Winter garden? 'Y' not, says Saskatoon riverfront developer

Saskatoon has been dreaming big about a prime piece of river front property affectionately known as Parcel Y for a long time, and even as the pragmatic work moves forward, the dreams continue.

• 15-storey hotel and spa complex to fill Parcel Y at River Landing in Saskatoon

They want this site to be public.- Alan Wallace

At City Hall yesterday, planning commission members witnessedan animated aerial fly-through of the $300-million dollar, three-tower development that may someday grace the riverfront.

"It was interesting to see the buildings, their form and intent of the full development of the site," said the city's director of planning and development Alan Wallace.

The plan for a hotel and condo development, along with office space is well-known. But along with the dream-like fly-through of the imagined project, there is a new idea.

Wallace said that for the first time, there was talk of a winter garden at the very top of a 20-storey office tower to be built in later stages of the development.

"They want this site to be public; they want this site to be accessible and friendly and open, they want, obviously, people to come and frequent the site."

Wallace said the planning commission had some question about the amount of office space that will eventually come to Parcel Y, but he said he sensed no skepticism about the viability of the plan. After a handful of failed ideas for Parcel Y, Wallace believes this one will happen.

"Absolutely, you will see the hotel.They will start digging this year."