Winnipeg | 90 Alexander Ave | (Great West Metal Redevelopment)
Great West Metal (Redevelopment)
Location: 90 Alexander Ave Developer: RNDSQR Architects: 5468796 Architecture Contractor: Unknown Status: Proposed Media: Waterfront wrap-around, Calgary developers planning to surround a rehabilitated heritage building with two new rental developments Description: $100 million investment, 300 rental apartments split between two recently acquired properties including the current site of Great West Metal; plans also include to rehabilitate an existing heritage building to create 16,000-square-feet of commercial/office space. https://i.imgur.com/sRFDIz8.jpg?1 https://i.imgur.com/R9WWHPR.jpg?1 https://i.imgur.com/JPZAbIE.jpg?1 https://i.imgur.com/jU6WGMK.jpg?1 https://i.imgur.com/y0O9FrG.jpg https://i.imgur.com/0PR6fGz.jpg?2 Quote:
Site 1: https://i.imgur.com/tq7rFss.jpg?1 Site 2: https://i.imgur.com/7COUJsA.jpg?1 |
This project looks great! That whole area is really coming together. The only other thing I would like to see on waterfront is something done with that ugly rusted metal warehouse down the street. Its a real eye sore.
Thanks for sharing this. :cheers: |
Amazing. Can’t wait.
$100 million for 300 units seems pretty high. |
That design looks straight out of Scandinavia... 546 is really leaving their mark on this town.
Great stuff. |
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There's an active manufacturing operation in that building right now in October of 2019. They expect to relocate the operation, get permits, demolish the building, build the new building, and have occupancy in 18 months? Tip of the hat to these ambitious gentlemen. |
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I've been pondering this announcement some more, here are a few idle thoughts:
-The scale of this project is impressive, it will push the area closer to having a bit of a critical mass to support local businesses and even just street life to make the place feel livelier than it currently does, especially after hours. -On that note, and I know this is old news, Ship Street Village is a monument to wasted potential. The fact that such a large amount of prime Waterfront Drive space is dedicated to a few measly townhouses is even more irritating now that it's clear that spot would be in great demand. -I like the bold design of this project. It's nice that there will be a heritage element incorporated into the whole thing. -Now that the obvious redevelopment sites along Waterfront have pretty well been used up, I wonder if we'll start to see a second wave of development move west from Waterfront? There are still loads of sites that are easily within a 9-iron shot of Waterfront itself, and it would really help the area take the next step into becoming a full-fledged neighbourhood. |
I love the overhead connections to the heritage building and the inner "wrap-around courtyard space.
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Whoa. Looks amazing!
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Congratulations on saving an old building and having a very quantifiably large development. This is all very encouraging.
But, to rain on the parade a little... I'm trying to understand the reasons for, or appeal of, this whole business of creating quasi-private 'space between buildings' as a more important consideration than the actual public space in front of the building - the street. This is basically the guiding design principle at Railside, and now it's being transplanted to a traditional street-block context of the northeast Exchange District. (And I know this block doesn't have a rear lane, and how creating new ones serve very practical purposes... but the lanes or whatever seem to be the focus here.) I really don't know where this trend is coming from. Is it just a local thing, or something in the design world more broadly right now? Is the public street environment so bad in downtown Winnipeg (traffic noise, crummy pedestrian environment, etc.) that designers want to create a better space elsewhere? I'm obviously critical, but I am honestly trying to understand this a little better... it just screams housing project to me. A cool Scandinavian housing project, sure, but still a housing project. |
What can I say? Amazingly good news for Waterfront Drive! The green great West metal building always stuck out like a sore thumb IMO, and seeing that metal building between Galt and George Ave.s will be a relief as well.
As for "wardlow's" comment on the quasi-private space between buildings, I don't really mind it. It reminds me of the small, semi-private space the apartments overlooked in the movie Rear Window....without the murders, of course. |
Not sure I like the look of the preliminary render. Is that corrugated metal siding supposed to be nod to the old sheet metal factory?
I don’t mind the interior laneways and I like the overpasses connecting the older bldg. I’m optimistic overall, but hopefully this isn’t done on the cheap |
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I like this inner courtyard/alley idea – it really reminds me of some of the lanes and infilled alley spaces in Gastown, especially Blood Alley and the redevelopment going on there. Also like older neighbourhoods in European cities like Lisbon, Barcelona, etc. where there's alleys everywhere with little shops. Quote:
Can anyone tell – are all the renders of the GWM site, and they haven't released plans for old rink yet? Quote:
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^ The value of an old, worn out tin shed used for ball hockey must be very low... its days would have to be numbered no matter what. For what it's worth, that area got a pretty impressive recreational facility a few years ago that blows the Duncan Sportsplex clear out of the water in terms of facilities...
