Saskatoon | Baydo Towers | ??m - ??m | 25-25 Floors | U/C

[Ricopedra]

edit

[roryn1]

There was a couple of weeks there where I thought I was losing my sanity over the magnitude 3 or so 7am-5pm earthquakes - like when your body is shaking for that long it doesn’t seem to mentally end when they stop at the end of the day lol. The piles sticking out the most are the ones that they were very aggressively shaking to try and get in - I’m curious how they will still get them in - i pray the shaking is over and they just dig them down...

Try having work from home meetings and focusing while your desk is vibrating. I think they could have been nicer to their neighbors and spent a bit more on a better sheet piler or something... It was not a fun time - but am still excited for my new neighbors.

[Ricopedra]

edit

[roryn1]

Very exciting times - I hope this project gets people realizing that 5th and 25th is clearly the most population and tax dense part of the city. Let’s treat it that way (currently is not treated that way with a hodge podge of sidewalks that wouldn’t be acceptable at River landing, 5th Ave was supposed to be repaved this year because it’s in such bad shape but wasn’t, safety patrolling is very minimal compared to river landing, city owned boulevards are not maintained close to as nice as River Landing). 25th and 5th is the center of our downtown.

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by roryn1

Very exciting times - I hope this project gets people realizing that 5th and 25th is clearly the most population and tax dense part of the city. Let’s treat it that way (currently is not treated that way with a hodge podge of sidewalks that wouldn’t be acceptable at River landing, 5th Ave was supposed to be repaved this year because it’s in such bad shape but wasn’t, safety patrolling is very minimal compared to river landing, city owned boulevards are not maintained close to as nice as River Landing). 25th and 5th is the center of our downtown.

But 25th doesn't have citizens driving their 3/4-tons in from Evergreen and taking a stroll along said sidewalks, does it???

I agree though, the city allowing for endless outward expansion leaving it with more roads and sidewalks to maintain makes no sense when the heavily used infrastructure in the core is left to waste.

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by roryn1

Very exciting times - I hope this project gets people realizing that 5th and 25th is clearly the most population and tax dense part of the city. Let’s treat it that way (currently is not treated that way with a hodge podge of sidewalks that wouldn’t be acceptable at River landing, 5th Ave was supposed to be repaved this year because it’s in such bad shape but wasn’t, safety patrolling is very minimal compared to river landing, city owned boulevards are not maintained close to as nice as River Landing). 25th and 5th is the center of our downtown.

This is quite off topic, but about a year ago plans were announced to remove and replace lead pipes along 5th ave. This was after a national study revealed that Saskatoon has high rates of lead-tainted water. It would have been a significant project that I imagine would have involved rebuilding substantial portions of the roadway and sidewalks (perhaps to the standards they deserve). However, those plans were shelved almost immediately after the pandemic began.

Lead pipes are a significant public health issue, and I hope that plans to remove them from 5th ave can be carried out once it's deemed safe to do so.

[BlackDog204]

Saskatoon keeps on winning. It's a city I would not mind moving to if rent is affordable.

[saskatoonborn]

Originally Posted by Roquentin

This is quite off topic, but about a year ago plans were announced to remove and replace lead pipes along 5th ave. This was after a national study revealed that Saskatoon has high rates of lead-tainted water. It would have been a significant project that I imagine would have involved rebuilding substantial portions of the roadway and sidewalks (perhaps to the standards they deserve). However, those plans were shelved almost immediately after the pandemic began.

Lead pipes are a significant public health issue, and I hope that plans to remove them from 5th ave can be carried out once it's deemed safe to do so.

To clarify, Saskatoons water is not tainted with lead, The source water is perfectly fine and treated well. If you don't live in an old inner city neighborhood you have little to worry about. The problem is that these old neighborhoods have lead lines and can be a source of contamination. This is the same in every North American city from the same time period.

That same study also said Saskatoon had a model program for removal and was one of the furthest along in replacement in North America. I think the program is supposed to wrap up by 2025 or so

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

To clarify, Saskatoons water is not tainted with lead, The source water is perfectly fine and treated well. If you don't live in an old inner city neighborhood you have little to worry about. The problem is that these old neighborhoods have lead lines and can be a source of contamination. This is the same in every North American city from the same time period.

