Winnipeg's Exchange District | East/West | Development

[zalf]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

Do you really believe we have an ample supply of clean, safe housing for these people?

On that specific subject, the feds recently committed $1B to buy failing motels and build modular housing as part of a Housing First homelessness strategy.

It won't be a panacea, but better is good.

[ScrappyPeg]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

LOL yes I'm sure they all have beautiful furnished condos with river views waiting for them and they choose to sleep in a dangerous garbage heap instead. Maybe some of them have alternate accommodations. Likely in one of those buildings you read about on the news where meth dealers have smashed out all the windows and taken doors of the hinges and shit. Places you wouldn't last an hour in let alone a night. Do you really believe we have an ample supply of clean, safe housing for these people? Where is it then? We've barely built any in the last 5 years. Any logical person can tell if they're choosing to live in the camps then any alternative must be hell. But you'd rather just tell yourself a lie that helps you sleep at night and believe they all have great housing if they really wanted it but choose to sleep in a meth dump instead. I'd wonder how you could believe something so absurd but I know you want to believe it so you can tell yourself it's their fault and you don't need to help anyone. "Never help an addict or a homeless guy because I saw one of them get in a cab once." lol what absurd bullshit.

This forum used to be great but the "conservative cranky grandpa" slant has just made it unbearable.

I will say first hand I personally know all about the various types of housing quality that exists and have been in them all - tellin' myself no lies! This logical person also knows that it makes no sense to pay rent for one of those less than quality places if one then chooses instead to be camping down by the river. One or the other but not both.

The cab thing, it was not an exaggeration, it was a statement of fact. I saw a line of cabs waiting on Higgins. Might be hard to hear, but sometimes people who are down and out, people with addictions or mental health issues will make poor choices.

I've been around long enough to know that one can be empathetic without being naïve. Social problems are complex and they do not disappear overnight.

Oh and by the way, I'm a cranky grandma, not grandpa!

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

Do you know they don't want help? How many of them have you talked to personally? Are you a Bear Clan or MSP volunteer? Or is that just something you told yourself so you don't have to feel responsible?



Sounds like an excuse to me. "meh I'm sure theres somebody else to do that." There are lots of school and teachers out there. Therefore we never have to do anything more to improve education. There are lots of hospitals out there giving treatment. Therefore we never need more hospitals, doctors, or nurses. See the issue with that logic? Obviously the bare bones stuff that exists is not working and the proliferation of camps sort of proves that no?




This is true. Although the attitudes in this forum kinda demonstrate why that doesn't happen right? "Meh, it's their own fault and there's plenty of programs but they just don't want help." suuuuuure.



Yeah I don't like it either but turns out when you have a bunch of people with addictions and untreated mental health issues living in tents together they're not great housekeepers. Maybe we should think about housing people instead of victim-blaming over something relatively trivial. Imagine you crashed your car and were lying on the side of the road bleeding, some guy comes along and you ask for help, and he says "I dunno man, I saw you litter your Tims cup back there. You seem messy and irresponsible so I don't think I'll help you." It's a crazy state of mind that you've managed to justify your refusal to help others because they're messy but it's pretty typical of the selfishness that defines most conservatives.



LOL yes I'm sure they all have beautiful furnished condos with river views waiting for them and they choose to sleep in a dangerous garbage heap instead. Maybe some of them have alternate accommodations. Likely in one of those buildings you read about on the news where meth dealers have smashed out all the windows and taken doors of the hinges and shit. Places you wouldn't last an hour in let alone a night. Do you really believe we have an ample supply of clean, safe housing for these people? Where is it then? We've barely built any in the last 5 years. Any logical person can tell if they're choosing to live in the camps then any alternative must be hell. But you'd rather just tell yourself a lie that helps you sleep at night and believe they all have great housing if they really wanted it but choose to sleep in a meth dump instead. I'd wonder how you could believe something so absurd but I know you want to believe it so you can tell yourself it's their fault and you don't need to help anyone. "Never help an addict or a homeless guy because I saw one of them get in a cab once." lol what absurd bullshit.

This forum used to be great but the "conservative cranky grandpa" slant has just made it unbearable.

When the camp was set up in the front yard of MMF it was approached by a number of social workers. There were two women who took them up on the offer of housing. The rest said no. People on meth don't want to live under anyone's rules.

[buzzg]

Main Street Project ousted their leader a month or two ago because the board finally had enough with what they deemed "rampant unnecessary spending." From what I've heard, most people internally did not thing they needed or could operate this massive new megacentre on Main, but the dude wanted some shiny legacy project so pushed it forward.

There are lots of non-profits that do great work, but many of them also just seem to exist to take in and spend as much money as possible, and tend to lose their way in search profits "funding."

