The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

I agree with you MonctonRad, but that is another situation. There needs to be more access to go from Downtown Moncton to Dieppe. There is not enough access inbetween the two cities. Its not like they have to set up border patrols.

I don't know.........I think the Diepper's rather like the idea of border patrols! (just kidding :haha:).

I don't know where you would stick another direct connection between downtown Moncton and Dieppe.........Champlain Place has such a large footprint that it sort of gets in the way.

The best you could do is with Myles idea of putting in a new overpass over the 15 in the vicinity of CCNB Dieppe, but this would not be direct.

[Phil_5]

Or as mentioned in previous post, an overpass form the Champlain
mall all the way to Queen st. would be a pricey option.
http://www.iwebphoto.com/iWebPhoto_free_upload_photo/222599/Album1/OneWayMainst-QueenstCloseup.jpg
(not my creation)

[riverviewer]

An overpass to Champlain parking lot? Talk about a bridge to nowhere.
Why don't we just tunnel under Champlain.

Better yet, if money is no object, and engineering anything be possible, why don't we just build a giant cloverleaf in the middle of the river.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/kylosaurus/overpassinmarsh.jpg

[mylesmalley]

I wonder if anyone has considered draining the river to make room for a giant cloverleaf before.

[riverviewer]

oops I forgot... Moncton prefers traffic circles...

[JasonL-Moncton]

One thing I found VERY notably missing from the renderings, was "Bike Lanes". You'd think that if this new street configuration was being sought in the vein of modernization and progress that thye could have at least put a bike lane on one side of the street!

Yep...6 lanes, let's make it even easier for more cars to be on the road, but bikes be damned...again.

JL

[mylesmalley]

Article wasn't clear exactly how wide the sidewalks are. Maybe they're pulling double duty?

[MonctonRad]

Better yet, if money is no object, and engineering anything be possible, why don't we just build a giant cloverleaf in the middle of the river.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t165/kylosaurus/overpassinmarsh.jpg

Now this is truly inspired thinking!!!

Only an evil twisted genius would come up with something like this.......I love it!!!

It would be interesting to see what the Riverkeepers think of this one!! :haha:

[Sony500]

If Saint John can build bridges so can we!!

[kirjtc2]

If Saint John can build bridges so can we!!

Saint John can build bridges. They just can't keep them maintained.

[pierremoncton]

One thing I found VERY notably missing from the renderings, was "Bike Lanes". You'd think that if this new street configuration was being sought in the vein of modernization and progress that thye could have at least put a bike lane on one side of the street!

Yep...6 lanes, let's make it even easier for more cars to be on the road, but bikes be damned...again.

JL

The article says:

and the sides of the street will feature oversized (three metres or almost six feet) sidewalks

3 metres is 9 feet, not 6, so who knows how wide they'll actually be... but I assume that they'll be shared, which I personally hate for a couple of reasons. And legally-speaking in NB (though cops don't even know bike rules and care even less), bicycles are allowed on the road UNLESS there's an adjacent path, so to turn left anywhere, you'll have to cross at crosswalks.

I'm hoping that they'll split the sidewalks properly if they're are actually 3 (not 2) metres. It shouldn't be very hard to paint lines and arrows, although Moncton seems to be unable to do so.

http://i.imgur.com/bwruil.gif
(credit: me)

[riverviewer]

It would be interesting to see what the Riverkeepers think of this one!! :haha:

We can appease the Riverkeepers. All we need do is ensure that we use only green materials when building our artificial island, and that we build the bridges to allow for fish passage.

We can even create a "Riverkeeper Park" on our man-made island, complete with boat docks that rise with the tide, a bore lookout, and fishing platforms that are accessible by both car and bicycle lanes.

[JasonL-Moncton]

The article says:



3 metres is 9 feet, not 6, so who knows how wide they'll actually be... but I assume that they'll be shared, which I personally hate for a couple of reasons. And legally-speaking in NB (though cops don't even know bike rules and care even less), bicycles are allowed on the road UNLESS there's an adjacent path, so to turn left anywhere, you'll have to cross at crosswalks.

I'm hoping that they'll split the sidewalks properly if they're are actually 3 (not 2) metres. It shouldn't be very hard to paint lines and arrows, although Moncton seems to be unable to do so.

http://i.imgur.com/bwruil.gif
(credit: me)

In NB it is illegal for bikes to be ridden on sidewalks.

