Winnipeg Construction X

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Thanks, I missed that. That's a fair bit of space that Aveda is taking up then, considering it's a 4 storey building.

On a related note, I would love to see the first floor of that building get renovated to be consistent with the rest of the structure. It drives me nuts that it is such a bad mismatch.

One of my favourite buildings. I absolutely love this building but I can't help but agree with you. It isn't ruined by the first floor but you're absolutely right that it could be so much better, especially considering the beauty on every other floor.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Wpgstvsouth94

Has there been any news on the Costco at main and the perimeter? That area was completed and fully serviced with roads. It’s been radio silent for a while now.?

Costco was ready to pull the trigger on two new and one renovated stores in the city just before Covid. That delayed everything for essentially two years. Last year (when Covid was kind of over) they took a look at the situation in the city and found that the cost of construction here was simply too high and moved on to other locations in their network hoping to circle back when things became more favorable here.

I'm not sure if anything significant has changed here and I would argue it is actually worse now because of the interest rates. Having said that, I hear that there could be some movement in the Headingley location (I know a little more but can't say). Regarding the West St Paul location it is still crickets. I think the priority would be the Headingley location because a new store there would allow them to proceed with the St James reno/conversion. I would expect the West St Paul location to be a couple years away.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Biff

I'm not sure if anything significant has changed here and I would argue it is actually worse now because of the interest rates. Having said that, I hear that there could be some movement in the Headingley location (I know a little more but can't say).

I am not restricted in what I can say as I don't work on the project. What I do know is the original plan was for the Costco to go on the "east" part of the west Winnipeg parcel and it is 100% inside Winnipeg and not Headingley despite public perception there. The site was originally to be home to Target and Lowes but well that didn't exactly work out. Preparation work was done on the site including putting in the water and sewer lines. My understanding is the developer paid for that. With the infrastructure seeming in place the plan went to the city for a seemingly minor variance (building too close to the road). All seemed to be good but then it was discovered that the previous work on the sewer lines were not sufficient for the planned build and needed a significant additional spend. The developer said they were not putting in more money and Costco said they weren't either. Development stopped.

Then sometime later a new site plan hits the civic government adding the west parcel to the development and seeming Costco has moved their location. More prep work happens on the site. Now rumors are circulating that development might be back on again.

Since all that happened the site has started construction of what appear to be two residential buildings, likely rental apartments on the west parcel and a similar construction of a single building on the east parcel near the IcePlex, formerly shown on site plans as a future hotel.

Also as a point of reference there is an existing road within the site that runs parallel to Portage Ave. Those completed buildings are actually outside the parcel of land in question for Costco with the development site being between those buildings and Portage Ave.

[Biff]

^^^I only say Headingley as a rough point of reference. Technically the development is called Westport. The site is on the SE corner of Stewart Millett Way (Google Earth has it listed as Park Plz) and Festival Dr. This is across the street from the daycare and Dairy farmers of Manitoba buildings.

[Wpgstvsouth94]

Originally Posted by Biff

Costco was ready to pull the trigger on two new and one renovated stores in the city just before Covid. That delayed everything for essentially two years. Last year (when Covid was kind of over) they took a look at the situation in the city and found that the cost of construction here was simply too high and moved on to other locations in their network hoping to circle back when things became more favorable here.

I'm not sure if anything significant has changed here and I would argue it is actually worse now because of the interest rates. Having said that, I hear that there could be some movement in the Headingley location (I know a little more but can't say). Regarding the West St Paul location it is still crickets. I think the priority would be the Headingley location because a new store there would allow them to proceed with the St James reno/conversion. I would expect the West St Paul location to be a couple years away.

Well that’s some good news. Hopefully it will take some stress off the kenaston location. I notice these past couple years how the gas bar no matter what time of day you go is very long. I feel like I’m down south in a major city. Hopefully some good news will come out of the north perimeter location soon. The Saint James location turning into a business center will be good because they have a lot of stuff that you don’t find in normal Costco locations.

[WinCitySparky]

St James turning into a business centre is a disaster for anyone who lives central such as myself. Seems insane that they would pull such a move when business is so clearly robust there.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Thanks, I missed that. That's a fair bit of space that Aveda is taking up then, considering it's a 4 storey building.

