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Post by Bob E on Apr 16, 2011 1:45:33 GMT -5
Fact remains we need more pedestrian activity and more apartments/condos downtown. Can't argue that point. Would love to see a highrise - or two - built on the parking lot south of CityPlace and connected to the new skywalk. Something like the Icon Towers in Edmonton. www.theicon.ca/ |
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Post by proudcanadian on Apr 16, 2011 15:22:15 GMT -5
Can't argue that point. Would love to see a highrise - or two - built on the parking lot south of CityPlace and connected to the new skywalk. Something like the Icon Towers in Edmonton. www.theicon.ca/Nice!!!!! I wish they would do this with the Shanghai building. |
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Post by winnipegger on Apr 16, 2011 19:21:03 GMT -5
Downtown definitely needs more people living there but they're building quite a lot of condos in the exchange right now and they're selling quick. I think that there are about 600 condos being built.
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Post by chamele0n on Apr 17, 2011 0:05:07 GMT -5
600 is good. It is better than nothing, which is roughly the number of housing units built downtown and the Exchange in all the 90s. But I wish there could be 6,000 being built right now.
And yes, it is truly a shame about the Shanghai building. I highly doubt it is in such bad shape that it would cost $2M to fix it up, but then the city never looked into it. Guess political correctness allows a 'development' corporation that supposedly represents an ethnic community to circumvent the usual rules and regulations.
Anyway, we were talking about the Arena district here. It is fine and dandy to have megaprojects like hotels, casinos, etc. but unless we have people living there and entrepreneurs running small businesses, we will not have a vibrant, functional neighbourhood as a result. Too bad Centre Venture still does not realize this. It is better to have some development rather than abandoned buildings and parking lots, but I'll be disappointed if the SHED does not include a residential component.
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Post by WJG on Apr 17, 2011 18:49:27 GMT -5
Hopefully they open up some nice restaurants and lounges in the SHED near the MTSC.
I could see a lot of people going to a Joey's/Grapes/Kelsey's/Montana's near the arena before or after a game.
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Post by winnipegger on Apr 17, 2011 20:25:16 GMT -5
There's gonna be a poutinerie opening on Albert st that looks pretty amazing!  |
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Post by Puckschmuck on Apr 17, 2011 20:41:44 GMT -5
What I am hoping for is that this SHED development will add a lot of glitz and glamor to the area, and hopefully it will push the envelope for more middle to higher class developments throughout the entire downtown. Get the Dollarama's, Money Marts, Giant Tigers, and Bargain Stores out! Downtown's should be classy, not bottom-of-the-barrel thrifty!
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Post by chamele0n on Apr 18, 2011 7:50:30 GMT -5
Hopefully they open up some nice restaurants and lounges in the SHED near the MTSC. I could see a lot of people going to a Joey's/Grapes/Kelsey's/Montana's near the arena before or after a game. I do not want to see the SHED become a chain restaurant theme park. No thanks! I'll go to Modern East African or Samurai Sushi or Kokeb Ethiopian (before it is likely displaced by TNSE's hotel project) if I'm hungry before or after any event at MTSC. I hope Centre Venture encourages businesses such as the above to set up in the SHED. I also agree that Dollorama, Giant Tiger, Money Mart, etc. on or close to Portage are a blight. Even worse of a blight than the porn theatres we used to see on our main drags. I can imagine a mid-rise mixed use condo rising on the site of Dollorama. The former Horseshoe Cabaret/Crystal Palace would have been a perfect site for a two level entertainment complex. Instead it had to become Giant Tiger  |
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Post by shtinky on Apr 18, 2011 8:41:29 GMT -5
^ The old Masonic Temple and vacant lot across the street are there for anyone who wants to develop an entertainment complex. There is more than one location to do something interesting downtown.
