Winnipeg Construction

[Biff]

That's the one, thanks Vike.

[JamieDavid Exchange]

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

Originally Posted by headhorse

this isn't a recent rendering, is it? no residential component and there is a Nygard sign (old plan) displayed.

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Source?

Sorry guys, I usually put a source. I saw it in Centre Ventures 2010-2013 Budget report.

[WestEndWander]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

I will argue this till I am red in the face but PnM should not be open to pedestrains.

I think that with proper design Portage and Main could finally live up to the legend of its name and function for both pedestrians and cars.

Opening up the iconic corner with a simple, smart, clean and modern redevelopment (I really enjoyed the Cibinel winner, not one for the grade separated entry) allows for the creation of a central node right at the historic heart of downtown. This could become our Times Square (extreme to compare N.Y to Wpg, yes I know, but scale it and contextualize it to our city.)

We speak of freeways and quick traffic flow on these streets but sometimes I think we forget this intersection is right smack dab in the middle of the downtown. I don't believe it's meant to be moving cars at a high speed. I have travelled to a majority of large cites throughout the world. I can honestly say that I have never saw another intersection like its kind right in the middle of a cities downtown that emphasizes the car over the pedestrian with the sort of pedestrian treatment that Portage and Main does. No true "downtown" contains freeways, they tend to exist on the peripheries and feed people into the core. Those that might actually have them are often currently figuring out how to remove them and put emphasis back on the pedestrian due to the divide they create in the urban fabric.

Safety and the proper integration of pedestrians and autos comes along with proper design. I think it can be done, and really change the face and tone of Portage and Main for the better.

These are some traffic stats for downtown. We have some similar intersections (Main and Broadway, Memorial and Portage, Main and Disraeli) that are open to pedestrian flow.

http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/PDF/Transportation/2009-TrafficFlow-Map.pdf

[trueviking]

^great points.

there is no question whatsoever...it needs to be opened as soon as possible.

as it is, it is an embarrassment to this city.

[1ajs]

o crap forgot all about that thing

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by WestEndWander

I think that with proper design Portage and Main could finally live up to the legend of its name and function for both pedestrians and cars.

Opening up the iconic corner with a simple, smart, clean and modern redevelopment (I really enjoyed the Cibinel winner, not one for the grade separated entry) allows for the creation of a central node right at the historic heart of downtown. This could become our Times Square (extreme to compare N.Y to Wpg, yes I know, but scale it and contextualize it to our city.)

We speak of freeways and quick traffic flow on these streets but sometimes I think we forget this intersection is right smack dab in the middle of the downtown. I don't believe it's meant to be moving cars at a high speed. I have travelled to a majority of large cites throughout the world. I can honestly say that I have never saw another intersection like its kind right in the middle of a cities downtown that emphasizes the car over the pedestrian with the sort of pedestrian treatment that Portage and Main does. No true "downtown" contains freeways, they tend to exist on the peripheries and feed people into the core. Those that might actually have them are often currently figuring out how to remove them and put emphasis back on the pedestrian due to the divide they create in the urban fabric.

Safety and the proper integration of pedestrians and autos comes along with proper design. I think it can be done, and really change the face and tone of Portage and Main for the better.

These are some traffic stats for downtown. We have some similar intersections (Main and Broadway, Memorial and Portage, Main and Disraeli) that are open to pedestrian flow.

http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/PDF/Transportation/2009-TrafficFlow-Map.pdf

Can't open the pdf for some reason but no matter. I guess the difference between P+M and these intersections, assuming they have comparable traffic counts, is that there are actually people at P+M that might get in the way and slow traffic down. So then wouldn't the logical solution be to get rid of the cars and pedestrianize P+M?

My new year's resolution was to be a shit disturber this year

[cllew]

Originally Posted by flatlander

Can't open the pdf for some reason but no matter. I guess the difference between P+M and these intersections, assuming they have comparable traffic counts, is that there are actually people at P+M that might get in the way and slow traffic down. So then wouldn't the logical solution be to get rid of the cars and pedestrianize P+M?

My new year's resolution was to be a shit disturber this year

City of Wpg website is down right now, the only thing that appears to be working is the transit information, and I think that they are on a separate server.

[dpenner]

Got back from my annual xmas trip back home and had some collected thoughts:

-Ray wan retirement center is hideous, sticks out on princess, i wouldn't wish that building to be built in my greatest enemy's downtown

-nice to see continued work on sunstone, thinking the city is going to have to bite the bullet and heavily subsidize a development of the pump house, if anyone ever saw that UofM architecture grads final project on it, it would be perfect

-viterra soap building needs to be converted on waterfront, i heard the owner is refusing to sell though

-the area south of the disreali in the exchange by alexander, edwin, duncan, George and heaton ave is an intriguing area....

-equally intriguing is the industrial section of higgens......

