Winnipeg - Of Interest

[EdwardTH]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

But I've also noticed an increased in undesirable folks in the walkways and on streets while waiting for bus.
.

What does that even mean though? Were you attacked? Or do you just clutch your pearls every time you have to see a poor person?

[drew]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

What does that even mean though? Were you attacked? Or do you just clutch your pearls every time you have to see a poor person?

The issue facing downtown is that it really needs those "pearl clutchers" to return en masse if there is any hope for revitalization.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by EdwardTH

What does that even mean though? Were you attacked? Or do you just clutch your pearls every time you have to see a poor person?

I'm a middle age man, not too scared around those that I'm referring to. However I do work with numerous young and older ladies and also numerous "new" Canadians, male and female and majority of the conversation is the same. Even though the guy sleeping in the concourse or the one hanging around the bank machine may not be actively attacking, there's still the fear they will.

In the past 2 weeks, there's been at least 4 attacks, all random, all with either a knife or bear spray. those are the facts pal. did you want me o link every news story here?

[esquire]

Yesterday I was working downtown for the first time in a while, and I had to run a couple of errands at lunch. It might have been the first time in 3+ years where skywalk traffic looked a bit like how it was pre-pandemic. So it does feel like people are slowly returning. The unfortunate thing is that downtown retail has more or less emptied out... there aren't many businesses left to service the people who are coming back.

[esquire]

More bad press for Centre Village on Balmoral.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/br...-there-and-rot

The time has come to demolish this complex, despite Cindy Gilroy's comments:

Daniel McIntyre Coun. Cindy Gilroy, who represents Central Park as part of her ward, said she’d like to see the building invested in and made into social housing, rather than torn down or sold.

“Right now, it could be a really good fit for a lot of Ukrainian refugees that have come into Winnipeg,” she said.

“They’re living in hotels, and they have to find places to live and we need places for them to live… in the long term. I think it should stay social housing. We need all different types of families living downtown.”

I completely disagree. At this point fixing up these units saddled with bad design and a bad location would be throwing good money after bad. Manitoba Housing should bring in the wrecking crews and start over.

[WinCitySparky]

Cindy Gilroy is so utterly out of touch with anything and everything going on in her ward. She has done nothing for my ward in the 8 years I’ve lived here except post inane videos of herself pretending to do things. The fact that she’s suggesting repeating the exact same approach to that property in an area where it makes zero sense to do so just highlights it.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by WinCitySparky

Cindy Gilroy is so utterly out of touch with anything and everything going on in her ward. She has done nothing for my ward in the 8 years I’ve lived here except post inane videos of herself pretending to do things. The fact that she’s suggesting repeating the exact same approach to that property in an area where it makes zero sense to do so just highlights it.

She's a chip off the old block, the old man did next to nothing but still somehow kept getting elected!

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by esquire

More bad press for Centre Village on Balmoral.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/br...-there-and-rot

The time has come to demolish this complex, despite Cindy Gilroy's comments:



I completely disagree. At this point fixing up these units saddled with bad design and a bad location would be throwing good money after bad. Manitoba Housing should bring in the wrecking crews and start over.

mb houseing is part of the problem and its surounding buildings that bring the area down from poor management

[wags_in_the_peg]

884 Wellington Cres up for sale, empty lot for $780k, not on river. Are people paying that much for an empty lot? I wonder how they got a demo permit w/o a house being planned. A nice looking bungalow shows on Google maps

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...-heights-north

https://goo.gl/maps/eweg4TGVM5NPN1wT8

[Biff]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

884 Wellington Cres up for sale, empty lot for $780k, not on river. Are people paying that much for an empty lot?

People are paying way more that that for tearing down houses on Wellington. $780k would be cheap and easy by comparison. Not being a river lot is interesting though.

