WPG - Giant windmill eyed for Forks

[flatlander]

Look further back for pics of Upper Fort Garry and you will find the riparian zone completely cleared. Gotta go back to pre-european times for real green at the forks.

Besides, the hotel was built on a parking lot. What green exactly got displaced for it?

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Look further back for pics of Upper Fort Garry and you will find the riparian zone completely cleared. Gotta go back to pre-european times for real green at the forks.

Besides, the hotel was built on a parking lot. What green exactly got displaced for it?

I agree .. I also think the hotel adds to the Forks, which lacked visitors on non sunny summer weekends. With the hotel we have some people residing across from the market and restaurants year round. It is also a really nice hotel .. including a full service spa.

I also really like how the old power station was utilized as a TV station. It gives the area a little more diversity, instead of only tourist shops.

Keep in mind that the Forks was never designed to be simpily a park.. it was always intended to be a city meeting place full of activity. Having only green space will not create the vibrant space that was invisioned.

Hopefully over the next decade the Forks area will be completed .. covering the remaining gravel lots with attractions or other high quality structures, while keeping the required parking in multiple level parkades, thus allowing for more additions.
I would love to see something significant built over a part of the rail line, and thus further connecting Main Street to the Forks.

I remember when Jim August tried to lease large portions of the Forks green space to Point of View for lowrise condo buildings, thankfully the city killed those plans. I would be willing to have condos built on the empty lots along the rail line across from the proposed Musuem towards the VIA station, but they'd have to be of a very high quality, including retail space at street level.. something which was not a part of the Point of View proposal at the time. In time I hope to see a very vibrant street leading people towards the Forks Market Area, instead of the dead surface lots facing the streets.

[Marc B.]

Originally Posted by newflyer

I would love to see something significant built over a part of the rail line, and thus further connecting Main Street to the Forks.

I'd like to see something with a bike path connecting the Forks with Assiniboine or Broadway. It's ridiculously tough to get across Main from east to west without playing in traffic.

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Tom Mango

I'd like to see something with a bike path connecting the Forks with Assiniboine or Broadway. It's ridiculously tough to get across Main from east to west without playing in traffic.

Try the riverwalk along Assiniboine River .. .. and then along Wellington Crescent paths to the park.

[Boreal]

Provencher in my opinion is a highly underrated street, that just as much as Waterfront and Main, should be bundled into the "branch-arms-section" of The Forks. Maybe I'm out to lunch, but I think Provencher is teetering on Corydon and Osborne potential.

...With that said, Corydon and Osborne could also be so much more.

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by newflyer

I remember when Jim August tried to lease large portions of the Forks green space to Point of View for lowrise condo buildings, thankfully the city killed those plans. I would be willing to have condos built on the empty lots along the rail line across from the proposed Musuem towards the VIA station, but they'd have to be of a very high quality, including retail space at street level.. something which was not a part of the Point of View proposal at the time. In time I hope to see a very vibrant street leading people towards the Forks Market Area, instead of the dead surface lots facing the streets.

That was before Jim August - that was the dude who is now in Santa Monica but for the life of me I can't remember his name.

edit - Kent Smith. He's with the LA Fashion District BID now.

[Marc B.]

Originally Posted by newflyer

Try the riverwalk along Assiniboine River .. .. and then along Wellington Crescent paths to the park.

It was open but still pretty muddy and impassable when I went by yesterday, hopefully next week.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by fengshui

The Forks has never been green space. It was a working industrial rail yard. It looks brown on all the older air photos. Only when it was developed as The Forks Market did there start to be some green space provided, but it was all landscaped by people, none of it was natural, except the riparian zone along the rivers.

I totally agree, and am completely baffled by people who argue that the Forks is 'green' space that needs to be protected.

Building condos in Assiniboine park is one thing, but the the Forks is a converted brown field.

I see nothing wrong with using high quality buildings to tie the Forks into the fabric of downtown. A lot of the land is still gravel surface parking anyways.

[dennis]

I do like how the greenspace is incorporated into the forks. The pathway behind the Bank of Nova Scotia stage leading to the pedestrian bridge and the tall grass prairie garden are good examples. Any new developments should be complemented with some form of greenery, as I am sure they will. The forks is turning out to be a great mix of both.

[Lee_Haber8]

Originally Posted by Jeff1987

Provencher in my opinion is a highly underrated street, that just as much as Waterfront and Main, should be bundled into the "branch-arms-section" of The Forks. Maybe I'm out to lunch, but I think Provencher is teetering on Corydon and Osborne potential.

...With that said, Corydon and Osborne could also be so much more.

I definitely agree with you. Provencher with the mixed-use development that's been going on could even be better than those other streets in five years time. Last time I walked by there what was hurting it was:
1) traffic coming way too fast off the bridge
2) Not enough lights so pedestrians can cross safely
3) Poorly timed lights which mean you have to wait a long time to cross

[pegcity]

From one of my contacts on Flickr,

Winnipeg in a couple of years?

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Marc B.

I'd like to see something with a bike path connecting the Forks with Assiniboine or Broadway. It's ridiculously tough to get across Main from east to west without playing in traffic.

Use the Assiniboine Riverwalk ... when it's open.

[art deco]

the noise is a factor is significant go to St Leon and stand near one, as well as ice debris that can shed off of the blades during a melt could be a liabiltiy issue for the forks, and the number of people that are there.

from an energy production and efficiency point of view the type of large turbine they are talking about is more suited to open areas. The presence of buildings and other features in urban areas causes turbulence, and average wind speeds tend to be lower.

Also noticed ecnetly there is a maniotba hydro billboard on lagimodiere that has a small scale windmill mounted on it, its turning but I suspect is actually using electricity from a motor to turn it. has anyone seen this, know how it works?


ps sorry for late post.. just joined recently

[ssiguy]

I love the idea!

[Kitty Surprise]

Originally Posted by newflyer

I would be willing to have condos built on the empty lots along the rail line across from the proposed Musuem towards the VIA station, but they'd have to be of a very high quality, including retail space at street level.. In time I hope to see a very vibrant street leading people towards the Forks Market Area, instead of the dead surface lots facing the streets.

My vote goes to mixed use development (condos, retail, small office - with parkade behind & along the rail lines) along Waterfront Dr all the way to the Forks.

What do you think of widening Waterfront Drive to accomodate a streetcar from The Forks into the Exchange? Is this even possible... We really need to develop ways to bring together our corners of downtown in an easy to use and trendy way.

[bimbamboom]

Any updates for the wind turbine? I'm really hoping this goes ahead.

[1ajs]

no clue here anyone els know?

[newflyer]

Originally Posted by Kitty Surprise

My vote goes to mixed use development (condos, retail, small office - with parkade behind & along the rail lines) along Waterfront Dr all the way to the Forks.

What do you think of widening Waterfront Drive to accomodate a streetcar from The Forks into the Exchange? Is this even possible... We really need to develop ways to bring together our corners of downtown in an easy to use and trendy way.

I know the Forks have been studing having an old style streetcar connecting the Forks Market with the East Exchange... but it is not cost feasible for them at this time.

This may change if they can develope the vacant strip (alng the rail line) of waterfront with mixed use building and parking. I am sure that area would be very profitable with the right project plan.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by bimbamboom

Any updates for the wind turbine? I'm really hoping this goes ahead.

Why?

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Why?

why not?