Winnipeg | Osborne Village & Corydon area

[buzzg]

Yeah and Academy is especially bad considering it's a busy pedestrian street with extremely narrow sidewalks and no Boulevard. Great street from a retail standpoint but a pretty bad pedestrian experience otherwise. It's really bizarre actually how for a city with so many trees and green boulevards, most of our major/popular pedestrian streets are actually missing that. Corydon is about the only one, and for some reason the city seems to be filling in the tree beds instead of replacing the trees.

[rivercity]

All of our old high streets have just been widened and have had more traffic pushed through them as stroads that so many have lost their appeal. Osborne is down right depressing when I walked down there the other day but there still remains so much potential.

[plrh]

It can be a real pain in the butt to cross Academy as a family on bicycles. We almost always ride a few blocks out of the way to get to a light. I would kill for a couple of crosswalks on that street.

All new thoroughfare reconstruction should include a new 18" diameter pipe buried 1m deep under one of the curbs as a ductbank for all utilities (except high pressure gas). It wouldn't cost much and wires, cables and hoses could be strung through after construction as those utilities are renewed. But it would take too much coordination.

[buzzg]

I remember reading earlier this year or last that a crosswalk on Academy somewhere between Oak and Harrow was requested but deemed that crossing volumes don't justify it and so it was rejected. I agree it's insane there's no safe place to cross for so long there, especially considering Wellington is one of the busiest AT routes in the city.

Part of me wonders if they actually study the whole area and use any qualitative observations to make these decisions, or if they strictly go by some (kind of) arbitrary number requirement, and use that for each street individually. I image that it's unfortunately the latter, and they don't look at that whole eastern stretch before the bend and say "hey maybe it'd make sense to put a crossing in the middle and people from streets on each side will walk over here."

[cllew]

There is only money for 3 to 5 new pedestrian crossing signals to be installed each year from what I can find on the city website. That means that there are some locations that may justify having one but they rank lower than other locations.

The priority list is suppose to be published late 2020 so we can see if and where an Academy Rd. crosswalk is slotted.

[trueviking]

Went for a walk tonight and passed by the old Toad space and chatted with the Poutine King. He sold his place across the street, which is now an Indian restaurant. He's totally renovating Toad. The north side is a pub called the Osborne Taphouse with 12 beer taps, all local. The middle space will be like an outdoor patio. He is installing garage doors across the front that will open so the patio spills out and makes the room feel outdoors. He had a space in Bridgwater and then changed his mind. Looks like it will be nice. He will run the food trucks from the kitchen.

Apparently the upstairs bar is moving into the snap fitness space and a dentist is moving into the music space. Cornerstone is closed for good but maybe not. He's heard rumours of a condo developer looking at the parking lot on the corner and knows someone looking to create a boutique hotel in one of the upper floors of the three storey buildings that are unused. This would come with a vendor.

I'm sure lots of this has been discussed in the retail section but I thought I'd comment on what I heard. He seemed pretty bullish about the area.

[lbnevs]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Went for a walk tonight and passed by the old Toad space and chatted with the Poutine King. He sold his place across the street, which is now an Indian restaurant. He's totally renovating Toad. The north side is a pub called the Osborne Taphouse with 12 beer taps, all local. The middle space will be like an outdoor patio. He is installing garage doors across the front that will open so the patio spills out and makes the room feel outdoors. He had a space in Bridgwater and then changed his mind. Looks like it will be nice. He will run the food trucks from the kitchen.

Apparently the upstairs bar is moving into the snap fitness space and a dentist is moving into the music space. Cornerstone is closed for good but maybe not. He's heard rumours of a condo developer looking at the parking lot on the corner and knows someone looking to create a boutique hotel in one of the upper floors of the three storey buildings that are unused. This would come with a vendor.

