May 4, 201411 yr comment_48654 If what Juran says is true might IGF be another Olympic Stadium ? Impressive but in a state of constant repair and expense ?
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48748 If what Juran says is true might IGF be another Olympic Stadium ? Impressive but in a state of constant repair and expense ? In other words, not the stadium that Winnipeg needs, but the stadium that Winnipeg deserves? I think it's a little early to be jumping to those conclusions.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48753 Lets keep this in perspective, folks. No big project is completed without a problem or two-sometimes big ones in spite of the best efforts of all concerned. Way back in another life, I worked for a major supplier to the construction trade in Winnipeg and from first-hand experience I can tell you that there were problems with the construction of the Concordia hospital, Convention Center and Eaton parkade. Those were the ones I knew of, and I was told of others in Toronto, Edmonton and (ugh) Montreal. About 4-8% of every construction budget is allotted for "contingencies"-unforeseen owies. The current problems are unfortunate but not not unknown in the industry.
May 5, 201411 yr Author comment_48763 You'll never see a headline in Winnipeg that reads "Project Successful. No Issues Reported". Because its just not news. And unfortunately we do have media that love a bad news story. Like whatshisname who was happily, almosty gleefully, re-tweeting every negative tweet about Bombers fans trying to leave the campus but ignored every single tweet that indicated many people had no issues. When I asked him why he was so unbalanced he essentially said well there are issues. Well that might be true but his intent was to make the issues seem even worse to shine a light on them. I also pointed out how the original stadium had "traffic issues" when it opened and he said yeah and so-and-so did a story on that...the point being this reporter in question was not mentioning it because one of hios colleagues already did. Mentionin it would dilute his message, which was that the Stadium was a disaster. Which it wasnt. But he didnt want anything that took away from his Bombers Bashing. Quite frankly, we have to decide what we want here. If we want nice things, they cost money. When you factor in politics, it gets goofy. But the politicans wanted the Stadium at U of M and they got it there. Now we have to pay up. For the 10-12 times a year we use the Stadium, who cares.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48764 Lets keep this in perspective, folks. No big project is completed without a problem or two-sometimes big ones in spite of the best efforts of all concerned. Way back in another life, I worked for a major supplier to the construction trade in Winnipeg and from first-hand experience I can tell you that there were problems with the construction of the Concordia hospital, Convention Center and Eaton parkade. Those were the ones I knew of, and I was told of others in Toronto, Edmonton and (ugh) Montreal. About 4-8% of every construction budget is allotted for "contingencies"-unforeseen owies. The current problems are unfortunate but not not unknown in the industry. Tell this to the Rider Fans who think their stadium won't go a penny over the budgeted price in the 3 years it will take to build... On everyone of my jobs I always estimate slightly higher then I think it's going to take and 9-10 I am under budget on my projects. Clients like it more when I tell them I am estimating on the high side and the project comes in under then if I were to estimate low and go over. It's a lot easier to charge less then call them and ask for more! I can't understand why they don't do it on jobs like this. I think realistically they should have just made the budget $250 million and when it's all said and done and comes in at $210-$220 million everyone would have said wow they got it done for $30 million less! Instead everyone gets upset because the $190 turned into $210. Honestly is there a single person who actually thought we could build a stadium of that size and complexity for under $200m??? Maybe the government and province said we aren't going to fund anything over $200 so make it less then that and we will get the ball rolling. The Riders are actually doing this correctly. They are estimating likely on the high side and will come in a lot closer. I still feel they will go over but probably by a few million. And if they come in under PCL will look like the greatest GC across the land.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48765 Lets keep this in perspective, folks. No big project is completed without a problem or two-sometimes big ones in spite of the best efforts of all concerned. Way back in another life, I worked for a major supplier to the construction trade in Winnipeg and from first-hand experience I can tell you that there were problems with the construction of the Concordia hospital, Convention Center and Eaton parkade. Those were the ones I knew of, and I was told of others in Toronto, Edmonton and (ugh) Montreal. About 4-8% of every construction budget is allotted for "contingencies"-unforeseen owies. The current problems are unfortunate but not not unknown in the industry. Tell this to the Rider Fans who think their stadium won't go a penny over the budgeted price in the 3 years it will take to build... On everyone of my jobs I always estimate slightly higher then I think it's going to take and 9-10 I am under budget on my projects. Clients like it more when I tell them I am estimating on the high side and the project comes in under then if I were to estimate low and go over. It's a lot easier to charge less then call them and ask for more! I can't understand why they don't do it on jobs like this. I think realistically they should have just made the budget $250 million and when it's all said and done and comes in at $210-$220 million everyone would have said wow they got it done for $30 million less! Instead everyone gets upset because the $190 turned into $210. Honestly is there a single person who actually thought we could build a stadium of that size and complexity for under $200m??? Maybe the government and province said we aren't going to fund anything over $200 so make it less then that and we will get the ball rolling. The Riders are actually doing this correctly. They are estimating likely on the high side and will come in a lot closer. I still feel they will go over but probably by a few million. And if they come in under PCL will look like the greatest GC across the land. The MTS Iceplex (Formerly the Mooseplex) came in under budget and I don't believe I heard any problem with it. However if you go there and sit in the Winnipeg Free Press arena you should see the cracks going through all the stands. Funny how no one seems to bring this up or worry about it....
