE (EK/NK), unless you count Tim's locations and fast food joints.

I often wonder that too; NW Winnipeg is severely underdeveloped.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Earls was seriously considering opening in Transcona or Elmwood (NE) area a few years back but ran into the same problem. Only land they could really find was along Regent but they didn't feel it was really the right fit for them. I think it's on the backburner now as they figure out what to do on Main.

The Keg got a zoning variance to put a location on Lag where it meets Almey / Ravelston (south of the credit union) and nothing ever happened. Don't know if the prospective franchisee backed out or they were doing this on spec hoping to find somebody to operate it and nobody came forward.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Not really. Vinyl actually has the best fidelity compared to digital formats.

It is the raw sound.

Actually high end, lossless 96/24 digital will beat the pants of vinyl ever day of the week. As a further challenge to vinyl virtually all mixing now is done is a pure digital environment so you go analog performance --> digital mastering --> conversion back to analog --> vinyl master. If you go lossless digital your source can be identical to the mastered version.

In terms of Safeway on Henderson which closed, demolition seems to be all put certain. I recall seeing the former McPhillips and Inkster Safeway, which is of a similar age, demoed and being surprised they had used wood framing in a commercial building. I also highly doubt any retail or restaurant replaces it. With the reportedly high senior population in the area it could be a good location for a conversion to medical offices...

[vjose32]

You must mean McPhillips and Mountain

[bomberjet]

.

[cllew]

Latest rumor is a Giant Tiger going in the old Safeway location.

I remember hearing back in the 70's that it was going to close then and be turned into a Canadian Tire store like the old Safeway on Narin @ Panet. (for those too young to remember its now the Canada Post depot)

Maybe we will be lucky and see a Christmas pop up store in there.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by cllew

Latest rumor is a Giant Tiger going in the old Safeway location.

I remember hearing back in the 70's that it was going to close then and be turned into a Canadian Tire store like the old Safeway on Narin @ Panet. (for those too young to remember its now the Canada Post depot)

Maybe we will be lucky and see a Christmas pop up store in there.

Hope not, Giant Tiger has to be about one of the saddest stores in Canada.

An apartment complex with main floor retail should/would be the best use for that location. It is adjacent to two bus routes, fairly close to downtown and close enough to shopping for those without a car.

[CoryB]

^^ Chances are a multistory building with residential on the top floors and retail on the bottom would run into issues with the required parking.

[cllew]

I recall reading some years ago that ownership group of Giant Tiger wanted it to become the Wal-Mart of Canada.

They apparently have over 200 stores so they must be doing something right.