I'm sure lots of this has been discussed in the retail section but I thought I'd comment on what I heard. He seemed pretty bullish about the area.

okay i know i'm zeroing in on the least important detail here but THERE IS AN INDIAN PLACE IN THE VILLAGE NOW? this is news i can use

[plrh]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I remember reading earlier this year or last that a crosswalk on Academy somewhere between Oak and Harrow was requested but deemed that crossing volumes don't justify it and so it was rejected. I agree it's insane there's no safe place to cross for so long there, especially considering Wellington is one of the busiest AT routes in the city.

Part of me wonders if they actually study the whole area and use any qualitative observations to make these decisions, or if they strictly go by some (kind of) arbitrary number requirement, and use that for each street individually. I image that it's unfortunately the latter, and they don't look at that whole eastern stretch before the bend and say "hey maybe it'd make sense to put a crossing in the middle and people from streets on each side will walk over here."

That's crazy. If they put it in and nobody uses it, then it doesn't hurt anyone. It's just 10 grand on the budget, big whoop. The bigger concern for crosswalks is if they are overused, and cars can't get through.

They recently added one on Grosvenor and Lilac. It's a good one too, with the lights at the driver's eye level. Very much needed.

From River Heights there is a general gravitation northward by cyclists, joggers and dog walkers. Wellington is the main AT route on this side of town or it could be because the slight decline toward the river. But Academy can be challenging during rush hour because of the lack of a median pedestrian refuge.

I think the planning of AT routes is relatively piecemeal and very politically motivated. They would never replan it without a road reconstruction but they would rebuild a road without considering Active Transportation. They often have questionnaires and open houses for design input. I don't know how much weight they put on resident's opinions. People don't generally act in their own best interests. Overall I think design changes happen from the bottom up. Whiners calling their councillors over and over. I couldn't believe there was a push to raise the speed limit on Academy to 60 a couple years ago. That would've been something.

[dam_well]

Originally Posted by plrh

That's crazy. If they put it in and nobody uses it, then it doesn't hurt anyone. It's just 10 grand on the budget, big whoop. The bigger concern for crosswalks is if they are overused, and cars can't get through.

They recently added one on Grosvenor and Lilac. It's a good one too, with the lights at the driver's eye level. Very much needed.

From River Heights there is a general gravitation northward by cyclists, joggers and dog walkers. Wellington is the main AT route on this side of town or it could be because the slight decline toward the river. But Academy can be challenging during rush hour because of the lack of a median pedestrian refuge.

I think the planning of AT routes is relatively piecemeal and very politically motivated. They would never replan it without a road reconstruction but they would rebuild a road without considering Active Transportation. They often have questionnaires and open houses for design input. I don't know how much weight they put on resident's opinions. People don't generally act in their own best interests. Overall I think design changes happen from the bottom up. Whiners calling their councillors over and over. I couldn't believe there was a push to raise the speed limit on Academy to 60 a couple years ago. That would've been something.

I just noticed that one the other day but wasn't sure how long it has been there. Are these style of lights installed anywhere else in the city? I like them, much more visible. I know they are used in Lorette.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by dam_well

I just noticed that one the other day but wasn't sure how long it has been there. Are these style of lights installed anywhere else in the city? I like them, much more visible. I know they are used in Lorette.

I believe these are the first of the donated ones the city took 3 years to accept.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Went for a walk tonight and passed by the old Toad space and chatted with the Poutine King. He sold his place across the street, which is now an Indian restaurant. He's totally renovating Toad. The north side is a pub called the Osborne Taphouse with 12 beer taps, all local. The middle space will be like an outdoor patio. He is installing garage doors across the front that will open so the patio spills out and makes the room feel outdoors. He had a space in Bridgwater and then changed his mind. Looks like it will be nice. He will run the food trucks from the kitchen.

Apparently the upstairs bar is moving into the snap fitness space and a dentist is moving into the music space. Cornerstone is closed for good but maybe not. He's heard rumours of a condo developer looking at the parking lot on the corner and knows someone looking to create a boutique hotel in one of the upper floors of the three storey buildings that are unused. This would come with a vendor.

