Regina Construction III

[SkydivePilot]

Originally Posted by thefourthtower

But we do have great towers like this

These shots were most likely taken in 2012; there's no Ag Place. In fact, demolition of the preceding structures hadn't even started yet.

[BrutallyDishonest2]

I'm always curious when people say that they think that owners of heritage properties should have enforced maintenance. You literally want people to be handcuffed to a property simply because a committee decided it was of heritage value? (And in this case extremely tenuous heritage.)

To get the Travellers Building to working shape would probably be at least $200 a sq ft. No tax abatement would make the feasible.

I honestly blows my mind when people are like "we had a plan for the space!". Yeah, where's your $5,000,000?

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

I'm always curious when people say that they think that owners of heritage properties should have enforced maintenance. You literally want people to be handcuffed to a property simply because a committee decided it was of heritage value? (And in this case extremely tenuous heritage.)

To get the Travellers Building to working shape would probably be at least $200 a sq ft. No tax abatement would make the feasible.

I honestly blows my mind when people are like "we had a plan for the space!". Yeah, where's your $5,000,000?

I very much agree on this point.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by SkydivePilot

These shots were most likely taken in 2012; there's no Ag Place. In fact, demolition of the preceding structures hadn't even started yet.

Or maybe 10/12/2013 copyright 2014 like it says right on them.

[SkydivePilot]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Or maybe 10/12/2013 copyright 2014 like it says right on them.

In July, 2014, the hole was dug out and the crane was up and running. I have pictures stating as much; however, it's a pain-in-the-ass posting pictures on this website. Lol.

[thefourthtower]

Originally Posted by SkydivePilot

In July, 2014, the hole was dug out and the crane was up and running. I have pictures stating as much; however, it's a pain-in-the-ass posting pictures on this website. Lol.

It is the worst website around for posting pictures

[thefourthtower]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Nice Shot of the dome:



credit @SKGov

For those who say bad things about the Queen city , it sure has its charm

[StealthGirl]

As fa as expecting maintenance on heritage buildings, I don't think they should get maintained strictly bc they are heritage. We expect homeowners to maintain their home within a reasonable limit. Business owners are usually expected to follow certain standards. Allowing a building to fall into disrepair and become a dangerous site is no good for anyone. The other night a huge amount of resources were out into the Traveller's Building: a lot of water, a lot of time, police and firefighters out in worse conditions (extreme wind/extreme cold) to contain something that wasn't salvageable. There's a bunch of manpower put into investigating the cause because they have to. What if that fire hadn't been contained and more of that block went up?

Maybe the bigger question is, why should heritage status be forced on owners who aren't going to use it? This isn't like the old firehall or the bakery that applied for heritage status to access the funding to renovate/update/preserve the buildings. Heritage status needs to mean something, not just a holding pattern to avoid demolition. Demolition by neglect is still demolition and just an end run around the legislation.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by StealthGirl

Maybe the bigger question is, why should heritage status be forced on owners who aren't going to use it? This isn't like the old firehall or the bakery that applied for heritage status to access the funding to renovate/update/preserve the buildings. Heritage status needs to mean something, not just a holding pattern to avoid demolition. Demolition by neglect is still demolition and just an end run around the legislation.

My point exactly (except you stated it more clearly). Heritage status has to mean something. If it's going to mean nothing, then don't grant it. No legislation obliges the City to grant heritage status - they could deny every application received & simply expect owners to maintain property, upgrade, improve, demolish, etc as they see fit.

If proponents truly feel the site has historical significance, they can apply for Provincial or Federal designation.

If the designation is applied, it needs to mean something. At present, Municipal designation means a listing on a few websites, and (maybe) a plaque. Provincial & Federal designation aren't perfect (e.g. the Queen Building is federally designated) - but they do seem to have a bit more rigor to the designation & teeth behind it once designated. (obviously doesn't hurt that the Feds & Prov own many of the federally & provincially designated buildings/sites - so they can directly ensure care/maintenance/etc)

[watchedmofu]

Still trying to figure out how to post links and pics on this site. But i was reading in The Star Phoenix that Saskatoon is looking into a new arena/convention centre. There arena is not 30 yrs yet, the Brandt Centre is almost 50. My question is why is Regina not wanting a new arena?

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by watchedmofu

Still trying to figure out how to post links and pics on this site. But i was reading in The Star Phoenix that Saskatoon is looking into a new arena/convention centre. There arena is not 30 yrs yet, the Brandt Centre is almost 50. My question is why is Regina not wanting a new arena?

Likely because we just built a new stadium.

[jigglysquishy]

We blew our sports money for the next 10-15 years on the stadium. Saskatoon's is also in an atrocious location.

We'll eventually get a new one, but it'll be after the whole RRI project is done. That's soaking up all the City's development money.

