Winnipeg | Osborne Village & Fort Rouge

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by DancingDuck

6 stories ~100 residential units plus a few commercial units on Osborne, and then a 4 story ~65 residential unit on each of the parking lots... What a huge boost to the area that would be

This would seem to the the perfect project for the area. I hope it goes through!

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

Fingers crossed for this! This would be really good news for the Village. Although if I remember right this was also more or less the plan proposed by the last owners (condos in those two parking lots) and we can see how far they got with it

Previous developer wanted to go higher than 7 stories but the city would not allow a variance to the areas high restrictions.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Previous developer wanted to go higher than 7 stories but the city would not allow a variance to the areas high restrictions.

really? the story i thought i read here was that they planned to just reno the original Osborne Village Motor Inn, started into it, ran into structural issues, which turned into delays and $ issues, which saw their intended tenants (motollas) bail, and everything ground to a halt.

is there a link to the committee meeting where the city rejected a variance?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

really? the story i thought i read here was that they planned to just reno the original Osborne Village Motor Inn, started into it, ran into structural issues, which turned into delays and $ issues, which saw their intended tenants (motollas) bail, and everything ground to a halt.

is there a link to the committee meeting where the city rejected a variance?

That was plan B, plan A was to demolish the village in and build over 7 stories but it was denied. You can go back. Through this thread and find the CBC radio interview where they talked about this.

Edit, here is the source:

An interesting segment concerning the restrictions in developing and densification of Osborne Village, the current neighbourhood development plans holds back densifiction with a four storey height limit in most areas and developers argue they can build higher in the suburbs without additional approvals and they want the plan changed and updated which is hasnt been since 2001.

a quote from the segment:

[michelleb]

Overpriced "micro" apartments always seemed like a dubious idea.

Private Pension Partners have completed a number of real estate developments recently. They seem more capable of actually getting this done. http://privatepensionpartners.com/projects/

[esquire]

That project in the photo above looks great, and it doesn't really look farfetched in any way. It looks like a a very feasible plan... hopefully we'll see it happen.

That microapartments in the OVI plan was simply an embarrassment.

[wardlow]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

That was plan B, plan A was to demolish the village in and build over 7 stories but it was denied. You can go back. Through this thread and find the CBC radio interview where they talked about this.

Edit, here is the source:

Yep, the height limit here is four storeys, like it is in most of Osborne Village.

[bomberjet]

4 storey height limit in the most dense neighbourhood in Winnipeg? When the tallest residential buildings in the City are sitting right there in OV. That seems ridiculous to me. I wonder what could've been with all the low rise infill that's gone on.

[Wpg_Guy]

From the Osborne Village Neighbourhood Plan

http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/View...ctionId=143250

[bomberjet]

That's unfortunate. River and Stradbrook should be free to develop mid to highrises. Feels like the area is being held back to preserve low rise neighborhood.

Almost the same scenario for St. Boniface. It could be so much more, but is held back by the existing neighbourhood and residents. Which is understandable I suppose. But disappointing. There is virtually no area of the City where a dense, urban feel is being generated.

[EspionNoir]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

That's unfortunate. River and Stradbrook should be free to develop mid to highrises. Feels like the area is being held back to preserve low rise neighborhood.

Almost the same scenario for St. Boniface. It could be so much more, but is held back by the existing neighbourhood and residents. Which is understandable I suppose. But disappointing. There is virtually no area of the City where a dense, urban feel is being generated.

Downtown is getting dense

[esquire]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

That's unfortunate. River and Stradbrook should be free to develop mid to highrises. Feels like the area is being held back to preserve low rise neighborhood.

A "low rise neighbourhood" that has had multiple 30+ storey residential buildings for 50 years.

This Osborne Village height limit is absurd, particularly along Osborne St and River Ave. Looking at the plan, there is hardly anywhere that a developer could realistically build even so much as an 8 storey building.

[buzzg]

The biggest problem with ridiculous limits on heights like this in the city's densest neighbourhood, is that soon prices will start to skyrocket – and what is currently quite a diverse neighbourhood will become unaffordable for most people.

On the OVI note though – that looks great. I do have to say though, I'm a little surprised that they wouldn't want to (re)build a boutique hotel there. I'd be Sparrow or someone else would be interested. Not only would a nice small hotel there likely do very well (who wouldn't want to stay in OV?), but you could have a vendor – which just rakes in cash.

It's pretty shitty that there'd be nowhere to buy beer after the LC closes.

[esquire]

^ Kind of unfortunate that Osborne Village doesn't have a real hotel in the middle of the area. Even the Exchange is kind of underserved in that regard, the only hotels are on the outer fringes of the area which removes them somewhat (Mere, the Fairmont). Having decent hotels in the middle of the area would provide a real lift to the surroundings.

[buzzg]

Don't forget about Mariaggi's!! Haha

I think it's only a matter of time before someone opens a boutique hotel in the west Exchange. Or even East closer to Main. Between some of the old historic hotels, other (mostly) vacant buildings, and numerous surface lots still left – there's lots of viable options.

OV is another story though. There isn't really any existing buildings that would be good to convert, and there's no land that wouldn't require demolition of an existing (in-use/profitable) building to open one. Only existing one I could see it working would be Meiji Sushi building – but that would be a massive price tag. On top of that, I can't imagine a hotel being approved anywhere other than right on Osborne, unless it was in the first few properties off Osborne on River or Stradbrook. Exchange has a ton of options.

[factis]

Anyone keeping track of how long the space above shoppers drug mart has been vacant?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by factis

Anyone keeping track of how long the space above shoppers drug mart has been vacant?

Funny you should mention that, I was just thinking about the same thing when I passed by yesterday.

But to answer the question, right from day one. So, since 2013.

[Kris22]

Originally Posted by esquire

Funny you should mention that, I was just thinking about the same thing when I passed by yesterday.

But to answer the question, right from day one. So, since 2013.

It seems like the type of a space a doctor's or dentist's office might go. Something that is more of a destination visit than in need of foot traffic to pop in.

[Ando]

Originally Posted by esquire

A "low rise neighbourhood" that has had multiple 30+ storey residential buildings for 50 years.

This Osborne Village height limit is absurd, particularly along Osborne St and River Ave. Looking at the plan, there is hardly anywhere that a developer could realistically build even so much as an 8 storey building.

I hear there are these two places St. Charles and Royal Albert in the Exchange that would make great boutique hotels ...

[EdwardTH]

Re: the Osborne height limits - I'm not the most knowledgeable about this stuff so maybe someone can explain, can't they just apply for a variance or whatever? Doesn't that happen all the time? The height limit for the motor inn site makes zero sense and I assume council would see that if they challenged it