Red Deer Construction

[Willmsma]

Here are some photos I took today of the Baymont Hotel as a whole. The original building was the Red Deer Lodge and - my understanding - was the poshest hotel Red Deer had to offer for many years. I think it was built in the 1960's, but should anyone actually know I would be happy to be corrected.


This is looking north along 48th Avenue, ostensibly the back of the hotel.


And a look at the front. If you look closely you can see the bottom two floors of the tower have new blinds and I think are already completed.

Here is a link to an Red Deer Advocate article that reads like a press release for the development.

[the.tru.albertan]

^ Used to work at the Red Deer Lodge back in '08 as security. Had a couple good laughs at some peoples antics.

Also, I drove for Uber a couple weekends ago, picked up a woman from there who was leaving her friends apartment... the new Nestera apartments. She said they're not too bad.

[Willmsma]

Originally Posted by the.tru.albertan

^ Used to work at the Red Deer Lodge back in '08 as security. Had a couple good laughs at some peoples antics.

Also, I drove for Uber a couple weekends ago, picked up a woman from there who was leaving her friends apartment... the new Nestera apartments. She said they're not too bad.

Did the Red Deer Lodge used to host a bar? That's fun. I gather downtown Red Deer used to have a lot more of a nightlife.

I'd be interested to see what the apartments are like. If they're just taking the hotel rooms as is and adding appliances to turn them into studio apartments, seems to me they would be pretty cramped.

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by Willmsma

Did the Red Deer Lodge used to host a bar? That's fun. I gather downtown Red Deer used to have a lot more of a nightlife.

I'd be interested to see what the apartments are like. If they're just taking the hotel rooms as is and adding appliances to turn them into studio apartments, seems to me they would be pretty cramped.

That's right! Used to have a bar called Sharks Garage on the east side of the building. I can see the old entry doors from your pics. Used to go there A LOT in 2010 for wing night with my buddies. Had some great times there. Best lemon pepper wings I've had. The roof partially collapsed in early 2011 and that ended it. Still hurts to this day. DT Red Deer used to be a rocking place years ago.

There is also a restaurant inside the hotel that used to be called Botanica Garden. The inside of the hotel opens up into a courtyard type design with pool in the centre with fake plants everywhere. The restaurant has its tables scattered around the courtyard. Pics in link below. I never cared for the food tho.

https://restaurantguru.com/Red-Deer-...d-Deer#gallery

[Coldrsx]

Red Deer, AB, March 29, 2022— Prairie Sky Gondola announced today it’s intention to build an urban ropeway in Red Deer.

“Some cities don’t know how to react to unique ideas. Red Deer clearly is not one of those cities.” remarked Prairie Sky Gondola President Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson. “Red Deer is arguably one of the best communities in Alberta to invest in today. We are excited to have gotten to this moment, but we are also inspired by the work that’s ahead of us. Talking about ideas is one thing. Doing them is another. And the doing part is our business.”

Prairie Sky Gondola brought forward an unsolicited proposal to The City of Red Deer eight months ago and has been working with The City to assess and plan for the project. A Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, will be signed this Spring, initiating the process to collaboratively undertake additional technical and commercial due diligence.

This ropeway, with an investment valued at over $25M, will be located in an inventive community development called Capstone. Connecting the river to Red Deer, Capstone’s ambition is to create something different— something vibrant, energetic, and inquisitive for socially engaged and physically active Albertans wanting to live within hours of Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta’s two largest cities.

“The City’s vision, investment, and work on Capstone served as a critical catalyst for Prairie Sky Gondola’s decision to move forward as they reviewed this site,” announced Tara Lodewyk, Interim City Manager. “This, matched with the City’s openness and willingness to welcome experienced, private investment, have culminated to provide this unique proposed opportunity in Red Deer.”

The proposed ropeway is a 350 meter, two station pulse gondola over the Red Deer River connecting Capstone to Bower Ponds recreation area. Flying over the Red Deer River, residents and visitors alike will get stunning views all day long, easily accessing all that downtown Red Deer and Bower Ponds has to offer. The Capstone Station will include dining and other experiential elements. The stations will enhance access to communities while seamlessly integrating within the landscapes of both sides of the river.