Sure the source is fine and the water is treated well, but you can't claim that "Saskatoon's water is not tainted with lead." In truth, you don't really claim that, because you contradict yourself almost immediately. Anyway, here's a headline from last year: "Saskatchewan residents have some of highest levels of lead-tainted water in Canada."

https://globalnews.ca/news/6120813/s...tainted-water/

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

That same study also said Saskatoon had a model program for removal and was one of the furthest along in replacement in North America. I think the program is supposed to wrap up by 2025 or so

This is all good news. I believe completion is currently set for 2026. As well, according to the city's website, the project will be done in conjunction with water main and road upgrades --- I take this to signal nice preparations for future growth in the core.

[saskatoonborn]

Originally Posted by Roquentin

Sure the source is fine and the water is treated well, but you can't claim that "Saskatoon's water is not tainted with lead." In truth, you don't really claim that, because you contradict yourself almost immediately.

I don't think I did, Saskatoons water as a whole isn't tainted with lead. There are small geographic zones within the older parts of the city that do have lead lines and are. My point is you wont have to worry about lead if your house was built after 1950 which most are. Then even if you are in a home pre1950 those lines may have already been replaced. Plus in Saskatoon they are replacing the line right up to the house. Of course its wise to check in older neighborhoods.

Your original comment made it seem like all of the water here is bad. Thats not the case at all.

On a side note a buddy of mine had his place done last year. They cut a hole in hour basement floor and directional drill right up into it and then reconnect your water lines from what I understand.

[Ricopedra]

edit

[Ricopedra]

edit

[Roquentin]

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

I don't think I did, Saskatoons water as a whole isn't tainted with lead. There are small geographic zones within the older parts of the city that do have lead lines and are. My point is you wont have to worry about lead if your house was built after 1950 which most are. Then even if you are in a home pre1950 those lines may have already been replaced. Plus in Saskatoon they are replacing the line right up to the house. Of course its wise to check in older neighborhoods.

Your original comment made it seem like all of the water here is bad. Thats not the case at all.

Of course not all of the city's water is bad, but you said that "Saskatoon's water is not tainted with lead," and that "If you don't live in an old inner city neighborhood you have little to worry about. The problem is that these old neighborhoods have lead lines and can be a source of contamination." This is a contradiction unless you don't consider inner city neighborhoods to be part of Saskatoon (and I'm not suggesting you don't, of course, only that phrasing things so broadly seemed to diminish a legitimate issue within the city). The fact that Saskatoon's core neighborhoods have some of the highest levels of lead-tainted water in Canada isn't something to gloss over - and indeed it isn't being glossed over, with the city's aggressive plans to remove lead pipes in mind, which you've highlighted. My original point was simply that those plans have been delayed by the pandemic, and that I hope lead-pipe removal will continue as soon as it's safe to do so. It's the kind of thing that shouldn't fall off the radar.

Anyway, all of that is a departure from this thread's focus on whatever Baydo has in store for us here. From the sounds of it, damage they cause to surrounding roads and infrastructure will be answered somewhat by the city's plans to remove lead pipes in the area and rebuild streets and sidewalks.

[Ricopedra]

edit

[asdfgh]

Originally Posted by Ricopedra

After a couple of weeks now, have the steel sheet pilings gone down at all? Does the site look a bit more uniform and professional?>) Again, it might be because they're hitting rocks or debris, but as they dig, the dirt looks pretty uniform. I don't know, that's for sure. From what I understand, there's no reason the pilings should be so eclectic and miss-mashed unless they're hitting underground obstacles. Any visual updates? And are neighbours still complaining?

Word is that they hit some major boulders on the south side, resulting in them needing to start excavating to remove the boulders.

[roryn1]

That makes sense. The seismic activity in my condo from their sheet piling a full block away was not at all normal or healthy for our 1960’s building. They must do a different process in other cities... our city should be one of the easiest to get sheet piling in.

[asdfgh]

Originally Posted by roryn1

That makes sense. The seismic activity in my condo from their sheet piling a full block away was not at all normal or healthy for our 1960’s building. They must do a different process in other cities... our city should be one of the easiest to get sheet piling in.

Yeah, what I heard was that the sheet piling on the north side went in as expected, nice and smoothly, but obviously on the south side they hit some massive boulders. So it's too bad, but it now makes sense how much it was impacting your building. Hopefully the excavation goes quickly and they can get building soon. I've been amazed at how quickly the Baydo Broadway project went up once they actually started placing the steal frame. I assume they'll use a similar process with the 25th st project, so once they get the foundation and underground parking, hopefully things will similarly go quickly.

[Ricopedra]

edit

[roryn1]

they’re now cutting the sheets. is that normal?

[Dalreg]

Yes. If they have hit bedrock in that section there is no need to try to go further.