Winnipeg's Exchange District | East/West | Development - Page 46

esquire · #**901** Posted **Aug 12, 2015, 4:20 PM**

^ lol

Simplicity · #**902** Posted **Aug 12, 2015, 4:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

This stuff is pretty mainstream now, though. 10 years ago you really had to go out of your way to find craft brews, and the weird vac-pot coffee making contraptions were the kind of thing you might see in an obscure shop in Tokyo. These days, you can find craft beer at the local MLCC, and any Winnipeg neighbourhood with actual pedestrian traffic has an artisanal café or two. I figure once something starts becoming a common sight in Winnipeg, it's fair to assume it's on its way to becoming mainstream.

So what are self-conscious image seekers moving on to next?

I don't know if that's true. Each of these places carves out its own little identity. I don't think it's cynical to suggest that the owners of Parlour Coffee knew that a second location would offend the delicate sensibilities of its core audience, so they called the other one Little Sister. And independent coffee shops are not a new fad, they're just time-sensitive. Little Sister was once Fuel Coffee. They serve a particular demographic in a certain geographic area at a certain point in the area's development until they don't. And that's because barring a select few, people aren't generally subversive and intentionally counter-cultural their entire lives given that it's terribly inconvenient and overly-expensive to be so.

People mostly also age out of giving a shit. Eventually it's in most people's best interest to just go with the flow because it's convenient, good for business, and it's what everybody else is doing. If that weren't the case, there would be adults lining the boundaries of kids soccer games everywhere looking like broken down emo kids in their eye-liner and studded chokers or feathering their hair out like David Cassidy. Not that there aren't still a few...

Still. Nothing is new in this world. The brewing of coffee and beer are both trades thousands of years old, so we're not uncovering things heretofore unknown. We're just selling the small differences from the norm as a lifestyle choice and that will cycle out too. The conspicuous consumption of the 80's gave way to the more counter-cultural sensibilities of the 90's gave way to the conspicuous consumption of the 00's. It's merely rebellion. The only difference is that 30 is the new 20.

As for what comes next? I don't know. Look to Brooklyn. You'll see that in Toronto in 3 years, and you'll see it in Winnipeg in 5.

biguc · #**903** Posted **Aug 12, 2015, 6:43 PM**

Sweeeet. I hear they might build a supertall in Brooklyn.

More seriously, though, Little Sister's coffee is actually cheaper than Starbucks' across the street, making going there more crafty-consumeral than counter-cultural.

Simplicity · #**904** Posted **Aug 12, 2015, 7:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by biguc

Sweeeet. I hear they might build a supertall in Brooklyn.

More seriously, though, Little Sister's coffee is actually cheaper than Starbucks' across the street, making going there more crafty-consumeral than counter-cultural.

Yes, but can you leave Little Sister by jumping out of the roof? I know I can after Starbucks.

Portmanteau · #**905** Posted **Aug 13, 2015, 8:50 PM**

Looks like the future residents of Galpern/Porter will be getting their own rooftop patio.

1ajs · #**906** Posted **Aug 15, 2015, 2:18 PM**

There's one on top of the taller building as well

Tacheguy · #**907** Posted **Aug 18, 2015, 1:17 AM**

the Forks is giving a public update on the railside and parcel 4 developments. august20 at five pm. market building. wish I could attend.

trueviking · #**908** Posted **Aug 18, 2015, 4:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

the Forks is giving a public update on the railside and parcel 4 developments. august20 at five pm. market building. wish I could attend.

It will be more a discussion of the key ideas than a presentation of a specific master plan. There has been an evolution in design thinking since the last public presentation.

Simplicity · #**909** Posted **Aug 18, 2015, 1:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

It will be more a discussion of the key ideas than a presentation of a specific master plan. There has been an evolution in design thinking since the last public presentation.

Serious question: does this have anything to do with having difficulty in finding a developer to partner with?

buzzg · #**910** Posted **Aug 18, 2015, 6:48 PM**

Saw some work going on inside of the two buildings for sale beside Fairchild on Princess. There is a sprinkler systems van parked outside, so not sure if it was just maintenance or inspection for a potential buyer.

trueviking · #**911** Posted **Aug 19, 2015, 2:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Serious question: does this have anything to do with having difficulty in finding a developer to partner with?