[esquire]

Originally Posted by buzzg

There are lots of non-profits that do great work, but many of them also just seem to exist to take in and spend as much money as possible, and tend to lose their way in search profits "funding."

There was once a forumer here who was in that line of work right on the front lines, and he became very disillusioned for the reasons you just mentioned. He went back to school and changed careers.

[Labroco]

The Property stakeholders are on the verge of starting litigation and media coverage against the City due to inaction and life safety concerns in the same way MMF recently did. This has also turned into a gang related problem with the whole area being tagged and arson on the rise. I can tell you all development north of Alexander has now been frozen unless this problem can be dealt with. Adjacent landowners have and are continuing to attempt to acquire the parcel that is listed for sale by the City and CV. The City seems to think it’s better as a drug infested, sanitation nightmare with underaged youths being sheltered here and pimped out. The councillor refused to return calls about the problem and 311 has now repeatedly said stop calling!

MSP brings food and needles over daily and I just saw a building security video of 120 Budweiser being delivered by either Uber or Skip The Dishes.

This is all happening right across the street from a public school. Let’s see what would happen if this was occurring across the street from Grant Park or beside The Pan Am Pool.


Oh and MSP is helping all these people to apply for Covid relief so they can have $2400 in their pockets. Let the good times role!

[cllew]

I never realized until coming into work for 6am this morning how fortified the area around the MMF building is getting.

The MMF raised the existing fence by a few feet and replaced the barb wire topping that there when CP owned the building. Toledo foods which in the Google map street views had a open lot a few years ago now also has a chain link fence with barbwire.

[buzzg]

Good to see property owners on that way into downtown invest in their properties

/s

[esquire]

Can't blame them, they see which way the winds are blowing. That camp by the MMF really drove home the point that the homeless situation isn't going to go away anytime soon... regardless of where you stand on the issue, it's probably intimidating for staff to deal with.

[buzzg]

- Skip's ops team has been very successful doing WFH, and they will no longer be moving into the 140 Bannatyne post-COVID. That building is now vacant. They shrink down to 1 floor at the G3 building and use it for training, management.

- Footw3rk space has been leased and construction is underway

- Something is taking the entire main floor of Grain Exchange, its been completely gutted and new dividing walls and private offices being built

- I know of another new West Exchange restaurant in the works

[esquire]

Thanks for the update buzzg.

[buzzg]

Warehouse 1885

The corner CRU is already open as a new office, looks pretty nice in there even though not the most exciting use.

The main floor of the addition to the back is a residential unit. Seems like a poor choice, can't imagine living at street level right there.

The CRU in the new part seems like it's going to be some sort of clothing store. I saw them loading in at least 20 custom Icebreaker branded fixtures. Not sure if this is going to be an Icebreaker store, or a store that sells it among other things. Interestingly Icebreaker is based in QC but only seems to be in stores here.

While on one hand its great to see name brand retail setting up in the Exchange, I can't see this being successful selling $175 plain t-shirts and $600 wool trench coats...

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Warehouse 1885

The corner CRU is already open as a new office, looks pretty nice in there even though not the most exciting use.

The main floor of the addition to the back is a residential unit. Seems like a poor choice, can't imagine living at street level right there.

The CRU in the new part seems like it's going to be some sort of clothing store. I saw them loading in at least 20 custom Icebreaker branded fixtures. Not sure if this is going to be an Icebreaker store, or a store that sells it among other things. Interestingly Icebreaker is based in QC but only seems to be in stores here.

While on one hand its great to see name brand retail setting up in the Exchange, I can't see this being successful selling $175 plain t-shirts and $600 wool trench coats...

Thanks for the update! Has work started on GWM and Pumphouse phase 3?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by NewIreland

Thanks for the update! Has work started on GWM and Pumphouse phase 3?

Demolition and construction fencing up on both, respectively.

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Demolition and construction fencing up on both, respectively.

Half of the Alexander facade has been pulled down this morning.. huge slab on grade will be a big job to pull out..

[buzzg]

Just saw that. Excavation has also begun for Pump House. Good to see both moving right along now.

[Glenn99]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Demolition and construction fencing up on both, respectively.

Where did Great-West metal move to?

[buzzg]

Don’t know

[1ajs]

o wow they did allot of custom work too. had no idea what a loss to the area honstly hopefully they are building a new shop

[buzzg]

I honestly don't think it's that much of a loss to the area, aside from yes seeing a longtime business go. There were never many employees coming in or out, it added nothing to the redeveloping area around it, and it will add so much more now (and more taxes) being redeveloped.

Also, due to the way it was designed and being grandfathered, it kept the city from upgrading sidewalks and the street on Alexander due to loading requirements. Not sure how many there still are due to the Eaton's warehouse, but the city should be able to at least do significant upgrades on the south side of Alexander now. Patent 5 and Nonsuch are ecstatic.