Winnipeg's Exchange District | East/West | Development - Page 20

Simplicity · #**381** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 8:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

What did they buy it for?

I haven't the faintest clue, but buying something does not always necessitate that somebody has done their due diligence.

Perhaps they felt they could raise the funds. Perhaps they discounted the dereliction of the building. Maybe they felt they could hold a gun to the city's head and demand a pile of heritage tax credits that didn't manifest. I couldn't tell you, but when the WFPS is putting notices on your plywood front entrance to put a fire suppression system into the building and you aren't willing to comply, that's usually a sign that things hit the skids long ago...

esquire · #**382** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 8:40 PM**

I did a bit of googling and it turns out that it has now been 6 years since the Scientologists bought the Peck Building:

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/2050...respectability

More than enough time to get something going if they had the means to do so. You would think they could at least sell it for a handsome profit and just walk away with the cash....

Simplicity · #**383** Posted **Feb 25, 2014, 10:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I did a bit of googling and it turns out that it has now been 6 years since the Scientologists bought the Peck Building:

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/2050...respectability

More than enough time to get something going if they had the means to do so. You would think they could at least sell it for a handsome profit and just walk away with the cash....

Eh, I honestly don't know what sort of profit is left in a building like that once the WFPS slaps a work order of that magnitude on it. Whoever buys it would get some grace in order to put a remedy together, but they're still going to have to either act on redevelopment or act on installing a fire suppression system. Either way, neither is a good prospect for a developer. That building would require somewhere around $15MM to renovate because of the heritage constraints. There isn't a usage of any sort in this city that would justify that investment so it's going to sit vacant until somebody is either handed a huge grant or a demolition permit.

Frankly, I don't see either on the horizon...

Cyro · #**384** Posted **Feb 26, 2014, 5:05 PM**

$150 per/sq.ft for a 50,000 sq/ft structure to be brought up to the building code required is not a huge budget breaking undertaking if they were willing to spend up to 10 million on the restoration of this heritage building.

Whatever happened between now and 2008 and why it fell through is another story.

Flatland Metropolis · #**385** Posted **Feb 26, 2014, 6:08 PM**

Personally I'd really rather not see the scientologists move anywhere but out of the city.

Biff · #**386** Posted **Feb 26, 2014, 7:04 PM**

But with them here we will have the first roof top space-ship landing pad in the city.

.....really though, if they want to invest in a beautiful heritage building all the power too them. Their beliefs are based in as much fact as the rest of the religions.

esquire · #**387** Posted **Feb 26, 2014, 7:06 PM**

^ Agreed. I take no position on the relative merits of Scientology. I just want the Peck Building to finally be renovated.

Riverman · #**388** Posted **Feb 26, 2014, 7:18 PM**

Is the building presently occupied, at all?

esquire · #**389** Posted **Feb 26, 2014, 7:20 PM**

^ Pretty sure it's completely vacant.

Authentic_City · #**390** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 5:41 PM**

Here we go again. Can you believe this guy???

"The owner of the St. Charles Hotel has taken the City of Winnipeg to court to remove the historic designation from the 101-year-old Exchange District structure, which he hopes to demolish." ...

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...247992541.html

esquire · #**391** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 5:50 PM**

^ 100% predictable. He managed to get his way with the Albert Street Business Block, now to finish the job with the St. Charles.

My prediction is that within 6 months there will be a devastating fire blamed on squatters, to be followed by the creation of Winnipeg's newest surface parking lot.

The fact that the City can't stop his completely transparent agenda really shows you how toothless it is when it comes to enforcing its own heritage building preservation laws. I'm sure other landlords are taking note.

1ajs · #**392** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 5:52 PM**

the city has tools it refuses to use

Cyro · #**393** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 5:55 PM**

He won't win his case to remove the heritage designation.

esquire · #**394** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyro

He won't win his case to remove the heritage designation.

Moot point once the place has burned down.

Authentic_City · #**395** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 6:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Moot point once the place has burned down.

Sad but true. The guy was ordered to install a fire suppression system. Did that ever happen? And was it ever inspected to ensure it actually works?

Cyro · #**396** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 6:17 PM**

Yes, It may mysteriously burn to the ground as do many neglected or long time vacant properties, but we can only deal with the situation at the moment. We'll see how this plays out. This may finally light a candle, (no pun intended), under the behinds of city hall to take action, in a more expedient way.

oftheMoon · #**397** Posted **Mar 12, 2014, 9:55 PM**

North East Exchange District Engineering Study

In recent years, the North East Exchange (see map below) has seen significant growth pressures, placing a greater demand on the area’s roadways, services, and pedestrian/cycling facilities. The City of Winnipeg recently retained MMM Group to conduct a study for the area that will provide the City with a blueprint for providing prioritized, coordinated infrastructure improvements (roads, sidewalks, bike paths, street furniture, underground services, landscaping, etc.) to the area over the next 10 years.

Public Info display session
March 25, 4:00 - 7:30pm
Pantages Theatre

Source:

http://www.winnipeg.ca/PublicWorks/M...hEastExchange/

https://m.facebook.com/StreetSideCon...81118015441411

Simplicity · #**398** Posted **Mar 12, 2014, 10:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyro

$150 per/sq.ft for a 50,000 sq/ft structure to be brought up to the building code required is not a huge budget breaking undertaking if they were willing to spend up to 10 million on the restoration of this heritage building.

Whatever happened between now and 2008 and why it fell through is another story.

I'm not sure where that $150/sq ft figure comes from ('cause it'll be higher than that), but I wouldn't be spending a dime renovating 50,000 square feet of heritage building with no parking in a so-so area. Who's going to rent that space at the $22/sq ft rent you'd need to see out of it?

Cyro · #**399** Posted **Mar 13, 2014, 11:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simplicity

I'm not sure where that $150/sq ft figure comes from ('cause it'll be higher than that)

It came from Bill Thiessen-commercial agent with RE/MAX Performance Realty
Former business development officer with CentreVenture Development Corp.
(It will be higher, today as he made the comment in 2008)

biguc · #**400** Posted **Mar 13, 2014, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Authentic_City

Sad but true. The guy was ordered to install a fire suppression system. Did that ever happen? And was it ever inspected to ensure it actually works?

He supposedly did. But Daren Jorgenson pointed out on FB recently that the building isn't heated, so whatever fire suppression system exists clearly doesn't work.