Saskatoon Construction III - Page 74

EpicPonyTime · #**1461** Posted **Oct 7, 2018, 7:10 AM**

Just got back into Saskatoon for Thanksgiving and took a drive around. So many new changes since I was last here in July: two new bridges have opened (I really did miss entering downtown over the Victoria Bridge), the USask arena is finished, the towers downtown are progressing nicely... even Martensville has its new overpass open.

Really cool to see so much development in such little time.

prairieguy · #**1462** Posted **Oct 8, 2018, 2:10 PM**

Traffic Bridge
I won't ramble on about what I thought this bridge should/could have been, but will say that my wife and I went for a walk on Saturday afternoon and crossed this bridge. It was very nice to experience the much wider pedestrian walkways and also to see the large number of people that were out walking and biking. I DO have to comment on the fact that there were FAR MORE people walking and biking across it then there were cars....just saying!

I thought the other nice touch was the concrete walkway is stamped to look like lumber planks....I guess an ode to the old wooden walkway.

I still think this bridge could be "dressed up" a bit more, but it was a pleasant experience and vista walking across it!

prairieguy · #**1463** Posted **Oct 8, 2018, 2:14 PM**

Urban Capital community meeting

Just a reminder to ALL of you out there to please try and attend the community information meeting for the Urban Capital/Victory Major development for Broadway...I believe this Wednesday...does someone have confirmation of date and time and location?

It is so important for people that support projects like this to attend the community meetings as they tend to draw out the NIMBY"s in full force!

mitchellk12 · #**1464** Posted **Oct 8, 2018, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Urban Capital community meeting

Just a reminder to ALL of you out there to please try and attend the community information meeting for the Urban Capital/Victory Major development for Broadway...I believe this Wednesday...does someone have confirmation of date and time and location?

It is so important for people that support projects like this to attend the community meetings as they tend to draw out the NIMBY"s in full force!

Nutana school at 7pm in the local gym on wednesday the 10th. i have an attachment on my work email. I will probably be attending.

Wyku · #**1465** Posted **Oct 9, 2018, 3:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Traffic Bridge
I won't ramble on about what I thought this bridge should/could have been, but will say that my wife and I went for a walk on Saturday afternoon and crossed this bridge. It was very nice to experience the much wider pedestrian walkways and also to see the large number of people that were out walking and biking. I DO have to comment on the fact that there were FAR MORE people walking and biking across it then there were cars....just saying!

I thought the other nice touch was the concrete walkway is stamped to look like lumber planks....I guess an ode to the old wooden walkway.

I still think this bridge could be "dressed up" a bit more, but it was a pleasant experience and vista walking across it!

My wife and I took a detour home down the new Central extension and across the new North bridge and we both remarked at how odd/cool it was to see so many people walking and biking around on the new paths that were also put in so it wasn't just the Victoria bridge that got some pedestrian/cyclist love

. Worst thing about the new North bridge: you can't see anything while you're on it with the giant cement barricades

.

alt_center · #**1466** Posted **Oct 9, 2018, 3:32 PM**

I heard a rumour, third or fourth hand, that Escala will begin construction in Feb.

My opinion (for the last time i promise)... The Victoria Bridge (I and everyone I know has called it that for 40+ years) was a gigantic missed opportunity. IMHO it is right up there with the Sask Place location as a monument to lack of vision and an ode to the almighty car.

Obviously in this case we must accept what we have chosen and move on but that does not mean we have to be content with the myopic planning in this city. We must not forget these mistakes whist striving for a better future.

But, the wide dual walkways are very nice. The single directional lanes and small traffic circle act as calming measures so at least traffic isn't flying through River Landing at breakneck speeds.

ToonTownRob · #**1467** Posted **Oct 9, 2018, 10:44 PM**

While I have been bothered by long views and aerial photos of the Victoria bridge, the human scale experience was very nice. Wide walkways with the molded plank concrete, the jut-out viewpoints along the way, the views of RL and the Remai are spektakular (think Martin Short in Father of the Bride). In a strange surprising way, the less traffic centric approaches on and off the bridge made this feel more like a bridge for pedestrians/cyclists with a couple of lanes for cars than the other way around. It ties in nicely with the parks and people places on each side while all of the other bridges ignore them. The superstructure gives it a quaintness that I probably used to miss on the old version because I was too busy being terrified.

While I have been dead set against the design and even the need for this bridge, I have to admit... I’m a fan.

Stormer · #**1468** Posted **Oct 9, 2018, 11:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToonTownRob

While I have been bothered by long views and aerial photos of the Victoria bridge, the human scale experience was very nice. Wide walkways with the molded plank concrete, the jut-out viewpoints along the way, the views of RL and the Remai are spektakular (think Martin Short in Father of the Bride). In a strange surprising way, the less traffic centric approaches on and off the bridge made this feel more like a bridge for pedestrians/cyclists with a couple of lanes for cars than the other way around. It ties in nicely with the parks and people places on each side while all of the other bridges ignore them. The superstructure gives it a quaintness that I probably used to miss on the old version because I was too busy being terrified.

While I have been dead set against the design and even the need for this bridge, I have to admit... I’m a fan.

Pictures Please! Your descriptions are vivid but...

prairieguy · #**1469** Posted **Oct 10, 2018, 5:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitchellk12

Nutana school at 7pm in the local gym on wednesday the 10th. i have an attachment on my work email. I will probably be attending.

