Saskatoon Construction III - Page 197

hunter12 · #**3921** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 2:32 PM**

Proposed office building on 12th street just off Broadway

https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/509-12th-street-east

I like the building and project but definitely not that location. I vote Yes to the project but NO to the location. Jammed between two current condo buildings and the proposed third condo, the Highpoint project. Land is currently a green space/community garden area. I think it should remain that way.

There are plenty of parking lots downtown where this project would be a perfect fit. How about 4th ave and 20th as one possibility, it is just across the river.

phone · #**3922** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 3:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter12

Proposed office building on 12th street just off Broadway

https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/509-12th-street-east

I like the building and project but definitely not that location. I vote Yes to the project but NO to the location. Jammed between two current condo buildings and the proposed third condo, the Highpoint project. Land is currently a green space/community garden area. I think it should remain that way.

There are plenty of parking lots downtown where this project would be a perfect fit. How about 4th ave and 20th as one possibility, it is just across the river.

Renderings look nice. I'm not entirely comfortable with an apparently nascent trend of Nutana out-downtowning downtown. And personally speaking, I'd miss the Remai community garden. That said, if its going to happen, this is among the best case scenarios for this type of development. It's appropriately scaled, and is a fairly good looking and architecturally interesting building (should it match the renderings). Nice finishes on the parkade level, and pleasant looking balconies on most of the floors.

The report refers to a proposed tenant looking to expand their Saskatoon office presence. Any guesses?

YXE · #**3923** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 3:41 PM**

Very interesting how in and around Broadway has become/is becoming Saskatoon's "downtown".

Stunning building but would have loved to see this at least along Broadway, or on one of the aforementioned parking lots downtown. This would have been a great project for the vacant parking lot across from River Landing.

FarmerHaight · #**3924** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 5:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter12

I like the building and project but definitely not that location. I vote Yes to the project but NO to the location. Jammed between two current condo buildings and the proposed third condo, the Highpoint project. Land is currently a green space/community garden area. I think it should remain that way.

I actually think this is a great spot. This lot is as close to downtown as you can be without actually being downtown and eight floors will fit in quite well with the surrounding buildings. Broadway has quite a few awesome local restaurants and shops, and adding office workers to the area will mean these businesses have a more reliable supply of customers on the weekday lunch hour in addition to the weekends and evenings.

I think it is important that Saskatoon doesn't get stuck in the mindset of only building density downtown. Yes, the vacant downtown lots should be filled and yes, density in Brighton with no rapid transit access is dumb, but Saskatoon's core neighbourhoods should all have dense development along arterials. Broadway, 8th, 20th, 22nd, 33rd, Idylwyld, Warman Road, College Drive, Lorne, 12th, Clarence, and University should all have more density served by frequent transit service.

I am not an expert on these things, but based on this City of Saskatoon document the lot is not owned by the city. So that means it is not a question of whether anything will get built on this lot to replace the garden, but when the garden will be replaced and by what type of building. I think eliminating the garden is unfortunate as I have met people who have spent a lot of time there and really enjoy using the space. But if this zoning application doesn't get through the only thing that will change is the building will be an 8-story residential tower instead of an 8-story commercial tower.

jigglysquishy · #**3925** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 7:44 PM**

Gorgeous building in a perfect location.

river · #**3926** Posted **Aug 20, 2022, 8:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hunter12

Proposed office building on 12th street just off Broadway

https://www.saskatoon.ca/engage/509-12th-street-east

I like the building and project but definitely not that location. I vote Yes to the project but NO to the location. Jammed between two current condo buildings and the proposed third condo, the Highpoint project. Land is currently a green space/community garden area. I think it should remain that way.

There are plenty of parking lots downtown where this project would be a perfect fit. How about 4th ave and 20th as one possibility, it is just across the river.

Highpoint isn't a good argument for a bad location as the projects essentially dead. The design is great and it is a good density for the area. Not too tall, and will bring a good base of office workers to nutana.

As for the green space, it is nice but it's privately owned land. If it was to be protected, the city would have to offer fair market value for the land and as far as I can tell, that won't be on their priority list anytime soon. Also, I bet the neighbouring condos are going to put up a fight against this project due to lost views.

4LSaskatoon · #**3927** Posted **Aug 21, 2022, 5:19 PM**

212 Saskatchewan Cres. E.
New condos available for presale!

https://fb.watch/f27bldO8UY/

FarmerHaight · #**3928** Posted **Aug 22, 2022, 5:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by river

Also, I bet the neighbouring condos are going to put up a fight against this project due to lost views.

I don't know how they would fight it since the zoned height is not changing, only the use is changing.

Echoes · #**3929** Posted **Aug 23, 2022, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4LSaskatoon

212 Saskatchewan Cres. E.
New condos available for presale!

https://fb.watch/f27bldO8UY/

Good looking building.

https://www.twotwelve.ca/

Arts · #**3930** Posted **Aug 24, 2022, 8:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by river

Highpoint isn't a good argument for a bad location as the projects essentially dead.

...also, doesn't this proposal occupy part of the footprint of what was last proposed for Highpoint? is it the same parcel of land?

asdfgh · #**3931** Posted **Aug 24, 2022, 9:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arts

...also, doesn't this proposal occupy part of the footprint of what was last proposed for Highpoint? is it the same parcel of land?

