Winnipeg's Royal Albert Arms sold, redevelopment on horizon
Last Updated: Friday, July 6, 2007 9:09 AM CT
CBC News
The Royal Albert Arms Hotel in Winnipeg's Exchange District has been sold, and the new owner is considering turning the venerable live music venue into a boutique hotel and condo complex. Winnipeg entrepreneur Daren Jorgenson has had his eye on "the Albert" for the past three years; he owns a salon and spa next door.
He convinced the hotel's current owner to sell a few weeks ago. Jorgenson takes possession at the end of the year, and he's already making plans for the 94-year-old building, longtime home to a gritty hotel and punk music venue.
"The first thing we want to do is to rip off the front windowpaned enclosure there that really hides a lot of the historical work of the building," he said.
Jorgenson is still tossing around ideas for his redevelopment of the four-storey hotel and bar. He's dedicated to preserving the history of the building, and hopes to keep the live music element that has made the Albert famous in recent decades.
"We feel that we have the right strategies to mix functionality, professionalism, sexiness, edginess at this one location," Jorgenson said.
"If somehow it was restored a bit and made nicer, but still had that edginess to it, I think there's a whole generation of people that would love to go back and enjoy what they enjoyed 20 years ago."
7 comments:
The collective cabarte is closing too at the end of summer.
I spent a summer runnig emprty bottles and washing dishes at Die Machine in the summer of 2001.
I read this article the other day, too. I'm not sure if nice and edgy go together but I'm all for hybridity, I guess we'll wait and see.
yeah. and the fact that he's saying he wants to attract the people who used to go 20 years ago suggests to me that he's going more for "nice" than for "edgy".
really glad he's pulling that ugly tin and glass thing off the front, though. it really ruins the whole front of the building, imo.
I don't know. The Albert isn't broken so why fix it just to make it new and improved.
It has its place in local music history and it does not seem to me that it will attract the same bands or guests
ahhh,
everyone gets a little unnerved by the prospect of change. It isn't the first, or the last in a series of changes for the Albert. What are we holding on to? Let's face it. It's a pisshole. I'm all for rough around the edges, but it can't get much worse. Shuffle the cards!
I may eat these words if it becomes a disco greaseball club. We are sooo short on those!
heh. no doubt.
I think it will be cool, I heard he wants to keep the punk scene going and make sure local/ indie bands continue to use the albert as a stepping stone.
as for a greasy disco bar - isn't that where you meet all the hot women? NOT
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