Regina Construction III

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by GregCB

Plus the city is then expected to provide transit service, garbage pick-up, snow removal and other street maintenance, police and fire services, then there's community rec centres, parks, libraries, schools that inevitably get added into the mix at some point. Not to mention the instant deterioration that starts to happen to the new infrastructure once its installed due to the challenging soil and climate conditions here. That's a city responsibility and existing tax rates do not cover that massive multi-billion dollar cost.

Plus water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, storm water infrastructure, etc. I think the millions of dollars of new taxes per year will cover these costs, especially services. The problem is that the capital costs of new infrastructure is needed up front and it may take decades to recover that in taxes. Someone paying $6000/year in property taxes is definitely covering the cost of transit, garbage, snow removal, police, fire, etc.

[StealthGirl]

Originally Posted by wacko

Actually I think I would like to contact the city and make my opinions known. Can someone suggest how I can best do that?

http://www.regina.ca/site/contact/ is a starting point. They can likely have someone from the correct department contact you to discuss it.

I think at some point there needs to be a serious discussion about base tax in this city. There are houses that pay less than $300 on the municipal/non-education portion of their taxes. That does not cover the services they get/use. Someone who is paying $6000 as Stormer suggested (which is something like $3000 for municipal portion since about half of the property tax is education/library) does not get more services for that money. I know in my area, we really don't get police service and I've heard that directly from RPS officers who get assigned to our area but spend all their time responding to calls in specific other areas of the city. The city needs money and is not collecting it in a sensible way.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest

Basically the city doesn't want it yet. It will approve it in a couple years when they can get away with charging more to the developer.

I don't think you'll find the city makes money on those charges. In the end the city loses money on infrastructure costs of new areas in the short and medium-terms (due to maintenance and expanding/connecting the existing grids). In the long run they stand to break even and collect more in taxes, but there is a large up-front cost to providing new services.

In any case, there are plenty of good reasons the city would not want to add 10,000 new people (or more) to that area of town. One of the biggest was mentioned above, and that is lack of good access in/out of the area, especially 9th Ave/Pasqua.

[thefourthtower]

http://www.westerninvestor.com/index.php/news/sk/1535-stadium-puts-regina-in-play
Stadium puts Regina in play |

Tuesday, 19 August 2014 14:33
With a new football stadium underway and the retail and industrial markets roaring, Regina has seen $332 million in building permits issued this year, but the office and residential sectors are facing a modest glut.
In July alone, $66.9 million in building permits were issued in Saskatchewan’s capital, including the construction of a new laundry plant in the Ross Industrial area and two new townhouse developments, one in Greens on Gardiner and one in Harbour Landing.
“New single-family home starts may be down, but significant increases in nearly all other types of housing show that our economy continues to grow,” said Mayor Michael Fougere. “We’re also seeing that commercial, industrial, and institutional property owners are heavily investing in upgrading and altering their buildings.”
Leading the construction pace is the $278 million Mosaic stadium that will be the new home for the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Officials from the city, the province and the team were on hand as the first shovel went into the dirt at Evraz Place northwest of downtown Regina in mid-June.
Sean Hamblin, district manager of construction company PCL Management, said it would take a few months to notice any above-ground work at the site. The stadium is to be completed by August 2016.
The design calls for a 33,000-seat facility that can be expanded to hold 40,000 fans for special events.
The venue is being described as "roof ready,'' meaning a full cover could be added at a later date.
PCL said the Roughriders could play their first game in the new stadium in June 2017. Four tower cranes will be placed at the site for about 17 months.
The Mosaic stadium represents the first phase of the Regional Revitalization Initiative, with the stadium anchoring a development of housing, retail and commercial space

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by thefourthtower

http://www.westerninvestor.com/index.php/news/sk/1535-stadium-puts-regina-in-play
Stadium puts Regina in play |

Tuesday, 19 August 2014 14:33
With a new football stadium underway and the retail and industrial markets roaring, Regina has seen $332 million in building permits issued this year, but the office and residential sectors are facing a modest glut.
In July alone, $66.9 million in building permits were issued in Saskatchewan’s capital, including the construction of a new laundry plant in the Ross Industrial area and two new townhouse developments, one in Greens on Gardiner and one in Harbour Landing.

New Mosaic has only had two permits for $10 million permit so far.

[Udon'tknow]

Looks like work is starting to progress on their new brewery and tap house on Dewdney ave..























credit: Rebellion brewery Facebook page

[StealthGirl]

So is Rebellion going into the building where the carpet store was? The one that has changed hands over and over or am I thinking too close to Broad St?

