Regina Construction III

[aberrant]

Originally Posted by Drofmab

I keep saying it, Regina is a medium sized city that continues to govern as if it's a small city/big town. Guess what, Councillors? You'll be able to count on one hand the number of decisions that you make that don't ruffle a single feather - governing by consensus is a recipe for mediocrity. Be ready to course-correct, if you've made a mistake... but don't take a few voices whining to mean that you're off-course.

I don't like that Regina is viewed as being behind the times. HOWEVER, this gives us a huge advantage that I keep telling councillors and admin to take advantage of:

All we have to do is look at what other similar sized, successful cities have done, and do what they do! We don't have to waste money and time on studies, we don't need to waste time and money on debate. We can jump straight into execution and just follow the successful strategies and models other cities have already had success with. IE: recycling. IE; ride sharing. IE; infill development. IE; homelessness. IE; transportation. IE; streetscaping. IE; pick just about any municipal service.

Instead, we spent a pile of money on a Downtown plan that has been shelved. We spent money on an OCP that is already being ignored. The Transit plan was completed 3 years ago and has been sitting on a shelf in draft, and now that the fonts have been changed, it might finally get approved. We have targets for % of infill development, but no action plan, and instead they have approved many more millions of green field development in the last 12 months making these targets next to impossible to achieve. Now they are doing another study on infill development, so that they can create yet another plan with no teeth, no action, and no results. They teased the public with the RRI development; in 2016 multiple city officials publicly stated the walking bridge would be built spring of 2017, and now all we have are some conceptual drawings with no plan, no action, no budget.

I attended the international downtown conference last fall, and it was jaw dropping how back asswards Regina is. A lot of the panel discussion from other cities was about programs like infill development being SO successful that there is now backlash, and how to deal with that. Some panelists were even mocking the massive success of local business/culture/cuisine/streetscaping in their cities as now being passe and old hat. I was absolutely shocked, because we are just now trying to start creating these things here in Regina, albeit with little to no support from City Admin.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by aberrant

I don't like that Regina is viewed as being behind the times. HOWEVER, this gives us a huge advantage that I keep telling councillors and admin to take advantage of:

All we have to do is look at what other similar sized, successful cities have done, and do what they do! We don't have to waste money and time on studies, we don't need to waste time and money on debate. We can jump straight into execution and just follow the successful strategies and models other cities have already had success with. IE: recycling. IE; ride sharing. IE; infill development. IE; homelessness. IE; transportation. IE; streetscaping. IE; pick just about any municipal service.

Instead, we spent a pile of money on a Downtown plan that has been shelved. We spent money on an OCP that is already being ignored. The Transit plan was completed 3 years ago and has been sitting on a shelf in draft, and now that the fonts have been changed, it might finally get approved. We have targets for % of infill development, but no action plan, and instead they have approved many more millions of green field development in the last 12 months making these targets next to impossible to achieve. Now they are doing another study on infill development, so that they can create yet another plan with no teeth, no action, and no results. They teased the public with the RRI development; in 2016 multiple city officials publicly stated the walking bridge would be built spring of 2017, and now all we have are some conceptual drawings with no plan, no action, no budget.

I attended the international downtown conference last fall, and it was jaw dropping how back asswards Regina is. A lot of the panel discussion from other cities was about programs like infill development being SO successful that there is now backlash, and how to deal with that. Some panelists were even mocking the massive success of local business/culture/cuisine/streetscaping in their cities as now being passe and old hat. I was absolutely shocked, because we are just now trying to start creating these things here in Regina, albeit with little to no support from City Admin.

Preach. When I hear about the things the City is "studying" or getting a consultant to prepare a report on, I'm constantly amazed for two reasons:
1) other cities have already been there, done that, moved on to version 2.0, 3.0, etc (in addition to your bigger/strategic items, recycling; snow routes; parking enforcement; and smoking bylaws are great operational examples of this); and
2) it causes me to wonder just how isolated City staff & Council are. Do they have no colleagues/counterparts in Saskatoon, Thunder Bay, Brandon, Medicine Hat, etc that they could talk to?

Most of the things Regina has examined/studied/piloted over the past 5-10years were widely implemented years ago in other cities. Regina is not a unique flower - we don't need completely custom solutions... we can learn from other cities (what were your stumbling blocks? what didn't go as smoothly as you expected? where did residents/businesses push back - and did you adjust based on this? etc). Doesn't need to be overly formal - a few phone calls/emails. Maybe a road trip, for certain types of things.

