WINNIPEG | Portage Place Redevelopment

[OTA in Winnipeg]

^Time to level it and build something right up to the sidewalk. Is it city owned?

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by buzzg

With the PP food court being closed right now, everyone who normally hangs out there has shifted to Air Canada Park. The scene there right now during the day is mindblowing. As you come close it seems like a nice bustling park, but once you get near your realize it's unfortunately become the closest thing many people have to a home right now.

Having a Tent City prominent like that will do wonders for business. That should help kickstart the downtown economy nicely. I did not say ALL....BUT, Many of the homeless everywhere can live somewhere but they do not want to follow rules..no drugs, violence, noise laws, curfews, respect for others etc..

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

but they do not want to follow rules...

Hallmark of a meth user.

[pegcityboy]

Sorry to say , but that gathering on our main downtown street does not look good on the city at all , driving by it looks awful , it doesn’t help that the people there don’t seem to know how to use a garbage can and there is litter all over the park .

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

^Time to level it and build something right up to the sidewalk. Is it city owned?

Imagine the alternate universe where city gets 355 Portage's owner to sell, and builds something atop Window Park.

Everyone currently there will just move to the Promenade, or Central Park, or the giant plaza in front of the NRC, or the UW grounds, or, or, or.

Downtown will not be made safe by eliminating public space. I think COVID is showing what most of us already knew: The downtown safety problem is a numbers game. It feels safer when the number of homeless, drug users, etc. is balanced by a large number of people who are downtown to work, live, play, etc., and it feels less safe when (like now) there are very few of the latter and the same number of the former.

[drew]

^ yep. We need to keep encouraging as much residential as possible downtown to keep up on the numbers game.

Hopefully the Portage Place expansion helps with this, as well as whatever is going on currently with the Boyd Building.

[WinCitySparky]

What IS going on at the Boyd building anyhow? I’m outta the loop.

[drew]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

What IS going on at the Boyd building anyhow? I’m outta the loop.

We need all knowing Biff to help us out on that one. I have no idea. They tore down that little building beside it, and someone got really angry with the Boyd Building awnings - but that's all I can see thus far.

[buzzg]

The work at Boyd has revealed a REALLY old Shoppers Optical sign that is in remarkably good condition

[Biff]

The last time I spoke to someone about this site, the proposal was to build a 6 storey parkade. That project hit the rocks and I have been trying to confirm that is still the plan.

[davequanbury]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

Having a Tent City prominent like that will do wonders for business. That should help kickstart the downtown economy nicely. I did not say ALL....BUT, Many of the homeless everywhere can live somewhere but they do not want to follow rules..no drugs, violence, noise laws, curfews, respect for others etc..

Not a very nuanced understanding of the issue here... Unfortunate that some people figure that homeless people ought to be satisfied with staying in shelters or submitting to detox programs. This line of "they have somewhere to go" is not very well informed.

[bomberjet]

Living in tent cities other peoples properties is not the solution for the homeless population. I understand they may not want to live in shelters. So we need to figure out a housing strategy and specific supports for these people.

The current tent city on Disraeli at the MMF has grown quite large. There was a fir there sometimes recently, over the winter maybe. That's a dangerous situation.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I understand they may not want to live in shelters. So we need to figure out a housing strategy and specific supports for these people.
.

From what I understand a number of homeless people avoid shelters because of perceived safety issues.

A housing strategy is absolutely needed, but I think there needs to be a very loud, broad-based and relentless public demand for something appropriate to happen. Providing housing for the homeless is going to cost money, and there is always social and political opposition to "giving away' homes to people who have been branded as simply being "lazy'.

Personally, I would love to see some kind of housing strategy for the homeless built into future development permits. Want to build a new housing or apartment development? We'll fast track you IF you also build X number of units for the homeless.

[buzzg]

Not being proactive and dealing with consequences of issues after they happen can be just as (if not more) costly than something like a housing first strategy. And that’s only talking about money, not even the actual human benefit.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Living in tent cities other peoples properties is not the solution for the homeless population. I understand they may not want to live in shelters. So we need to figure out a housing strategy and specific supports for these people.

The current tent city on Disraeli at the MMF has grown quite large. There was a fir there sometimes recently, over the winter maybe. That's a dangerous situation.

The city needs to provide a secure fenced compound area with wash and washroom facilities for those who choose not to live in homeless shelter A mainly because they can’t adhere to the rules those shelters enforce ie. no drugs or weapons.

The current squalor strewn tent city detracts from the area and is unsanitary and unsafe, because the majority of those inhabiting the tent city are from First Nations backgrounds politicians won’t touch it. COVID-19 is probably a major factor in the large number living there who feel safer there than in a shelter.

[buzzg]

Yeah, and not try to task businesses with their failures: removing all public washrooms and saying it’s up to businesses to provide washrooms for the the public who have no place to go. Disgusting. Instead of “helping to cover cost of added cleaning supplies” just build some fucking public washrooms and clean them yourself.

[esquire]

^ The problem is that free public washrooms in urban areas become a disaster in short order unless someone is willing to pay for constant on site security and cleaning.

[post_man]

^ I am strongly in favour of City funds being used for this.

[Labroco]

Originally Posted by pspeid

From what I understand a number of homeless people avoid shelters because of perceived safety issues.

A housing strategy is absolutely needed, but I think there needs to be a very loud, broad-based and relentless public demand for something appropriate to happen. Providing housing for the homeless is going to cost money, and there is always social and political opposition to "giving away' homes to people who have been branded as simply being "lazy'.

Personally, I would love to see some kind of housing strategy for the homeless built into future development permits. Want to build a new housing or apartment development? We'll fast track you IF you also build X number of units for the homeless.

Sorry but no...

If the City does not find a way to clean up the Portage Avenue park soon Starlight might just walk. There is also no way they will allow a food court to become a homeless shelter. A small community outreach with no mall access maybe...

Covid has suddenly make ground and second floor space very desirable for office use as elevator social distancing is impossible in towers and takes forever.

The mall owners may be taking Starlight REIT shares but Forks North Portage wants the cash. I think there will be another hair cut coming for the current mall owners.

There may be no food court at all in an attempt to control homelessness and vagrancy in the development. (If they remove subjects and close at all).

[esquire]

Starlight is playing games.

The company behind a major downtown development is asking for a $20-million financial contribution from the City of Winnipeg before a massive renovation can be started.

In a report posted late Tuesday, the city is only willing to debate approving $5 million to Starlight Investments.

The firm has promised to invest $400 million to redevelop Portage Place.

The deal, according to a Starlight spokesperson could be dead on arrival.

I'm no mathematician but I'm sure one of the City's resident experts can quickly deduce whether the subsidies would have them coming out ahead in the long run. And if the City doesn't come out ahead, then good riddance Starlight.