Saskatoon | Baydo Towers | ??m - ??m | 25-25 Floors | U/C

[The Bess]

Thanks Roryn1

[mmx]

Santiago Calatrava's boarded up big dig at 400 Lakeshore north of the Loop is finally going to be gone in 5 years! The aborted Spire foundation was recently cleared by the CCC thanks to a spectacular SOM redesign that reimagines the glorious Windy City skyline:

https://www.archpaper.com/2020/06/re...ncil-approval/

[roryn1]

Lots of sheets going up quicker now, but still seems like they’re having trouble getting them in.. does anyone know if these sheets go in the full depth of themselves? I think they’ve gotten 1 of the 100 in, and they’re using this vibration technique that’s shaking my building a block away. I’m scared Carlton Tower is going to lose its foundations over the shaking and have to be torn down lol.

[WhipperSnapper]

I respect those excited to see a couple tall towers go up. I don't agree with their excitement. Tall should be a reward. Ugly has no business being tall.

Added to database

[905er]

I have to agree... these towers are large enough that they'll have a prominence in the skyline and they are so ugly. At least if the windows had been larger, there are very little redeeming qualities about Baydo, if any.
Not what I'd like to see in Saskatoon, especially given how beautiful the river landing project is.

[The Bess]

Well you both should know about ugly towers I am sure you have share of uglies to compare Baydo to

[905er]

Originally Posted by The Bess

Well you both should know about ugly towers I am sure you have share of uglies to compare Baydo to

None that are being built in 2020

[roryn1]

I’m just gonna put this Toronto photo of like 20 Baydo lookin towers here again..
No one with 2 kids and an even above average income can afford any of the new fancy high rise projects built in Saskatoon - I could buy a mansion in many of the suburbs compared to the 1,500 sqft $600+K units. I don’t think we’ll see a parity in housing prices to the burbs like Toronto in Vancouver in our lifetime - there’s still too many space in the burbs.
I could move out of my falling apart 1965 condo and possibly afford this Baydo project, pretty or not it’s all the developer can do to keep the project affordable. Some “tweaks” would definitely increase the price. I think they’re already over their heads on this project.

[SaskScraper]

Why do I get the feeling that most of the posters that unconditionally approve of the Baydo project as-it-is aren't as informed or too sheltered to know about other city's current highrise fittings & material technology of the 21st century.

Even Turkmenistan these days makes highrises exclusively with higher quality materials and make Baydos project look like Saskatoon is currently part of former Soviet Union circa 1970s.

I get that roryn1 personally wants a cheaper Baydo project built as an exit strategy to get out of his current commie block, but to expose the rest of the city to the blight of this project's cutting corners is unsatisfactory in this day and age.

[905er]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

Why do I get the feeling that most of the posters that unconditionally approve of the Baydo project as-it-is aren't as informed or too sheltered to know about other city's current highrise fittings & material technology of the 21st century.

Even Turkmenistan these days makes highrises exclusively with higher quality materials and make Baydos project look like Saskatoon is currently part of former Soviet Union circa 1970s.

I get that roryn1 personally wants a cheaper Baydo project built as an exit strategy to get out of his current commie block, but to expose the rest of the city to the blight of this project's cutting corners is unsatisfactory in this day and age.

Correct!! Thank You.

@Roryn1.. Those towers in Toronto that you referenced are in fact hideous. None of them however were built in 2020.. Baydo towers are mimicking a style that was built 40+ years ago....that was my point. they're hideous and Saskatoon deserves better.

[The Bess]

I for one don't unconditionally approve of the Baydo project, but I do see a project started, what I don't see are this line up of developers wanting to construct anything better in Saskatoon. If you know of some please share.

[WhipperSnapper]

First of all, I have said the same for every tall, ugly tower built in Toronto since I joined this forum. I'd always side with an empty lot's future potential over some ugly tower that will stand for 100 plus years. I also strongly disagree Toronto hasn't built any horrendous stuff recently. YC is abhorrent for 200 metres tall. Cheap building designs is a nationwide issue. Instead, we bicker about our self conscious hometown pride. The location based Homerism is plain stupid and destroys any thoughtful discussion.