No. The driving force is a re-examination of the plan's character and urban quality. Although I think there are some market realities that are more appropriately addressed with smaller scale, more projects etc.

Simplicity · #**912** Posted **Aug 19, 2015, 2:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueviking

No. The driving force is a re-examination of the plan's character and urban quality. Although I think there are some market realities that are more appropriately addressed with smaller scale, more projects etc.

Cool. I look forward to seeing it. Smaller scale over more projects will bring those land values closer in line with what's probably realistic. Allow the developers to take profits more frequently with less risk over time and you'll stand a much better chance. The idea of high-rise in that area probably leaves it undeveloped forever even if you're giving the land away.

I suspect we'll see rentals before we ever see condos.

buzzg · #**913** Posted **Aug 20, 2015, 9:46 PM**

I know it's too late and kinda kicking a dead horse... But i don't understand why Hydro couldn't have just built a one extra level (2storey) parkade on the existing surface lot across from Calvary... I'm no engineer but I'd guess that may have been cheaper, easier, and better than the amount of work it's taken to tear down and dig up that whole group of buildings... There's been so much work there.

Hell I'd rather have the most basic plain concrete parkade there on what was already a surface lot) then have the mess that's gonna be there now.

cllew · #**914** Posted **Aug 21, 2015, 12:33 AM**

Consumers Association of Canada would have been all over Hydro at the next PUB hearing for "wasting money" on something that is not directly utility related if they did that.

buzzg · #**915** Posted **Aug 21, 2015, 4:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

Consumers Association of Canada would have been all over Hydro at the next PUB hearing for "wasting money" on something that is not directly utility related if they did that.

How is that any different than "wasting money" essentially expropriating buildings then tearing them down, having to fill in the basements and then building a parking lot on top for another unrelated business?

buzzg · #**916** Posted **Aug 21, 2015, 5:44 PM**

Decided to put this here since there's no Forks thread (there should be)... But here's the some info on the plans:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...322450112.html

esquire · #**917** Posted **Aug 21, 2015, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

Decided to put this here since there's no Forks thread (there should be)... But here's the some info on the plans:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...322450112.html

If there's one good thing about that whole stupid Canalta debacle from a few years ago, it's that it sent a clear message to everyone involved that the people of Winnipeg take what happens on that site very seriously.

I'm glad that the plans are being carefully considered.

buzzg · #**918** Posted **Aug 21, 2015, 6:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

If there's one good thing about that whole stupid Canalta debacle from a few years ago, it's that it sent a clear message to everyone involved that the people of Winnipeg take what happens on that site very seriously.

I'm glad that the plans are being carefully considered.

I agree. The only thing with this plan is that while I agree they shouldn't "rush" it, I would like them to set a bit more aggressive timelines. This is a 20 year plan, meaning when all is said and done, it will have taken 45 years to develop The Forks...............

Simplicity · #**919** Posted **Aug 23, 2015, 12:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

I agree. The only thing with this plan is that while I agree they shouldn't "rush" it, I would like them to set a bit more aggressive timelines. This is a 20 year plan, meaning when all is said and done, it will have taken 45 years to develop The Forks...............

They're busy planning themselves straight into a declining real estate market, which... of course they are.

The question is who was monitoring the production of the first plan? It was patently evident that there was no consideration for the actual market when those plans were being developed. It's not like Winnipeg has slowed to a point where that plan was feasible two years ago, but isn't any longer or won't be for the foreseeable future. Nobody was ever going to construct 6 high-rises with landscaped parking structures. And they never will. And I get that renders take a little creative liberty in the interests of gussying up what would otherwise be banal EIFS blocks reminiscent of cold-war-era housing, but the underlying fundamentals were never there and they never will be. A cursory glance at a chart of absorption rates in this city and in that area over the course of the last 15 years would have made that evident immediately and could have been had for free from CMHC.

And I have a good idea how many hundreds of thousands of dollars were sunk into the first round of plans, so you have to wonder how something so basic and so fundamental as to the needs and demands of the market could go ignored.

Portmanteau · #**920** Posted **Aug 25, 2015, 4:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Portmanteau

Looks like the future residents of Galpern/Porter will be getting their own rooftop patio.

Actually - it looks like this patio is for the coffee shop/gallery located beside Galpern (former Pockets/Coyotes).