Saskatoon Construction II

[Echoes]

^ Unfortunately the guidelines in the Warehouse LAP are merely "suggestions" with no teeth to them.

It's likely that out of the City Centre Plan there will come a design review panel/approval process for the Downtown and possibly the BIDs so that we can finally start enforcing better design.

The Holiday Inn may be a tough lesson that turns out to be a blessing in disguise by finally motivating people and the City to start demanding better of our developers.

To the previous posters commenting that it's just a Holiday Inn and no one else was stepping up to develop the site - it's this complacency and the "any development is good development" attitude that does nothing to demand better of our developers. They set low standards because they get away with it.

Good design does not have to mean expensive. I know it's a Holiday Inn, and I'm overall pleased to see the investment downtown, but it would not have taken too much effort or money to improve how the building looks or interacts with the street.

When you build downtown, you're building in a district that reflects an image for the entire city. So prominent buildings like this should be designed with care and pride for the community they're a part of. And good design can go a long way in improving land values and returns on your investment - an incentive for developers to improve their product.

[WoodlandCritter]

I may have missed it before but was there any mention of who the architects for the Holiday Inn are? Does anyone have that information?

[TheCricket]

Apparently the Preston and Louise spot is a Tim's from what I've heard. I'm in the condo's a block over on East Place so Tim's or Starbucks... I'll take either. It will be good for the neighbourhood. Still waiting on the update on Market Mall reno's... anyone?

Also, I've heard rumours of "Coach" coming to Midtown Plaza as part of their upgrade. Also, Guess popped open its doors this weekend while I was out and about. Nice looking store! Sephora is apparently a go on October 7, 2011.

[Dillweed]

Originally Posted by Echoes

^ Unfortunately the guidelines in the Warehouse LAP are merely "suggestions" with no teeth to them.

It's likely that out of the City Centre Plan there will come a design review panel/approval process for the Downtown and possibly the BIDs so that we can finally start enforcing better design.

The Holiday Inn may be a tough lesson that turns out to be a blessing in disguise by finally motivating people and the City to start demanding better of our developers.

To the previous posters commenting that it's just a Holiday Inn and no one else was stepping up to develop the site - it's this complacency and the "any development is good development" attitude that does nothing to demand better of our developers. They set low standards because they get away with it.

Good design does not have to mean expensive. I know it's a Holiday Inn, and I'm overall pleased to see the investment downtown, but it would not have taken too much effort or money to improve how the building looks or interacts with the street.

When you build downtown, you're building in a district that reflects an image for the entire city. So prominent buildings like this should be designed with care and pride for the community they're a part of. And good design can go a long way in improving land values and returns on your investment - an incentive for developers to improve their product.

Well I wonder what people in Saskatoon were expecting Holiday Inn would build when they announced they were building a new hotel in downtown Saskatoon.

I suggest people Google "Holiday Inn downtown" for cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, & Winnipeg. And tell me if what they are building in Saskatoon is any better or worse than the Holiday Inns for these cities.

So whats a hotel supposed to look like? And yeah it's a Holiday Inn that looks in keeping with a lot of other Holiday Inns I've seen in my life time. Were some people expecting a Ritz Carlton or something?

[dsim249]

^ I'm more annoyed with the giant banner hanging off it that says "Saskatoon Style". Suggesting this hotel is to be the epitome of design/style in Saskatoon. It's embarrassing.

I wasn't expecting a Ritz Carlton, I was just hoping for something a little less truck-faced, and that has windows on more than 2 sides. Not a unreasonable request. Even for Holiday Inn.


Source

Yes, it's not in Canada. Just because they build ugly hotels in Winnipeg or Edmonton, doesn't mean they have to build them everywhere.
And not that this design is anything to write home about, I think it's a vast improvement from ours.

[BrannyMuffin]

Originally Posted by dsim249

^ I'm more annoyed with the giant banner hanging off it that says "Saskatoon Style". Suggesting this hotel is to be the epitome of design/style in Saskatoon. It's embarrassing.

