Winnipeg - Of Interest - Page 76

vid · #**1501** Posted **Jan 28, 2010, 2:38 AM**

Please note that FCPP, Demographia and Wendell Cox are the Greenpeace, PETA and Al Gore of urban sprawl.

JustinL · #**1502** Posted **Feb 2, 2010, 11:59 PM**

The downtown Pizza Hut has closed over the weekend (or perhaps sooner, but I just noticed it on Saturday). Not that I'd ever eat there, so good riddance, but I live pretty much across the street and there's no sign as to what will become of the red roofed restaurant.

DowntownWpg · #**1503** Posted **Feb 3, 2010, 2:07 AM**

Yeah, the Pizza Hut dining room has always seemed so dead whenever I walk by, regardless of the day or time. I've always assumed it has kept in business because of deliveries, as it is a central location in the city. I wouldn't mind seeing a proper Salisbury House move in there. Seriously.

Kinda related - and maybe a nail in Pizza Hut's coffin - Boston Pizza in City Place has seemed to do a lot of business since it has opened. At least, the lounge is usually always busy, and the whole restaurant can be jam-packed prior to MTS Centre events.

dsim249 · #**1504** Posted **Feb 3, 2010, 4:32 AM**

This is what has become of an old Pizza Hut in Saskatoon. Avocado Fresh Mexican Grill, a Calgary based chain. I think they did pretty good on the transformation, considering it was a Pizza Hut.

And I don't think anyone has looked back since. I have a feeling people will have similar sentiments towards Winnipeg's DT Pizza Hut as well.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=5...30.32,,2,-2.89

JustinL · #**1505** Posted **Feb 3, 2010, 5:35 AM**

^^^Nice. Yea, I'd honestly be happy if it turns into just about anything (other than a parking lot). I'd be estatic if a half decent restaurant moved in

JustinL · #**1506** Posted **Feb 3, 2010, 5:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DowntownWpg

Kinda related - and maybe a nail in Pizza Hut's coffin - Boston Pizza in City Place has seemed to do a lot of business since it has opened. At least, the lounge is usually always busy, and the whole restaurant can be jam-packed prior to MTS Centre events.

Yup. Boston pizza doesnt' always have fantastic food, but it's wayyy better than pizza hut. Their sports bar is always bumpin', just about any night of the week, and it isn't a bad place to enjoy food/drinks/ and some televised sports.

rrskylar · #**1507** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 4:32 PM**

CJOB's revolving door continues..

CJOB changes host on afternoon drive show

CJOB has officially appointed Karen Black as its afternoon drive-show host.

"We've made a programming change," the station's acting programming director, Kevin Wallace, said Wednesday.

Laurie Langcastor (pictured), who'd been handling drive-show duties for just over a year, has left CJOB's employ, Wallace said.

Black had been subbing for Langcastor for much of January. She had been music director and midday announcer at QX-104.

The Corus Entertainment-owned CJOB, located at 680 on the AM band, is Winnipeg's top-rated radio signal.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 4, 2010 D2

vid · #**1508** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 7:01 PM**

Our Pizza Huts are now an Arby's and a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet. Both are better than Pizza Hut.

JustinL · #**1509** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 8:34 PM**

^^^ Indeed, it doesn't take much to outclass Pizza Hut.

Anyways, shameless reason to post this picture, but here's the view from my balcony, Pizza hut surounded by surface lots on the upper right. Ughhh!

Biff · #**1510** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 8:44 PM**

There should be at least 9 more buildings in that picture - instead we get 9 square, empty parcels of land eaten up by surface lots.

Jeff · #**1511** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 8:46 PM**

great view!

but wow, those parking lots just look horrible! especially considering they're completely empty after 5pm and on weekends barring an event at the arena..

Kris22 · #**1512** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 9:07 PM**

Why all the hate for Pizza Hut?? I've always thought of it as the McDonalds of pizza chains. It's greasy and has the unique "pizza hut" flavour that scares me because it's indescribable with any other words. Mmmm.

That stretch of Donald near York is atrocious. I hate walking through there.

h0twired · #**1513** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 9:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

There should be at least 9 more buildings in that picture - instead we get 9 square, empty parcels of land eaten up by surface lots.

If there was a demand and a market for condos, office towers or apartments, there would be no surface lots in that picture.

Unfortunately commercial lease rates are too low to justify an office tower, construction costs make new condo towers too expensive for potential buyers, and rent controls make it impossible for new apartments to compete with existing apartment buildings.

So instead, we have empty lots being used as parking lots until the market improves.

bryanscott · #**1514** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 9:55 PM**

That photo is so bleak. I love it.

vid · #**1515** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 10:35 PM**

There is probably more parking on that one block in the foreground than there is in our entire downtown.

ILYR · #**1516** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 10:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0twired

If there was a demand and a market for condos, office towers or apartments, there would be no surface lots in that picture.

... rent controls make it impossible for new apartments to compete with existing apartment buildings.

So instead, we have empty lots being used as parking lots until the market improves.

I agree. The amazing thing is rental unit vacancy rates are historically low in Winnipeg (1%). There actually is a demand for apartment blocks. The city wants more people living downtown, but the rent controls make building high rise apartment towers unattractive. What we need is some major incentives (grants, taxes etc) to lure developers to build high rise apartments downtown on these surface lots. I believe in some sort of rent control (meaning a reasonable increase each year), but if it is restricting building to the point where no construction or renovations are going forward, there is a problem. I could easily see 4 high rise apartment blocks going up on those pads and each would be full within a year.

vid · #**1517** Posted **Feb 4, 2010, 11:37 PM**

Thunder Bay's rental vacancies are barely 2% and we have been seeing the amount of apartments decline, with no rent controls that I know of. No affordable apartments are proposed and the district housing corporation hasn't built anything for about 15 years.

viperred88 · #**1518** Posted **Feb 5, 2010, 3:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

There should be at least 9 more buildings in that picture - instead we get 9 square, empty parcels of land eaten up by surface lots.

'Welcome to the jungle
We got fun 'n' games
We got everything you want
Honey we know the names
We are the people that can find
Whatever you may need
If you got the money honey
We got your disease ...' ,Guns & Roses lyrics

In my words welcome to the concrete jungle, baby.

Jets4Life · #**1519** Posted **Feb 5, 2010, 4:13 AM**

I would love to see that Pizza Hut razed, and for a bold developer to place a high rise condo or apartment where it stood. The answer to Winnipeg's downtown woes is to entice more people to live in the area. It's not a bad area either. Fairly close to Broadway, and close to all transit routes.

JustinL · #**1520** Posted **Feb 5, 2010, 5:14 AM**

It's a great area, to me. You've got the MTS centre, millenium library, the forks, (and just all the things we have downtown in general) within walking distance (Maybe not in Jan-Feb

), on top of the things you mention. The big problem is these surface lots really take away from any vibrance this particular aree has. Even if 1 or 2 residential buildings went up on these lots I think we'd see a significant positive change in this neighbourhood. Seems like such a missed opportunity for Winnipeg, though it's clear nothing is ever as easy at it seems.