Winnipeg Construction X

[Biff]

Not on Winnipeg Square.

Possibly across the street on Fort as Artis bought the empty lot a year or so ago, but with new leadership not being local, who knows.

[Wpg_Guy]

Some interesting (yet unfunded) plans for the Thunderbird house area:

Plan seeks to breathe new life into Thunderbird House site
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...573460081.html

There is however a funded plan to build these nice looking public washrooms:

The revamp includes two parts.

The first is a permanent public washroom. Funded through the City of Winnipeg’s "Places to Go" downtown public restroom strategy, the structure will be built in the new year. It is expected to cost $600,000, while providing much-needed support for Winnipeg’s most marginalized.

It will be located on the southwest corner of the Thunderbird House site on Main Street, and feature garage-style doors that, when open, are visible from the street, with private stalls in the back. There is an office for staff and security and a shower available for use.

"A public bathroom is a lifeline for people in the area, but it’s the one thing that’s been limited the most during this pandemic," Johnston said. "It’s an essential service, not just needed for this pandemic, but for life."

Second is what Johnston called "a whole new approach to ending homelessness": a mixed-use residential area in the southeast corner of the Thunderbird House site.

It features 16 bachelor rooms in renovated storage containers, including two accessible rooms.

Each room has a private entrance off a main meeting space, which contains a fire pit. Each room features a seating room, bathroom, kitchen and single bed.

Connected to all the units is a "lodge," with a community hall for ceremonies and meetings, an office for staff, a community kitchen, an elder’s/medicine room, laundry, storage, and an examination room for medical purposes.

Outside, there will be an area to lock up bikes, store belongings, and a teepee. Trees and a garden will adorn the area and paths connect it to the Thunderbird House sweat lodge, the Main Street Project and Salvation Army.

"We call it the Village because it encompasses our community’s physical, mental and emotional needs — our spirit," Johnston said.

Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata has agreed to help lead programming at the site and lease the area from Thunderbird House.

Now what’s needed is political will and resources to support a project expected to cost millions of dollars.


The permanent public washroom will be located on the southwest corner of the Thunderbird House site on Main Street


The Village next to Thunderbird House is part of a revamp planned for the area.


"A public bathroom is a lifeline for people in the area, but it’s the one thing that’s been limited the most during this pandemic," Thunderbird House co-chairman Damon Johnston said.


The bathroom will feature garage-style doors that, when open, are visible from the street, with private stalls in the back.

[trueviking]

I'm not sure how I feel about putting homeless people in shipping containers.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I'm not sure how I feel about putting homeless people in shipping containers.

There are some pretty awesome shipping container homes, shops, restaurants all over the world, they can be very cost effective. Creatively will obviously play a major role in their success and esthetic.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by H2man

Will a third tower go up by Artis REIT at Winnipeg Square? Sure wish they could have done 2 at once.

When the project was first pitched, it was to have a 6 - 8 floor Hyatt Regency Hotel in the middle...It might look kind of squished in now..Most hotels, considering what covid had sone, would probably want a taller, more prominent hotel than what that site can support? They are looking to build nearby on Fort Street

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I'm not sure how I feel about putting homeless people in shipping containers.

Still better than a snowbank

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Some interesting (yet unfunded) plans for the Thunderbird house area:



There is however a funded plan to build these nice looking public washrooms:

A truly great and overdue initiative. Hopefully it is executed and managed right.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Biff

Not on Winnipeg Square.

Possibly across the street on Fort as Artis bought the empty lot a year or so ago, but with new leadership not being local, who knows.

What? Artis bought the former Dominion Motors dealership lot? Haven't heard that until now.

I'd like to see another 40 or higher storey building go there to fill in Graham and help out our "rapid transit".

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

A truly great and overdue initiative. Hopefully it is executed and managed right.

I'm old enough to remember the welfare den hotels that formerly occupied the space that Thunderbird house now sits on, and all I can say is, what a tragic waste of taxpayer money that whole development has been.

The land acquisition, the demolition of an entire city block (across the street from a greenfield site no less), the building of Thunderbird house, and its subsequent decline and decay.

Frankly, they should have left the old hotels. At least people were warm and indoors back then; now, all you see is tents and needles in a forgotten park.

I wouldn't invest anything more into that site. It will turn out exactly the same way.

:my two cents:

[1ajs]

does cpr still own the former royal alexander hotel site or did then and refused to sell back then

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

There are some pretty awesome shipping container homes, shops, restaurants all over the world, they can be very cost effective. Creatively will obviously play a major role in their success and esthetic.

Yeah. It’s more the principle of it. It seems a bit degrading. It’s one thing if you are wealthy and you want to build your cottage out of shipping containers, or a trendy restaurant on the beach, but to put homeless people in them when they have no choice? Not sure. It kind of stigmatizes them.

In the end shipping containers are no cheaper than standard construction for housing. Often more expensive. It’s just a novelty that has become passé in the rest of the world. The containers can’t be used so you aren’t saving the environment. Should just build regular housing.

