I have recently moved from Montreal to Winnipeg and have yet to have internet access. On top of that, I got sick and was bed ridden for a few days so...all this to say that I am still here and cannot wait to post news and features about the local condo market and the downtown area. Keep looking back soon for more interviews with local businesses as well as news and pictures of condo projects.
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Here's another unique and creative use of an historic Exchange District warehouse building taking part in the downtown renaissance. Adelaide Mini-Storage opened earlier this year in an 80-year-old, four-storey, 44,000-square-foot, brick and stone building.
It features more than 350 self-storage units of varying sizes throughout the four floors.
It's exactly what was needed for the area with the recent proliferation of downtown condos.
Check out the story here.
New Urbanism is an urban design movement whose goal is to reform many aspects of real estate development and urban planning, from urban retrofits to suburban infill. New urbanist neighborhoods are designed to contain a diverse range of housing and jobs, and to be walkable.
Why Walking Matters
Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities.
Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.1 Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15–45.
Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.
More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car!
Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.
Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It's easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don't need to drive between destinations.
Picture a walkable neighborhood. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stumble home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don't own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors.
What makes a neighborhood walkable?
A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it's a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
Density: The neighborhood is compact enough for local businesses to flourish and for public transportation to run frequently.
Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
Nearby schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.
Walk Score helps you find a walkable place to live by calculating a Walk Score for any address.
Here's a couple addresses I calculated for Winnipeg:
167 Lombard Avenue (Downtown) Walk Score: 91 out of 100
400 NovaVista Drive (St-Vital) Walk Score: 54 out of 100
160 Osborne Street (Osborne Village) Walk Score: 82 out of 100
The folks at Vantage Studios recently launched The World’s First Digital VIP & Hospitality Card Vantage Gold, which gives you VIP access to the hottest clubs, bars, pubs and lounges. You can view these venues specials and events as well as where they are located right from your iPhone. It also offers discounts and specials at participating restaurants and hotels. Each venue updates their own information and regulations regarding VIP access so you know the info is up-to-date and accurate.
Some of the venues include:
Alive in the District
Republic Nightclub
Whiskey Dix
Bar Italia
Red Cactus
Orbit Room
Confusion Corner Bar and Grill
Hu's on First
The Line Up
King's Head Pub
and more added everyday...
So instead of having to carry another card and risk the chance to lose it after a night of debauchery, just make sure to have your iPhone with you and voila! The card is currently available at several venues in Winnipeg. As it get's more and more popular among it's targeted clientele, more cities will be available.
Check out Donavan Robinson talk about the card on City TV here.
Now available on iTunes for $29.99 (ON SALE NOW FOR $9.99, Limited time offer)
I asked the following question on Twitter and Speak Up Winnipeg Facebook's page this morning:
"Should the city look at closing down a few streets in the Exchange District in the summer to make them pedestrian friendly?"
I received several positive feedbacks. Here are some of them:
- "I agree. Start to turn that area into a true pedestrian area. Make it safer to go from the xchange to the Forks also."
- "I think it would be a great idea! New York is doing it, why can't we?"
- "I think that could be a good idea, though perhaps a facelift in the exchange might be necessary first."
- "Agree. I think some of the local shops were worried that it would hurt business though... I don't agree"
Montreal is doing it.
Calgary is doing it. I like this quote from this article found online: "Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary is an attractive part-time pedestrian street that, in the summer months, attracts nearly 30,000 visitors per day. Calgary is far from the most urban or pedestrian-oriented city in Canada—if it can support such a thriving pedestrian street, then so can Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver. The secret is to pick the right street, design it well and make pedestrianization as flexible as possible."
Is Winnipeg ready for this?
* The following from this WFP article from Murray McNeil.
Condominiums have been a hot seller in an otherwise cooling Winnipeg housing market, according to new sales figures released Monday.
Condo sales were up 12 per cent for the first five months of this year, while sales of single-detached homes were down by the same amount from the same period in 2008, Winnipeg realtors said.
Winnipeg Realtors figures show there were 576 condos sold through the MLS during the first five months of this year. That compared with 511 during the period last year.
The hottest selling condos were in the $100,000 to $149,000 price range. They accounted for 230 of the 576 sales. The second hottest sellers were those in the $150,000 to $200,000 range, with 140 sales.
Sunstone president Michael Evans and vice-president and general manager Bill Coady said the fastest sellers in the company's Sky Waterfront development under construction on Waterfront Drive have been priced between $220,000 and $240,000.
The ones priced at $330,000 to $550,00 have been a little slower to move, but are still selling, they said.
