Winnipeg | 90 Alexander Ave | (Great West Metal Redevelopment) - Page 15

H2man · #**281** Posted **Jun 7, 2021, 10:05 PM**

Ok, thanks. That’s good that it’s being used. Overall though it would be nice to see the North exchange thru South Point Douglas de-industrialized and converted to residential entirely, due to demand. Not that I don’t want industry at all, but some of that land between downtown and along the river has loads of potential down the line and I imagine has low value currently.

peg · #**282** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 12:15 AM**

I was just looking at Galt Ave. on maps I just noticed the building beside the Entegra Credit Union - 155 Alexander Ave.

Does anyone know what it's used for? It seems to be abandoned. I can see it used to be storage for RWB. It could be an interesting site as well.

esquire · #**283** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 12:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by peg

I was just looking at Galt Ave. on maps I just noticed the building beside the Entegra Credit Union - 155 Alexander Ave.

Does anyone know what it's used for? It seems to be abandoned. I can see it used to be storage for RWB. It could be an interesting site as well.

I thought RWB still used it for storage? That's the impression I got walking by it. Does anyone know what it was before? It looks a little too fancy to have been purpose built as a storage warehouse.... looks like it must have been an office or a store at some point?

Now that you mention it, I wonder if RWB might be able to make a few bucks by selling the building (well, if they own it) to someone who might redevelop it? That site might not have had much value 25 years ago, but it has to be worth something now as the area continues to evolve.

GarryEllice · #**284** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 1:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I thought RWB still used it for storage? That's the impression I got walking by it. Does anyone know what it was before? It looks a little too fancy to have been purpose built as a storage warehouse.... looks like it must have been an office or a store at some point?

The Winnipeg Architecture Foundation has a page about it. Apparently it was built to be the RWB workshop and storage.

Quote:

155 Alexander Avenue

Formerly: Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet Storage
Acme Garment Co.
Address: 155 Alexander Avenue
Original Use: Commercial: RWB Workshop and Storage
Constructed: 1966
Other Work: Interior alterations made in 1992, construction of addition in 1999-2000
Architects: H.W. Levin
Contractors: A. Akman & Sons Co. Ltd.
Valley Steel Ltd. (Addition)

esquire · #**285** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 1:09 PM**

^ The reference to Acme Garment makes me wonder if it wasn't originally built as a sewing factory.

Biff · #**286** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 1:50 PM**

Acme will always make Anvils and Dynamite.

GarryEllice · #**287** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 2:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The reference to Acme Garment makes me wonder if it wasn't originally built as a sewing factory.

But it does say "Original Use: Commercial: RWB Workshop and Storage".

I'd imagine it would have been a more important building for the RWB prior to the opening of their Graham Ave facility in 1988?

esquire · #**288** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 2:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarryEllice

But it does say "Original Use: Commercial: RWB Workshop and Storage".

I'd imagine it would have been a more important building for the RWB prior to the opening of their Graham Ave facility in 1988?

I suspect the Winnipeg Architecture people may have made a mistake... it's hard to imagine a scenario where RWB put up a building a couple blocks away from the Concert Hall in 1966 a couple years before the hall itself opened. Seems way more likely that it was built as a sewing factory and then got scooped up cheap by RWB once they were already in the neighbourhood. I mean, I could be wrong but I'm just playing the odds here.

EDIT: You can see here that as noted in a news story, the building was home to Acme Garment at least up to 1977 when the story ran...

https://digitalcollections.lib.umani...reTitle_mt%5E2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

Acme will always make Anvils and Dynamite.

buzzg · #**289** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 3:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff

Acme will always make Anvils and Dynamite.

The toilets in the downtown Bay are Acme... are vintage toilets worth something?

GarryEllice · #**290** Posted **Jun 8, 2021, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I suspect the Winnipeg Architecture people may have made a mistake... it's hard to imagine a scenario where RWB put up a building a couple blocks away from the Concert Hall in 1966 a couple years before the hall itself opened. Seems way more likely that it was built as a sewing factory and then got scooped up cheap by RWB once they were already in the neighbourhood. I mean, I could be wrong but I'm just playing the odds here.

EDIT: You can see here that as noted in a news story, the building was home to Acme Garment at least up to 1977 when the story ran...

Makes sense. Kind of amusing that there's a story about the RWB on that same newspaper page!

Wpg_Guy · #**291** Posted **Oct 28, 2021, 2:07 AM**

https://www.linkedin.com/search/resu...EFAULT%2Cfalse)

WinCitySparky · #**292** Posted **Oct 28, 2021, 3:21 AM**

What a beast of a footprint

Biff · #**293** Posted **Oct 28, 2021, 1:31 PM**

That is only a half of it.

1ajs · #**294** Posted **Oct 28, 2021, 4:36 PM**

beast of a foundation to replace a beast of a foundation nice

Flatland Metropolis · #**295** Posted **Oct 28, 2021, 5:32 PM**

Drove by the other day, certainly progressing. It will be interesting to see the finished project versus the renders. It looks like a very intriguing project, very suitable for the East Exchange and Waterfront. 300 rentals could add about 500 new residents to the area.

buzzg · #**296** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 12:03 AM**

I'm very excited for this, the build so far and the footprint is amazing.... but I am so scared that it's just going to look like another 546 piece of tin shed fucking crap. Had friends in from out of town in the development world last week and they said unprovoked "someone needs to stop 546, these buildings are hellish."

NewIreland · #**297** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 12:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

I'm very excited for this, the build so far and the footprint is amazing.... but I am so scared that it's just going to look like another 546 piece of tin shed fucking crap. Had friends in from out of town in the development world last week and they said unprovoked "someone needs to stop 546, these buildings are hellish."

What were they referring to? Pumphouse?

thebasketballgeek · #**298** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzg

I'm very excited for this, the build so far and the footprint is amazing.... but I am so scared that it's just going to look like another 546 piece of tin shed fucking crap. Had friends in from out of town in the development world last week and they said unprovoked "someone needs to stop 546, these buildings are hellish."

Idk the buildings look impressive to me.

GreyGarden · #**299** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 1:41 PM**

I'm hopeful for this one, but just taking a look at the renderings, if those windows get any smaller, which in true Winnipeg fashion they very well could, this could look "hellish".

bomberjet · #**300** Posted **Oct 29, 2021, 2:57 PM**

It is a lot of black sheet metal. Overall the development looks cool though. With the alley ways and such.