Winnipeg | Osborne Village & Corydon area - Page 14

Biff · #**261** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 3:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

I hold out hope that eventually GWL will relent and allow some development along that stretch. Although the houses were demolished, there seems to be enough space left over to rebuild something there - obviously an expansion of the parking lot isn't happening.

I have often been tempted to try and build a case to get that last remaining house from GWL. I seem to remember reading about a process a citizen can undertake in situations were a property remains derelict.

Something similar to this.

Someone get on it.

GWL is turning that last remaining house into a daycare. They are building additions of 2 faux houses on either side of it to resemble the lost street-scape. So that portion of the street will have 5 individual "looking" houses interconnected to form one continuous building.

esquire · #**262** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 3:22 PM**

^ Lipstick on a pig. That streetscape around there is just heinous.

I get that GWL is not in business to make urbanists happy, but man, I wish there could have been a better way than just letting them demolish like 10% of West Broadway for surface parking.

drew · #**263** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 3:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

GWL is turning that last remaining house into a daycare. They are building additions of 2 faux houses on either side of it to resemble the lost street-scape. So that portion of the street will have 5 individual "looking" houses interconnected to form one continuous building.

Interesting. I guess that is better than I hoped would happen with that house.

Although time will tell if it doesn't turn into the usual bait-and-switch... I presume it is cheaper to demolish and rebuild, versus rehab'ing that house - especially into a commercial venture.

I like to think it was me complaining to the City (and arguing with the inspector) about their upkeep of that house a few years ago that led to them finally deciding to develop it...

Cyro · #**264** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 7:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

GWL is turning that last remaining house into a daycare. They are building additions of 2 faux houses on either side of it to resemble the lost street-scape. So that portion of the street will have 5 individual "looking" houses interconnected to form one continuous building.

51 Balmoral St..? They are constructing one continous structure on either side of the home and closing off the backlane to the left?

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.8833...7i13312!8i6656

Cyro · #**265** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 7:34 PM**

Yeah they will be...

The Great West Child Facility...

Prairie Architects ..
http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/DMIS/View...ba/2015/a14645

drew · #**266** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 7:39 PM**

^ Nice find.

Looks good actually. Can never have too many daycares.

esquire · #**267** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 7:47 PM**

^ Yeah, that's interesting... although I am a bit anxious as to how this is going to work out.

Wrapping an entirely new institutional building around a neglected old house, and then throw Prairie Architects into the mix... once all is said and done we might be wishing the surface parking was back.

drew · #**268** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 8:05 PM**

^ true. But in this instance, it doesn't seem like anything was going to wrestle control over this house from GWL (save from someone burning it to the ground). So IMO, something is better than nothing.

The house (foundation mostly) is likely too far gone for the modest means of someone trying to rehab it back to single family use.

Riverman · #**269** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 8:48 PM**

It is surprising what some people will do to fix a house. A fellow I know bought a house on Bredin this spring that was tipping toward the river. He lifted it and underpinned and spruced it up and now it looks champion. It looked like a teardown before, from the outside anyway.

http://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Si...-East-Kildonan

drew · #**270** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 8:51 PM**

^ location location location!

looks nice though. Good price as well.

esquire · #**271** Posted **Oct 14, 2015, 9:08 PM**

^ That house looks great.

Slightly off topic but I'll say it anyway... Bredin itself is a nice street although the surroundings are not ideal in my books. I did a drive by of that house on the NW corner that was on the market forever and while the house was very nice and I love the central location, Bredin itself is a bit of a tiny island next to a really busy, not very pedestrian friendly street (Henderson). In the end we just couldn't square the idea of kids running around there, riding bikes, etc. with all the traffic.

Riverman · #**272** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 12:56 AM**

The house on the corner is a disaster. Obviously you didn't really look at it.

Bdog · #**273** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 2:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Lipstick on a pig. That streetscape around there is just heinous.

I get that GWL is not in business to make urbanists happy, but man, I wish there could have been a better way than just letting them demolish like 10% of West Broadway for surface parking.

To be fair, there were only about 20 houses or so demolished for surface parking behind GWL. The rest was the old stadium grounds.

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that the strip of Balmoral hasn't been redeveloped. We need that land available for when Osborne Stadium returns in 2063.

esquire · #**274** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 2:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverman

The house on the corner is a disaster. Obviously you didn't really look at it.

I didn't actually go in... just looked online and drove by it. The setting was enough to make me leave it alone. I don't think I'd be crazy about being forced to cross one of the major city arteries like Portage, Main, Henderson or Pembina just to get anywhere else.

Riverman · #**275** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 12:19 PM**

Needs a $30,000 shake roof, addition upon addition, three furnaces....

esquire · #**276** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 1:24 PM**

^ Yikes. Oh well, good luck to whoever bought it... the riverfront location is lovely!

Riverman · #**277** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 1:34 PM**

It didn't sell, it was taken off the market.

Cyro · #**278** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 3:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

The house (foundation mostly) is likely too far gone for the modest means of someone trying to rehab it back to single family use.

I believe the Heritage III status of the home is playing into thier decision to go the route they've chosen to a large degree. Exterior modifications are permitted, subject to approval while they could pretty much gut the interior and start from scratch. Add the incentives to the equation to do so, build, maintain the property, etc. you have a win/win scenario. I think the 96 Daycare spaces are a great addition to the area, although the other unit additions are just an added bonus to make it more viable in the long term and acceptable to develope?

buzzg · #**279** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 4:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyro

I believe the Heritage III status of the home is playing into thier decision to go the route they've chosen to a large degree. Exterior modifications are permitted, subject to approval while they could pretty much gut the interior and start from scratch. Add the incentives to the equation to do so, build, maintain the property, etc. you have a win/win scenario. I think the 96 Daycare spaces are a great addition to the area, although the other unit additions are just an added bonus to make it more viable in the long term and acceptable to develope?

Are they actually public daycare spaces though or just for staff?

Cyro · #**280** Posted **Oct 15, 2015, 4:56 PM**

Milner House, as far as I understand will have room to accommodate 96 children in a "child care capacity"..Fun note with all the talk of a huge surface parking lot...There will be 10 spaces for staff and 10 for child drop-off added to the proposal.