Second, Have you already forgotten 1 River Landing or do you not find it infinitely better than Baydo? Baydo is taller. Would you rather have Baydo in place of 1 River Landing?

Third, I disagree affordable has to be ugly and ugly is affordable. It's a lack of taste and extreme penny pinching from money managers. There are decent and abhorrent designs for all price ranges in Toronto; a market will a large representation of all ranges. A different paint job would improve Baydo.

[roryn1]

Agreed with The Bess - if there’s other developers about to make a killing and come here I’m on board to better looking builds.

Unfortunately we don’t live in Turkmenistine - a city of 6 million that needs to be more densely populated for political border reasons and one of the fastest growing economies of the world funded by a lot cheaper oil and gas than here and next to the population that requires it. I question how some people complaining about the quality of this project and also say they’re smarter from traveling the world can compare democratic Saskatoon to dictatorship Turkmenistan Maybe we need to compare ourselves more to cities related to our size and style of economy, of which I’d say were killin it!

[WhipperSnapper]

I live in Toronto. I don't know. It just seems depressing that this is the best Saskatoon can do after what the city has accomplished on the waterfront. I'm sure there are few cities of Saskatoon's size building 25 storeys tall. I'm sure there are plenty with developments that don't look like a housing development in Busan. I guess it comes down to priorities.

[roryn1]

In reality the waterfront is the result of already downtown tenants that are just shifting to a new building. If their current buildings maintained themselves better there wouldn’t be a river landing other than a new hotel that is by far one of the cheapest rates and amenities downtown. Same with the condos - they’re all run down downtown other than a select few and there was demand for some refreshed ones. That’s now saturated - as noted that Highpoint can’t start because of low demand. My condo downtown was built in 1968 and is falling apart like crazy - it’s 75% rentals, probably 50% of those are short term and usually empty. We don’t have the crazy money at a scale of Edmonton, Calgary, or Toronto. Most of our richer folk during the boom made their money off of trades and don’t care about a downtown condo or office building, but a insane lake house or acreage. We have an owner of or exec from Alibaba (or so it’s rumoured) that built a 16,000 sqft monster house that would be the envy of a lot of Toronto Mansions - not even built on the river! We also have a ton of mansions on the other side of the river in more secluded sections that are being demolished and built into larger mansions. You could say Saskatoon is too well laid out length wise to see big beautiful towers funded by the ultra rich like Toronto, for probably another century.

[SaskScraper]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

First of all, I have said the same for every tall, ugly tower built in Toronto since I joined this forum. I'd always side with an empty lot's future potential over some ugly tower that will stand for 100 plus years...
... The location based Homerism is plain stupid and destroys any thoughtful discussion.

Second, Have you already forgotten 1 River Landing or do you not find it infinitely better than Baydo? Baydo is taller. Would you rather have Baydo in place of 1 River Landing?

Third, I disagree affordable has to be ugly and ugly is affordable. It's a lack of taste and extreme penny pinching from money managers. There are decent and abhorrent designs for all price ranges in Toronto; a market will a large representation of all ranges. A different paint job would improve Baydo.

I agree with all your points. Its lost potential to fill a parklot with ugly making the entire city look bad for dozens of decades to come, long after the people that designed them are no longer alive. River Landing is Saskatoon's only saving grace for the last few decades.

Less institutional cyan colors of the Baydo planned towers, rework of podium for walk up townhouse style residential from the street with commercial at street level, and as demonstrated in earlier pages of this thread, for gawd sake simply making the windows twice as big would take this project from ugly duckling to reasonably enough to over look its commie block features.