-those two areas are so prime for establishing a model urban community

-west exchanges population will be +2 as of april, signed lease for an apartment on princess for a 2 bedroom with a buddy

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by dpenner

-nice to see continued work on sunstone, thinking the city is going to have to bite the bullet and heavily subsidize a development of the pump house, if anyone ever saw that UofM architecture grads final project on it, it would be perfect

If it is the one I am thinking of... that design hinged on a bookstore as the main tenant.

We all know how well bookstores are doing these days.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by h0twired

If it is the one I am thinking of... that design hinged on a bookstore as the main tenant.

We all know how well bookstores are doing these days.

The one with a bookstore, daycare and grocery. With a student housing component:

http://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/handle/1993/4094?mode=simple&submit_simple=Show+simple+item+record

[viperred88]

I would love to see portage and main open up to pedestrians and get rid Wpg square as a commercial strip...

But I wonder how many would care to travel across P & M on a windy day especially in this tunnel.

My question to anyone who knows is what buildings caused the wind tunnel in the first place?

I am guessing the Richardson and Shaw (td) towers being so tall. If that is the case then it why I am big fan of anything any higher than 20 floor high downtown.

On a side note I would reduce the amount of car lanes on portage and run a freeway along the cpr tracks

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by trueviking

Are they not doing a bunch of work on the second Duff Roblin park that is suppose to create stuff like this. As I know the first Duff Roblin park was a disaster and now is just sitting there collecting weeds.

Also I was then and still am an advocate for deepening it so you can use the channel for boats etc, not the way it is now in the dry season, just a dried up rock bed.

[rrskylar]

The first Duff Roblin park was in such an awkward and unappealing spot that offered nothing to even bother to go for. Think of a highway rest stop along the Trans-Canada in Saskatchewan between the MB border and Regina.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by viperred88

On a side note I would reduce the amount of car lanes on portage and run a freeway along the cpr tracks

I was thinking along the same lines. A big issue though is the road alignments and how you connect to the roads south of Broadway. The other issue would be how traffic would be routed once the ballpark is reached. The area between the ballpark and the tracks is likely allocated to a future transit way.

I think even if Portage and Main was changed to allow pedistreans access little would change as htere is nothing pulling people there. Even if it was completely closed to traffic I think it would remain relatively free of people. The problem is much more complicated than a simple "remove the barriers and people will come".

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I was thinking along the same lines. A big issue though is the road alignments and how you connect to the roads south of Broadway. The other issue would be how traffic would be routed once the ballpark is reached. The area between the ballpark and the tracks is likely allocated to a future transit way.

I think even if Portage and Main was changed to allow pedistreans access little would change as htere is nothing pulling people there. Even if it was completely closed to traffic I think it would remain relatively free of people. The problem is much more complicated than a simple "remove the barriers and people will come".

Think you guys are on to something, run the freeway from Disraeli along the river through Juba Park and the Forks right to St. Mary's Road!

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

Also I was then and still am an advocate for deepening it so you can use the channel for boats etc, not the way it is now in the dry season, just a dried up rock bed.

Not possible unless the banks along the entire length are reinforced to prevent erosion. Plus, it can't be deepened as it would then cut into and contaminate the aquifer in some locations.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Not possible unless the banks along the entire length are reinforced to prevent erosion. Plus, it can't be deepened as it would then cut into and contaminate the aquifer in some locations.

They should be looking at using the floodway after heavy rains and increases in river levels, the constant rising and falling of the Red River in the last twenty years has decimated the river bank throughout Winnipeg. Maybe the Lockport dam is more to blame but in 50 years the Red will be a wide 5' deep stagnant body of water.

The pathway I once walked on twenty years ago is now part of the river most of the year and the pathway that has since been cut above the river bank will fail in a few more years, has to be at least 15 feet of river bank now gone since 1993.

[bomberjet]

I think you guys are confused. Vipered was talking CP, the yards that are perpetually being relocated north of downtown. Not CN tracks south of downtown, as they would have the transitway running parallel through downtown to the east side of the river.

Or maybe I'm confuzled.

[Wigglez]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

The pathway I once walked on twenty years ago is now part of the river most of the year and the pathway that has since been cut above the river bank will fail in a few more years, has to be at least 15 feet of river bank now gone since 1993.

Don't worry, they have a great solution! Move everything back a few feet and ignore the problem!! that is until the stuff they moved back is about to fall into the river, then they can just move it back again! (they have done this twice to a bench I love sitting on by the river at a park near here, the original spot is rather wet now)

[JamieDavid Exchange]

Kenaston Blvd, from Taylor Ave to St James Bridge

$130, 000, 000

Owner is seeking funding. Cons completed a preliminary study early 2012. Schedules for Requests For Proposals (RFP) for Civil engineers to complete detail design, tender for general contractors and construction are undetermined pending funds

Proposed widening of two bridges and a road between Kenaston Boulevard from Taylor Avenue to St James Bridge

(http://www.journalofcommerce.com/cgi-bin...202cde&projectid=9036203&region=prairies)