They are governed by the rules of the road for cyclists.

They aren't pedestrians when riding.


JL

[pierremoncton]

In NB it is illegal for bikes to be ridden on sidewalks.

They are governed by the rules of the road for cyclists.

They aren't pedestrians when riding.

You're right about sidewalks (and I wish it was enforced), unless it's a shared path (like on the Gunningsville bridge and what I assume will happen on Paul St).


179(2)Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
179(3)Wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.


Source: http://www.gnb.ca/0062/acts/acts/m-17.htm

But it's not really clear what "adjacent" means in this case.

[Dmajackson]

Hey,

The Tallest U/C In Your City (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=174954) thread has been reactivated recently and in hopes of updating the list I am going from city thread to city thread to see if the tallest under construction has changed recently.

I currently have the Courthouse listed as the tallest in Moncton. Since I follow this thread I believe this is still true but if anybody has a photo of the construction that can be posted in the thread it'd be greatly appriciated.

Also I welcome Dieppe to be added onto the list if anything is underway over there.

:cheers:

-DJ

[mylesmalley]

Dieppe might have an apartment building going up, but nothing over 4 floors. Moncton's tallest is still the courthouse.

[Dmajackson]

Dieppe might have an apartment building going up, but nothing over 4 floors. Moncton's tallest is still the courthouse.

Thanks myles. :)

How's the courthouse coming along anyways?

[gehrhardt]

Published Tuesday March 16th, 2010
A1
By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff

Moncton city council took an important step towards making an estimated $80-million downtown Metro events centre a reality at last night's council meeting.

The councillors voted unanimously to approve a report compiled by the Downtown Centre Task Force, which detailed a business case for the financial and logistic implementation of a new 9,000-seat facility to host both major sporting events and concerts.

"We do need in this community a new sport and entertainment complex, there's no question about it. The only issue that needs to be defined is in what form does it take and where is it to be located," said task force co-chair James Lockyer, a former councillor himself, in his address to council. "The committee, after seven, eight months of study, has come to the conclusion that it needs to be in the downtown core."

In accepting the motion, council agreed upon accepting the conclusions of the report in principle and to develop a business plan to present to federal and provincial governments in an attempt to secure funding partnerships.

As part of the accepted motion, city council has also endorsed the Mayor to begin preliminary discussions will all stakeholders in gauging their interest in this project, as well as beginning a public consultation process.

While the council has moved forward on the long-discussed file, Councillor Brian Hicks, who also served as the committee co-chair, said it is a "no risk" move that allows them to explore the idea without having to immediately consent to providing funding.

Continuing with the project will also be contingent on ensuring some obstacles can be overcome, which were labeled as "deal breakers" in the report.

The first deal breaker is that council be able to put together an acceptable business plan which can be drafted to confirm the financial implications for the city. The second is to secure both the provincial and federal government as partners -- the breakdown detailed in the report was that the province and federal government would both contribute $25.2 million, while the City of Moncton would also match that $25.2, as well as pay about $4 million for land.

The final deal breaker needing to be addressed is that a "fair and equitable" major tenant agreement be struck.

Lockyer spoke with passion about the importance of building the events centre, in order to help continue the development he said the region has undergone in the last 20 to 30 years after periods of stagnation in the 1960s and 1970s. While no specific location has been recommended, Lockyer was adamant the project must be completed downtown.

"I can tell you very clearly ... that this community does not want to go back to (what it was like here) in the 1960s and 1970s. It wants to move forward with vision," he said. "The thing about vision, is that if you do not have vision as a community, your downtown will die. And if your downtown dies, your community atrophies, it will not grow. The downtown is the heart of the community and if the heart goes, there's not much left."

The report also looked at the alternative, of what it surmised would be a $40-million renovation in order to turn the aging Moncton Coliseum into modern day standards as a 9,000-seat arena capable of handling some of the concerts that have passed on the area recently due to venue limitations.

The task force concluded that investing in the Coliseum would be a waste of money and not something that would provide long-term benefit to the area. Rather, the plan suggested the Coliseum be repurposed as an alternative exhibition space, which could also play host to smaller-scale hockey games or sporting events.

"There is no economic spin-off, there is no economic development and there's no contribution in the downtown core. Putting money into (the Coliseum) is folly and it is certainly the wrong thing to do," Lockyer said. "What it does is sets back the forward momentum that we've developed and created over the last 20 to 30 years."

