Saskatoon Construction III

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by phone

Suburbia is the mode of urban development that is most heavily subsidized.

There would be MANY more people opting for dense (or even not-so-dense) urban living, as rational actors in a market-driven system, if the true cost of development was reflected in the price of tract housing properties.

Having a fully-serviced plot of land with enough room for dirt yard, gravel driveway, and a great snout of a two-car garage poking out into a cul-de-sac is a luxury, not a god given right, and it's about time that it should be treated as such.

I would personally rather live on a farm or in an acreage if I didn’t live downtown. Living in the suburbs is that crazy in between where you waste away your life in a car but at the same time have neighbors directly next to you... I don’t get it haha

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by roryn1

I would personally rather live on a farm or in an acreage if I didn’t live downtown. Living in the suburbs is that crazy in between where you waste away your life in a car but at the same time have neighbors directly next to you... I don’t get it haha

yeah me neither....i have buddies that are all gung-ho about evergreen and stonebridge and encourage me to move into either of those areas, not sure whats so gung-ho about em

plus, i like cutting the lawn. that luxury has been taken away with the burbs.

[GTR200]

Originally Posted by ToonTownRob

Oh my gawd!!!

So many people on this thread just rant and rave like the most arrogant, holier than thou, I/we know better than anyone and everyone else what’s good for them, soap box preachers!!

It gets a little stomach churning.

People vote for what they want with their wallets. It’s great to yearn for a walkable, transit-riding, no one owns a car, everyone lives on top of each other like rats in cages all stacked up that never see the sun or plant flowes or vegetables except in community gardens, bike riding in minus 30c on snow tires 6” thick through completely empty bike lanes... kind of city, but it’s mostly bull shit!

Could we please have a little recognition and respect that a lot of people don’t want to live like that, and it doesn’t matter how Pollyanna you want to be about densification, zoning and city planning; that economics drives most decisions and you can’t legislate bad economic choices on people, because if you do two things will happen: they won’t invest or spend any money, and they’ll move elsewhere where there aren’t a bunch of vocal tiny minority overlords trying to tell them how to live, while those same overlords have their hands in people’s wallets trying to extract money to make them pay for want they don’t want!

Can we please bring a bit of sane, balanced reasonableness back to the comments?

Didn't know it was against the law to express your opinion. Don't like my opinion, tough S#$&. The last time I checked, it's my right to speak my F$_& mind.
People do speak with their wallets, and I am just expressing where and how I would prefer to live.

[saskatoonborn]

everyone - Hey guys lets not get out of hand here.

ToontownRob- Most here are not contractors, city councilors or developers. We are simply using this forum as a sounding board for our ideas complaints concerns and praise for stuff around this city (and others). We also use it to connect with people who have similar intersts, weather or not they share common beliefs. I appreciate your concern about the suburbs and I agree money talks. I have stated before that I myself couldn't imagine getting decent a condo downtown when I can for only a little more money get a bigger living area with a yard and perhaps but not necessarily a garage. I have also pointed out that many prairie cities spread out like ours due to cheap land availability and lack physical boundries. I am far more excited about business towers downtown than condos because if work is there then people will eventually follow. Calgary was/is notoriously low density but they have grown out to the point that people dont want to commute an hour to and from work each day (many of whom work down) and that is one of the factors driving current densification there. This I believe will be Saskatoons fate as well (but I do hope I'm wrong). Please continue commenting but maybe tone down the agression a bit

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by ToonTownRob

Oh my gawd!!!

....Could we please have a little recognition and respect that a lot of people don’t want to live like that, and it doesn’t matter how Pollyanna you want to be about densification, zoning and city planning; that economics drives most decisions and you can’t legislate bad economic choices on people, because if you do two things will happen: they won’t invest or spend any money, and they’ll move elsewhere where there aren’t a bunch of vocal tiny minority overlords trying to tell them how to live, while those same overlords have their hands in people’s wallets trying to extract money to make them pay for want they don’t want!

Can we please bring a bit of sane, balanced reasonableness back to the comments?

Honestly, I think it's more of a cultural thing than a clearly expressed preference. I have lived in other cities that are much denser (in Amsterdam for example) and I am always pretty surprised when I come back to Saskatoon and people freak out over losing a lane of traffic on a not at all busy road. On busy roads in the Netherlands (excepting freeways) you would often find one lane of traffic (with occasional turning lanes), a broad bike lane on each side, a wide sidewalk, and a dedicated tram track in the middle. And it works. People just need to adjust and realize that the car cannot always be king. Is this realistic for Saskatoon? The conditions are different here (the winters are colder) but I think we could also stand to take a step (or ten) in that direction. Part of the problem in Saskatoon is that bike lanes are often isolated and don't form much of a network. The public transportation system is also pretty bad. Suburban sprawl is not an ideal model of development. I think we need to think a bit outside the current box before we become Calgary, which is really a car nightmare. You might disagree

[Temperance]

Originally Posted by Crisis

Sorry, but sane, balanced reasonableness has no place on an internet forum...