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---- I'm curious about the "rules" for building finishes here. How come 546 is allowed to put up pretty heinous black corrugated metal wherever they please, but when that building on Maryland used white corrugated metal the city made them tear it down and put up something nicer? Was it because it wasn't designed by starchitects? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the city did that on Maryland, but I just think we should be putting some limits on the use of barn siding in the city. Those guidelines from Minneapolis would be nice for our character areas. |
This devolved pretty quick.. I'm not too keen on the corrugated looking siding. hopefully it's just a render thing.
Duncan is a dump. Sport for Life centre as a replacement seems like a good option. |
Very exciting. What a change the area has taken from years ago when speed boat races were being done at the Alexander docks. There was nothing there, fast forward to now, all I can say is amazing.
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Super excited.
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Not to take any appreciation away from this project as it's amazing for the area, but with the redevelopment of the Great West Metal building and the Duncan arena lot it makes you wonder what can become of the grand Eaton warehouse building in between them sometime in the future.
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They're apartments, not Condos
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Looks decent. But why are developers here obsessed with corrugated metal sheets?
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^ Damn good question
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As mentioned before the Eaton Warehouse is fully occupied, so there's no imminent pressure to redevelop it, but I agree it could be a showstopper once we reach a tipping point here.
Would love to see the garage doors opened up to make retail spaces, and put a raised sidewalk along both sides so you can enter at an even level. Seen quite a few similar developments in other cities – the Pearl District in Portland comes to mind, something like the Keen Garage. Even looking at a local example, long term plans for the space under the rail tracks at The Forks would work great here. Not sure if an entire city block of office space would be needed here, so second storey would make great residential. |
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----- added a couple more renderings to the first page post. |
please, no more 546's.
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good to see more long term multi generational investment into the exchange like this. far superior to qualico
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I think that the building will turn out much uglier than the renderings.
And think that it was ugly to begin with. |
City should wait on final approval til first Pumphouse building is done and if the cladding turns out as heinous as we all think it will, ban it from the Exchange.
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Duncan Arena thing stirs some thoughts. I know Duncan is not an ice rink. But at what point does the City build a downtown community centre with indoor ice sheet(s)?
Not even just to serve the downtown neighbourhoods, but the entire City. Ice time is always at a premium and a lot of the older rinks are shit. It would also be a nice feature for people who want to live downtown. |
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I'm talking like downtown, downtown.
Pioneer actually isn't tooo bad. I've been playing there for decades. But it's an old City rink and the ice length is short. This is one that needs replacement in the near future. And not just an ice rink or two. Maybe some other rec opportunities for the locals. just a thought I suppose. |
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A community rink downtown could be a great asset for people in the area as well as people around the city. Putting it by the Sport For Life Centre could be a good fit, or maybe just off Portage to serve the U of W area. |
If we actually want people to live downtown and have a community connection, we need to provide services. Schools, gyms, community centre. All those things.
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If the city is going to build a rink downtown, it'd make the most sense to put it at U of W – would serve the community around it really well. There's potential U of W would start a hockey program if they had a rink. More and more NHL players are coming through college every year, it's only a matter of time before that trickles up here. I'm sure there's lots of players who'd like to get an education while they play.
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But yes, these days realistically it would probably only happen at an on-campus facility controlled by the U of W, not in a NHL building. That would be a pretty nice campus amenity, if they had a rink like the big one at the Iceplex. |
^Maybe about 15 years ago there was some sort of UW hockey program, but that's long gone. In fact, UW recently cut some of its sports teams to make up for budget shortfalls due to the provincial government clawing back their operating grant. In 2017, the UW men's baseball team, and men's and women's wrestling programs were cut. The men's soccer program was put on hold, but it hasn't yet returned. I doubt there will be any UW hockey program any time soon.
Personally, I would think something close to the Central Park area would be good. There's a large residential population that's currently underserved. Perhaps one of the many parking lots on Notre Dame could be home to a new hockey arena or community club? haha. |
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Edmonton's new downtown NHL arena has a really nice community rink attached to it...its a practice rink but most of the time is booked for amateur use....a cool idea.
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New development on Water Front North
I’m very optimistic for both of these projects on Water Front North. Adding these rental units in the area allows for a new cohort of people to embrace a truly urban lifestyle. The developments both have limited parking bringing down construction costs and encourage use of public transit and ride share.
It will be interesting to see if wood construction will be utilized here in a similar way as the Pumphouse. I do have reservations about another “black” building on Waterfront. Remember there was a time everyone thought “Dusty Rose” was the colour of the day. Thankfully it was only used on toilets and sinks and not facades of buildings. Now let’s find a way to kick start the Alexander Docks! |
What ever happened with the docks. There was some time of design completion or study done, I thought. Was that just for fun or am I thinking of something else?
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With all the development in the area I would imagine there will be mounting pressure to do something with the docks. Although who knows, maybe the City will just demolish the whole thing and leave it at that?
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I saw that Point Douglas proposal that had a bridge but I think Exchange end of Waterfront makes too much sense. |
Uhm, Le Promenade (Penis Bridge) is a pedestrian bridge from St. B to the Forks/Waterfront.
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