[davequanbury]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

I'm old enough to remember the welfare den hotels that formerly occupied the space that Thunderbird house now sits on, and all I can say is, what a tragic waste of taxpayer money that whole development has been.

The land acquisition, the demolition of an entire city block (across the street from a greenfield site no less), the building of Thunderbird house, and its subsequent decline and decay.

Frankly, they should have left the old hotels. At least people were warm and indoors back then; now, all you see is tents and needles in a forgotten park.

I wouldn't invest anything more into that site. It will turn out exactly the same way.

:my two cents:

I hear your two cents. Pretty hard not to expect the decline of anything new in that location. It's a good move to get the public washrooms back to the area after a 40 year hiatus though.
As for the shipping containers, while it seems a little sketchy, there does need to be a real range in shelter options. Some folks do well in supportive housing like at the Bell Hotel, still others would prefer not to have a roof over their heads. Maybe the shipping containers will fill a niche in that spectrum and offer a few folks a little safety and privacy.

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I'm not sure how I feel about putting homeless people in shipping containers.

I'd be kind of scared to see permanent homeless & halfway house-style housing, so close to that particular area. Mostly because some methheads or something will potentially abuse the living shit out of it, with WPS unable to do a thing.

If Thunderbird wanted to do something, they should set up an express food kitchen or something, instead. It'll be alot harder for bad apples to sit outside or even live outside Thunderbird, and do alot more public good, if it was used to instead feed the homeless as opposed to basically turning it into a base of criminal activity, complete with public washrooms and free housing... if theres any more permanent housing for the homeless to be built, honestly I think it should be placed in the West End, down Pembina, along Portage or something. That way, at least they will have a solid chance to be away from all of the bullshit & get back to productive lives. Just like the Drop-In Centre out here in Calgary, its only going to get worse if we all just concentrate the homeless into a couple city blocks (or just one), versus spreading out the infrastructure and building these housing units away from trouble areas, so they would at least get a solid chance at a fresh start.

Great example: AFM. Why not build a few hundred "end the homelessness" units there? Direct access to drug and alcohol counselling, right across from the RCMP HQ so nice & safe, and would be a good boon for land values & the economy (since that stretch of Portage hasn't seen much development in decades). Its also 30-45 mins walking distance away from Downtown too, and with Winnipeg winters, considerable incentive to stay inside, not go out smoking things & to get back to productive lives.

Long story short: Thunderbird might have good intentions, but they have no idea how to execute such a plan, or to use their land to full effect for the homeless. It might help them out to consult Salvation Army, the Metis Federation and others, and actually PROPERLY plan this area of Downtown Winnipeg, to end homelessness and cut the poverty cycle once & for all, instead of potentially inadvertingly building a San Fransicso-esque "Meth City".

[DavefromSt.Vital]

Merry Christmas everyone!

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Yeah. It’s more the principle of it. It seems a bit degrading. It’s one thing if you are wealthy and you want to build your cottage out of shipping containers, or a trendy restaurant on the beach, but to put homeless people in them when they have no choice? Not sure. It kind of stigmatizes them.

In the end shipping containers are no cheaper than standard construction for housing. Often more expensive. It’s just a novelty that has become passé in the rest of the world. The containers can’t be used so you aren’t saving the environment. Should just build regular housing.

Bang on!

[buzzg]

There's too many non-profits that would go "out of businesses" and jobs would be lost if we actually tried to end homelessness for real, starting with a housing and support-first model. Sad truth.

[Labroco]

Washrooms provide dignity for people.

Let’s just start with that...

[Alexander 90]

Originally Posted by buzzg

There's too many non-profits that would go "out of businesses" and jobs would be lost if we actually tried to end homelessness for real, starting with a housing and support-first model. Sad truth.

I have been stating that for decades.

$25M to Siloam for 30 beds. The homeless told my wife they would rather sleep in an apartment stairwell than Siloam Mission. They do not feel safe there and others steal from them too. It looks like a prison.

Homelessness to them is a business. Jobs. They love the homeless.

Bowman has done nothing for "his people" to end homelessness but he blew
$500M on a Bus Road that no one uses and $50M on bike lanes that no one uses either. $25M or 5% of the Bus Road cost would build 500 apartments for the homeless.

No one really gives a shit to end homelessness here.

[trueviking]

$50-million on bike lanes? I wish!

Since we are piling on. I might add a critique of something less progressive and sustainable than public transit and active transportation - the pothole budget increased by 50% this year.

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Since we are piling on. I might add a critique of something less progressive and sustainable than public transit and active transportation - the pothole budget increased by 50% this year.

I don't know how this is a surprise to anyone? The Mayor made it abundantly clear during both of his campaigns that his major promises was to use 2% property tax increases to fix roads and .33% increases to fund BRT payments.

The road renewal program needs approximately $100 to $150 million in total annual funding to get our roads into good condition and keep them there in perpetuity, and we are very close to achieving that. The next mayor will then have the luxury to determine how to spend the "generous" 2% property tax increases moving forward.