Tonight!!! Please come out and show your support for the Urban Capital project and see if we can at least get the ratio of NIMBY's to supporters at around 70/30....haha....cause you know the NIMBY"s will be motivated and activated!

blammo · #**1470** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 2:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Temperance

I heard (on fairly good authority) that Mountain Equipment Coop will be one of the tenants in the Sears location.

It looks like MEC will be taking over the entire food court space at Midtown once those renos begin.

saskatoonborn · #**1471** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 1:57 PM**

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...toon-1.4858173

I was there last night and there were 3 back to back speaches near the end supporting the tower each recieving applause, more applause than any of the against arguments. I noticed that the structure of the meeting gives the complainers all the power, the supporters basicly had to hijack part of the q&a period. You could tell that there was definately a mood change on from everyone involved with the project, like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. The guy from the city leading the whole meeting looked stunned when these guys went off. I dont think he was expecting any support much less all the applause the 3 gentleman recieved.

Not to get to insensitive here but the average age of a non supporter speaking out about traffic or parking was about 65. I think that the city is doing a good job right now at trying to plan the city for the future and less for the past. I suspect this project will see council support.

And of course BRT came up so there are some dates in November tht are coming up for the community to discuss that I guess. Hopefully some of us are able to go to those. Sorry I have to look into the dates I dont have them off the top of my head. It would be stupid to put it 2 blocks away on a residential street and to have only one stop at the end of broadway would be a massively missed opportunity.

SaskE30 · #**1472** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 2:37 PM**

I was also at the meeting last night and although I was disappointed by all the people who were against the project with the typical NIMBY complaints, I can't say I was surprised.

Here is a video of the "20-something consultant" voicing his support for the project. I talked to the project team after the meeting and they were cautiously optimistic about it going through as is.

https://twitter.com/gq_in_sk/status/1050217879700815872

prairieguy · #**1473** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 2:54 PM**

I too was at the meeting and thought that it had a FAR more positive feel then the one I attended for the College and Clarence project! Yes, there were the usual complaints about traffic and parking, but in comparison to the North Ridge project it was very evident from the loud and extended applause for the young man who spoke in favour of the project, that many (if not majority) in attendance were in favour of it!

I also spoke to the developer after the meeting to share that although the young man spoke from a perspective of his generation (millennials) his comments also aligned to many in my generation (mid 50's). He was grateful for the support and said that in his experience with meetings like this, it is has been very unusual for those in support to actual express it at these meetings....so he was very excited about that.

Based on my experience at the two meetings, I feel this project has far more community support then the North Ridge one...but I do hope they both proceed.

I also spoke to the young man in person after the meeting thanking and congratulating him for speaking so well. He said once he started...he kind of let go with years of frustration...haha. Well it worked! If you are a member of this forum...congrats, man!

mitchellk12 · #**1474** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 3:12 PM**

I was there too. I think the people who spoke at the end have changed some perspectives a bit. It was my first public meeting, was interesting to see how everyone reacted and was glad that there was alot of positive comments for it. The people against the project due to parking and traffic have to understand that not everyone will own a vehicle as i think thats the main concern. I think they understand it wont change the character but its just another reason to say no to it being built.

Im sure when the Luxe was proposed or Luther tower there were a few opinions on them.

Looking forward to see whats next in this proposal, im hoping MVA and council push it forward, its also a big step in infill strategy and staying committed to it.

saskatoonborn · #**1475** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 3:18 PM**

It seems like people believe one condo tower is going to turn their side streets into 33rd street. Its crazy.

tenraptors · #**1476** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 3:25 PM**

I attended the meeting last night as well and was happy to see so much support for this project.

After the comments of support near the end of the Q&A period, a woman next to me whispered to her husband "they must have brought in ringers" - as if everyone who has a different opinion from the dissenters are paid shills. Frustrating!

alt_center · #**1477** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 5:26 PM**

I too attended the meeting last night. I am really old (I admit it) and the old folks I sat beside obviously assumed I was there to oppose it, because cars (what else matters?). They railed against it but I did not tip my hand.

When I started applauding enthusiastically after Jay's impassioned impromptu speech, I think the old lady next to me just about had a coronary!! The looks I got from the NIMBYs around me were priceless!! It was absolutely fantastic!

I too voiced my support to the developers afterwards.

YXE · #**1478** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 5:39 PM**

Really glad to see there was some support there last night. Thanks to some of you who attended from this forum. Saskatoon is lucky to have a big Toronto developer willing to take risks in our city. Let's hope that all will proceed with getting approval for this development, units will sell well, and then maybe we can start to talk about Parcel D/E.

I read an article that said getting approval from the city will take a couple months. Does that mean we could see this project begin potentially in the spring? Is that realistic?

roryn1 · #**1479** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 5:41 PM**

Hopefully the smoothness of this tower entices more developers from out of town to look at other building opportunities here. That one lady that said "We are not Halifax" lol.... Um yes we are basically on the way to becoming bigger than Halifax.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...toon-1.4858173

mitchellk12 · #**1480** Posted **Oct 11, 2018, 5:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by YXE

Really glad to see there was some support there last night. Thanks to some of you who attended from this forum. Saskatoon is lucky to have a big Toronto developer willing to take risks in our city. Let's hope that all will proceed with getting approval for this development, units will sell well, and then maybe we can start to talk about Parcel D/E.

I read an article that said getting approval from the city will take a couple months. Does that mean we could see this project begin potentially in the spring? Is that realistic?

i anticipate that we will hear something about parcel D/E next year. last article mentioned they wanted to wait until the condo/hotel were completed i believe.