[Treesplease]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

I'm always curious when people say that they think that owners of heritage properties should have enforced maintenance. You literally want people to be handcuffed to a property simply because a committee decided it was of heritage value? (And in this case extremely tenuous heritage.)

To get the Travellers Building to working shape would probably be at least $200 a sq ft. No tax abatement would make the feasible.

I honestly blows my mind when people are like "we had a plan for the space!". Yeah, where's your $5,000,000?

Take the Travellers building as an example. How does a building with that much frontage on a busy downtown street sit empty for 10 yrs? (I don't know how long its actually been empty). The owners have been sitting on the property with zero revenue but still paying some level of property tax. Obviously the property taxes they have been paying are extremely low or the owners have very deep pockets and aren't that good with money. If the taxes were high enough it would force the owners to do something (within heritage guidelines) to earn revenue on the property or sell it or turn it back to the city when accrued taxes exceeded value. Yes, this would be a bitter pill for the owners but if there were incentives that reduced taxes or investment costs it would point owners in the right direction. These decisions need to be made when the building is still somewhat recoverable. Doing something like this when the Travellers building is beyond repair is completely pointless.

Obviously there needs to be a more rigorous process in place to actually imlement the heritage status given it would have very real financial implications with the opporunity for the owner to challenge the designations. The current system of a few seniors with free time roaming the city and pontificating about what influential person may have once blew their nose in a particular building and deciding to place a heritage status on it with the same amount of consideration (for the actual owner) that the average person gives to choosing navy socks over black socks in the morning - is not rigourous.

But it is far easier for the city to just sit on the current system as they don't have to do anything. They don't have to deal with angry people from heritage societies and don't have to deal with angry property owners, the city can just sit quietly back in their chairs and say "yes" to everyone. Just like they will say "yes" when the owners of the Travellers block apply for a permit for a parking lot.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Treesplease

Take the Travellers building as an example. How does a building with that much frontage on a busy downtown street sit empty for 10 yrs? (I don't know how long its actually been empty). The owners have been sitting on the property with zero revenue but still paying some level of property tax. Obviously the property taxes they have been paying are extremely low or the owners have very deep pockets and aren't that good with money. If the taxes were high enough it would force the owners to do something (within heritage guidelines) to earn revenue on the property or sell it or turn it back to the city when accrued taxes exceeded value. Yes, this would be a bitter pill for the owners but if there were incentives that reduced taxes or investment costs it would point owners in the right direction. These decisions need to be made when the building is still somewhat recoverable. Doing something like this when the Travellers building is beyond repair is completely pointless.

Obviously there needs to be a more rigorous process in place to actually imlement the heritage status given it would have very real financial implications with the opporunity for the owner to challenge the designations. The current system of a few seniors with free time roaming the city and pontificating about what influential person may have once blew their nose in a particular building and deciding to place a heritage status on it with the same amount of consideration (for the actual owner) that the average person gives to choosing navy socks over black socks in the morning - is not rigourous.

But it is far easier for the city to just sit on the current system as they don't have to do anything. They don't have to deal with angry people from heritage societies and don't have to deal with angry property owners, the city can just sit quietly back in their chairs and say "yes" to everyone. Just like they will say "yes" when the owners of the Travellers block apply for a permit for a parking lot.

I believe it has been vacant for over 20 years. Taxes last year were $14,229.84 and were set to go up by 30% this year due to re-assessment.

[Stormer]

Best juxtaposition shot ever from the Traveller Building from the 70's I believe.


https://www.facebook.com/neil.sawatzky

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by watchedmofu

Still trying to figure out how to post links and pics on this site.

To post a link, just paste the url. If you want you can also click on the link button on the reply screen (globe icon with a chain link over it) and paste it in that.

For an image, just upload it to imgur.com and paste that link here inside the image icon in the reply screen (picture of mountains with moon/sun in the sky).

[SkydivePilot]

Originally Posted by watchedmofu

Still trying to figure out how to post links and pics on this site. But i was reading in The Star Phoenix that Saskatoon is looking into a new arena/convention centre. There arena is not 30 yrs yet, the Brandt Centre is almost 50. My question is why is Regina not wanting a new arena?

I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to tip my hat [about Regina] here: be patient. (That is all you folks are getting from me here --- no more.)

[Regina Boi]

Originally Posted by SkydivePilot

I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to tip my hat [about Regina] here: be patient. (That is all you folks are getting from me here --- no more.)

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by SkydivePilot

I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to tip my hat [about Regina] here: be patient. (That is all you folks are getting from me here --- no more.)

Are we supposed to be surprised that Brandt is scurrying around trying to get a new stadium?

[HomerSPC]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

Are we supposed to be surprised that Brandt is scurrying around trying to get a new stadium?

Arena*