I wasn't expecting a Ritz Carlton, I was just hoping for something a little less truck-faced, and that has windows on more than 2 sides. Not a unreasonable request. Even for Holiday Inn.


Source

Yes, it's not in Canada. Just because they build ugly hotels in Winnipeg or Edmonton, doesn't mean they have to build them everywhere.
And not that this design is anything to write home about, I think it's a vast improvement from ours.

While none of them are architectural marvels, I think the ones in Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg (since those are the ones Dillweed suggested checking out) are more appealing than the one being built in Saskatoon.

[Dillweed]

Originally Posted by dsim249

^ I'm more annoyed with the giant banner hanging off it that says "Saskatoon Style". Suggesting this hotel is to be the epitome of design/style in Saskatoon. It's embarrassing.

I wasn't expecting a Ritz Carlton, I was just hoping for something a little less truck-faced, and that has windows on more than 2 sides. Not a unreasonable request. Even for Holiday Inn.


Source

Yes, it's not in Canada. Just because they build ugly hotels in Winnipeg or Edmonton, doesn't mean they have to build them everywhere.
And not that this design is anything to write home about, I think it's a vast improvement from ours.

Well I don't wanna flog this issue to death. But I don't see any windows on the side of the front of Helsinki's Holiday Inn either. Which is also a city about twice the size of Saskatoon which only makes sense that they would have a larger hotel there.

Maybe folks in Saskatoon would be more happy with their new downtown Holiday Inn if they had built something like Beijing has.



Or Brazil



Or Chicago



Maybe we can agree that Holiday Inn has some butt ugly hotels but they have some nice ones too. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder I find a lot of times people will not like the design of certain buildings in the design phase. But once it is built it doesn't look so bad.

I think that once that it is completed I think some people like yourself may not think it's the eyesore you thought it was. Just my opinion though.

[Crisis]

Originally Posted by WoodlandCritter

I may have missed it before but was there any mention of who the architects for the Holiday Inn are? Does anyone have that information?

Calnitsky Associates from Winnipeg are the architects for the Saskatoon Holiday Inn.

Nice to finally see a few other posters coming to the defence of this building. As I'd posted a few times, it may not be an architectural marvel, but I don't think it's terrible either (except for the wrinkled AD300 panel on th e parkade). I challenge anyone to name a Saskatoon Hotel that is particularly aesthetically pleasing, other than the Bess. The "major reno" of the Hilton a few years back simply replaced some of the massive expanses of brick with massive expanses of EIFS. I'd say that the composite panels being used on the east & west faces of the hotel lend it a look similar to the Affinity Credit Union a block to the east and I didn't think a ton of people were complaining about that building (another builidng replacing a parking lot BTW).

[Echoes]

Had a chance a few days ago to go snap a few pics around campus....

Place Riel

1. Place Riel from the north side.


2. A much better looking facade than the opposite side that face the Transit Mall, IMO.


3.


4. Interior view. Nice integration with the adjacent old Murray Building.


5. Nice display wall, and stairs in behind leading to upper floor offices.


6. Looking back to the north doors.


7. Looking clean, bright, and fresh... if not a little bland.


8. Yeah, it's a little bland. Feels unfinished in places. (More finishes to come?)


9. A bit awkward looking.


10. South side facing Transit Mall.

____________________________________________________


College Quarter Residences

11.


12. Future GreenWay Corridor.


13. Are those walkout units on the ground floor? Interesting to see.


14. Rather handsome looking, I'd say.


15.


16. Phase II


17. Graduate Students Residence u/c

[studentview]

Originally Posted by circle33

Yea, it's pretty bad. From the top of the Broadway Bridge, however, all you can see is the roof feature which looks kind of cool.

On an unrelated note, I've heard through the grapevine that John's Prime Rib will be shutting its doors in October to be replaced sometime later by a "beer and burger" type establishment. If this turns out to be true, you heard it here first. If not, well, just never you mind.