“The concept is to make the two stations as opposite as possible. What we have proposed is not necessarily intuitive,” commented Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson. “Capstone Station is sweeping and bold. Bower Ponds Station wants to be invisible. The development concept fires up the City’s vision while complementing the values of the community."

And Mayor Ken Johnston agrees, “This project will highlight the natural beauty in our community while creating an attraction and destination in the heart of Capstone. The gondola will be an added tourism destination, the success of which will extend to local businesses and inspire further development.”

[Willmsma]

Originally Posted by the.tru.albertan

That's right! Used to have a bar called Sharks Garage on the east side of the building. I can see the old entry doors from your pics. Used to go there A LOT in 2010 for wing night with my buddies. Had some great times there. Best lemon pepper wings I've had. The roof partially collapsed in early 2011 and that ended it. Still hurts to this day. DT Red Deer used to be a rocking place years ago.

There is also a restaurant inside the hotel that used to be called Botanica Garden. The inside of the hotel opens up into a courtyard type design with pool in the centre with fake plants everywhere. The restaurant has its tables scattered around the courtyard. Pics in link below. I never cared for the food tho.

https://restaurantguru.com/Red-Deer-...d-Deer#gallery

That's cool, Tru. I had a look at the pictures from your link. It looks bright and non-depressing in there.

I was there 3 years ago for a conference and, more recently, to vote for the federal election. The conference room is relatively new and not bad for what it is, but overall the hotel seems to have experienced some decline since the days of Sharks Garage and the Botanica Garden.

I've only been in Red Deer for 5 years and have mostly known the downtown as it is now. I would have liked to have seen it when it was more dynamic.

[Willmsma]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Red Deer, AB, March 29, 2022— Prairie Sky Gondola announced today it’s intention to build an urban ropeway in Red Deer.

Thanks for posting that, Cold. The Red Deer Advocate posted an article today with similar quotes to what is in the press release (see here) and have a poll as well asking people to vote on whether Red Deer should have a gondola.

The whole thing has a bit of a Simpson's monorail vibe to it: "How forward-thinking of Red Deer to consider a gondola. They wouldn't want to be left behind by Shelbyville, would they?"

[Willmsma]

A picture I took yesterday of the new justice centre under construction downtown:

[Willmsma]

And - because I'm not posting as often as I'd like to so do all my posting all at once - an recentish article about the proposed hospital expansion:
---

$1.8 billion Red Deer hospital expansion announced

Hospital beds will be increased to 540 from 370 in expansion expected to be finished in 2030-31

Calling it “a historic day for Red Deer and central Alberta,” Premier Jason Kenney announced on Wednesday that $1.8 billion will be invested to redevelop and expand the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

The capital project, which has been sought for more than a decade by physicians, and other health care workers and advocates, will be the largest in Alberta’s history — and the largest taxpayer investment in the history of central Alberta, said Kenney, who spoke in Red Deer at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Kenney said the eight-year expansion will start with a $193 million investment over the next three years and will ultimately involve the addition of 200 new in-patient beds, increasing the hospital’s capacity to 570 beds from the existing 370 — a 54 per cent adjustment.

Three new operating rooms will be added, increasing surgical capacity to 14 operating rooms. For the rest of the article click here for the source from the Red Deer Advocate.

[The Great Scaper]

Willmsma Thanks for the photo and update. Always cool seeing photos from Red Deer.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by Willmsma

Thanks for posting that, Cold. The Red Deer Advocate posted an article today with similar quotes to what is in the press release (see here) and have a poll as well asking people to vote on whether Red Deer should have a gondola.

The whole thing has a bit of a Simpson's monorail vibe to it: "How forward-thinking of Red Deer to consider a gondola. They wouldn't want to be left behind by Shelbyville, would they?"

I'd be curious to know more about whether this might work in RD, but also need to be careful for I am a shareholder of Prairie Sky and helped (a very small part) get the Edmonton one moving.

[Willmsma]

You're very welcome, Great Scraper. It is fun to post the goings-on in our little city.

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

I'd be curious to know more about whether this might work in RD, but also need to be careful for I am a shareholder of Prairie Sky and helped (a very small part) get the Edmonton one moving.