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Post by jet4life on Apr 18, 2011 15:26:39 GMT -5
There's gonna be a poutinerie opening on Albert st that looks pretty amazing! I remember back in the day when you could get Poutine on Albert St. Ah yes...the good old 'drive thru'.  |
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Post by redhood22 on Apr 25, 2011 13:35:50 GMT -5
Here's a write up on the Poutinerie: accesswinnipeg.com/2011/04/smokes-poutinerie-opening-in-winnipeg-this-may/Back to the SHED: I was walking down Graham the other day and couldn't help but think about the proposed idea to shelter it. I think it would be awesome, especially for the winter but with the buses I'm very intrigued to see the architectural rendering for that. |
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Post by 22Neufeld28 on Apr 25, 2011 15:14:01 GMT -5
What I am hoping for is that this SHED development will add a lot of glitz and glamor to the area, and hopefully it will push the envelope for more middle to higher class developments throughout the entire downtown. Get the Dollarama's, Money Marts, Giant Tigers, and Bargain Stores out! Downtown's should be classy, not bottom-of-the-barrel thrifty! As far as the Dollarama's and Giant Tiger's of the world,I think it's a catch 22 when It comes to downtown and they need to be there if ppl want to live DT. You take them away and it's once less place to get your shopping done for food or whatever.If they dont have places to live DT,then theres no point in these store for being there. A happy medium must be found,without stores like these or others,no point in living DT,without condos or places to live,then no point buying them if they cant have a place to shop.Ppl from all walks of life go to these types of stores from what ive seen when I go there once in a while. |
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Post by Puckschmuck on Apr 25, 2011 20:08:12 GMT -5
What I am hoping for is that this SHED development will add a lot of glitz and glamor to the area, and hopefully it will push the envelope for more middle to higher class developments throughout the entire downtown. Get the Dollarama's, Money Marts, Giant Tigers, and Bargain Stores out! Downtown's should be classy, not bottom-of-the-barrel thrifty! As far as the Dollarama's and Giant Tiger's of the world,I think it's a catch 22 when It comes to downtown and they need to be there if ppl want to live DT. You take them away and it's once less place to get your shopping done for food or whatever.If they dont have places to live DT,then theres no point in these store for being there. A happy medium must be found,without stores like these or others,no point in living DT,without condos or places to live,then no point buying them if they cant have a place to shop.Ppl from all walks of life go to these types of stores from what ive seen when I go there once in a while. There is no need to have these bargain bin poverty stores front and centre in the downtown. No other Canadian city, that I am aware, displays these stores in such promenance on their main retail thoroughfares. Put them in malls or on less traveled routes. It's quite embarrasing to out of towners who are expecting some decent retail downtown to be instead faced with these povertymarts. |
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Post by The Unknown Poster on Apr 25, 2011 22:37:52 GMT -5
I'm not sure if it would work here, but as far as sheltering Graham, something like Freemont Street in downtown Vegas is pretty cool. They turned a regular street into an outdoor mall and the light show is a draw. Although, on Freemont, there are business all along that'd you want to pop into (bars and strip clubs).
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Post by chamele0n on Apr 26, 2011 7:41:22 GMT -5
Fremont Street? Ahhh.. Imagine looking up and watching a game on something like that. I have my doubts there is the political will to make something like that happen here, though a few years ago someone proposed making one of those streets (Edmonton? Kennedy?) south of Portage Place into a mini-entertainment district.
As for those poverty stores... as ugly as they are, they are needed downtown. All those immigrants settling around Central Park make good use of them. But I agree, I wish our main drag would be cleaned up a little bit so that we have a happy medium. Those storefront government offices are an even bigger embarassment than Bargain Shop or Dollorama IMO. I would be equally displeased if Portage Avenue became a plastic Starbucks yuppie-land like Robson St in downtown Vancouver or Bloor in Yorkville, but that won't happen here, unless we find a major oil deposit under Transcona.
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Post by Puckschmuck on Apr 26, 2011 9:38:56 GMT -5
I would be equally displeased if Portage Avenue became a plastic Starbucks yuppie-land like Robson St in downtown Vancouver or Bloor in Yorkville These kinds of streets are tourist draws, creating a vibrant and active (non-poor) street scene. I would much rather have this than what there is today. |
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Post by chamele0n on Apr 26, 2011 21:00:41 GMT -5
I would be equally displeased if Portage Avenue became a plastic Starbucks yuppie-land like Robson St in downtown Vancouver or Bloor in Yorkville These kinds of streets are tourist draws, creating a vibrant and active (non-poor) street scene. I would much rather have this than what there is today. I get what you're saying... for myself, I would prefer a neighbourhood with a mix of people and a diverse range of businesses and services available to match them than something that attempts to be homogeneous and white-washed. Going back to the TO and Van examples, West Queen (west of Bathurst) or Commercial Drive, not Bloor-Yorkville or Robson Street. Or best of them all, St Laurent in Montreal. Anyway, even on popular tourist strips in those big cities, you will see the disadvantaged on the sidewalks sleeping on heat grates or begging for spare change. You can argue all you want about the causes and solutions of poverty (I'm pretty conservative when it comes to economic issues) but its manifestations will always be visible in urban settings and no amount of white-washing or Starbucksing will change this. |
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Post by 22Neufeld28 on Apr 26, 2011 21:38:57 GMT -5
Well I dont care what type of places are on the strip.As long as its not a vacant building.I give them credit for having the balls to pay rent or own the land to be there,when nobody else wanted to take a chance or believe in the area.
In the end,you snooze you lose!
Im not going to complain about any buisness who's trying to make money downtown.I'd rather complain about the ones who dont/didnt want to be there.
