Saskatoon Construction III

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by phone

The University has confirmed that Sask Polytech will be building its new campus on Preston Ave near Innovation Place. Not much in the way of details but obviously major project with huge implications for Saskatoon.

Do we know what the plans for the existing campus are?

It would have been cool if some sort of pedestrian/bike/transit only connection from 33rd to Research Drive had been built to facilitate easier movement between the UofS and Polytech campus.

[roryn1]

“Some farmers are having their best years ever. Commodity prices are at all-time highs,” said Andrew Williams, CEO of North Prairie Developments Ltd. in Saskatoon, noting that potash and uranium companies are also holding their own in the stock market.

“We can’t build the stuff fast enough in our marketplace to keep up.”

This company is a riot / they’ve been sitting on the old credit union land for 12 years now? And that beautiful corner lot by the university. Biggest vacant lots in the downtown? lol

Last time there was a boom they said they couldn’t build because of a labour shortage, and then they said they wouldn’t build because of a downtown.

https://www.westerninvestor.com/sask...demand-6019700

[macca]

Originally Posted by phone

The University has confirmed that Sask Polytech will be building its new campus on Preston Ave near Innovation Place. Not much in the way of details but obviously major project with huge implications for Saskatoon.

link to announcement?

[Echoes]

STC is moving its wellness centre from downtown to 415 Fairmont Drive (former JW Kingdom Hall in Fairhaven). I also understand they'll be absorbing the last of the Lighthouse shelter beds in the new facility.

[phone]

Originally Posted by macca

link to announcement?

It was sent out in an email to University staff.

[mmx]

Today is the 85th Anniversary of the state of the art Arena Rink which in 1937 hosted the New York Rangers and New York Americans of the NHL on opening night. Hopefully the next iteration will be better than SaskTel Centre. But if built like the preliminary drawings I venture to say we'll be calling the new barn "Mini-Mosaic Stadium."

[drm310]

Developer pauses downtown grocery over rejected request in Rosewood
"You couldn't pay me to do another project in the city of Saskatoon right now."

The StarPhoenix
Author of the article: Bryn Levy
Publishing date: Nov 02, 2022



The developer behind a proposal to build a grocery store in downtown Saskatoon says the project is now delayed indefinitely due to a recent city council decision.

“You couldn’t pay me to do another project in the city of Saskatoon right now. We’re going to finish what we have, and we’re going to look elsewhere,” said an audibly exasperated Jeffrey Drexel, president of Arbutus Properties.

Drexel spoke to Postmedia on Tuesday by phone from Vancouver, where Arbutus is headquartered.

Council on Monday evening voted 8-1 to reject a request to remove what’s known as the holding symbol on a parcel of land in Rosewood where Arbutus wants to build an apartment tower. The hold blocks work on the building until the lot is serviced. Arbutus is required to put in $7 million worth of sewer infrastructure as a condition of allowing work to proceed.

[...]

Full article: https://thestarphoenix.com/news/loca...st-in-rosewood

[chrisniel]

Originally Posted by drm310

Developer pauses downtown grocery over rejected request in Rosewood

I just watched the council debate on this an it's laughable that administration said no development has ever been allowed to proceed prior to full development of the utilities. The new developments on Claypool Drive won't have a permanent sewer for years.

The removal of the "Holding" designation should have been approved, full stop.

If it had been removed, administration has options to make permit approvals conditional on the completion of the lift station which is already well underway. Plus it isn't like there is no incentive for them to complete it given the remaining land is Rosewood is also subject to the removal of the "Holding" designation before development. This city sometimes...

[phone]

Originally Posted by drm310

Developer pauses downtown grocery over rejected request in Rosewood
"You couldn't pay me to do another project in the city of Saskatoon right now."

The StarPhoenix
Author of the article: Bryn Levy
Publishing date: Nov 02, 2022



The developer behind a proposal to build a grocery store in downtown Saskatoon says the project is now delayed indefinitely due to a recent city council decision.

“You couldn’t pay me to do another project in the city of Saskatoon right now. We’re going to finish what we have, and we’re going to look elsewhere,” said an audibly exasperated Jeffrey Drexel, president of Arbutus Properties.

Drexel spoke to Postmedia on Tuesday by phone from Vancouver, where Arbutus is headquartered.

Council on Monday evening voted 8-1 to reject a request to remove what’s known as the holding symbol on a parcel of land in Rosewood where Arbutus wants to build an apartment tower. The hold blocks work on the building until the lot is serviced. Arbutus is required to put in $7 million worth of sewer infrastructure as a condition of allowing work to proceed.

[...]

Full article: https://thestarphoenix.com/news/loca...st-in-rosewood

I admire Arbutus's willingness to step up and put forward novel proposals, but they always come across as somewhat petulant when the City declines to contravene its own process for the developer's benefit. Seems to me like a tit for tat move rather than something driven by actual business considerations.

