Saskatoon Construction III

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by roryn1

Pretty bittersweet - I bet if Saskatoon Square didn’t get a tenant so soon they would have spent some decent money on that building, and what was noted above, it apparently is extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. Poor Vendasta employees.

I’ve now heard a rumour that Scotia Wealth (7th floor Saskatoon Square) and Scotia Commerciak/Roynat (2nd Ave Scotiabank building utilizing approx the whole top floor), are also moving to River Landing.

We don't know what upgrades or renos Vendasta negotiated with the owners of Saskatoon Square.

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by Echoes

We don't know what upgrades or renos Vendasta negotiated with the owners of Saskatoon Square.

Their business model is to run as low cost as possible so I’m assuming they just negotiated a very sweet rate, especially with the owners of Saskatoon Square sweating. They’ll upgrade the sign and call it a day I bet.

[SaskScraper]

Originally Posted by alt_center

While my money is on the north midtown parking lot, I like playing devil's advocate. Consider these south downtown advantages:

• proximity to the meewasin trail and nutana for active transportation. The BRT will also be close if on 1st ave.
  
  
• proximity to the rremai, persephone, river landing, cineplex threaters, farmers market, riversdale and even broadway. IMHO we need a critical mass for an entertainment district to flourish. In fact I worry that the cineplex theater may not last downtown leaving yet another gaping hole.
  
  
• the north midtown parking lot is almost "too valuable" to be used for an arena. Ideally I would prefer to see mixed use development there with residential etc. I fear a big arena (which should be downtown) might deaden the area a bit when its not in use. An arena on the toys R us site would only have to be "active" along 20th st. if not an arena or convention center on that site then what? I think it would be destined to remain a parking lot long into the future.
  

Anyway, just sayin'

The North Midtown Plaza parking lot is probably the best place for a new Arena. A good example of what would fit, Cleveland's 19,000 seat Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse built for $169 million (in 2018 appreciated value)



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket...age_FieldHouse

The South Midtown parking lot is best to remain parking for incoming traffic from the freeway. The South parking lot could be expanded for extra levels of underground parking someday with possibility for Convention Centre and hotel/residential on top.

Saskatoon downtown as an entertainment district is largely walkable from 21st and 2nd ave to the North Midtown Parking Arena site and helps integrate the Warehouse district with the central CBD.



Something else i've often wondered about is if City of Saskatoon has looked outside the box and thought more into other modes of transporting people in the city, particularly between the cities busiest transit hubs at downtown and at Place Riel at U of S.

London England built earlier this decade across the Thames River to O2 arena the Emirates Air Line cable car transit line, It can transport 2,500 people/hour each direction (50 busloads each way) more than a kilometer in only 5 mins/ride. It's environment friendly, taking thousands of cars off the road & integrates easy into city landscape.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirat...ine_(cable_car)

Lots of other cities in the world, such as NYC, Portland, Barcelona, Medellin etc, use cable car gondolas in their transit infrastructure.

Edmonton just last year have proposed a gondola across the North Sask River in that city as winning proposal for Edmonton's next best project. Between $20 - 60 million to build depending on size/capacity and a construction time frame of only 6 to 12 months, between Strathcona Farmers Market and Edmonton Convention center in less than 10 mins/ride.



https://globalnews.ca/news/5130755/e...cil-committee/

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/the-edmo...sals-1.3832332


Saskatoon would be a prime candidate for a similar gondola, it could be built between 3rd & 23rd street and U of S Place Riel parking lot beside St Thomas More College.




It would take away any stress on University Bridge traffic during rush hour especially, reducing the need to build yet another bridge, plus the gondola downtown terminus could only be a block away from the North Midtown Plaza proposed Arena, allowing people to park at Saskatoon Field House or Griffiths Stadium parkade for events at a new downtown arena & entertainment district particularly in the evening when U of S classes are out and parking available there.

[prairieguy]

Well you answered the question I had by sharing that Edmonton is considering a gondola. I was not sure how effective they can be in winter months, but I guess ski hills also confirm their viability!!

Saskatoon has some unique opportunities to think outside the box for public 'transit' modes. Although it would be seasonal, there is also an opportunity to use the river for water taxi's (similar to Brisbanes water taxi network).

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traf...ferry-services

This would likely ONLY be possible if the weir were eliminated or the adaptation to the weir was made to allow boat traffic proceeding north. Imagine taking a water taxi all the way to the UNESCO Waneskewin Park! Also, there is a lot of commuter traffic from Lawson, River Heights, Silverwood that could utilize a water taxi option.

I am well aware that is likely never to happen here, but just think of the possibilities!

[Arts]

I don't get what the point would be to connect UofS campus to CBD... UNLESS the UofS and/or Saskatoon Transit was to build a park'n'ride lot somewhere around Preston and College and there was a gondola station there I could see this maybe being feasible for downtown commuters and students alike, if the combined parking and transit fee is less than what it costs to park downtown for the day. It would also make for a good location to put the BRT station for the two intersection lines (but then a BRT line would make this totally redundant and unnecessary).

