Yes, I know that, but Canada Life owns the building, and they can do whatever they please. Security is vital in the building. SaskPower, SGI, SaskTel ...none of them have commercial rental units on their main floors. You could point to most of the downtown high-rises. There is very little commercial space in any of them, so yes, they do absolutely nothing to contribute to the street life. Perhaps this is an issue the City should have tackled years ago. Having a bank on the main floors hardly enhances the livelihood of the downtown.

Yeah, no one said they couldn't do what they please. If you look at the original post they were merely pointing out their wishes for the space and appropriately using the term "activity" as it is typically associated with downtown street life (i.e. not internal meeting rooms).

Most of the high-rises downtown actually do have retail space. Hill Tower 1, 2, 3. FCC 1 + 2. Avoid Tower. Conexus Tower. Grenfell tower.

It has been addressed by the City. That's why all of the newer developments from 2012+ have the type of design + retail space we're talking about.

Not to be pedantic, but SaskTel has mall-facing floor retail in their building; their store + the glasses store. Nothing street-facing, though.

Indeed. Street-facing, it might be the worst building in all of downtown. It's actually got a concrete bunker around it. Okay, it's not a bunker, but it is terrible.

There are some reasonable buildings in the core for interaction. Agriculture Place is probably the best of the new ones because it managed to get a coffee shop and an eyeglass place in it. The Grenfell Tower while old has decent commercial space and a covered spot. It's taken a beating from the retail implosion downtown, but the spot is decent and could be a great spot for a restaurant as well. Even the TD Bank has managed to get some CRUs in the bottom on Hamilton Street and when the donair place was there it was inviting and almost lively. There's opportunities in the core, but we need some sort of plan to make it happen and we need to incentivize moving your business to the core instead of out to the suburb commercial zones.

But that kind of attitude is not part of the city's mandate and hasn't been for decades.

It is truly terrible, but it's clear Saskatchewan Drive was never intended to be pedestrian friendly. From Albert Street to Broad street is horrific in terms of sidewalk and storefronts. I'd love to see this changed, but it is the stroadiest of stroads.

Saskatchewan Drive is a victim of the rail line. I don't hold much hope for it. We can make it look nicer and maybe use parts of the North side as a bike route, transit option, but overall it is what it is. I don't think it should be the focus of redevelopment. At this time anyway. Talk to me again when Regina hits 350,000 to 400,000 people and I might think differently.

Agreed. It was subsidized by Canada Life. I don't think the operator paid rent.

Regina OCP:

3.4.4.1 Pocket Parks North of Saskatchewan Drive
Intent
The City of Regina should ensure that the termini of the north-south streets north of
Saskatchewan Drive are, whenever redevelopment occurs, maintained in public ownership
or easement to protect for the long-term re-connection of these streets to the Warehouse
District. These street end locations would make excellent temporary Pocket Parks, serving
new residential buildings along Saskatchewan Drive. A Pocket Park location along the
Scarth Street axis would also be beneficial, coinciding with this street’s important role and
function in creating future linkages to the north (see section 3.4.5.2).

3.4.4.2 Train Station Park
Intent
A public desire to reinstate the former open space in front of the train station has emerged.
Design possibilities for this park are numerous and may include references to the former
open space at this location. A partnership with Casino Regina will be required. The park
will need to accommodate program needs of the Casino including circulation, drop-off,
parking, among others. The park design should ensure that sight lines to the historic train
station from Rose Street are preserved. This park has the potential to create a great
Gateway to Downtown (see section 3.5.2 and Map 6) at or near the corner
of
Saskatchewan Drive and Broad Street and to serve as destination amenity for local
residents and employees. A new, pedestrian-oriented frontage should be created on Broad
Street, through landscaping and/or built form (Figures 3.9A and 3.9B).
Figure 3.9A and 3.9B
The design of Train Station Park (historically named Stanley Park) should help create a
neighbourhood focus for the Grand Avenues, contribute to the Primary Gateway to Downtown, and
accommodate complex functional needs.

More from the OCP:

Grand Avenues – Albert Street, Saskatchewan Drive, Broad Street
Intent
Albert Street, Saskatchewan Drive, and Broad Street define three of the edges or
thresholds to the Downtown. Currently dominated by fast moving traffic within the right-
of-way, as well as suburban character buildings and parking lots adjacent, it is intended
that these streets transform into grand, tree-lined avenues edged by high quality buildings
(Figure A2.1).
Features of Grand Avenues should include:
a) Broad sidewalks with a double row of street trees on each side of the street. To help
accomplish this, a 5 metre build-to line setback is proposed for new buildings.
b) A palette of paving, lighting, banners, and furnishing that is distinctive to the
Downtown. In a few places, this will include distinctive heritage streetscape treatment.
c) Crosswalks at all intersections, including special crosswalks at the four Primary
Gateways intersections.
d) Permanent on-street parking. This helps buffer pedestrians from traffic and creates
activity.
e) Bump-outs of sidewalks at intersections, creating more substantial pedestrian zones
and shorter road crossings.
f) Bike lanes of 1.75 metres width, slightly wider than the minimum 1.5 metres, due to
these streets’ high vehicular volumes.
g) Bike Boxes at all signalized intersections, which requires no vehicular right turns on
red lights.
h) Where left turn lanes are not required, the sidewalks on each side of the road should
be expanded.

Hampton Hub opened earlier this week in the old Hunter Gatherer spot. Looks like a small eatery/coffee shop. Named after Fred Hampton, the famous civil rights activist and Black Panther.

There is still a small space east of the Hampton Hub that is vacant, I believe there is still something in the works there.

Also of note, the townhouse complex on the North side of the block is for sale. Apparently there was to be housing for the less fortunate, but I’m not sure of the status as the property is still listed for sale on Colliers. Obviously housing like this is desperately needed, but in my opinion that block would be better served by new low to mid rise affordable housing, with more retail/restaurants at street level

I personally feel that 15th and the Gen Hospital area has the most potential to become Regina’s Riversdale. Already existing retail/restaurant, existing apartment supply, proximity to the grocery on Broadway, and planned developments on the south side of the neighbour hood. Just need a bit more time and creativity

The OCP isn't worth the binder it's kept in. Our current council and the previous one have been chipping away at ruining it. Bresciani is trying to get rid of the density numbers in the OCP. It would be nice if we followed the OCP but I don't have any hope for it.

agreed

Not sure if Sprout in the Viterra head office building on Vic and Albert Regina was a restaurant or catering company, but they are permanently out of business.

Both.

Sucks to hear that.

Still annoys me that they didn’t put a restaurant or retail on the main floor portion off Albert Street when they did the rehabilitation. Notice the non-active waste of street front. Then you could actually see that a restaurant existed in that building. It also would be such a pretty hotel facade.

https://i.ibb.co/wK8gWNC/DAD9790-C-8...24-EA66-C3.jpg

This building was constructed for the Sherwood Department store. I remember there was a branch of the Bank of Montreal at the front corner (Albert & Vic) when it was the head office of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.

https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep...u.aspx?id=1294

I'm good friends with the owners. They were just ready for a new chapter. Another restauranteur will definitely take over the space at some point.

Yeah it wasn't some sort of middle of the night shut down and move out thing. My wife went there for one of the final nights a few weeks ago with friends that are connected to the owners somehow and it was a fully planned thing.

Ok that's fantastic to hear that it was a totally planned closure then. Much better than closing due to covid lower revenues, etc..

I mean, it was definitely because of low sales. It had been for sale for years with no buyer. It was a slow death, but saying they were ready for a new chapter is just being polite.