Johns is being replaced by the Hudson's Taphouse. They currently have locations in Calgary and Edmonton. Heres the link to their site.
http://www.hudsonstaphouse.com/e/edmonton.html

[Morogolus]

Four dollar pints, I like it! That area of downtown has become a nice little pub district and this only adds to it.

[drm310]

Hospital design over budget by $46M
Construction set to begin in 2013

By Hannah Scissons, The StarPhoenix
September 8, 2011 8:59 AM


The Saskatoon Health Region is going back to the drawing board after the initial design for the new children's hospital came in "significantly" over budget.

Starting Monday, those involved in the planning process for the Children's Hospital of Saskatchewan will start trying to figure out how to trim $46 million from the newly projected $259-million cost of the hospital - well over the $213 million the health region expects to have in hand from the $200 million in provincial government funds plus $13 million in projected interest from investing that money.

Revising the plans will take about three months, said the health region's vice-president of acute care, Jackie Mann. Following that, the architects will take another run at the blueprints, which will take another two to three months. Despite these delays, she said construction is still scheduled to begin in 2013, with the hospital opening in 2016. [...]

Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Hospital+design+over+budget/5368492/story.html

[exploration camper]

Broadway was apparently named 3rd in a competition of Canada's great streets:http://www.cip-icu.ca/web/la/en/pa/6BF7F...F1699A763504799B3C22137F96C47AD/item.asp

[WoodlandCritter]

Hey Studentview...Where did you hear that hudson's is moving into John's?

I personally like Brewster's better myself but still a nice place, hopefully they build a streetside patio to go along with it assuming that it will become a Hudson's.

[Echoes]

A new logo is being installed on the north and south faces of the PCS Tower. It includes the graphic logo and "PotashCorp" spelled out in full.

Looks pretty sharp so far.

[Brutopian]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Had a chance a few days ago to go snap a few pics around campus....

Place Riel

1. Place Riel from the north side.


2. A much better looking facade than the opposite side that face the Transit Mall, IMO.


3.


4. Interior view. Nice integration with the adjacent old Murray Building.


5. Nice display wall, and stairs in behind leading to upper floor offices.


6. Looking back to the north doors.


7. Looking clean, bright, and fresh... if not a little bland.


8. Yeah, it's a little bland. Feels unfinished in places. (More finishes to come?)


9. A bit awkward looking.


10. South side facing Transit Mall.

____________________________________________________


College Quarter Residences

11.


12. Future GreenWay Corridor.


13. Are those walkout units on the ground floor? Interesting to see.


14. Rather handsome looking, I'd say.


15.


16. Phase II


17. Graduate Students Residence u/c

Some excellent photos, Echoes. Thanks for taking the time to post them. I haven't had an opportunity to make it on to campus for the longest time, so it's nice to be able to see, via your photos, the university's physical transformation continue at such a brisk pace.

[studentview]

Originally Posted by WoodlandCritter

Hey Studentview...Where did you hear that hudson's is moving into John's?

I personally like Brewster's better myself but still a nice place, hopefully they build a streetside patio to go along with it assuming that it will become a Hudson's.

I know a waitress that currently works at Johns and she tells me that the last day for Johns is the end of October with a tentative open date for Hudsons sometime in January/February. Sad to see Johns go, its a pretty iconic name around this city. No idea why the owner has decided to sell but i think the business has been for sale for sometime. However IMO Hudsons should fit in well to the downtown.

In other news the Barking Fish was bought by the Yard and Flagon owners, who 5 or so years ago were the group that originally sold "the black duck" to the barking fish owners. Guess they figured they would give it another shot and open another pub downtown.

[socialisthorde]

Not a big deal, but please don't quote large photos. It really slows down the browser to load them all, particularly on my phone. Thanks

[TheCricket]

Ens Toyota is moving to the Auto Mall by the summer of 2012.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Brutopian

Some excellent photos, Echoes. Thanks for taking the time to post them. I haven't had an opportunity to make it on to campus for the longest time, so it's nice to be able to see, via your photos, the university's physical transformation continue at such a brisk pace.

You're welcome. I hadn't made it on to campus for a while myself, so it was nice to see the changes first hand.