Sears is prepping to sell the 8 storey building on Broad Street. Anyone know what sort of condition the building is in? Could that go condos or is it more likely to be bought for the land?

http://www.leaderpost.com/century+busine...bution+centre+Regina/10141832/story.html

[Stormer]

I can't see any developer ripping down that massive structure. It must be several hundred thousand square feet of solidly built, historically significant space. There is a lot of land in the area available for redevelopment including several square blocks owned by sears in blue, SaskPower land to be vacated in orange and vacant land in green.

[SkydivePilot]

I'll bet that Sears building will last 1,000 years.

[BrannyMuffin]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I can't see any developer ripping down that massive structure. It must be several hundred thousand square feet of solidly built, historically significant space. There is a lot of land in the area available for redevelopment including several square blocks owned by sears in blue, SaskPower land to be vacated in orange and vacant land in green.

Outlet mall!

I'm only half joking...I think an outlet mall with some mid-high end retailers is something that would do well in Regina. I wouldn't spend $800 on a pair of shoes but if I could buy them off season or a little less than perfect for $200 I'd definitely be willing and I suspect I'm not alone. There might not be a ton of people who have (or want to spend) the money to buy high end, luxury brands but I think you'd find a lot who would pay outlet prices. And those types of brands tend to be high quality, more classic pieces, so they last, they're versatile, and they never really go out of style.

On the surface it doesn't seem like a great location but it's a huge area, it's central, it's easy to get to from a. There isn't a lot of development on the north end of the Warehouse District. If you mix a couple of higher end outlets with some more mid-range outlets or factory stores and non-clothing retailers, possibly with a department store (hr2 by Holt Renfrew, for example), convert a few floors of the Sears building to condos, throw in a couple of restaurants, maybe a movie theatre (though I'd rather see one downtown first) and I think you'd have a great anchor for the northern end of the Warehouse District.

Ok, maybe I wasn't joking at all, haha.

Maybe with something along these lines on the north end, the Dewdney strip on the south end, the condos on the north and east sides (plus a few scattered throughout) and the existing businesses in between it could serve as a catalyst to "fill in" some of the space in the middle. Build a park somewhere in there and maybe a one or two smaller boutique hotels and I think you could have a great neighbourhood.

I think we're seeing a bit of a shift in attitude and vision. There are a lot of creative young entrepreneurs in this city with the ideas and drive (and means) to create something new and change things. Downtown has made some huge strides (especially in the last few months) toward being a vibrant place to live, work, and play. When it comes to great neighbourhoods in the downtown area, I think there are some good bones with the Warehouse District to the north, Centre Square and Broders Annex to the south, and Cathedral to the west. These areas and downtown all have very distinct feels to them. If I want to live in a big loft, I can do that in the Warehouse District, if I want a highrise condo, I can have that downtown, if I want a house with a yard in a or an apartment in a bustling heritage neighbourhood, Cathedral. Centre Square/Broders Annex gives you something a little in between. All these places are within walking distance of downtown. They're great areas that have different things to offer. Pump some new life into the Heritage area and I think you could downtown surrounded by neighbourhoods that are all great in their own right (especially if the Railyards are handled properly) which only serves to benefit downtown.

Example rendering:
• Video Link

As an aside, I believe the company who built that mall in Niagara is working with Harvard to build an outlet mall in Winnipeg....

[BrannyMuffin]

On a different note, I find myself really annoyed that they didn't bother to plant any trees while they had all the sidewalks and boulevards torn up along Broad St. It seems like such a wasted opportunity.

And while I'm busy redeveloping entire neighbourhoods in my head...

I think that shipping container apartments might be an interesting, low cost way to help people get into the housing market. Some are a little too industrial looking for my taste, but there are some great examples out there. I think an area like the Warehouse District might be a good place try something along those lines. You've already got a mix of building styles, you've got some amenities in the area, and it might be a way to attract young people.

Some examples:


Source: SEEDS http://www.seeds-project.com/pins/shipping-containers-for-students/


Source: Cubic Inspirations http://www.cubicinspirations.com/recent-shipping-containers.html


Source: Cubic Inspirations http://www.cubicinspirations.com/recent-shipping-containers.html

These ones are modular, but not shipping containers (similarly sized, though.) Something like this might also work downtown or in Centre Square.

Source: nARCHITECTS http://www.narchitects.com/frameset_MMNY.htm
The architecture firm has some more renderings of this one on their website. There are a couple of layout renderings.

And they don't all have to be super tiny...you could double up on some to get proper bedrooms, for example. Or have a base price per container. So if your base price is $100 per container and you want a 200 sq ft studio you start at $100, 400 sq ft studio - $200, if you want a one bed 800 sq ft apartment - $400, 1200 sq ft 3 bed - $600. Disclaimer: These are based on numbers I just made up.

And looking into these shipping container homes lead me to some other really cool uses for shipping containers - small retail store (or a food vendor), offices...One that caught my attention was a mobile surf machine:

Source: Cubic Inspirations http://www.cubicinspirations.com/recent-shipping-containers.html

No idea how much something like that would cost, but wouldn't it be great having a couple of those set up outside during the summer with the ability to move them inside (maybe in conjunction with a skate park ) in the colder months?