I'm sure lots of this has been discussed in the retail section but I thought I'd comment on what I heard. He seemed pretty bullish about the area.

This all sounds great aside from Cornerstone, while the atmosphere was dark Ikea basement, it was like the only place left in town that served really good food right til 2 am.

I was shocked when ZÜ wasn't announced with the Osborne building being a hotel. 1) a hotel is needed and would likely do extremely well in the village 2) that's millions of dollars of easy revenue you're giving up without a beer vendor.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I was shocked when ZÜ wasn't announced with the Osborne building being a hotel. 1) a hotel is needed and would likely do extremely well in the village 2) that's millions of dollars of easy revenue you're giving up without a beer vendor.

I wonder if there's a built in assumption that the antiquated liquor laws requiring beer vendors to be attached to hotels are not going to remain on the books long-term.

[buzzg]

That would be a wild assumption to stake millions of dollars on considering it hasn't even been floated yet. From what I hear from someone I know on the board, likely any first step toward reform would be opening up wine store licenses.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by buzzg

That would be a wild assumption to stake millions of dollars on considering it hasn't even been floated yet. From what I hear from someone I know on the board, likely any first step toward reform would be opening up wine store licenses.

I saw it as the opposite: Hotels have long payback periods (often 7-10 years). If the economics of building a hotel all depend on the economics of beer vending licenses being limited to hotels, that seems risky (at least relative to rental residential).

So, sure, it won't be the first thing to change, but if you're looking on a 7-10 year horizon, I would be surprised if beer retailing (which is already private) retains this weird required tie to the hotel business.

I guess it depends on how much power over decision making is exerted by the Ledohowskis, Levitts, and the various other MB hoteliers (Genesis etc).

[zalf]

The five apartment blocks formerly at 281 River Ave have been demolished, a pit has been excavated, and piles have been driven.

Is it still the same project shown as Proposed on the first page of the Winnipeg Construction X thread?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by zalf

The five apartment blocks formerly at 281 River Ave have been demolished, a pit has been excavated, and piles have been driven.

Is it still the same project shown as Proposed on the first page of the Winnipeg Construction X thread?

Yes

[borkborkbork]

source

[trueviking]

Thank goodness it’s not another Osborne Village building on stilts.
Pretty amazing to tear down all those buildings to make one big one. In a city with so many empty sites it’s a rare one.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

I saw it as the opposite: Hotels have long payback periods (often 7-10 years). If the economics of building a hotel all depend on the economics of beer vending licenses being limited to hotels, that seems risky (at least relative to rental residential).

So, sure, it won't be the first thing to change, but if you're looking on a 7-10 year horizon, I would be surprised if beer retailing (which is already private) retains this weird required tie to the hotel business.

I guess it depends on how much power over decision making is exerted by the Ledohowskis, Levitts, and the various other MB hoteliers (Genesis etc).

I didn't say it would be staking their entire business on it, it's probably that P3 just doesn't have hotel experience to my knowledge. And even if 5+ years down the road beer opens up, it's not like their business goes away. I also imagine if and when it does happen here, we likely won't go full America/Quebec and allow sales in grocery stores – I imagine it'll be closer to BC with private licensed liquor stores.

Originally Posted by trueviking

Thank goodness it’s not another Osborne Village building on stilts.
Pretty amazing to tear down all those buildings to make one big one. In a city with so many empty sites it’s a rare one.

Apparently the buildings were in very rough shape. For a riverfront property in the Village, I guess it just made a lot of sense to put a new nicer ($$) building in there. Curious how many more units this one building is compared to the 5 before.

[plrh]

http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/View...onId=&InitUrl=

So that building on McMillan at Stafford did get approved after the Property committee overruled the Community Committee? Is that what happened?

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ou...573398081.html

As reported by the Sou'Wester (stupid name)