[GreyGarden]

Cbc article re $2.5 million being spent on Air Canada Park:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ment-1.6822303

[rivercity]

The problem with all these parks downtown is that there is nothing around them. Millenium Library park is actually gorgeous in the summer, but there are no restaurants, patios, coffee shops that front it. You have the blank wall of the Police HQ on one side, very little interaction with the Library itself and then just high traffic roads. Air Canada Park will likely end up being the same. Underutilized "green" space.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by rivercity

The problem with all these parks downtown is that there is nothing around them. Millenium Library park is actually gorgeous in the summer, but there are no restaurants, patios, coffee shops that front it. You have the blank wall of the Police HQ on one side, very little interaction with the Library itself and then just high traffic roads. Air Canada Park will likely end up being the same. Underutilized "green" space.

On the other hand, why does a park have to be surrounded by come-ons to spend money? The Millennium Library is gorgeous, as you said. If people want to buy a coffee or lunch and eat it there, all they have to do is stroll into City Place, buy their snack and eat it in the relaxing calmness of the park. IMO "park" does not have to equal "food court".

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

Cbc article re $2.5 million being spent on Air Canada Park:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ment-1.6822303

That's great. Unlike most such downtown parks and squares, this one actually has been well used over the years. Considering that it is nearly 40 years old it's due for a makeover.

That said, I still think that spot on Portage is not an ideal park location and would make more sense as a building site, but since no one would be rushing to build anything right now, may as well beautify the park.

[rivercity]

Originally Posted by pspeid

On the other hand, why does a park have to be surrounded by come-ons to spend money? The Millennium Library is gorgeous, as you said. If people want to buy a coffee or lunch and eat it there, all they have to do is stroll into City Place, buy their snack and eat it in the relaxing calmness of the park. IMO "park" does not have to equal "food court".

It doesn't have to be... But I walk through it multiple times per week and it rarely has anybody present compared to say Old Market Square.

[GreyGarden]

Hazel Borys appointed as Winnipeg’s new Director of Planning, Property and Development:

https://twitter.com/scottgillingham/...291075585?s=46

I have followed Ms. Borys on Twitter for many years and often agree with her comments. I‘m not entirely sure what the position entails, but I think this is good news. I’ve often wondered if Winnipeg even has planners within its ranks, so it’s good to see an urbanist take the position

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by rivercity

It doesn't have to be... But I walk through it multiple times per week and it rarely has anybody present compared to say Old Market Square.

Valid point.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by esquire

That's great. Unlike most such downtown parks and squares, this one actually has been well used over the years. Considering that it is nearly 40 years old it's due for a makeover.

That said, I still think that spot on Portage is not an ideal park location and would make more sense as a building site, but since no one would be rushing to build anything right now, may as well beautify the park.

I remember being underwhelmed when the park first opened. Bill Norrie was mayor, and he seemed to gush over the fact there were pink tiles at the top of the arched colonnade (or whatever it was called). Of course I was missing Long John Silver's arcade, so I guess that had something to do with it.

I agree, though, nice to see some refurbishment to the park.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

Hazel Borys appointed as Winnipeg’s new Director of Planning, Property and Development:

https://twitter.com/scottgillingham/...291075585?s=46

I have followed Ms. Borys on Twitter for many years and often agree with her comments. I‘m not entirely sure what the position entails, but I think this is good news. I’ve often wondered if Winnipeg even has planners within its ranks, so it’s good to see an urbanist take the position

Good news. This seems like a very positive direction for PP&D. No question that she will bring the right ideas, but can she tame the bureaucratic beast and get it moving in the right direction?

[thebasketballgeek]

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

Hazel Borys appointed as Winnipeg’s new Director of Planning, Property and Development:

https://twitter.com/scottgillingham/...291075585?s=46

I have followed Ms. Borys on Twitter for many years and often agree with her comments. I‘m not entirely sure what the position entails, but I think this is good news. I’ve often wondered if Winnipeg even has planners within its ranks, so it’s good to see an urbanist take the position

This is excellent news she is one of the largest proponents to form-based zoning in North America being the head of Placemakers. Very renowned in the city planning world and I wish her nothing but the best in this role.

I really hope this will create the zoning reform that Winnipeg desparately needs. With all the new information that has come out in urban design the last decade or so, our zoning policies which are from 2004 are hilariously outdated.