Winnipeg Construction VIII - Page 68

Cyro · #**1341** Posted **Oct 31, 2013, 4:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

That is of course separate from the issues with people breaking into cars, drinking in the parkade and generally using it as a washroom.

The bigger concern though is if you sweep those elements away from here you still haven't solved the issues, you have just relocated them. We need a better long term strategy and I do not have those answers.

Socio/economic issues. Close the St Regis(dry) and redevelop. Where do they go? Clean up the problems at the Marlborough. Where do they go? I can't answer the question either.

Maybe we could move the discussions to another thread, when it comes to this particular subject.

CoryB · #**1342** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 2:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipeg Free Press Nov 1, 2013

Work will begin within the next couple of weeks on a 22,000-square-foot addition to the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre on Wellington Avenue.

Source

The renovation is heavily focused on the meeting space and includes 300 additional surface parking spots. Both the renovation and article mention strong demand for large meeting space other than the WCC. This seems to be some of the same market the meeting space proposal by Red River Ex is targeting.

caseyvill · #**1343** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 5:32 PM**

Winnipeg's Downtown has another surface lot for the time being.

The fences at Project-W's plot are gone and a new meter has been installed.

esquire · #**1344** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caseyvill

Winnipeg's Downtown has another surface lot for the time being.

The fences at Project-W's plot are gone and a new meter has been installed.

Really?!

Interesting given that it ceased being used as a parking lot for several months - generally, your grandfathered rights end once you stop exercising them.

Of course I fully expect that the city will step in and put a stop to this unauthorized use of the space.

Biff · #**1345** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 6:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Really?!

Interesting given that it ceased being used as a parking lot for several months - generally, your grandfathered rights end once you stop exercising them.

Of course I fully expect that the city will step in and put a stop to this unauthorized use of the space.

The City doesn't want to enforce the upgrade of that parking lot for fear that it could remain that way permanently.

trueviking · #**1346** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caseyvill

Winnipeg's Downtown has another surface lot for the time being.

The fences at Project-W's plot are gone and a new meter has been installed.

yup...project W is dead.

bomberjet · #**1347** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:15 PM**

^That's too bad.. Another couple decades of desolation...

esquire · #**1348** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

yup...project W is dead.

Not just delayed but dead, eh? Nothing ever seems to take off on that site... TD Centre Phase II, the Canwest Media Tower, now Project W... all dead. What an embarrassment.

trueviking · #**1349** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:19 PM**

not proceeding at this time....whatever that means.

too bad they moved the bus stop.

Kris22 · #**1350** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

^That's too bad.. Another couple decades of desolation...

Damn. Hopefully something else pops up in the next few years but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I wonder what went wrong with this one.

trueviking · #**1351** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:23 PM**

that owner doesn't have the greatest track record of completing projects...if the government is not there to step in and take it over they seem to die.

hopefully they sell the site to someone who can do something with it.

Once I saw the bush league condo web site filled with google images of random hotels, asking for $600/square foot, I knew that part would never fly...the WTC was always iffy...they bring no capital to the project, putting all the risk on a developer.....I did think the hotel would work, but hotel rates are very low in Winnipeg when compared with downtown construction costs...its a tight business and I think this owner was looking for a bigger return than what they could get.

They did spend a lot of money getting to this point....I'm surprised.

Cyro · #**1352** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 7:29 PM**

Hmmm...>>> http://youtu.be/xWwUJH70ubM

Flavelle103 · #**1353** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 8:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

that owner doesn't have the greatest track record of completing projects...if the government is not there to step in and take it over they seem to die.

hopefully they sell the site to someone who can do something with it.

.

No Kidding! This is the third big whiff in the last few years for David Asper and company. Upscale Polo Park mall? Nope. Buy Bombers and build stadium? Ooops, I'm a little short. Westin Hotel? Ah, forget it.

CoryB · #**1354** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 8:40 PM**

Might the death of Project W have the Westin group considering either the WCC hotel or SoPo hotel project instead? Both those seemed to be concepts looking for a group to run their property.

And dare I say it the on-off-on-off Lakeview Hotel could be a candidate to get some new life again perhaps.

Edit: The issue with "selling" that Portage and Main surface lot is last time it was on the market they were asking over $1 million for it. Considering that price was a few years ago and before the Jets returns I wouldn't be surprised is the asking price has gone up.

bomberjet · #**1355** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 8:42 PM**

I understand the if the economics don't work, then don't do it. But really, it's getting quite embarrassing for that family. Failure after embarrassment, followed by more failure, followed by yet more embarrassment...

Only The Lonely.. · #**1356** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

that owner doesn't have the greatest track record of completing projects...if the government is not there to step in and take it over they seem to die.

hopefully they sell the site to someone who can do something with it.

Once I saw the bush league condo web site filled with google images of random hotels, asking for $600/square foot, I knew that part would never fly...the WTC was always iffy...they bring no capital to the project, putting all the risk on a developer.....I did think the hotel would work, but hotel rates are very low in Winnipeg when compared with downtown construction costs...its a tight business and I think this owner was looking for a bigger return than what they could get.

They did spend a lot of money getting to this point....I'm surprised.

A close friend of mine who is a lawyer at a P&M firm looked at the display suite for One Portage & Main and thought it was terribly overpriced for what the developer was offering.

He makes a decent enough living to own a house on Wellington Cresent, so price wasn't a problem. He just told me that for $500,000 a unit or whatever they wanted, it was pretty underwhelming.

Apparently, the display suite in 201 Portage didn't even have a window. Instead, they 'simulated' the view using a blown up picture.

I found it hard to believe that they really couldn't find an empty suite with windows in that building.

Only The Lonely.. · #**1357** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

And dare I say it the on-off-on-off Lakeview Hotel could be a candidate to get some new life again perhaps.

There will be flying cars, and you and I as seniors will be hiding so as to not be turned into kibble to feed the masses..and there will still be NO hotel on the Lakeview site.

Guaranteed.

I thought at the outset that some of these downtown condo projects would cannibalize each other. Hopefully, Glasshouse and the Fortress Development pull ahead.

I do believe that D-condos is also well on its way to beginning foundation work.

1ajs · #**1358** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 9:40 PM**

they started up on the shoring for the glasshouse/ parkade site this week

trueviking · #**1359** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 10:41 PM**

OTL. I agree. We need to stop talking about lakeview. They have moved on 100%. Trust me. A hotel is not even a remote possibility there. Maybe something else but not a hotel.

Starwood was interested in the WCC hotel but I believe it is someone else now. Hotel margins are very slim in downtown winnipeg.

Flavelle. Don't forget the office tower and times squarish proposal where they unded up demolishing a building and constructing a drive through at 201 portage.

CMHR needed the government to save them just like the stadium.

Come to think if it. What have they built?

roccerfeller · #**1360** Posted **Nov 1, 2013, 10:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

that owner doesn't have the greatest track record of completing projects...if the government is not there to step in and take it over they seem to die.

hopefully they sell the site to someone who can do something with it.

Once I saw the bush league condo web site filled with google images of random hotels, asking for $600/square foot, I knew that part would never fly...the WTC was always iffy...they bring no capital to the project, putting all the risk on a developer.....I did think the hotel would work, but hotel rates are very low in Winnipeg when compared with downtown construction costs...its a tight business and I think this owner was looking for a bigger return than what they could get.

They did spend a lot of money getting to this point....I'm surprised.

disappointing to hear.

well, here's hoping to something better one day going on that site...