The report also detailed potential sources of city funding for the new facility, including a general fundraising campaign, a dedication of revenue from tax revenue from the soon to open casino, adding a hotel room levy to downtown locales and levy on downtown properties. Also discussed was the possibility of establishing a tax increment finance (TIF) zone for locations in a certain distance of wherever the downtown centre is built.

Councillor Daniel Bourgeois expressed issue with that proposal, as he thought increased tax rates might discourage people, specifically single-parent families, from living in the downtown area.

Mayor LeBlanc noted that the estimates in the report were all very conservative, as he called it almost a "worst case scenario" and stated it is entirely possible the financial benefits could be greater, while the financial debts could be smaller than noted in the document.

"In my view, this is a very important step forward. The resolution allows city council to approve in principle the downtown centre project and I think that's an important step," he said. "It allows council to take the next important steps."

Councillor Pierre Boudreau also spoke favourably about the report.

"There is still a lot of work to do, but we've got to get it and I sincerely believe that the key words ... is buy-in. You've got the buy-in by the community that I believe we can muster rather easily," he said. "The other buy-ins from the two levels of government and from a major tenant, I do remain positive and confident that the governments have sufficient political goodwill and business acumen to appreciate the importance of this particular project for not only Moncton but for southeastern New Brunswick."

The report and its findings have been long awaited, as the idea behind a downtown Metro events centre has discussed for quite some time. In January of 2009, seven months after taking office, the city council hired IBI Group to do a feasibility study, which it presented to council last June.

In July, Mayor LeBlanc appointed the committee to review the financial feasibility and merits of a downtown multi-use sports and entertainment facility. Along with Lockyer and Hicks, the committee also consisted of Councillors Kathryn Barnes, Deputy Mayor Merrill Henderson and community members David Campbell, Vera Gervais, Susan Hicks, Louis Leger and Guy Levesque.

Finally, a baby step of progress! It took over a year to say "OK, we agree with what people have been saying all along... in principle."

[mylesmalley]

Mayor Jean LeBlanc delivered State of the City Address yesterday
A1
By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff

Aviation Avenue will very soon become the new frontier for development in Dieppe, Mayor Jean LeBlanc says.


GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Jean LeBlanc
Work on extending the road, which is the main municipal traffic artery to and from the Greater Moncton International Airport, has just begun, heralding a new era of industrial development in a city that currently has precious little of a very important commodity -- industrial lands.

Development and growth in the City of Dieppe hasn't yet peaked, Mayor Jean LeBlanc told reporters after his annual State of the City Address yesterday.

"Business and investment is definitely cyclical, and you'll have higher and lower periods of activity," LeBlanc said yesterday following his speech, held this year at a joint meeting of the Dieppe Rotary Club and the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce at Fisherman's Paradise Restaurant.

The city, its administrators and council see their role as facilitators of business and investment, LeBlanc, who is a businessman himself, said after his address. If they continue act as such, Dieppe will continue to be a centre of growth, the mayor said.

"It's not always necessary to grow, but it's the role of elected and administrative people to assure that the people who do business have the proper climate to do it in."

The speech was a recap of growth and investment in Dieppe since the last municipal election that brought LeBlanc to the mayor's chair almost two years ago, plus a glimpse of the future.

The extension of Aviation Avenue from near the airport towards the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 2) will open 150 acres of light industrial lands, all with access to two four-lane highways, rail lines and the airport.

Work on the $5.7-million project has now started, with the federal, provincial and municipal governments all contributing one-third of the cost.

In his address, the mayor said Dieppe residents have much to be proud of, from their new aquatic centre which opened this fall and has already hosted more than 87,000 visitors, the redesigned arts and culture centre that is set to open within weeks, its growing network of walking and cycling trails, a new water main serving east Dieppe, a new organizational structure at city hall and a strategic plan with a clear vision.

On the horizon are the reconfiguration and reconstruction of Paul Street to be completed by December and a bylaw regulating the language of exterior commercial signage that is being fine-tuned to ensure it reflects the wishes of Dieppe residents.

Planning has begun on a new arena to replace the aged Centennial Arena as well as on a new public works operations centre on Ruffin Street. Plans are well underway towards implementing new measures to combat speeding traffic through Gould Street and Melanson Road.

