WINNIPEG | Canad Place (Radisson Hotel & Somerset Redevelopment)

[Spocket]

So I'll ask again: What, if anything, are these guys planning to do with these buildings? For $150 million one would expect something pretty substantial and not just interior renovations.

[buzzg]

High chance there's zero plan and they just wanted the designation.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

The first functioning floor would be 11 for banquets..12 is the cafe and former grand dining room now banquet and 13 the lounge..Floors 15 - 29 are hotel rooms..30 is open for a rooftop rest that never occurred.

The pool was on one of the floors just above the parkade too.

[bomberjet]

They are "planning" to do a big makeover. Which included re-covering the somerset with some type of glass or something.

Wasn't there a rendering somewhere?

[esquire]

I think there was a glimpse of the blurry rendering when CanadInns made its presentation to City Hall not long ago, but I can't remember the details.

[buzzg]

I can't fathom how covering Somerset in glass would improve it from a functional or aesthetic perspective whatsoever. Why would a notoriously cheap company spend money retrofitting all that nice brick to be glass? I can understand some podium changes, connecting it to The Met, radical changes to Radisson – but putting a curtain wall over or in place of the current Somerset facade seems to have no advantages to me, and would be a huge waste of money.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I can't fathom how covering Somerset in glass would improve it from a functional or aesthetic perspective whatsoever. Why would a notoriously cheap company spend money retrofitting all that nice brick to be glass? I can understand some podium changes, connecting it to The Met, radical changes to Radisson – but putting a curtain wall over or in place of the current Somerset facade seems to have no advantages to me, and would be a huge waste of money.

True, especially when doing so wouldn't even complement the other buildings that are part of their "complex".

My expectations are generally low but I am curious to know what CanadInns has in store for the Somerset.

[bomberjet]

I think it was a blurry render.

I think they want to remove the brick altogether. Hence the whole fight over the heritage designation.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...inns-1.5450092

Looks like they want to add storeys on top.

[buzzg]

If that blurry photo is actually the plan, it appears to me like they'd be leaving most of the building intact and just opening up the main floor and adding glass floors above.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by buzzg

If that blurry photo is actually the plan, it appears to me like they'd be leaving most of the building intact and just opening up the main floor and adding glass floors above.

That's the way it blurrily looks to me, too. Actually I think it looks pretty good. Would love to see a clearer image, though.

[Wigglez]

The blurry photo and the current building are the same height - Both are 9 floors. In the foreground at the bottom right there appears to be a streetcar (beside the canadinns logo). I'd say this is more likely a picture of what it originally looked like.

[joshlemer]

Originally Posted by Wigglez

The blurry photo and the current building are the same height - Both are 9 floors. In the foreground at the bottom right there appears to be a streetcar (beside the canadinns logo). I'd say this is more likely a picture of what it originally looked like.

Hah! Nailed it:

[joshlemer]

Yeah, now I remember why they brought out this picture. It was to show that the majority of the exterior's historical value has already been destroyed by the removal of the cornice and replacement of the windows and redevelopment of the first floor. You can see in their presentation that they've highlighted the first floor.

[bomberjet]

Hmmm, quite. So what is the plan then.