Manitoba Hydro Building Winnipeg - Page 54

art deco · #**1061** Posted **Jul 14, 2009, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILYR

I agree that there are some real issues with this building as far as project time and budget. However, I will point out that many of the features in this building that were used to make it energy efficient are in many cases, experimental. Specifically at the scale of this building. If one considers any research or developmental project that includes new and/or untested technologies, these projects are always over budget. It is difficult to determine a budget when there is no previous example to work from. A private company would have never taken on this building because of this fact. That being said, not all of the delays and extra costs can be attributed to the implementation of new technologies, and nor am I making any attempt to justify Mr. Breenan's personal office renovations etc.

Great points about the new/experimental technologies. btw what "budget" are we talking about... the orginal ill-conceived budget prepared by Hydro or the subsequent shot-in-the-dark budget/s prepared by the so called construction manager? Rant warning ...It gets me that on virtually every construction project someone (usually the owner) throws together a budget number based on bare concepts which the media then gets a hold of and publishes, and then suddenly the number is written in stone. This is not like going down to Midas muffler and getting a quote..... Anyone who knows anything about the design process understands that as the design evolves the estimates/budgets can be done more accurately.

AssDust · #**1062** Posted **Jul 15, 2009, 10:56 AM**

oh, i also forgot ... the framing is going up for the Hydro sign on the West side of the Penthouse. See that scaffolding? That's what it's for, and replace the black sheets (damaged from wind)

Now, on the North soffit, the scaffolding is being erected.

rrskylar · #**1063** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 6:46 AM**

From the Black Rod

Is it hot in here? Or is it just me? asks Bob Brennan.

You know the drill....

You try to squeeze in a couple of weeks vacation and when you come back your desk is overflowing with work.

You pick up the top document and ...WHOOOO.

STOP THE PRESSES.

(How do you spell the sound of a whistleblower's whistle?)

The internet is literally buzzing about Brennan.
Bob Brennan.
Manitoba Hydro CEO Bob.

Four sources are saying Big Bob has become the living embodiment of Hydro's 'I'm all right Jack' attitude.

And why, say others, is the news media ignoring the story?

Whistler A said:
"Was talking to a PCL guy last night and supposedly, Bob Brennan, the CEO, has demanded his office be redesigned 6 times, including moving it from the South side to the North side. This has cost about $2 mil."

Whistler B said:
"Absolutely true. His office was in the south side of the building and had a $100,000 roof over it because the 23rd floor is a mechanical room (paranoid of leaks apparently). That wasn't good enough. So now, his floor is on the 22nd, North West corner ... and it's huge."

He later added:
"Looks like some type of white marble is going in as well, packages of it were sitting on the floor."

Whistler C said:
"The white granite is the same that is in other areas of the building (and it) is true that he has switched ends of the building more than once."

Whistler D (who hates The Black Rod) joined in:
"another bob brennan...he is having air conditioning for his floor priced out right now."

Say what ?

The big boss doesn't have faith in the geothermal heat pump system that's supposed to provide 100 percent of the air conditioning to the 23-storey building?

Ohhhh, that's gonna be embarassing.

Maybe that's why some proponents of the building are trying to get ahead of the curve -- by floating the excuse that the runaway costs were due to experimental features never before tried in a building of that size. So, when everything has to be redone at even greater cost, Bob will have a ready-made excuse?

"To keep this whole mess under the carpet is nothing short of jounalistic failure...." wrote one angry commenter.

Let's see what the MSM does with it now...

1ajs · #**1064** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 7:10 AM**

how often does he quote from here gee

RAFS · #**1065** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 2:12 PM**

Hey, according to Rod Black, I am a whistler! Although good old Rod did manage to twist my comments into something negative. And managed to leave out the part about Brennan NOT getting air conditioning.

hexrae · #**1066** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 3:08 PM**

So the Black Rod is nothing more than a Skyscraperpage Commentary?

jmt18325 · #**1067** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 3:43 PM**

I think that The Black Rod is nothing more than the person who just posted the 'article'.

jmt18325 · #**1068** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 3:45 PM**

I mean, the living embodiment of Hydro's attitude...really? Is this the same hydro that has $20B is projects over the next few years? The same Hydro that ensures that we don't have 3rd world hydro infrastructure because of its aggressive poll replacement program (along with other programs)? Yes, this particular project has had some problems, but it isn't the only thing that Hydro is doing. Get a little perspective already.

