Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy James
First of all, I'm with Macca and Echoes on this - not a fan of skywalks, generally.
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I agree there isn't any clear routes so portions would probably not be skywalks but underground tunnels like Winnipegs
http://downtownwinnipegbiz.com/wp-co...y_map_2013.pdf but I think there is a huge opportunity to connect the downtown either above ground or below ground(especially with the possibility of a new Convention/Stadium in the next one to two decades). Again, the U of S is a great example with tunnels that makes the difference of students wanting to go to school here or not - especially when the school has a high population of international students that haven't (nor have good words about) experienced our cold winters. The new tunnel they just opened about two years ago connecting Health Sciences/Gordon Oakes Red Bear Center, and Place Ariel is almost dead in the summers as most student walk outside, but is highly highly utilized in the winter or rainy/windy days. Now that I'm no longer a student but in business downtown, why can't we also get this type of access in the downtown? In the suburban business development, it's rare to not park straight from your front door and you drive to lunch spots. There are employees that park three or four blocks away for work to save on parking costs downtown (example, I know staff at Canpotex in the ScotiaCenter who park at Midtown Mall underground because Canpotex has run out of parking space underground), but walk around all of downtown for so many things (drinks, renewing plates, eye appointments, haircuts, etc..). I know when it's cold/raining/windy out, I just go to work, maybe cancel my lunch plans with coworkers at other offices because I don't want to go walk 3 blocks to my favourite restaurant, and go home. There is huge economic opportunity to connect the downtown with skywalks and tunnels to push more activity out of the people that are already there. I think that is worthwhile taxpayer investment and would offer a nice economic return. If all you guys are just against skywalks because of aesthetics, tunnels are more than fine?