If a small city less than half the size of Saskatoon like Darwin can build residential towers 50% taller than anything ever envisioned for Saskatoon and make it look desirable and architecturally sound then a city like Saskatoon that is also largely a mining with some oil & gas and livestock & agricultural farming economy with more than the entire population of topside OZ's Northern Territory can come up with something less Stalingrad chic.

[roryn1]

As someone who actually LIVES a half block from this build extremely excited to finally see new neighbors, and is craving neighbors and shops versus the surrounding tens of massive parking lots, I will take people over aesthetics in Saskatoon. Aesthetics will come and there are plenty of parking lots to support your well wishes owned by developers waiting for the opportunity, but for now we have to realize we don’t have multi millionaires to build gorgeous towers like the select few in Toronto versus their large amount of fugly towers that all cities have. I make above average income and No 1 River Landing is three times the price and condo fees of my old 40 year old condo downtown which is TWICE the cost of a wooden condo in the burbs. Saskatoon’s residents and economy can’t afford fancier builds than what Baydo is offering. That and there are 25+ massive parking lots available to build your dream towers with the capital you nor residents of Saskatoon have.

I would rather see every single parking lot filled with five story Baydo towers than the parking lots we have right now. I absolutely hate how many parking lots we have in this city - they are worse than mediocre looking aesthetic towers.

[The Bess]

well said roryn1 and we still have to remember it is for rental, it would have been nice to see a little more thought put in but this versus a lot full of weeds you know my vote

[Dalreg]

Originally Posted by SaskScraper

I agree with all your points. Its lost potential to fill a parklot with ugly making the entire city look bad for dozens of decades to come, long after the people that designed them are no longer alive. River Landing is Saskatoon's only saving grace for the last few decades.

Less institutional cyan colors of the Baydo planned towers, rework of podium for walk up townhouse style residential from the street with commercial at street level, and as demonstrated in earlier pages of this thread, for gawd sake simply making the windows twice as big would take this project from ugly duckling to reasonably enough to over look its commie block features.

If a small city less than half the size of Saskatoon like Darwin can build residential towers 50% taller than anything ever envisioned for Saskatoon and make it look desirable and architecturally sound then a city like Saskatoon that is also largely a mining with some oil & gas and livestock & agricultural farming economy with more than the entire population of topside OZ's Northern Territory can come up with something less Stalingrad chic.

Darwin doesn't look that flash hot mate. Tallest tower in Darwin is 100m at present. Tallest proposed is 133m but don't bet on that one being built.

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by Dalreg

Darwin doesn't look that flash hot mate. Tallest tower in Darwin is 100m at present. Tallest proposed is 133m but don't bet on that one being built.

River Landing is not what every project here can look like though. The people utilizing those towers make well over 50% more than the people working in the cheaper built towers. 90% of the people working in these beautiful new office towers can't even afford to live at No. 1 River Landing. Not a single tenant from River Landing is new to downtown.

Vendasta's entire business model is around the lowest cost white label marketing services and was looking for a "now - (must have been great back in the 80's)" cheap building. I've heard from people in Saskatoon Square that that building is awful to work in - very hot in the summer very cold in the winter. Their business model will never allow them to work in Amazon style build.

Looking into the future - the only other organizations that I see being able to offer No1 River Landing condo salaries to entice better condo builds are:

-Cameco - with a democratic president pushing for small scale nuclear power possibly,
-BHP if they announce the build of their Jansen mine,
-or an agriculture company of sorts based on the fact that commodity prices should soon finally jump after an almost decade of being in a glut.

Saskatoon was in the running to have the new Canadian BASF headquarters here, but we lost out to Calgary. Richardson hates Saskatchewan cities because they hate working with our provincial government and love the city that they started in (would be cool to see one of our home based ag companies build an innovation center like this downtown. Federated Co-op won't ever be a company that helps create salaries for luxury condo demand based on their co-op style business model (but they are in three buildings downtown now so it would be great to see them build a tower at the next cycle). On the Ag side in general we always lose out to Winnipeg or Calgary because the talent is there for traders.