I think City Council (and by extension, City staff) have become addicted to studies & consultants. I know we have folks on City payroll who are fully capable of doing the jobs that we farm out to consultants... and staff are available for follow-up 2, 3, 5 years down the road at no incremental expense.

There are obviously things that it makes sense to bring in someone from the outside to help us with - but I think those should be the exception, not the rule. Big strategic plans? Sure - probably helps to have an outsider to facilitate certain aspects (this 'outsider' could actually be someone from another city... we basically cover their travel & salary costs for short, finite portions of the project, and then reciprocate down the road. Universities do this kind of thing all the time).

I don't have the answers - but the current model drives me nuts, and it must be very frustrating/demoralizing to folks in City Hall too.

[aberrant]

What if I told you the City approached a private business with a development proposal 2 and half years ago? Private business likes the proposal, so hires engineers, architects, etc. About a year worth of work and expense goes into it, including regular back and forth communication with the City. Proposal is finalized into a formal contract, and goes for final internal approval at the City. Business is notified by City official that contract will be finalized the next day.

But then nothing. Nada. No response.

After 6 months of inquiries not returned, City finally sends completely different officials to meet with business, and says, "what development are you talking about? We aren't aware of anything."

Business pulls out folder of documents and says, "how about this one, with these drawings that are stamped by City of Regina officials?"

City says, "oh, we can't do that anymore. How about a completely different development, a fraction of the size. It accomplishes zero of the initial plans, and is way less appealing. But we can get it done in 2 or 3 months."

Business reluctantly agrees as it is still better than nothing. It ends up taking another 10 months, not 2-3 months, and there is about $12,000 in needless additional costs based on City "risk management." City officials all say off the record that none of this is really necessary, but none of them are willing to stick their neck out and do something about it. Business again sucks it up and proceeds. Ever after contract is signed, City demands an additional $500 expense to the business, again for needless "risk management."

So there you go. A complete cluster truck of 2 and half years. And it was the City who came forward with the proposal. What a waste of time. Shameful and embarassing.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by aberrant

What if I told you...
...A complete cluster truck of 2 and half years. And it was the City who came forward with the proposal. What a waste of time. Shameful and embarassing.

Much more detailed than I've heard before... but similar story line to complaints by other businesses (and residents) in the city.
Left hand doesn't know what the right is doing; archaic rules/policies/bylaws/hearsay drive process (by-the-by, we need a complete rewrite on our Bylaws - they are piecemeal jumble of self-contradiction); planning is done on a yearly timeline, rather than long-term (despite pricey plans gathering dust on shelves). Like driving a car while only looking an inch or two past your hood - might work for a while, but you know you're going to crash eventually.

[StealthGirl]

So what's the answer? How do we demand better from our council and the city, separate as the entities may be?

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by aberrant

What if I told you the City approached a private business with a development proposal 2 and half years ago? Private business likes the proposal, so hires engineers, architects, etc. About a year worth of work and expense goes into it, including regular back and forth communication with the City. Proposal is finalized into a formal contract, and goes for final internal approval at the City. Business is notified by City official that contract will be finalized the next day.

But then nothing. Nada. No response.

After 6 months of inquiries not returned, City finally sends completely different officials to meet with business, and says, "what development are you talking about? We aren't aware of anything."

Business pulls out folder of documents and says, "how about this one, with these drawings that are stamped by City of Regina officials?"

City says, "oh, we can't do that anymore. How about a completely different development, a fraction of the size. It accomplishes zero of the initial plans, and is way less appealing. But we can get it done in 2 or 3 months."

Business reluctantly agrees as it is still better than nothing. It ends up taking another 10 months, not 2-3 months, and there is about $12,000 in needless additional costs based on City "risk management." City officials all say off the record that none of this is really necessary, but none of them are willing to stick their neck out and do something about it. Business again sucks it up and proceeds. Ever after contract is signed, City demands an additional $500 expense to the business, again for needless "risk management."

So there you go. A complete cluster truck of 2 and half years. And it was the City who came forward with the proposal. What a waste of time. Shameful and embarassing.

