Winnipeg | True North Square | 86.9M | 77.8M | 25F | 17F | 22F | 17F | 19F | U/C

[bomberjet]

Also just noticed you can see the drop off area. There's a lower depressed area in the concrete.

[Winnipeg Grump]

Final pour for the ground level slab today.

[Biff]

Thanks Grump. I expect on your next photo exposition it will be around level 10, lighting speed now.

[bomberjet]

Yes, thanks Grump!

[Winnipeg Grump]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Yes, thanks Grump!

No problem, guys.
Hope to see it pick up pace, like Biff said!

[dmacc]

I imagine the next couple floors will still be a little slow but once we get past the podium they'll be flying.

[buzzg]

So did they eliminate the underground parking or do they cut holes in the slab after? Unless I'm missing something I don't see a ramp anywhere.

[bomberjet]

It's right at the front bottom of the photo, there's an opening in the floor. Looks like the ramp will be installed after the floor is poured.

Then there will be above ground parking on second/third level coming off st. mary ave. near the back lane.

[Winnipeg Grump]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

It's right at the front bottom of the photo, there's an opening in the floor. Looks like the ramp will be installed after the floor is poured.

Then there will be above ground parking on second/third level coming off st. mary ave. near the back lane.

So, the 1 floor underground and then 2 and 3 above? Not too bad.
I know TNS 1 and 2 are normally full with very limited casual parking for guests.

[bomberjet]

I can't remember exactly how many stalls and what floors. But yes there's I believe 1 underground and 2 above. Separate parkades for Hotel and residences, I think. Would have to look back at the details.

[buzzg]

Was just looking at photos of the other Sutton Place locations. Man I can't help but think this was a terrible choice of hotel brands for TN. I thought it was a mistake not going with a major banner (Marriott or Hilton) from the start... but looking at how traditional and formal their hotels are... I just don't get it. I just don't see an extremely traditional luxury hotel with no major points connection doing well here. We already have Fairmont and Fort Garry, a more modern brand would have been a much better choice.

[bomberjet]

I don't think any of those other brands wanted in. So Chipman drew upon his connections in the NHL and brought in northlands at seemingly the last minute. When they did the press conference initially, it was like they had barely signed the papers.

[GreyGarden]

I've always been a bit surprised that more mainstream hotel banners aren't interested in the downtown Winnipeg market. Is the downtown already well served by hotels?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I don't think any of those other brands wanted in. So Chipman drew upon his connections in the NHL and brought in northlands at seemingly the last minute. When they did the press conference initially, it was like they had barely signed the papers.

I don't think that's the case, I think TN just went with SP because of their relationship with Northlands. It's been well noted Westin would like a presence here – they automatically get all NHL stays if they open here.

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

I've always been a bit surprised that more mainstream hotel banners aren't interested in the downtown Winnipeg market. Is the downtown already well served by hotels?

Yes and no. When there's big conferences on the bigger hotels usually fill up, but we don't have a ton of steady tourism that they're always busy. Delta is always busy as it's the only proper business hotel on a major points system in downtown Winnipeg. It's so odd here as aside from Delta all of the major hotels downtown are either independent or not on the major programs. Lots of businesses travellers don't like the Alt because there's very few services.

There's a decent amount of hotels downtown already, but very few big banners. Many businesses will force employees to stay in a Marriott or Hilton hotel, and unfortunately we have a ton by the airport, so many stay there. I think there could/should/would be more (big banner) downtown hotel demand if there weren't so many by there airport. If Marriott were to open some more downtown hotels it'd likely hurt some of their Polo hotels.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I don't think that's the case, I think TN just went with SP because of their relationship with Northlands. It's been well noted Westin would like a presence here – they automatically get all NHL stays if they open here.



Yes and no. When there's big conferences on the bigger hotels usually fill up, but we don't have a ton of steady tourism that they're always busy. Delta is always busy as it's the only proper business hotel on a major points system in downtown Winnipeg. It's so odd here as aside from Delta all of the major hotels downtown are either independent or not on the major programs. Lots of businesses travellers don't like the Alt because there's very few services.

There's a decent amount of hotels downtown already, but very few big banners. Many businesses will force employees to stay in a Marriott or Hilton hotel, and unfortunately we have a ton by the airport, so many stay there. I think there could/should/would be more (big banner) downtown hotel demand if there weren't so many by there airport. If Marriott were to open some more downtown hotels it'd likely hurt some of their Polo hotels.

When our economy recovers from this pandemic, Hopefully Westin or W brand will still go ahead @ 416 main st..If not, Hilton or Marriott would fit well there. It is too bad that The Hyatt Place downtown 138 Portage East was riddled with so much crap.That would be a mid sized hotel but with a great brand attached.I wonder if someone would ever try to salvage that proposal? This Pandemic and how soon it ends will play the cards for future proposals and builds anything & everywhere.

[Spocket]

Does anybody in the know think downtown can handle more new hotels? I've always thought it was over-saturated but I've been educated since then to the effect I don't know what I'm talking about.

[esquire]

A month or two ago I would have said yes, but current circumstances have probably put a pause on that for at least a couple of years.

It's too bad the Hyatt House project fell apart as that would have been a good project... not just in terms of adding some new hotel rooms, but also to help inject some new life on the south side of Portage Ave. E. which hasn't seen any new development in probably close to a century.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I don't think that's the case, I think TN just went with SP because of their relationship with Northlands. It's been well noted Westin would like a presence here – they automatically get all NHL stays if they open here.



Yes and no. When there's big conferences on the bigger hotels usually fill up, but we don't have a ton of steady tourism that they're always busy. Delta is always busy as it's the only proper business hotel on a major points system in downtown Winnipeg. It's so odd here as aside from Delta all of the major hotels downtown are either independent or not on the major programs. Lots of businesses travellers don't like the Alt because there's very few services.

There's a decent amount of hotels downtown already, but very few big banners. Many businesses will force employees to stay in a Marriott or Hilton hotel, and unfortunately we have a ton by the airport, so many stay there. I think there could/should/would be more (big banner) downtown hotel demand if there weren't so many by there airport. If Marriott were to open some more downtown hotels it'd likely hurt some of their Polo hotels.

Wasn't the convention centre, centreventure, whoever trying to get a name brand hotel built for a decade or more and cold get nothing going. The original convention centre expansion project had fancy renders with a new hotel attached. But nothing came of it.

So they brought in chipman to get it done with his connection?

[esquire]

^ Remember the awkwardness that ensued when Bowman thought that Chipman was using some kind of back room connections to get the rights to the hotel project?

[buzzg]

Yeah part of that original RFP for the CC hotel was that it be a major brand, but when that whole fiasco with TNS happened, it wasn't the same deal that was signed in the end.

In terms of saturation, I don't think downtown is saturated per se, but I would say the combo of airport/downtown is. AKA, I think downtown could support a few more hotels easily if there weren't already SO MANY major brands by the airport.

I'm not sure what the number comparison would say, but it seems Winnipeg has a significantly higher ratio of (major flag) airport hotels vs. central ones compared to most mid-sized cities. It's unfortunate.