Winnipeg | Osborne Village & Corydon area

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by dennis

I would consider Assiniboine park a large park. I would even go so far as ranking it with Central Park and High Park. A quick search shows Assiniboine ( minus the forest) being larger than High Park and half of Central. With Assiniboine forest it is the largest. But that is not important. The content of the park would rank it as one of the best urban parks in North America in my opinion. The city sure punched way above its weight class when that Park was developed.

High Park in Toronto is more like a larger, but otherwise inferior, St. Vital Park than it is like Assiniboine Park. It's nice enough but people don't routinely travel from other parts of Toronto to go there.

[dennis]

Originally Posted by Andy6

High Park in Toronto is more like a larger, but otherwise inferior, St. Vital Park than it is like Assiniboine Park. It's nice enough but people don't routinely travel from other parts of Toronto to go there.

Which parks would be like Assiniboine park? Ones that are a major tourist destination. Stanley park in Vancouver comes to mind. Perhaps Mount Royal park?

[tree]

WolselyMan - good way to present arguments. have me reconsidering green space in the city.

I have definitely been on the 'build something that isn't a parking lot or 1 story business open monday to friday 9-5 ANYWHERE downtown at all costs JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN" train. Winnipeg hopefully can afford to start being more selective. I like to believe that given the choice of not building and building but with more allowance of river side green space that places like 300 Assiniboine would have decided to make it work to fit or found somewhere else nearby for example.

Its a tough call - still a part of me saying 'for the love of god just get downtown busy again - get more people living here and we can sort out the rest later'. and while parks > parking lots they are not even close to having 6+ story towers full of residents - in the context of my 'build it now! HURRY BEFORE IT STAYS EMPTY' attitude. (i'm pretty dramatic with this because i walk by huge swathes of empty lots every weeknight and weekend and i hate it lol)


sorry if offtopic re: the Village but the discussion happened here and had to comment lol. someone police the threads and move everything to where it belongs more often lol.

[headhorse]

I guess this was the original vision for the OV hotel and area...


from http://www.bldgoffice.com/


from http://www.bldgoffice.com/


from http://www.bldgoffice.com/

[Authentic_City]

^What an improvement that would be over those existing parking lots behind the OVI and Stellas.

Too bad they couldn't also include some sort of beer or wine store in the plans. The beer vendor provides a needed service in the area and has more convenient hours than the Liquor Mart.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by biguc

One option is to require that new private developments include public greenspace along the river. This has been a vital tool in Chicago developing its excellent riverside network of walkways and terraces.

I can't imagine a developer, short of absurd demands from the city in this regard, to be opposed to this, provided the city leases the public space back and maintains it.

That's what has to be determined, if the city can do that effectively at low cost. No developer wants to clean up other peoples' masses/bottles/needles.

Do you know what arrangements Chicago has in this regard?

Originally Posted by dennis

Which parks would be like Assiniboine park? Ones that are a major tourist destination. Stanley park in Vancouver comes to mind. Perhaps Mount Royal park?

Assiniboine park holds its own. That it's so popular while not in a dense area is remarkable. The city has done a decent job of making old market square a destination, although more urban local, so it would be great if they can pull that off one or two more times. Parks don't have to be big.

Originally Posted by headhorse

I guess this was the original vision for the OV hotel and area...


from http://www.bldgoffice.com/


from http://www.bldgoffice.com/


from http://www.bldgoffice.com/

Now that I like.

[biguc]

Good question about who maintains those riverside spaces in Chicago. Since the city built a lot of the Riverwalk itself, and they do maintain it themselves, I'd assume that privately built additions to it would just become part of the Riverwalk and CDOT would maintain them too.

It really is a good system, since it provides an amenity that increases the value of the private property under development. Since it's joining a cohesive system, the positive externalities are massive, and generate a far greater return than any private developer could expect from building a riverside patio independent of a greater system.

[buzzg]

IIRC those OVI plans were actually done by people who didn't end up being the final buyer. I know who was supposed to be opening the pizza and bocce spots in there, and those are now completely off the table. That plan with utilizing the parking lots for residential were great – especially for hiding the parking lots.

@Authentic_City - the plan was just to move the vendor inside the hotel. That vendor is the biggest money maker there - no matter what ends up happening with that property, there will surely be a vendor.

[biguc]

Do current liquor laws still require that vendors be part of a hotel? If they're really turning the building into an office like the signs out front suggest, the vendor could be toast.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by biguc

Do current liquor laws still require that vendors be part of a hotel? If they're really turning the building into an office like the signs out front suggest, the vendor could be toast.

Yes they do. To be frank, hearing from inside sources, the owners have no idea what they want to do and just slapped up that office sign with no real plan, in hopes that maybe one tenant will come along. They just want to sit on this property til it's worth a lot more, unfortunately.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

And the Green's held off selling so they could get the right buyer. So much for that plan.

[LilZebra]

Ongoing homeless problems in the Village.