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Post by chamele0n on Apr 28, 2011 12:03:23 GMT -5
Opinion piece from Stefano Grande in the Winnipeg Free Press today. I have also included my comment to the article below. How the NHL could transform our downtown By: Stefano Grande Posted: 04/28/2011 1:00 AM | Comments: 2 Print E–mail 35 7Share45Report Error The impact of an NHL franchise coming to Winnipeg could be anything -- from ordinary and stimulating to some economic activity, to incredible and truly transformative. The difference? Vision and planning. While some may believe the fight for the City of Glendale to keep the Phoenix Coyotes is all about pride, quality of life and branding of a city at the national and international level -- plus some property taxes and tourism dollars -- you'd only be partially right. The real value of the Phoenix Coyotes has been the transformative effect it has had in anchoring one of the largest visitor destinations in the southwest. Westgate City Centre, a new sports and entertainment district, expects to attract up to 26 million people a year, not just to see an NHL game, but to visit a $2-billion urban district development initiative that consists of more than eight million square feet of shopping, dining, entertainment, hotel, residential and office space. There is much downtown Winnipeg can learn in regards to how mega-projects, which bring millions of people downtown, are utilized to create vibrancy and economic development. Westgate City Centre is a sophisticated, planned mixed-use sports and entertainment district. It is anchored by two mega projects: Jobing.com Arena, where the Coyotes play, and the University of Phoenix Stadium, which is the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. Although this entertainment district is labelled as an urban area, it is actually located in the suburbs where land was ample and affordable. But much can be learned from this case about how sports arenas can be used as anchors to create synergy between the people attending them and the shops and services people expect to be nearby. This synergy is what transforms a district into a dynamic destination for local and international visitors. This synergy is how hundreds of direct jobs and hundreds of millions in economic spin-offs are generated annually. Having visited Westgate on several occasions, I have seen first-hand how they have intentionally created a friendly, fun and well-designed pedestrian environment. At the centre of it all is a mini Times Square, the WaterDance Plaza, a central gathering place with incredible LED signage. This open-air plaza also features a "Bellagio-inspired water attraction," combining water effects with music and video imagery. This stunning area attracts the community for outdoor concerts, pre-game tailgate parties, New Year's Eve bashes and anything celebrating community accomplishments. Sidewalks meander through picturesque park space, connecting unique retailers, and restaurants lead to a world-class movie theatre. Evenings are transformed into nocturnal showpieces of lit buildings and trees, while hundreds of people sit on patios waiting for the arena gates to open or to celebrate the win of their team. Only a few blocks away, thousands of people live in newly built condos. All that is missing is the vibe and the diversity that only a real downtown can create with its unique collection of people, sounds, buildings and fully integrated uses. In essence, with the recent arrival of the world-class MTS Centre downtown, the stage is set for Winnipeg to create our own unique sports and entertainment facility to take advantage of the pedestrian volumes created by an AHL or possibly an NHL hockey team and the myriad of other event nights, and to create a real urban sports and entertainment district, which in fact has been identified as a goal by the City of Winnipeg. Our sidewalks, transportation and parking infrastructure are basically in place and would need to be refreshed and perhaps even reconfigured. And the required buildings, both new and historical, are in essence waiting for a higher and mixed use. And with several vacant surface parking lots and vacant buildings surrounding the MTS Centre, the sky is the limit to apply the best principles we know about creating dense urban environments to attract the right mix of unique shops and services. With or without an NHL team, we need to act on the momentum created and support it with further development and programming. Our limits are only our collective vision for creating such a new and unique district first and foremost for our own citizens, along with our ability to persuade property owners to believe in this vision to take a risk and lead this transformation. Stefano Grande is the executive director of Downtown BIZ Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 28, 2011 A13 Posted by: chamele0n April 28, 2011 at 9:30 AM “There is much downtown Winnipeg can learn in regards to how mega-projects, which bring millions of people downtown, are utilized to create vibrancy and economic development.” Yes Stefano, there sure is…. Tell me, how has Portage Place, the Convention Centre, the Trizec/Winnipeg Square project, etc. contributed to the liveability and vibrancy of downtown. Just like Ross McGowan, you do not seem interested in encouraging small street-level businesses to flourish, and with the exception of the Avenue Building, same thing for small to mid-scale residential projects. Those are what you see in vibrant downtowns – not just Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal but smaller cities like Halifax and Victoria. Not just a bunch of megaprojects which are empty shells after business hours or when not being used. The MTS Centre is great, but I’ll believe all this talk about it being a catalyst for downtown redevelopment, which has been going on for 7 years, when I see it. Also, how many residential units are planned for the SHED? Is it a positive number? www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/how-the-nhl-could-transform-our-downtown-120847254.html |
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Post by wt on May 1, 2011 1:30:52 GMT -5
I am greatly anticipating the development of our new Arena District. It will be a huge tourist draw year round. I fully expect the area to be full of restaurant chains, lounges, bars, cafes and shops. I wouldn't get any hopes for many small ethnic restaurants in the area.
It will become a very active pedestrian district, fueled by the arena and convention centre, with a couple of exciting additions.
The city bureaucratic "SHED" label will never see the light of day once they begin to market it, as it is an ugly name for what will be a clean and impressive area.
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