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48769 The Riders are actually doing this correctly. I was waiting for your retraction, but then I realized you were serious. It's not that I don't believe their stadium is being designed and built correctly…it's just that I don't think I've ever seen that statement in print before. I mean we're talking about a Province where it is illegal to frown at cows in Bladsworth, Sask. Where you can't put graffiti on someone else's cow. (got milk?) Where it's forbidden to let your children outside in their winter boots if the laces are untied. And you cannot drink alcohol while watching exotic dancers. Oh, but they did perfect the art of hosting a telethon….now didn't they? A T.I.C. submission.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48772 But the politicans wanted the Stadium at U of M and they got it there. That would be federal politicians - the City and Province were on board for rebuilding at Polo Park.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48777 They had 3 places.... PP, that one in the Hood (Point Douglas) off Main Street & U of M.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48778 Should've went downtown. I understand they needed the U of M partnership but it was still a mistake. Downtown WPG is ghastly. It needs all the commercial development it can get. A stadium, the MTS center, and the baseball stadium all within walking distance would've been cool.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48779 I have no idea why we needed the feds to make this stadium a go. For the amount of $$ they put in & they dictated where the stadium would be built. It would have been better to build the place to without them & actually build the stadium in a location where it would have benefitted everyone.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48780 Should've went downtown. I understand they needed the U of M partnership but it was still a mistake. Downtown WPG is ghastly. It needs all the commercial development it can get. A stadium, the MTS center, and the baseball stadium all within walking distance would've been cool. not that i dont agree but no need to ***** about it now. Its not like they can pick it up and move it. But say the could, where in gods name downtown could it have gone? walking distance between those 3? The space doesnt exist really, nothing that is actually available at least.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48782 The Point Douglas plan was amazing. But they would have had to tear down a handful of old, decrepit slum houses, so that was a no go. The bleeding hearts at the Free Press were in a full-on freakout within hours of the announcement.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48783 The Point Douglas plan was amazing. But they would have had to tear down a handful of old, decrepit slum houses, so that was a no go. The bleeding hearts at the Free Press were in a full-on freakout within hours of the announcement. i liked that idea too but it was obvious it wasn't going to happen. Is that walking distance between the 3 even? that's probably a half hour walk maybe more, baseball stadium to higgins where the stadium would have gone would take a while to walk. I liked the idea of across from polo park or near the U of W but... whatever i guess right. What's done is done.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48795 The Point Douglas plan was amazing. But they would have had to tear down a handful of old, decrepit slum houses, so that was a no go. The bleeding hearts at the Free Press were in a full-on freakout within hours of the announcement. Our cars would have had to be protected every game. People would be nervous walking in the area.... Slum houses. Slum neighbourhood. A few blocks from Main Street. Picking that area was just a bad decision. A football stadium doesn't spur redevelopment by itself. Go to Oakland & see where the Raiders play. To go somewhere near the downtown, well just where would it have been located? The land would have had to be bought & now we're taking $320 million to build the stadium. But the U of M?? There had to be other better locations.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48797 The Point Douglas plan was amazing. But they would have had to tear down a handful of old, decrepit slum houses, so that was a no go. The bleeding hearts at the Free Press were in a full-on freakout within hours of the announcement. Our cars would have had to be protected every game. People would be nervous walking in the area.... Slum houses. Slum neighbourhood. A few blocks from Main Street. Picking that area was just a bad decision. A football stadium doesn't spur redevelopment by itself. Go to Oakland & see where the Raiders play. To go somewhere near the downtown, well just where would it have been located? The land would have had to be bought & now we're taking $320 million to build the stadium. But the U of M?? There had to be other better locations. LOL at 320 million, we just talking stadium here now right? cuz that higgins plan was a total redevelopment of the entire area really, that was going to be billions for sure. The money wasn't around. I don't see the area "downtown" either, Polo isnt part of downtown.
