About 8-10 years ago, around the time I was living in Osborne Village, I remember a decrepit building being torn down on the corner of Osborne St N and York Street. I joked to one of the workers as I walked by that they should keep going and tear down the old Red Cross building next to it.
Of course I envisioned at the time that something new and exciting would rise in it's place, but sadly the lot on the corner of Osborne and York became nothing more than another unfinished surface parking lot blighting downtown Winnipeg; a signboard with an optimistic picture of a new building mocking us year after year.
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| Google Maps. I am lazy. |
Well, it may actually happen. Something resembling that building on the sign may get built after all. The owner is seeking rezoning approval for a 10 story mixed use building...
"This building will house 50,000 square feet of residential space in 42 condominium units on the top eight storeys (sic), and office and commercial space on the first two floors."
Their web site says 28 residential units, not 40 as in the zoning application, but whatever ... this could work. I don't know about the commercial space, but the condos could fill up. They are close to work or University for many people, and walking distance to Osborne Village and the increasingly trendy West Broadway area.
The floor plans are diverse, but larger than the Glasshouse condos I reviewed earlier. They range from a tidy 750 sq ft, about the size of the largest Glasshouse units, to a massive 1,650 sq ft. I can't imagine what the asking price for that will be.
Perhaps the commercial space will work too. I'm envisioning an art supply store. Just a block away from the Winnipeg Art Gallery Studio, and with Lewis Art Supplies having abandoned Graham Avenue nearby, this might be something that could work. Just throwing ideas out there.
It will be nice to see something fill this space finally, assuming the numbers work and the zoning changes are approved.
(h/t: headhorse at Skyscraper Page)
Now this is intriguing! A location that screams for this kind of residential development, and attractive to buyers on a number of levels if priced well:
ReplyDelete* close to west broadway, which seems to be blossoming into something that could replace the staleness of Corydon.
* across the street from ample green space in Memorial Park
* close to Osborne Village
* close to SHED if you want to walk to a Jets game or a show.
Who wants to open a Whole Foods or other cool groc store to service these new developments? They work in Vancouver's downtown!
I read the Parking Authority's plan and it shows Winnipeg's surface off street parking as less than comparable cities. Look for those low level empire builders to fire up their coveting hormones.
ReplyDeleteWith ideas like that...
ReplyDeleteCherenkov for Centreventure CEO!
Only if I get to park in the loading dock.
ReplyDeleteConsidering it is still Inlett trying to develop this, I'm not going to hold my breath. They have had that sign with the fancy render for that office building up there for what, five years now? Commercial seems a hard sell at that location, or they were asking too much per square meter.
ReplyDeleteNice to see they are at least trying another option. I'd love to see that infilled.
And... some of us never left Osborne Village (25 years and counting in three different buildings)
They actually have a timeline now, so maybe there is cause to be hopeful.
ReplyDelete