[Echoes]

A major rehabilitation of the Murray Library on campus is set to begin, with a crane expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

The project includes upgrades and repairs to the Tyndall stone building envelope. Some of the stone facade will be removed to add banks of windows between the 3rd and 6th floors.

[asdfgh]

I just noticed this on the city's engagement page. Has anything about this been posted before?

It's a pretty nice-looking building and a great concept. Nice to see something more urban and mixed-use being proposed.
https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/8th-...roadway-avenue

[phone]

Originally Posted by asdfgh

I just noticed this on the city's engagement page. Has anything about this been posted before?

It's a pretty nice-looking building and a great concept. Nice to see something more urban and mixed-use being proposed.
https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/8th-...roadway-avenue

Oh man. I so hope that goes ahead! That corner has been a dead spot for as long as I can remember.

[phone]

Originally Posted by Echoes

A major rehabilitation of the Murray Library on campus is set to begin, with a crane expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

The project includes upgrades and repairs to the Tyndall stone building envelope. Some of the stone facade will be removed to add banks of windows between the 3rd and 6th floors.

Any renderings? A part of me will mourn the loss of our Tyndall-clad death star library, but I acknowledge that the addition of windows is most certainly for the best.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by asdfgh

I just noticed this on the city's engagement page. Has anything about this been posted before?

It's a pretty nice-looking building and a great concept. Nice to see something more urban and mixed-use being proposed.
https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/8th-...roadway-avenue

What a great bookend for Broadway. Excellent scale and form for that intersection.



https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/8th-...roadway-avenue

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by phone

Any renderings? A part of me will mourn the loss of our Tyndall-clad death star library, but I acknowledge that the addition of windows is most certainly for the best.

Not that I've seen, but I found a library master plan from 2013: https://library.usask.ca/documents/M...28-06-2013.pdf

See images page 49-51. If that's still the plan then it's a pretty modest intervention.

[phone]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Not that I've seen, but I found a library master plan from 2013: https://library.usask.ca/documents/M...28-06-2013.pdf

See images page 49-51. If that's still the plan then it's a pretty modest intervention.

Hmm. I like it. Yes it is rather modest, but a tasteful way to bring some light into the building without compromising its look and feel any more than necessary (though they could easily have taken it further without much additional derogation).

[phone]

Spent a few minutes perusing the minutes for upcoming city council committee meetings.

With regard to the arena:

5. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
5.1. Arena Site Selection and Public Engagement Results
A report is forthcoming.
5.2. Downtown Entertainment and Event District - Land Acquisition - Midtown Plaza North Lot
A report is forthcoming.

Other notes:

Plans continue to forge ahead for the Circle Drive west realignment.

The city is going to regulate those godforesaken scooty puff juniors that are clogging up the Meewasin trails. Those things are among the banes of my existence and our trails/multi use paths will be rid of them next year, it looks like.

[EpicPonyTime]

Originally Posted by Echoes

A major rehabilitation of the Murray Library on campus is set to begin, with a crane expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

The project includes upgrades and repairs to the Tyndall stone building envelope. Some of the stone facade will be removed to add banks of windows between the 3rd and 6th floors.

Wonder if the renos will include re-enforcing the building so they can finally fill the shelves on the 6th floor...

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by phone

The University has confirmed that Sask Polytech will be building its new campus on Preston Ave near Innovation Place. Not much in the way of details but obviously major project with huge implications for Saskatoon.

Wow, I don't love that. I wish they'd been able to make the current location work. That part of town will be left with a big gap to fill. I guess that could also be called an opportunity, but things happen slowly here. I predict big box stores after a long vacancy/demolition process, though I'd much rather see high-density mixed use of course. With respect to the other side of the river, Preston will be in need of a BRT line before long. I wonder what the timeline is on that.

Originally Posted by Echoes

STC is moving its wellness centre from downtown to 415 Fairmont Drive (former JW Kingdom Hall in Fairhaven). I also understand they'll be absorbing the last of the Lighthouse shelter beds in the new facility.

One (of many) nice insights from the following article is that the STC will continue to pursue opening another wellness centre on 20th, if they can find the cash: https://www.mbcradio.com/2022/10/sas...meless-shelter
I fully support the move to 415 Fairmont Drive --- these services should exist throughout the city and not be limited to the core and inner city. I hope that the temporary shelter on 1st will be funded through the winter though, because I worry about the availability of emergency shelter space downtown (in the long term, too).

Originally Posted by asdfgh

It's a pretty nice-looking building and a great concept. Nice to see something more urban and mixed-use being proposed.
https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/8th-...roadway-avenue

This is exactly what I've been hoping for there. I'd take a dozen more of these scattered around Broadway and the core in a heartbeat.

[Built different]

I don't think this has been posted yet. This was released all the way back in 2018. It's the University of Saskatchewan College of Engineering Master Plan, designed by Brook McIlroy. Recently, the University said demolition of the old arena will begin. Hopefully they have maintained the same design. The University could really benefit from a project like this.


https://brookmcilroy.com/projects/un...g-master-plan/