May 5, 201411 yr Author comment_48800 <blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Jacquie" data-cid="48772" data-time="1399314767"><p><p>Yup. And the city and province wanted that federal money. They could have built it in Sammy's front yard of they were willing to forgo the federal cash.
May 5, 201411 yr comment_48801 The Point Douglas plan was amazing. But they would have had to tear down a handful of old, decrepit slum houses, so that was a no go. The bleeding hearts at the Free Press were in a full-on freakout within hours of the announcement. Our cars would have had to be protected every game. People would be nervous walking in the area.... Slum houses. Slum neighbourhood. A few blocks from Main Street. Picking that area was just a bad decision. A football stadium doesn't spur redevelopment by itself. Go to Oakland & see where the Raiders play. To go somewhere near the downtown, well just where would it have been located? The land would have had to be bought & now we're taking $320 million to build the stadium. But the U of M?? There had to be other better locations. LOL at 320 million, we just talking stadium here now right? cuz that higgins plan was a total redevelopment of the entire area really, that was going to be billions for sure. The money wasn't around. I don't see the area "downtown" either, Polo isnt part of downtown. I was just talking about the land needed to build the stadium. Anywhere they wanted to build would have involved a land deal or swap. Maybe that's why the stadium is where it is as the land was part of the deal.
May 6, 201411 yr comment_48814 Who would have wanted to go to Point Douglas? Only if I felt like getting stabbed or shot at.
May 6, 201411 yr comment_48819 Not exactly Point Douglas though, it was waterfront, they were gonna extend waterfront, point douglas isn't that bad, I mean, yeah it's sketchy at times but really name an area and it's sketchy at times. Really it's no worse then the downtown region by the MTS Centre. Point Douglas could be a gorgeous area, its surronded by the river, it's unfortunate that it's a giant waste of space though and it's unfortunate there are people living there who just don't give a crap. It could be quite beautiful if it was indeed redeveloped. It's not like they were gonna build this stadium near magnus or manitoba avenue, now that area is sketchy at all times.
May 6, 201411 yr comment_48823 Who would have wanted to go to Point Douglas? Only if I felt like getting stabbed or shot at. No kidding.
May 6, 201411 yr comment_48824 Not exactly Point Douglas though, it was waterfront, they were gonna extend waterfront, point douglas isn't that bad, I mean, yeah it's sketchy at times but really name an area and it's sketchy at times. Really it's no worse then the downtown region by the MTS Centre. Point Douglas could be a gorgeous area, its surronded by the river, it's unfortunate that it's a giant waste of space though and it's unfortunate there are people living there who just don't give a crap. It could be quite beautiful if it was indeed redeveloped. It's not like they were gonna build this stadium near magnus or manitoba avenue, now that area is sketchy at all times. Point Douglas is close to Main Street. The area is run down. That entire part of Winnipeg would have to be bulldozed. As bad as the U of M site is for access & egress of traffic it is still better than Point Douglas.
May 6, 201411 yr comment_48855 Not exactly Point Douglas though, it was waterfront, they were gonna extend waterfront, point douglas isn't that bad, I mean, yeah it's sketchy at times but really name an area and it's sketchy at times. Really it's no worse then the downtown region by the MTS Centre. Point Douglas could be a gorgeous area, its surronded by the river, it's unfortunate that it's a giant waste of space though and it's unfortunate there are people living there who just don't give a crap. It could be quite beautiful if it was indeed redeveloped. It's not like they were gonna build this stadium near magnus or manitoba avenue, now that area is sketchy at all times. Point Douglas is close to Main Street. The area is run down. That entire part of Winnipeg would have to be bulldozed. As bad as the U of M site is for access & egress of traffic it is still better than Point Douglas. But that was the whole point. They were going to bulldoze a good portion of that dump and improve it. And if you're that scared to to leave a football game with 30,000 other fans around you at night then I don't know what to say. I am pretty sure people said the same thing before they built the MTS Centre too.
May 6, 201411 yr comment_48856 Point Douglas would have been interesting. Just to see what they could do with the area. To be honest, when I walk from my hotel to the stadium in Regina on Labour Day, I don't get the sense of it being the nicest area around either.
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