[scotty c]

Originally Posted by Arts

I don't get what the point would be to connect UofS campus to CBD... UNLESS the UofS and/or Saskatoon Transit was to build a park'n'ride lot somewhere around Preston and College and there was a gondola station there I could see this maybe being feasible for downtown commuters and students alike, if the combined parking and transit fee is less than what it costs to park downtown for the day. It would also make for a good location to put the BRT station for the two intersection lines (but then a BRT line would make this totally redundant and unnecessary).

My thinking of it would be to eliminate the lag time on crossing the bridges during rush hour on a bus. The city could set up many of the routes to stay on one side of the river or the other and have 2 hubs to work from. Using the gondolas to connect the 2 hubs would ensure very reliable and easy connectivity between the 2. If you live in Forest Grove but work downtown you take a bus to the University and hop on a Gondola to get downtown. If you live in Pacific Heights but go to the University you bus to downtown and Gondola yo the University.

The OP mentioned accessing the UofS surplus parking for evening shows at a downtown arena but I don’t think new parking would be necessary to make this feasible. I think the true success would be eliminating the need to have busses traveling over the bridges and getting off schedule due to traffic.

[Draftsman]

I like the idea of a gondola. The views would be awesome, and it could become a 'must do' thing for tourists.

Or perhaps something like the Roosevelt Island Tram in New York City (sorry I can't paste a picture of it, so just Google it). There are only two tram cars (higher capacity than gondolas).

[Echoes]

Does anyone have any inside info on when the design of the university's new $300 million engineering building will surface? The article from February notes that construction won't begin until 2021. Given the price tag this is bound to be a substantial structure.

[Arts]

Originally Posted by scotty c

...I think the true success would be eliminating the need to have busses traveling over the bridges and getting off schedule due to traffic.

I personally think this is easily accomplished with a dedicated BRT track/lanes and priority signals, which has to be way more effective from transportation network perspective - and most importantly keeps all transit trips down to 2 transfers at most (gondola or aerial tram would require an additional two transfers for all other destinations unless it extended way beyond downtown<->university . But I will admit that a ride in a cable car over the river and other parts of the city would be really cool.

[scotty c]

Originally Posted by Arts

I personally think this is easily accomplished with a dedicated BRT track/lanes and priority signals, which has to be way more effective from transportation network perspective - and most importantly keeps all transit trips down to 2 transfers at most (gondola or aerial tram would require an additional two transfers for all other destinations unless it extended way beyond downtown<->university . But I will admit that a ride in a cable car over the river and other parts of the city would be really cool.

The issue would be cost I guess. All the bridges around downtown are full around any rush hour. What’s the capital cost of the gondola vs capital cost of new bridge lanes. I wouldn’t even hazard a guess.

[KoolKool]

Riverdale will be a possible place to build the arena or convention center

[Wyku]

Source: https://www.ckom.com/2019/10/18/city...ble-new-arena/

I'm not sure how they're expecting to put an arena on that plot of land? The Toys R Us lot is just barely big enough to plop the current Sasktel Centre on it where as this lot looks just barely big enough to put just the Toys R Us building on. Maybe the Toys R Us sight is actually intended for the arena and this is just for the Entertainment District?

[scotty c]

If you combine parcel G, parcel BB, the farmers market and then buy the building that sits at 19th and Idylwyld that’s lots of room for what they’re proposing I’d guess.

[NotToScale]

I'd rather see prime riverfront land built up with residential w/ commercial/food at grade. Plop the arena more central into the downtown. The toys r' us spot is as close to the river I would go. Having it more central allows for better access to the arena during use. Riverlanding/famers market has only a few limited ways in and out via car/bus/walk

[Echoes]

Yup, I agree that River Landing is a poor location for the arena. But I suppose they need to keep all options on the table at this time.

[prairieguy]

For access in and out....Riverlanding is a poor selection. I understand the rationale that it is already city owned land, but there is already so much opposition to downtown arena because of the perceived traffic and parking issues, that I think this site definitely increases that barrier/challenge.

Go North....Midtown parking lot on north side and try and incorporate TCU place. Or bulldoze everything on the property bounded by 2nd and 3rd Avenue and 20th and 19th street and build across from Riverlanding. Lots of logistics challenges there (Prov Court House and Lighthouse), but that would be a sweet spot!

[hunter12]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Yup, I agree that River Landing is a poor location for the arena. But I suppose they need to keep all options on the table at this time.

This is a terrible location. Even worse than the Toys R Us location. Not anywhere close to the three Bus Rapid Transit lines that are in planning stages. Hard pass on this location. I will vote against it. The lot north of Midtown Plaza is far and away a more superior location.

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by scotty c

If you combine parcel G, parcel BB, the farmers market and then buy the building that sits at 19th and Idylwyld that’s lots of room for what they’re proposing I’d guess.

I think it would be a great idea to combine all of these, add in funding for a more intricate Sid Buckwold Bridge that adds an overpass or something looped around the arena. Would be mint and offer a more beautiful location for the convention Center. That’s one thing I love about Vancouver’s convention centres - being next to the ocean got a very mint view and hangout location while in a conference - the imagery of the convention Center will draw more events for sure.

[roryn1]

Must read on the Tees and Perse and other building

https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/100-yea...kers-1.4645588

[prairieguy]

I would like to see a Joey's come to Saskatoon, so maybe the 301 would be a good location for that. Seems like there is ample space for it and it's patio concept.