Global News Winnipeg
Posted Thurs. Sep 28, 2017

https://globalnews.ca/news/3773251/o...less-takeover/
Osborne Village experiencing a ‘homeless takeover’


Osborne Village is dealing with a serious homelessness issue, and it has residents and businesses on edge.
A recently vacated TD Bank on Osborne Street that houses squatters — with a working ATM still used inside — is just one example showing a growing number of homeless people in the neighbourhood.
The people sleeping in it are told to clear out of the bank almost every day by police, but Osborne Village BIZ says they’re just moving their belongings to another problem area.
READ MORE: Osborne Village going through growing pains, not decline: residents
BIZ’s Stephanie Meilleur says she’s reaching her breaking point.
“It’s bigger than it’s ever been,” Meilleur said. “People live down here, people work down here, people are trying to own businesses down here, and we’re exhausted.”

“We have homeless in every nook and cranny; down every back alleyway.”

One of the people who spent the night in the vacated TD Bank told Global News he’s stayed there at least 25 times.
“If we keep it clean in there and clean up when we leave, it shouldn’t be a big deal,” Tyree Cayer said.
Cayer said he does his best to keep the space tidy, but with dozens more camping out at various spots in the area, businesses have further concerns.
READ MORE: Change of landscape coming to Winnipeg’s Osborne Village
The owner of a chiropractic clinic, which is next door to the TD Bank, says he’s had dozens of windows and doors broken by vandals.

[buzzg]

Maybe if the BIZ was competent, and Ms. Meilleur would step aside to let people with better experience run it, they wouldn't be facing such issues. The strip looks like a dump right now, maybe if they would have done a better job with the streetscaping, actually done have the improvements they said they were going to, and cleaned up the area a bit, they wouldn't be having these problems as much. Investement attracts investment.

Look at the Exchange - with the city/BIZ investing in cleaning up and redesigning the public areas and sidewalks, it's made the area more attractive, and in turn attracted more businesses. The only visibly noticeable change that's happened in the village are some red bike racks with a hideous 90s logo on them. It's brutal. No vision from the OV BIZ whatsoever. Can't even keep some string lights functioning.

[LilZebra]

Of all the companies that left OV, it was TD Bank who should have held off decision to leave, for the sake of the economic "health" of OV.

Wouldn't have had people sleeping in the ATM-equipped lobby, only if they had stayed a few more years longer.

[buzzg]

I just don't understand the plan there... how long are they going to just keep the ATMs and pay for the rest of the unused space? Doesn't make sense.

[windypeg]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Maybe if the BIZ was competent, and Ms. Meilleur would step aside to let people with better experience run it, they wouldn't be facing such issues. The strip looks like a dump right now, maybe if they would have done a better job with the streetscaping, actually done have the improvements they said they were going to, and cleaned up the area a bit, they wouldn't be having these problems as much. Investement attracts investment.

Look at the Exchange - with the city/BIZ investing in cleaning up and redesigning the public areas and sidewalks, it's made the area more attractive, and in turn attracted more businesses. The only visibly noticeable change that's happened in the village are some red bike racks with a hideous 90s logo on them. It's brutal. No vision from the OV BIZ whatsoever. Can't even keep some string lights functioning.

Right now the WPS foot patrol officers patrol the downtown only, which really isn't right. It's not like these issues just end when you leave downtown. Lots of the homeless runaway kids seem to have figured out you can hang out in OV and do all the drugs you want without having to worry about being hassled by the cops. They really need to consider extending the foot patrols into OV and other urban areas outside of downtown for the sake of residents in those neighbourhoods. I'm all for streetscaping but a few light fixtures isn't going to chase the junkies away, you need cops for that.

[LilZebra]

Replace the Fire Hall with a Police Station.

That might fix things up a bit. As long as the cops do their due diligence and "walk the beat" in the 'hood.

[buzzg]

I've never seen any issues with the homeless people on Osborne. They tend to be way more calm and chill than many downtown. They pretty much just hang out outside Pizza Heaven and chat. The issue of squatters - well, that's on TD.

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by LilZebra

Of all the companies that left OV, it was TD Bank who should have held off decision to leave, for the sake of the economic "health" of OV.

Wouldn't have had people sleeping in the ATM-equipped lobby, only if they had stayed a few more years longer.

The sheer gall and audacity to expect a Bank like TD. who only earns a mere pittance per month or quarter.
Shame on you to suggest a bank earning see below. lol.
What unrealistic expectations we have. To help a neighbourhood..
How do they manage? Perhaps we need to have a fundraising event to help them stay afloat??????????????
These poor banks can barely keep things going..lol

TD ends Canada's bank earnings season with the biggest beat yet
All six Canadian big banks exceeded expectations, but TD rose above the rest on its strong retail performance

Earnings from Canadian banking surged to $1.3 billion in the quarter ended July 31, the Toronto-based bank said in a statement, with profit growth that outperformed Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce for the period.

http://business.financialpost.com/ne...d-of-forecasts

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I just don't understand the plan there... how long are they going to just keep the ATMs and pay for the rest of the unused space? Doesn't make sense.

Stay open at this location ?? Come now.....POOR TD bank can barely stay afloat. They only have profits in the billions each year. What all retailers on Osborne should do is sever ties with them and move their business to another bank. Then each one tell TD why they did it.