The R:ED (Residents of the Exchange District) website just announced the arrival of 2 new businesses in their neighbourhood.
The Exchange Café has opened in the 126 year old Swiss Building at 137 Bannatyne. Co-owners Abby Mann and Mario Aiello are “excited to be in the Exchange District and provide comfortable gathering space for residents.” The café will be open 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 pm Monday to Saturday.
The menu features authentic Italian espresso, cappuccino, American coffee and teas. It also serves an assortment of panini, soups, salads and desserts.
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Co-owners Glen Tate and Doug Vossen are thrilled to be opening The District restaurant located in the former Liberty Grill restaurant and Bull and Bear lounge.
The bright open restaurant features a wide assortment of high-end offerings. The lounge is dark and inviting with lots of cushy lounge seating, jazzy art and subtle music -- a great backdrop for conversation.
Check them out next time you are in the area.
* Photo courtesy of Bryan Scott @ Winnipeg: Love And Hate
43 New York-style apartments located at 230 Princess St. are up for grabs in the Exchange District. With prices starting at $750 for a bachelor suite that averages 450 sq ft of living space, Mark Hofer, president of Direct Focus Marketing Communications hopes that his gamble will pay off with an occupancy date of August 1. He said 10 of the units have already been leased without any advance marketing, "so I'm optimistic."
He had planned to convert the 104-year-old Frost and Wood Warehouse building at 230 Princess St. into lower-cost rental units that even students could afford. The rental rates being talked about as recently as last fall were $492 to $774 a month for the 36 bachelor and one-bedroom units in the four-storey building, with the rates for the seven two-bedroom units to be determined later.
But the high cost of redevelopment, coupled with Hofer's decision to go with higher-quality finishes in the suites and to include most of the utilities in the rent -- everything but cable, telephone and Internet -- bumped up the rental rates. Here's what the new rates will be:
Bachelor units: $750 a month
One bedroom units: $950 to $1,150
Two-bedroom units: Still to be determined
Check out this article from the WFP for more details about the project.
I found this article that talks about the Form-Based Code new development standards and procedures that would replace existing zoning laws.
“The proposed Form-Based Code is written very specifically for an urban area, for high density, for a mix of uses, for tall buildings,” ... “It’s tailored to get the things that we really want and accomplish the goals that we really need to see downtown.”
“It’s the biggest trend in the zoning world in a couple of decades,”
Maybe we should do what cities like West Palm Beach, Pittsburgh and Colorado Springs are doing and include the Form-Based Codes Institute to help the city planners.
"Tom Murphy, who served as mayor of Pittsburgh from 1994 to 2006, said form-based codes allow developers to build what cities want without jumping through hoops.
“We changed our zoning because … we have these historic districts with wonderful old row houses, and if somebody wanted to do something, they had to go through all kinds of rigmarole because we required them to have all these setbacks as if it was a suburban house,” said Murphy, now a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute."
Here's another article about the revitalization of West Palm Beach's downtown core through a well defined enhancement strategy.
"The ideal future Downtown West Palm Beach would be bustling with people who are living, working, and visiting the area. These people would be drawn to Downtown because it would have become a unique mixed-use area that is “citified,” “urban” and “real”
"West Palm Beach’s Downtown would be pedestrian-friendly, pedestrian-safe and crime-free, with restaurants along the waterfront as well as walks, benches, and landscaping that “invite people to visit.” The rehab and reuse of Downtown’s historic structures would continue and Downtown would be made more attractive by removing all hanging wires and placing them underground."
I really like this article from the South Bend Chamber of Commerce's Tribune Business Weekly that talks about how showcasing young people who are models of success in both their business and personal lives helps in recognizing tomorrow’s leaders.
- “If you want people to stay here and move here, one of the ways to do that is to recognize them for what they already have done,”
- “There was a series of focus groups that brought young professionals together to talk about what’s missing, what do you need?”
The answer was that the professionals felt they needed an opportunity for networking where they could “develop, connect, empower.”
If you are interested in:
1) Making a difference in yours and other people's life.
2) Willing to actively participate in discussions with the goal of effecting positive change in your community.
3) Invest yourself in making progressive changes in the local business community.
4) Committed to creating opportunities for a better life for everyone.
5) Passionate about Winnipeg's future and dedicated in reaching your full potential.
I invite you to look at the following local associations to achieve any of the above goals.
Junior Chamber International Winnipeg
United Way GenNext
Young Professionals Toastmasters
I also heard through the grapevines that Greg Klassen, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has promised to help start a Young Professionals network.
Are you ready to lead?
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