I appreciate you spelling out your links to Prairie Sky, but I'm still curious about your thoughts. What makes sense to me about the Edmonton gondola is that it serves a useful purpose for commuters and tourists. It is hard to get from downtown to Old Strathcona. It is hard to get from the city proper down into the river valley. The Edmonton gondola proposal seems to solve both problems nicely.

The Red Deer proposal? Crossing the Red Deer River as a pedestrian is a bit of a pain and a few years ago a pedestrian bridge was proposed - and later nixed - with a similar alignment to the Prairie Sky gondola. Bower Ponds is an important Red Deer destination and Capstone is meant to become a densish inner city neighbourhood.

However, there is a car bridge with some pedestrian access maybe 300m from the proposed alignment. I think almost everyone in Red Deer would be tempted to take the gondola at least once, and maybe take visiting family for a visit as well. However, it is hard for me to see it as having an ongoing revenue stream sufficient to justify the $25 million investment...

As a side note, an integrated homeless shelter was proposed on the far side of the nearby bridge. Then nixed just a few weeks ago...

[Coldrsx]

I was not involved with this proposal and so I only know what you have seen/read and don't know the market/location/demand for this enough to really comment in an informed manner, but it certainly is an interesting proposal and could drive a decent amount of traffic, but would it be or could it be maintained over the longer-term? I suppose if there are other aspects of this proposal, entertainment, arts, cultural, events it could be a something more of a product of the whole.

[Willmsma]

There is hope that Capstone could be become a destination, in addition to having dense urban housing. I wish them luck. Locally, the project - Capstone, not the gondola - has become a punchline for right-wing punditry as an example of government waste and, in fairness to them, there are some things working against the location as a site for housing development. However, there are also a lot of people pulling for the project to be a success.

In other news, a 40 bed addictions treatment centre is potentially 2 or 3 months away from opening in downtown Red Deer. Generally treatment centres are not ideal for an urban core, but our downtown has fallen on such hard times that the treatment centre is welcomed by most. See a photo below:

[the.tru.albertan]

^ That treatment centre is the longest reno project in history haha.

I'm a little unsure about that Gondola as well. But.... maybe? I dunno.

[Willmsma]

Originally Posted by the.tru.albertan

^ That treatment centre is the longest reno project in history haha.

I'm a little unsure about that Gondola as well. But.... maybe? I dunno.

Exactly. We'll wait and see what they come up with.

As for the Dream Centre reno? I think that has been going on since April or May of 2021. Were there renovations before that as well? I'm guessing you must be familiar with the location from its days as a dance bar...

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by Willmsma

Exactly. We'll wait and see what they come up with.

As for the Dream Centre reno? I think that has been going on since April or May of 2021. Were there renovations before that as well? I'm guessing you must be familiar with the location from its days as a dance bar...

Yah. I remember seeing photos posted somewhere (facebook?) that showed them gutting the inside in late 2018 IIRC. The former club closed down in April 2018.

Very familiar with the location as a nightclub. haha. I pretty much lived there in 2008 back when RD had a huge nightlife scene.

[the.tru.albertan]

DRAMA! Someone or some group has a vendetta against the Jackpot Casino. Jackpot wants to move from downtown RD to the Cambridge Hotel.

A new webpage was recently created with them lobbying against the move.

https://votenojackpot.com/

I sent emails to AGLC and City of RD showing my full support for the move.

EDIT: O'Chiese First Nation is claiming it is an Edmonton based law firm who created the site and put the ads in the local papers.

[Willmsma]

I would have loved to see Red Deer downtown when it was a destination. The anti-moving-the-Jackpot thing? Very interesting. I've read the city itself is not taking a position on this. It seems to me kind of a non-issue. Downtown has issues, but the Jackpot doesn't seem to be one of them. The DBA has responded that folks who visit the casino don't do much in the rest of downtown, so they're not particularly fussed either...

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by Willmsma

I would have loved to see Red Deer downtown when it was a destination.

Things were way different back then. My understanding is that it was even better prior to '08. Everyone walking from club to club, pub to pub. You'd just run into them on the street and have a mini party. Late night and no hassle from homeless or drug addicts as they were few and far between. Just people having a great time.

Met a lot of really cool, good people back then. If it weren't for those awesome nights, I'd never have met my wife.