[Stormer]

These container structures seem pretty cool, but it all seems to good to be true. I expect there are many drawbacks such as heat/cold conductivity, rusting, etc. I wonder if they meet building codes.

[Davidson]

Originally Posted by SkydivePilot

I'll bet that Sears building will last 1,000 years.

Does anyone know if that building has heritage property designation? Would be tragic if it was to be torn down, I hope it can be re-purposed into something wonderful.

[StealthGirl]

You can look up city, provincial and federally-designated heritage buildings on the city's website. The nice part is they list the properties by name and address, like 1050 Broad St. - Robert Simpson Warehouse or 1245 College Ave. - Balfour Technical School/Balfour Collegiate although the titles may not be up to date, like 1880 Saskatchewan Drive is not commonly known as Union Station anymore (provincial heritage designation).

http://www.regina.ca/residents/heritage-history/heritage-property/

I hadn't looked up the heritage ones before hence my question about the Sears one.

[cutterp]

Does anyone know what is being built or done at the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre?

Blue fencing is up around an area close to Prince of Wales and a blue Sea Can with a sign on it referencing "Pool something - (aqua pool?)" and some dirt being dug up. Were there plans for a spray pad or outdoor pool (wishful thinking)?

[Dan0myte]

Originally Posted by cutterp

Does anyone know what is being built or done at the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre?

Back in May they had a fundraiser for the Sandra Schmirler spray park. They had bouncy castles and foam sprayers and farm animals and everything there trying to raise money. My kids had a blast at it. Sounds like they finally raised enough to get the go ahead.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by cutterp

Does anyone know what is being built or done at the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre?

Blue fencing is up around an area close to Prince of Wales and a blue Sea Can with a sign on it referencing "Pool something - (aqua pool?)" and some dirt being dug up. Were there plans for a spray pad or outdoor pool (wishful thinking)?

Accessible Spray Pad:

http://www.aecaregina.com/images/spraypad.pdf

http://www.aecaregina.com/index.php/spray-pad/87-spray-pad-construction

[aberrant]

Originally Posted by StealthGirl

So is Rebellion going into the building where the carpet store was? The one that has changed hands over and over or am I thinking too close to Broad St?

Yup, that's the place. New brick exterior started getting laid on Thursday. New structural fascade for front of building was completed last week too. Not sure on the exact timelines, but the exterior will be looking a lot different in a couple weeks.

[BrutallyDishonest]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

The developers don't pay all the infrastructure cost. The city pays to get it up to the borders of the development.

So it's a significantly smaller cost, but it is a cost that the city incurs.

Sure, but the city's being completely disingenuous.

Originally Posted by GregCB

Plus the city is then expected to provide transit service, garbage pick-up, snow removal and other street maintenance, police and fire services, then there's community rec centres, parks, libraries, schools that inevitably get added into the mix at some point. Not to mention the instant deterioration that starts to happen to the new infrastructure once its installed due to the challenging soil and climate conditions here. That's a city responsibility and existing tax rates do not cover that massive multi-billion dollar cost.

I think there is still a misconception on how this all works.

Yes, obviously the city is then on the hook to maintain new areas. But it should also be remembered that the city has been largely negligent in overseeing that developments are designed in a logical way. The developers have been allowed too much leeway. However:

The developers are paying for almost all of the infrastructure costs. They have to purchase the raw land. Plus they have to pay the city between $105,000 an $150,000 for the privilege of connecting to the city. But let's be clear for a development like Coopertown that's 1900 acres! That's a huge sum of money for a very minor amount of work relative to the whole development. The city is, in the short term, taking in more money on their servicing fees than they are spending. And yes, in the long run, it's the homebuyer who is going to be eating the costs.

Yet, the thing the city is most reluctant to mention and Reginans most likely to deny: property taxes are too low. The general infrastructure costs are not being met by current revenue.

[BrutallyDishonest]

Originally Posted by Stormer

I can't see any developer ripping down that massive structure. It must be several hundred thousand square feet of solidly built, historically significant space. There is a lot of land in the area available for redevelopment including several square blocks owned by sears in blue, SaskPower land to be vacated in orange and vacant land in green.

The issue with Sears isn't the historic warehouse. That will almost certainly remain in someway or another. The issue is with the remaining, newer warehouses.

It is my understanding that the old building is about 300,000 sq ft. It would be a fantastic residential development but it would be very difficult and very expensive to do. It would be a massive undertaking for any developer.

The newer lowrise warehouses will probably have to be razed as their reuse is even more difficult and an industrial user is unlikely to want to be located there. In the end I would bet that at least part of the newer warehouses will be torn down and redeveloped into other, smaller industrial/commerical uses.