SIGN OUR ONLINE PETITION - to save Winnipeg's Waterfront

CLICK HERE for a link to the petition!!!!
Please sign and make sure to share with your family, friends, and neighbours.

New Blog Post by James Hoddinott

A great new post!  James Street Pumping Station

photo: James Hoddinott

Photos of Pumphouse Interior by John Giavedoni

 

All photos: John Giavedoni 

Perspective from a Local Waterfront Resident: James Hoddinott

Please feel free to visit the blog of local waterfront resident, James Hoddinott, who writes about the various political issues in our surrounding areas, including local development and the proposed skyscraper.

Here's a link to his post, A Vision for Sustainable Growth, among others.

Movie: The Human Scale

The Human Scale, a film by Andreas M. Dalsgaard

"50% of the world's population lives in urban areas.  By 2050 this will increase to 80%.  Life in a mega city is both enchanting and problematic.  Today we face peak oil, climate change, loneliness and severe health issues due to our way of life.  But why?  The Danish architect and professor Jan Gehl has studied human behaviour in cities through 40 years.  He has documented how modern cities repel human interaction, and argues that we can build cities in a way, which takes human needs for inclusion and intimacy into account."
(The Human Scale, About the Film)

... Playing at Cinemateque tomorrow, September 19th, at 9:00 pm and Friday, September 20th at 7:00 

pm.

A bit of history

This document from Winnipeg's Historic Building Committee offers some interesting history of the James Ave. Pumphouse.

This website is also worth a visit.

Pumphouse in the Press

A few relevant links...

Bold New Plan for Pumphouse by Murray McNeill - Winnipeg Free Press (August 7, 2013)

Bold Plan, No Planning by Jim Clark - Winnipeg Free Press (August 9, 2013)

In Downtown Development, Hype Reigns Supreme by Bartley Kives - Winnipeg Free Press (August 28, 2013)

Exchange Brew Pub Might Make Irish Eyes Smile by Benjamin Gillies - Winnipeg Free Press (March 16, 2013)

Neighbourhood Character and Integrity: A letter from Waterfront Resident Edith Friesen

I am writing to voice my objection to plans for a 24-storey high-rise on top of the historic James Avenue Pumping Station on Waterfront Drive that were unveiled at an open house on August 6, 2013. While the proposed high-rise may save some parts of the heritage building and create more density, such an imposing building will (1) destroy the whole aesthetic of the neighbourhood, and (2) exacerbate the parking problems.  

The proposed skyscraper, which will protrude well above its built environment and change the overall skyline, disrespects the neighbourhood context. It does not fit into the aesthetic of this community. Its radical height does not relate well to the lower-profile buildings nearby or to the riverbank across the street. Such an over-powering building will stick out like a sore thumb, literally. A dominant, flashy skyscraper, like the proposed building, belongs in the heart of downtown, along with the other high-rises. It does not belong in the Waterfront neighbourhood. 

In 2005, the Historic Buildings Committee rejected a proposed 8-storey building on this site, in part, because it was deemed too dense and not modest enough in size and scale.

The current proposal also does not take this neighbourhood's parking problem into account. Anyone who lives here will tell you this is a serious issue. Why let the proposal go ahead before this issue has been figured out? 

I sympathize with the desire to save the historic Pumping Station, I fully support greater downtown density, and I understand the difficulty in making the numbers work for a developer of this property. However, a 24-storey high-rise, or anything more than 8 storeys, is totally WRONG for this site and this neighbourhood.

I speak as a resident who has lived in the Waterfront neighbourhood for seven years. Please remember that while this skyscraper may look showy on paper, such a two-dimensional representation, devoid of context and lived experience, can be deceptive. 

Before this proposal goes any further, I invite you to stand with me, on the corner of Waterfront and James, and imagine that you live in this community. Look at the tallest nearby building and multiply that by 3 times. Then imagine a 24-storey skyscraper looming above you, towering over the buildings in this neighbourhood, monopolizing the skyline.

Please say NO to this ill-conceived proposal; say YES to neighbourhood character and integrity.

Sincerely,

Edith Friesen

Resident of Waterfront Drive

Note: This letter was sent on Saturday, August 31, 2013 to Ross McGowan of CentreVenture; Mayor Sam Katz and City Councillors Mike Pagtakhan and Jenny Gerbasi; Cindy Tugwell of Heritage Winnipeg; Braden Smith, Lee Caldwell, and Kurtis Kowalke in the City of Winnipeg's Planning, Property, and Development Department; and John Giavedoni of the Exchange District Residents Association (R:ED)

PUMPHOUSE PARK: a letter from artist Wanda Koop

A few weeks a go, myself and a few other long-term Waterfront residents were surprised to learn of a 24-storey skyscraper development for the historical James Ave. Pumping Station on Waterfront Drive.  

The following is an idea for an alternative vision for James Avenue and the Pumphouse Station, a bold new idea that is far-reaching, considers future generations, and enhances the livable quality of our city.  This new vision is inclusive and humane.  It is a plan that will transform the Waterfront area from being a string of stand-alone condos into a real neighbourhood, becoming a dense and lively destination for all of Winnipeg.

  

This vision is for a place that could be called Pumphouse Park, and the idea includes the development of a revived Pumphouse into a grocery store (such as a Whole Foods) and brew-pub.  The Pumphouse would open onto a European-style neighbourhood plaza flanked with coffee shops and small retail merchants which would serve the local community and the theatre district, becoming a gathering place for all.  It would work as a compliment to the Forks with a focus on becoming the core for the Waterfront Drive and East Exchange District neighbourhoods.Below are a few quick sketches that loosely convey my vision. 

A zoning plan is underfoot and a major parkade has already been approved for the site.  Please spread the word that the potential of the Pumphouse and its surrounding area are seriously at risk.  Feel free to forward this email and the images below to anyone you think might be interested. 

I am not opposed to urban density or new innovative architectural development downtown, however, I feel this is not the place.  If you agree, please oppose the height restriction variance for this skyscraper.  I will keep you in the loop about how to do so.  This site has the potential to be so much more, even if it means us waiting.  Working together, we can create an environment unique in Winnipeg, one that emulates popular centres found in world-class cities.  

With Optimism,

Wanda Koop
Resident of Waterfront Area

Note: Email sent to a collection of Wanda Koop's friends and colleagues on Friday, August 23, 2013.