Regina - Downtown Catalyst Projects Discussion

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by cityboy

I think this sums up my opinion completely, CCF! The only thing that I'm wondering about is the ball park and soccer field. They somehow think this can be combined. I can't picture how this would look. However, I'm concerned this will end up in The Yards. With the amount of land it will gobble up including parking, it will just be a frozen wasteland for a big chunk of the year.

I believe NYCFC plays at Yankee Stadium. It appears doable, although not ideal.

It certainly makes sense from a cost sharing and land use perspective.

[djforsberg]

So, did anyone mention that the Provincial Court is on the block of the supposed preferred arena site? This can’t be a serious option.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

So, did anyone mention that the Provincial Court is on the block of the supposed preferred arena site? This can’t be a serious option.

That building is very cheaply built and probably due for replacement.

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by Stormer

That building is very cheaply built and probably due for replacement.

Well, building an arena and library together makes little sense. Might as well add a new courthouse in there. Maybe throw a grocery store in there for good measure.

[CCF]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

So, did anyone mention that the Provincial Court is on the block of the supposed preferred arena site? This can’t be a serious option.

New catalyst project *unlocked*

[jigglysquishy]

Rebuilding the court house is going to cost $10+ million and require complete buy in from the provincial government.

It would have to be rebuilt before demo of the existing one.

And it's not even talked about in their documents.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

Rebuilding the court house is going to cost $10+ million and require complete buy in from the provincial government.

It would have to be rebuilt before demo of the existing one.

And it's not even talked about in their documents.

I would say $30-60 million.

[Stormer]

It appears they are proposing the baseball/soccer facilities for Taylor Field and they would be separate.

[esquire]

Baseball at Taylor Field again. Like the old days.

[Festivus]

Major development in Regina is just a series of lies.

"By using public money to build a new football stadium, we can clear up a bunch of land for low-income housing and community spaces!

"By using that land set aside for low-income housing and community spaces for a new publicly funded sports stadium, we can generate money in the community!"

It's lie after lie.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by Festivus

Major development in Regina is just a series of lies.

"By using public money to build a new football stadium, we can clear up a bunch of land for low-income housing and community spaces!

"By using that land set aside for low-income housing and community spaces for a new publicly funded sports stadium, we can generate money in the community!"

It's lie after lie.

One of the City Councilors said there were "whispers of low-income housing" at the Taylor Field site when it was demolished but nothing definitive! LOL

[djforsberg]

I just have to rant for second: if we're going to wait for private investment for affordable housing, it's never going to happen. The whole idea that affordable housing can be created with private investment is bat shit insane and it doesn't take rocket appliances to realize that. Even with public funding included, no private owner is going to limit their own growth potential. The only affordable housing is public housing, full stop. Since our federal or provincial governments aren't interested in fully funding public housing, and our city can't afford to do that, there is never going to be affordable housing built on the old Taylor Field site so might as well just build a stupid baseball stadium to get the temporary boost of construction jobs.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by Festivus

Major development in Regina is just a series of lies.

"By using public money to build a new football stadium, we can clear up a bunch of land for low-income housing and community spaces!

"By using that land set aside for low-income housing and community spaces for a new publicly funded sports stadium, we can generate money in the community!"

It's lie after lie.

Agreed.

[Stormer]

2022 Councilor Bresciani: “I had heard that there were whispers that the Taylor Field was going to be designated for some affordable housing. But there has been nothing that has moved that forward,” she said.

2016 Mayor: “There will be varying degrees of density,” Fougere said. “There will be affordable housing.”

[jigglysquishy]

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[UPP]

Originally Posted by Stormer

It appears they are proposing the baseball/soccer facilities for Taylor Field and they would be separate.

The baseball/soccer combination is a shady way to get buy-in from a larger cohort than just baseball lovers. The soccer community was supposed to build a synthetic field in conjunction with Minor Football when they redid Leibel Field. That didn't happen because FCR (Football Club Regina) is run about as well as a banana republic. They have great big plans to revitalize the soccer facility at Evraz. They should try to get that off the ground first.

[Newstart]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

I just have to rant for second: if we're going to wait for private investment for affordable housing, it's never going to happen. The whole idea that affordable housing can be created with private investment is bat shit insane and it doesn't take rocket appliances to realize that. Even with public funding included, no private owner is going to limit their own growth potential. The only affordable housing is public housing, full stop. Since our federal or provincial governments aren't interested in fully funding public housing, and our city can't afford to do that, there is never going to be affordable housing built on the old Taylor Field site so might as well just build a stupid baseball stadium to get the temporary boost of construction jobs.

But is it? Thats how its done...all over the world. Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto, NYC etc etc.

Private Money can OFTEN be the catalyst for affordable housing incorporated into market developments. The problem is there is no one with the TRUE mindset that allows for the creativity to do this. When the housing is built it should be close to the core and/or NOD/North Central where there are services across the board.

The City should partner with Private Investment to kick start it and have a mix of housing types within private development, with public money funding the private development components. It really isn't rocket science.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by Newstart

But is it? Thats how its done...all over the world. Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto, NYC etc etc.

Private Money can OFTEN be the catalyst for affordable housing incorporated into market developments. The problem is there is no one with the TRUE mindset that allows for the creativity to do this. When the housing is built it should be close to the core and/or NOD/North Central where there are services across the board.

The City should partner with Private Investment to kick start it and have a mix of housing types within private development, with public money funding the private development components. It really isn't rocket science.

Many major cities require new developments to include X% of units as affordable housing. Can you imagine Regina city council making a place like Gardens on Rose build 5-10 low-income units? I think it should happen, but I can't see our council doing it since it means way less profits for developers.

[Newstart]

Originally Posted by Festivus

Many major cities require new developments to include X% of units as affordable housing. Can you imagine Regina city council making a place like Gardens on Rose build 5-10 low-income units? I think it should happen, but I can't see our council doing it since it means way less profits for developers.

Yes. and then there are some developers who are embracing it.

Obviously that element does not work for Regina because it would just be another hurdle for development within the urban core that most would just shake their head at and say no too. That being said there are ways to do it. It can include land swaps, it can include land disposition, it can include a more significant component and partnerships with Non-Profits and Private Investment

Westbank is just completing a project in Vancouver with 62 Market Unis and 80 Affordable Units. They have similar plans in Toronto.

Now I get my comments are a bit of a challenge because no one is and no one wants to build in downtown Regina...but it is completely possible if the right forces came together was more my point.

[djforsberg]

Public housing was something that all levels of government used to do. And then in the 90s, once market fundamentalism took hold, for some reason we decided to introduce private investment and the profit-motive into affordable housing, which serves no practical purpose. As other things like low interest rates and low supply drive up prices, all prices rise and “affordable” housing eventually becomes very profitable but not affordable. We need public housing that provides decent homes to families like mine when I was growing up in the Regina Housing townhouses on the west end of Rochdale Blvd. Countries in Europe didn’t go as hard as us, the US, and the UK did, but most western countries going in the neoliberal, market fundamentalist direction doesn’t mean it was a moral or sustainable endeavor.