I'm going to need more info. The city doesn't really go around proposing developments for really specific liability reasons. And if they did, it's no different than other developments where sometimes you lose money.

[skphc08]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

I'm going to need more info.

You're pretty stingy with what you base your claims on. Fairly laughable that you would need more info.

You should probably just accept what he or she says at face value like you expect the rest of this forum to do with your nineteen comments per day.

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by skphc08

You're pretty stingy with what you base your claims on. Fairly laughable that you would need more info.

You should probably just accept what he or she says at face value like you expect the rest of this forum to do with your nineteen comments per day.

You're still upset you have literally no idea what you're talking about and don't like being called out for it?

I provided data and you buried your head in the sand. Go away.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

What bigger commercial and office projects are set to be completed or started in 2018 for Regina?

- H&M renovations at Cornwall Centre to be completed.
- Sears redevelopment Cornwall Centre?
- New Conexus Head Office Wascana Centre starting construction?
...

What else?

[skphc08]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

You're still upset you have literally no idea what you're talking about and don't like being called out for it?

You seem to have me mistaken for yourself.

[yveseluj]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

What bigger commercial and office projects are set to be completed or started in 2018 for Regina?

- H&M renovations at Cornwall Centre to be completed.
- Sears redevelopment Cornwall Centre?
- New Conexus Head Office Wascana Centre starting construction?
...

What else?

Do we know if the Sears redevelopment is happening this year?

[thefourthtower]

Originally Posted by yveseluj

Do we know if the Sears redevelopment is happening this year?

They biggest thing is getting rid of a corrupt government there was no excuses for that GTH horse poo none shame shame

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by thefourthtower

They biggest thing is getting rid of a corrupt government there was no excuses for that GTH horse poo none shame shame

You'll be waiting a while for an election. Next election should be 2020, but due to the municipal vote (Nov 2020, 5 days before the projected prov date for the vote), Elections Sask has already suggested it will likely be a Spring 2021 vote provincially. I doubt the Sask Party will call one early and I doubt the NDP are organized enough to try to topple the Sask Party.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by thefourthtower

They biggest thing is getting rid of a corrupt government there was no excuses for that GTH horse poo none shame shame

Which has nothing to do whatsoever with the redevelopment of Sears at the Cornwall Centre.

[Drofmab]

Originally Posted by StealthGirl

You'll be waiting a while for an election. Next election should be 2020, but due to the municipal vote (Nov 2020, 5 days before the projected prov date for the vote), Elections Sask has already suggested it will likely be a Spring 2021 vote provincially. I doubt the Sask Party will call one early and I doubt the NDP are organized enough to try to topple the Sask Party.

Requires a legislative amendment to move the date to April to avoid conflict with municipal elections... not saying they won't amend the legislation, but it's not as simple as just delaying the election.

Depending on how the NDP & SKparty's leaders look at that time, seems just as likely that they would dissolve the legislative assembly early for an election in the spring/summer of 2020.

[thefourthtower]

Originally Posted by pappcam

Which has nothing to do whatsoever with the redevelopment of Sears at the Cornwall Centre.

Well you never know

[thefourthtower]

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/saska...a-high-apartment-vacancy-rates-1.4424671 Biggest cities in Sask. have some of Canada's highest vacancy rates

Saskatoon's vacancy rate sits at 9.6%, Regina's is 7% according to new report

[StealthGirl]

Anyone know when the new building at Parliament and Harbour Landing Drive will be finished? It's west of the business park collection of buildings.

Originally Posted by Drofmab

Requires a legislative amendment to move the date to April to avoid conflict with municipal elections... not saying they won't amend the legislation, but it's not as simple as just delaying the election.

Depending on how the NDP & SKparty's leaders look at that time, seems just as likely that they would dissolve the legislative assembly early for an election in the spring/summer of 2020.

I agree with you. Three elections in 12 months (fed-prov-muni) would be voter fatigue. I don't like the set dates for elections. I guess we'll see. Last I heard (last summer) the province was going to consult with SUMA and SARM for a few months before any decision was made.

[jigglysquishy]

The election should be 2019. No way should they get 5 year mandate because of election timing

[colezy9]

[QUOTE=StealthGirl;8039568]Anyone know when the new building at Parliament and Harbour Landing Drive will be finished? It's west of the business park collection of buildings.

What is the purpose of this building?