Nope, it looks to be the odd-shaped parcel between High Point and the white and blue condo down the street.

If High Point and this happen, that will be quite a big change for that area. It would be great to see.

Echoes · #**3932** Posted **Aug 24, 2022, 10:49 PM**

Location of potential downtown Saskatoon arena district narrowed to 2 sites
Consultants say Midtown Plaza parking lot is 'highest scoring site': city

CBC News · Posted: Aug 24, 2022 4:30 PM CT | Last Updated: 15 minutes ago

Quote:

The Midtown Plaza's north parking lot and the undeveloped north downtown area near the city yards are in the running to be the location of Saskatoon's proposed new Downtown Event and Entertainment District, which would include a new arena.

In a news release Wednesday, the City of Saskatoon said council will be presented a report on Monday that includes a detailed technical study of potential locations for the arena.

Saskatoon has been mulling over the prospect of a downtown arena and entertainment district since 2018, when council decided a replacement to SaskTel Centre and TCU Place should be built in the city's downtown.

Many other potential sites have been floated, including the Toys "R" Us parking lot south of Midtown Plaza and a parking lot near the Farmers' Market in Riversdale.

"Sites determined to be too small were eliminated from further consideration," the release said.

Proponents of the district hope the project will be similar to Edmonton's ICE District, home of the Rogers Place arena.

Consultants have found that the Midtown location has the "highest scoring site" based on the technical criteria, according to the release.

If council approves the plan to consider the two sites, public engagement will take place from Aug. 30 to Oct. 3.

Mayor Charlie Clark and other officials will provide more details at a news conference at 4:30 p.m. CST.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...ites-1.6561190

roryn1 · #**3933** Posted **Aug 25, 2022, 5:57 PM**

FarmerHaight · #**3934** Posted **Aug 25, 2022, 7:35 PM**

Good. Midtown's north parking lot is exactly where the arena should be. That is the best location that can be effectively served by BRT or other future rapid transit. It will also easily connect to Idylwyld, 22, College, and 2nd/Warman Road for cars to get to and from the venue. Finally, it's within the existing downtown so businesses on 19th, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th should see a bump in traffic on event days.

I like the concept of the City Yards, but that would require a whole new road network and utility connections. I would much rather see the city sell off that parcel to a private developer and get them to cover those capital outlays.

EpicPonyTime · #**3935** Posted **Aug 25, 2022, 7:41 PM**

I've always been a bigger fan of building a community around a soccer stadium in the City Yards rather than an arena (if something had to go there that is). Midtown is the right choice.

Crisis · #**3936** Posted **Aug 25, 2022, 10:17 PM**

Interesting Site Comparison Chart. I'm surprised that the River Landing / Farmer's Market site scored so poorly. I really don't consider it to be all that far away from downtown, but I guess that the Idylwyld ramp onto the Sid Buckwold Bridge is a fairly major obstacle.

FarmerHaight · #**3937** Posted **Aug 26, 2022, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crisis

Interesting Site Comparison Chart. I'm surprised that the River Landing / Farmer's Market site scored so poorly. I really don't consider it to be all that far away from downtown, but I guess that the Idylwyld ramp onto the Sid Buckwold Bridge is a fairly major obstacle.

I don't find it all that surprising. As you mentioned, the bridge ramps are a major obstacle for establishing any rapid transit connections and for fans walking to the game from elsewhere downtown. Also, the parking supply in that corner is not very large and all of the developable land in that area would be occupied by the arena, making it hard to develop any sort of entertainment district around it. Also, Riversdale is pretty sleepy between 19th and the river (except for some crime) so I don't know that loud sporting events with drunk fans and tons of traffic would be good for the community.

Echoes · #**3938** Posted **Aug 26, 2022, 4:26 PM**

IMO I always hated the idea of blowing up a perfectly good redevelopment project like River Landing that is (slowly) bearing its own fruit in order to plunk an arena on it.

I also think the riverfront would be poorly served by something with the scale and impermeability of an arena.

I'm waiting for the article where that crack architect Gary Marvin that was part of the 1980s proposal on the A.L. Cole site and updated the rendering for the 2020s with some penciled-in residential towers tells us from Kelowna how horribly wrong Saskatoon is about this.

The north Midtown lot is far and way the best choice.

prairieguy · #**3939** Posted **Aug 26, 2022, 5:34 PM**

I am curious where they see the "opportunity for infill/adjacent development" exists for the Midtown north location? I fully support that location as option #1 by far, but I am perplexed where the available land is for infill development without removing some of the existing 'warehouse' type buildings that exist north of the site. Or even better.....convince the YMCA to relocate and become partner in a core community leisure centre in Riversdale or Caswell.

EpicPonyTime · #**3940** Posted **Aug 26, 2022, 6:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairieguy

I am curious where they see the "opportunity for infill/adjacent development" exists for the Midtown north location? I fully support that location as option #1 by far, but I am perplexed where the available land is for infill development without removing some of the existing 'warehouse' type buildings that exist north of the site. Or even better.....convince the YMCA to relocate and become partner in a core community leisure centre in Riversdale or Caswell.

Wonder if they could be referring to the old STC Depot?

I'm not up to date on what happened to it.