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Originally Posted by bomberjet
Regina boys moved in and seem to be having a hard time figuring it out. The whole 'heritage building purchase for demo' thing is a prime example.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzg
They're probably used to doing whatever they want in Regina.
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Probably this.
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Originally Posted by Stormer
That is definitely true. Plus there is an old boys club in Winnipeg as I am sure you know.
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I'm not so sure... Winnipeg has a small concentration of trades that ultimately can shield business for themselves since the market is too small to have national companies swoop in. However you can't prevent anyone from outside a club of any kind from buying property they perceive to be valuable and developing it. Maybe some people are connected, but never to the point where they make it harder for other developers to do business.
Harvard seems less than savvy sometimes, atleast to out market. But they have the energy and money to make corrections quickly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by peg
The architect of this project, Ray Wan, visited one of my classes yesterday to give a lecture on architecture and such. He spoke about the projects details and its construction methods. It is going to be steel construction and he said about 2 weeks a floor I think. He said all the components are prefab off-site and brought in. The glazing is supposed to be put up in two-floor tall components.
So hopefully fast construction?
Regarding the actual building, he said there are 395 units, a national restaurant on the main floor and amenities on the top floor. the space that was supposed to hold a grocery store is going to hold a national gym - the grocery store pulled out apparently because it wasn't feasible?
When he took questions I asked him about the timeline of construction - he gave me a beat around the bush answer but confirmed that construction has begun in Winnipeg square and that they have been testing the inherited foundation and doing the loud stuff late at night.
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Those assembly methods are definitely supposed to build faster, and be lighter. They should be able to build this some 6 months quicker than a comparable concrete highrise or so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire
^ Thanks for the info, peg.
So is the gym space where Good Life Fitness is going to end up? I'm not surprised that it won't be a grocery store, there just isn't the critical mass around there to support one. Most of the new urban supermarkets in other North American cities that I've seen have been in neighbourhoods with multiple highrise residences within a few blocks to create a real critical mass of density. One tower, even if it's 300 Main's height, won't generate that on its own. Maybe if something ever gets built on the Skycity site then perhaps it could happen.
I'm also wondering if the potential is there for the gym to one day be replaced by something more substantial... ideally the atrium hotel (or office building) originally proposed for that site. If the gym is going to be a basic throwaway big box four walls-and-a-roof kind of thing sitting on top of Winnipeg Square, then it's not hard to imagine it getting replaced down the line by something bigger and more permanent.
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Grocery isn't a question of critical mass right now.
Grocery across the country is not performing well... with loblaws doing alright, Save-On stagnant, and the rest losing money. Factor in everyone's fear of Amazon's next move, nobody is willing to make big plays anywhere now, never mind downtown Wpg. I think Wpg is heading in the right direction to theoretically support a grocery store, and downtown's population growth is doubling the city average. Plenty of smaller projects throughout downtown and the exchange have helped, so I think the problem is more the grocery industry than our downtown.
The centre portion is definitely the best location for the gym, so I'd imagine that's where it's going. They'd only sign a long term lease, so to hope for something else down the road would be whimsical. Good Life is a great tenant to have anyway. I've also heard that parts of the centre portion are not nearly as strong as initially suggested by the original developer, so hoping for 4+ stories at any point would have been unrealistic.
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