Donovanf · #**1069** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 3:47 PM**

From my friend funnier than me:

I hope if it breaks the "journalists" make subtle fat jokes like engorging himself at the taxpayer's troth or living large at the taxpayer's expense or calling it a morbidly obese abuse of power.

1ajs · #**1070** Posted **Jul 17, 2009, 8:28 PM**

wonder if black rod is marty gold?

Donovanf · #**1071** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 12:14 PM**

people are starting to take the suggestion:

http://manitobapost.blogspot.com/200...b-brennan.html

Quote:

"Air conditioning ? What happened to Geothermal ? Does the overweight Bob Brennan sweat that bad ? White Marble ? What does he need that for ? Is he going to be sitting in his chair with a toga while young women feed him grapes ?

Wonder what his private washroom is going to look like ? I'll take a guess and say Premier Bathrooms is going to install one of them walk-in tubes ......he can have a bath overlooking Portage Place while his assistant washes between the rolls in his gut."

jmt18325 · #**1072** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 1:59 PM**

Hmmm, another blog, this one sharing your avatar, that's linked to the original blog.

Donovanf · #**1073** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Hmmm, another blog, this one sharing your avatar, that's linked to the original blog.

Haha I assure you it isn't me.

rrskylar · #**1074** Posted **Jul 18, 2009, 4:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt18325

I think that The Black Rod is nothing more than the person who just posted the 'article'.

Wish I could take credit for their good work! On the topic of cooling the new Hydro tower, the truth is that the geothermal simply does not work. Luckily it's been a cool summer so Hydro has been able to sweep this problem under the rug. During the one warm week (third week of June) we have had, temperatures on some floors were 27, my buddy's wife who works there tells me, employees were bringing their own fans to work to help stay cool (one wonders if the building would even be habitable if a hot week of 30 degree temps. prevailed). Hydro is also in the process of suing the blind manufacturer or supplier because these are also failing to live up to expectations.

SuperMoto · #**1075** Posted **Jul 19, 2009, 2:43 AM**

Almost all the vent windows were open today, presumably venting stale air being that its warm out (something you do with a greenhouse) Took a walk thru what is accessible to the "public"......WTF?!! almost five years into this project and still nowhere near being comfortably habitable or accessible to the public and there is 2000+ people already working in this dusty,dirty,noisy,and most notably unsafe environment and none of the media outlets has made a peep?DISGUSTING! Heads should be rolling!

1ajs · #**1076** Posted **Jul 19, 2009, 8:27 AM**

its a building that was used as a giant eperiment

rrskylar · #**1077** Posted **Jul 19, 2009, 4:01 PM**

^ On the backs of it's ratepayers who will ultimately have to pay the retrofit costs to enable air conditioning to be installed in the building.

AssDust · #**1078** Posted **Jul 21, 2009, 2:20 AM**

there is air conditioning in the building, on the 24th floor there are 3 chillers that are used to 'chill' the air during the summer ... during the winter it's reversed.

It's just not the technical air-conditioning with freon per say

newflyer · #**1079** Posted **Jul 21, 2009, 2:47 AM**

Quote:

"To keep this whole mess under the carpet is nothing short of jounalistic failure...." wrote one angry commenter.

I guess that makes me "one angry commenter" ...

I only wish the mainstream media were more than little cheerleaders. If this 5 year, half billion dollar project/gamble falls futher on its face .... both Doer and Brennan must pay the price, but nobody wants to hold anyone accountable. Please someone in media-land grow a pair, growup and become a real jounanist, instead of want-a-be hacks who write fluff for a living.

Hows that for an angery commenter?

grumpy old man · #**1080** Posted **Jul 21, 2009, 2:51 AM**

How about maybe we get angry when there is a real reason to get angry. Why waste all that anger on this trivial little non-issue? Maybe there is something more important to get angry about...