You're not the first one to point out that many here would like to dictate how others should live. Don't get too worked up about it, though. As you point out, people will vote with their wallets and buy homes where they want to live. If there is adequate demand for downtown, highrise living, developers will build that type of housing. If not, suburban living will continue to dominate the new housing market.

Development is shaped by money - simple as that.

It's also shaped by policy. If Saskatoon stopped (or slowed) the construction of new suburban neighbourhoods, density would probably increase in the core. I know it's not that simple but the current model of building neighborhood after neighborhood is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than one model winning out over another. There isn't much of an alternative in Saskatoon.

[scotty c]

Here’s a timely article talking about the density issue.

http://www.macleans.ca/economy/toron...ake-advantage/

[alt_center]

My $0.02:

Since I bought my house my property taxes have increased by over 1000% (not incl. many new user fees) whereas my salary has increased by 375%. If these rates are sustained my property tax will overtake my salary in a few decades.

Civic services have decreased dramatically. The city feels much shabbier than in did in the past.

The way we are building this city is NOT sustainable and I believe than unless dramatic changes are made we will be in for a rude awakening.

[The Bess]

Good article Scotty, makes alot of sense but changing governments and peoples minds could be hard to achieve in Saskatoon as per comment by Urban Capitol about if they would have done a study on the condo portion in Saskatoon they probably wouldn't have built it. In most cases the developers will pick the path of least resistance.

[jigglysquishy]

When property taxes rise faster than municipal price index, it's because the city is designed to be a money drain.

Saskatoon, as it is built today, is not financially sustainable

[Jerry]

On the lighter side of things, rumor is the largest Giant Tiger in Saskatchewan is moving into Market Mall.

[TheCricket]

Originally Posted by Jerry

On the lighter side of things, rumor is the largest Giant Tiger in Saskatchewan is moving into Market Mall.

I live in the area and had heard that Safeway was renovating the old KMART location and moving back there and that a "major" tenant was moving up front into the old Safeway location.

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by TheCricket

I live in the area and had heard that Safeway was renovating the old KMART location and moving back there and that a "major" tenant was moving up front into the old Safeway location.

Too bad the condo project along with the mall wasnt u/c right now... one great infill gone down the drain.

[Brutopian]

Saskatoon releases update on growing the city to meet the needs of 500K people

by David Giles, Senior Web Producer, Global News
January 17, 2018

Saskatoon has released an update on how the city is preparing to meet the future needs of a city with 500,000 people.

Mayor Charlie Clark said it starts with engaging people and having conversations with them on how they foresee what the city will look like in the future.

[........]

Read more:
https://globalnews.ca/news/3970595/s...rapid-transit/

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by TheCricket

I live in the area and had heard that Safeway was renovating the old KMART location and moving back there and that a "major" tenant was moving up front into the old Safeway location.

I'm hearing Giant Tiger, some fabric store and a fitness place in the Zellers location. Also, Sask Health is moving into the old liquor store.

[The Bess]

Here is an older article on the vacant land by the farmers market for those who missed the proposed timelines

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local...or-development

[mitchellk12]

Originally Posted by The Bess

Here is an older article on the vacant land by the farmers market for those who missed the proposed timelines

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local...or-development

If the city is as committed to infill development as they say they have been. Then half of the dozen parcels will be developed over the next 5 years.

[saskatoonborn]

Do you propose the city takes tax money and builds towers itself? I wouldnt be behind that.

[TheCricket]

Originally Posted by Jerry

I'm hearing Giant Tiger, some fabric store and a fitness place in the Zellers location. Also, Sask Health is moving into the old liquor store.

I just heard the latest version of the renovation... to be confirmed :-)

- Safeway will stay in its currently location and renovate and expand back into the current Fabricland location.
- The Awl Shoppe has vacated and is down to it's single Saskatoon location.
- Miramar Restaurant has also vacated and a private liquor store has apparently secured the location.
- The doctors office has closed on the SW side of the mall and has relocated to Stonebridge.
- Prairie Laser is apparently relocating to Stonebridge. Not confirmed.
- Gamma Dynacare has lost the contract for Saskatoon and Regina for blood collection, so their current location in Market Mall will close and LifeLabs, the new collection service, will set up in the old liquor store location.
- Motion Fitness will set up in the old Zellers location which will be subdivided and shared with a new Fabricland location.
- The mini-golf is apparently remaining in the mall.
- Giant Tiger is apparently taking the square footage originally planned for the condo project.
- Apparently the entire facade of the mall is going to be updated at the same time, and I would presume the interior. No word on the Shoppers location as there was talk a couple years ago about closing it in favour of the one in Stonebridge, but haven't heard either way as of yet.

[jigglysquishy]

Originally Posted by saskatoonborn

Do you propose the city takes tax money and builds towers itself? I wouldnt be behind that.

I don't think that's the answer.

5 year tax breaks is a great incentive. Strategically upgrading water lines to allow larger capacity. 10 year tax break on a downtown grocery store.