On a related note, I would love to see the first floor of that building get renovated to be consistent with the rest of the structure. It drives me nuts that it is such a bad mismatch.

I wish they would put that beautiful canopy back on.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I wish they would put that beautiful canopy back on.

wonder what taxs and fees the city charges for having one

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

St James turning into a business centre is a disaster for anyone who lives central such as myself. Seems insane that they would pull such a move when business is so clearly robust there.

The St James Costco location is too small for their current product range and routinely doesn't get all the items their other locations carry. And that is even without the possibility of adding alcohol sales as is currently being purposed by the provincial government. There is also talk that Costco had been told that location is on borrowed time before city zoning requires they put in and pay the on going operational costs for a traffic light for access to their parking lot. Yes that sounds a little crazy but there are other precedents in Winnipeg where that has been done.

The reality is Costco was likely looking to replace that location anywhere as it cannot offer its full range of products there, most notable being the lack of a gas bar. Also Winnipeg does not have a Costco Business Centre yet as that is a newer model and repurposing their existing St James location is a good way to leverage their investment to deliver on that.

[post_man]

Originally Posted by trueviking

I wish they would put that beautiful canopy back on.

Do we know why it was removed?

[Biff]

I thought it was a rusting issue, but I could be totally wrong about it.

[Biff]

MB Housing just put out an EOI for the redevelopment of the gong show that is 575 Balmoral for social and affordable housing.

"As part of the government’s priority to provide housing opportunities, Manitoba Housing
requests Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified proponents to acquire and re-develop
the property located at 575 Balmoral Street in Winnipeg for the development of social and
affordable housing. Options for development include demolition and a new build or
remediating the existing buildings on the site."

"While Manitoba Housing is open to all proposed options for the re-development of the site,
given the property's size, location, zoning, and existing site issues (see Section 1.2),
Manitoba Housing will prioritize new construction projects, which increase unit density (if
possible)."

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

I thought it was a rusting issue, but I could be totally wrong about it.

It would not surprise me, I have some recollection of seeing the pieces really rusting badly after not very much time at all. It did not look good.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

MB Housing just put out an EOI for the redevelopment of the gong show that is 575 Balmoral for social and affordable housing.

"As part of the government’s priority to provide housing opportunities, Manitoba Housing
requests Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified proponents to acquire and re-develop
the property located at 575 Balmoral Street in Winnipeg for the development of social and
affordable housing. Options for development include demolition and a new build or
remediating the existing buildings on the site."

"While Manitoba Housing is open to all proposed options for the re-development of the site,
given the property's size, location, zoning, and existing site issues (see Section 1.2),
Manitoba Housing will prioritize new construction projects, which increase unit density (if
possible)."

I truly hope no one throws good money after bad on this project. Centre Village was a failure. It was a good design in a very wrong place... might have been fine in Morden, but not in the concrete jungle of downtown Winnipeg.

[WinCitySparky]

Originally Posted by esquire

It would not surprise me, I have some recollection of seeing the pieces really rusting badly after not very much time at all. It did not look good.

Should have just rebranded it as Corten(sp?) steel hehe

[WinCitySparky]

Tower crane going up looks like, at the Ray Wan project at Tuxedo Mall




Edit: seems it was something else, as it’s no longer there where they were lowering it in.

[WinCitySparky]

Demolition being actively considered for the dump at 575 Balmoral St

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...euse-1.6823728

[thebasketballgeek]

Yes plz. Redemolish it and make damn sure any new housing only has 1 controlled entry into the building, and have the building footprint utilize as much of the lot as possible so druggies can’t shoot up their meth in alleyways like they did here.

Also would be nice if they got rid of the parking lot.

[DowntownOfficeWorker]

185 Donald Street & 300 St. Mary Avenue is being listed by Colliers as a Court Monitored sale. This was to be the location of the new Keg plus 120 residential units:

https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca...zhzndMRHwtomHU

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by DowntownOfficeWorker

185 Donald Street & 300 St. Mary Avenue is being listed by Colliers as a Court Monitored sale. This was to be the location of the new Keg plus 120 residential units:

https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca...zhzndMRHwtomHU

He had good intentions with a smart looking nicely finished residential building & the new enlarged Keg 10,000ft2 dining room. Hopefully Locations he owns won't be affected.