Winnipeg Construction VIII

[cllew]

There was mention of what was going to happen to the old building in the rezoning application on the City Website but I don't have the time to look for it right now.

[pmuhar]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

Anyone have any experience with Trademark Homes as a builder or know anything about their reputation?

I do. PM me with any questions

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by DonaldSmith

Suburban Business relocating downtown:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/p...eels-for-new-downtown-location-1.3260094

Suburban Business comes to senses.

“I'm not relocating to the building we were looking at downtown,” said Paul. “Taking the winter off and going to look to buy a building more suitable with parking.”

This wouldn't be a story if not for the fact that they were considering moving downtown. Cary knows how to market himself, but he knows better where his bread is buttered.

Have a read...

[cllew]

Not sure if this really construction news but City Place announced a 2 year multi million dollar renovation starting shortly of the 10 building elevators and the two at the covered parking lot to the West of MTS Center.

[LilZebra]

^^^

Why? They just redid the elevators in the past 3 yrs.

[OverUnder]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Suburban Business comes to senses.



This wouldn't be a story if not for the fact that they were considering moving downtown. Cary knows how to market himself, but he knows better where his bread is buttered.

Have a read...

Or he wanted to have his old place packed for the next three months before he retires and cashes out with the condo development? Certainly got a lot of publicity this week for his club.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Suburban Business comes to senses.



This wouldn't be a story if not for the fact that they were considering moving downtown. Cary knows how to market himself, but he knows better where his bread is buttered.

Have a read...

Surprise surprise. This guy has made way too much money to make a stupid decision like that.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by OverUnder

Or he wanted to have his old place packed for the next three months before he retires and cashes out with the condo development? Certainly got a lot of publicity this week for his club.

It wouldn't surprise me if Cary wanted to keep it going somewhere else. He's got a son, he's not that old. The guy's still going even after losing a leg, so I don't think he's ready to quite pack it in, you just wouldn't turn down the opportunity for investment he has given that he'll be able to go along for the ride with his land in the project and probably very little cash.

But the downtown stuff was a total red herring from the start.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

^^^

Why? They just redid the elevators in the past 3 yrs.

Did the escalators a few years go, elevators are still the same ones from when MPI moved in back in the fall of 1980.

At that time one the MPI property co-ordinators told me that 1 1/2 floors was all the space that MPI would ever need at City Place but they had an option on the remaining 1/2 floor they did not lease in case something unforeseen came along

He has been long retired and MPI now have 4 1/2 of the 5 available office tower floors and space in both sections of the mall level.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Surprise surprise. This guy has made way too much money to make a stupid decision like that.

Wasn't he the behind the scenes man in the Chris Walby Hog City in the old Mother Tuckers downtown and that did not take off.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by cllew

Wasn't he the behind the scenes man in the Chris Walby Hog City in the old Mother Tuckers downtown and that did not take off.

To be fair, that place is where capital goes to die.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Surprise surprise. This guy has made way too much money to make a stupid decision like that.

Considering the crowd that the Pal attracts, they were about as far into the city as they could have reasonably been. Transcona or the far reaches of Westwood would be much better bets for a new location.

This is no sophisticated uptown venue we're talking about here.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by esquire

Considering the crowd that the Pal attracts, they were about as far into the city as they could have reasonably been. Transcona or the far reaches of Westwood would be much better bets for a new location.

This is no sophisticated uptown venue we're talking about here.

Transcona has the Spike. It wouldn't be wise to compete with that. I could see another location on Portage Avenue west of Route 90 as being perfect.

I find the number of copycats to have come and gone pretty incredible. The Pal was really lightening in a bottle.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

To be fair, that place is where capital goes to die.

I sent Ghost Adventures a facebook note asking them to do an investigation of the Masonic Lodge.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

It wouldn't surprise me if Cary wanted to keep it going somewhere else. He's got a son, he's not that old. The guy's still going even after losing a leg, so I don't think he's ready to quite pack it in, you just wouldn't turn down the opportunity for investment he has given that he'll be able to go along for the ride with his land in the project and probably very little cash.

But the downtown stuff was a total red herring from the start.

i agree - a red herring planted by himself and then withdrawn by him a few days later after he sobered up.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Transcona has the Spike. It wouldn't be wise to compete with that. I could see another location on Portage Avenue west of Route 90 as being perfect.

I find the number of copycats to have come and gone pretty incredible. The Pal was really lightening in a bottle.

I admit that I wrote my post half facetiously, but the point stands... the Pal never really catered to a crowd that would readily head downtown.

However, I agree that the timing for the Pal was spot on... it opened in the 80s when there was still a pretty strong local country music scene supported by the radio stations and they really used that well to build a following. Once that scene faded away, it had already built a solid reputation as a party place friendly to slightly older crowds than what you'd see in other places filled mostly with university-aged kids.

It basically needs to be where its customers are, and that's probably not downtown. I don't say this because I'm embarrassed or ashamed of the place, or anything like that... every city has its Pal demographic. I'm sure that if you dig deep enough in Toronto or even Montreal you'd probably find places similar to it, country music and all.

[wags_in_the_peg]

I saw 3 trucks outside the Masonic lodge last week and front doors were open. maybe something is finally happening there. what a nice building (from the outside at least).

bring back the Mother Tuckers salad bar!!! (must be over 40 to know what I'm talking about)

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by esquire

I admit that I wrote my post half facetiously, but the point stands... the Pal never really catered to a crowd that would readily head downtown.

However, I agree that the timing for the Pal was spot on... it opened in the 80s when there was still a pretty strong local country music scene supported by the radio stations and they really used that well to build a following. Once that scene faded away, it had already built a solid reputation as a party place friendly to slightly older crowds than what you'd see in other places filled mostly with university-aged kids.

It basically needs to be where its customers are, and that's probably not downtown. I don't say this because I'm embarrassed or ashamed of the place, or anything like that... every city has its Pal demographic. I'm sure that if you dig deep enough in Toronto or even Montreal you'd probably find places similar to it, country music and all.

It's doubly strange given that country music is as big as it's ever been at the moment. Maybe even more so. But maybe that's the answer. Country music is now so mainstream it probably doesn't need its own establishment anymore.

But outside of the Spike, where does this crowd go? My guess is that there are a lot of garage parties given that you can't smoke in the bar anymore and drunk driving is looked down upon...

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm sure that if you dig deep enough in Toronto or even Montreal you'd probably find places similar to it, country music and all.

Chick 'N' Deli at Mount Pleasant and Eglington is a great example. Cover bands of all types, middle agers going to dance with strangers. Really fun place.

[buzzg]

A lot of them go to The Pint now. That place is the most bizarro-land place I've ever been. Why is a chain pub one of the toughest "clubs" to get into on a weekend. I don't understand... Someone there is a genius.