LeBlanc Road will be chipsealed this spring, the city has purchased two new buses to boost public transit in Dieppe, is expanding sidewalks at various locations in the city all while lowering its debt according to a five-year plan which is currently ahead of schedule.

"Our municipality is on the right track," LeBlanc said.

Dieppe's diversified economy, strong in-migration and investments in strategic infrastructure that set the table for residential, industrial and commercial growth has served the city well, the mayor said.

Investments in trails, playgrounds, sports facilities and in making the Dieppe International Kite Festival the largest in North America -- and now an annual event -- all speak of the city's superior quality of life, he said.

Every city department has sliced five per cent off last year's budget, he added, helping to reduce the cost of running the city, making borrowing less necessary and thus freeing money for key capital projects to accommodate more growth.

[MonctonRad]

Finally, a baby step of progress! It took over a year to say "OK, we agree with what people have been saying all along... in principle."

Baby steps indeed!!

Now, all we have to do is find a location, do site analysis, buy the land, design the structure, get federal and provincial funding, secure major tenants and build the damn thing!!

I think we should see ground being broken sometime in 2015!! :(

Seriously though, at the very least, with this report it will get harder and harder for city council to weasel out of this project. I am getting more confident that it is now a matter of when, and not a matter of if this is going to happen. :tup:

[mylesmalley]

I'm encouraged by how receptive council seemed to be to it going downtown. I figured at least one of them would complain about traffic or 'but we've got tons of cheap land over here!'. Then again, as Gerhart and MonctonRad rightly point out, agreeing to something in principle, and actually putting it into practice often don't overlap.

[StormShadow]

Finally, a baby step of progress! It took over a year to say "OK, we agree with what people have been saying all along... in principle."

Thanks for posting this gehrhardt. I'd like to offer my very own editorial :slob:

Moncton city council took an important step towards making an estimated $80-million downtown Metro events centre a reality at last night's council meeting.

The councillors voted unanimously to approve a report compiled by the Downtown Centre Task Force, which detailed a business case for the financial and logistic implementation of a new 9,000-seat facility to host both major sporting events and concerts.

I still think its affordable and wise to add a couple more rows

"We do need in this community a new sport and entertainment complex, there's no question about it. The only issue that needs to be defined is in what form does it take and where is it to be located," said task force co-chair James Lockyer, a former councillor himself, in his address to council. "The committee, after seven, eight months of study, has come to the conclusion that it needs to be in the downtown core."

In accepting the motion, council agreed upon accepting the conclusions of the report in principle and to develop a business plan to present to federal and provincial governments in an attempt to secure funding partnerships.

Seriously?

As part of the accepted motion, city council has also endorsed the Mayor to begin preliminary discussions will all stakeholders in gauging their interest in this project, as well as beginning a public consultation process.

While the council has moved forward on the long-discussed file, Councillor Brian Hicks, who also served as the committee co-chair, said it is a "no risk" move that allows them to explore the idea without having to immediately consent to providing funding.

Wow. That kind of says it all. It's like they know they're bad business people.

Continuing with the project will also be contingent on ensuring some obstacles can be overcome, which were labeled as "deal breakers" in the report.

I like the optimism you guys here on the board have. When I see language like this, I can't help but feel un-optimistic

The first deal breaker is that council be able to put together an acceptable business plan which can be drafted to confirm the financial implications for the city. The second is to secure both the provincial and federal government as partners -- the breakdown detailed in the report was that the province and federal government would both contribute $25.2 million, while the City of Moncton would also match that $25.2, as well as pay about $4 million for land.

Completely relying on the government to fund this project? Well, not gonna happen. Did the study, that they paid for, not use the JLC as an example?

Ok, the province will go for it. But the Feds? Correct me if I'm wrong, (I know you guys will) but aren't most of NB's MPs Liberal? Since when do the Conservatives fund or do anything for the Liberals? Let me just ask this, Why would they do that?

Sure, the Conservatives are in power for now, but aren't you supposed to make decisions based on what you know today?

The final deal breaker needing to be addressed is that a "fair and equitable" major tenant agreement be struck.

A commitment from the Wildcats? This only makes sense, of course the Wildcats will want to play there. I don't know, maybe it's just the way this piece has been written, but it sounds like they have a lot of strings attached. Almost to the point where if it falls through, they can point the finger elsewhere, or anywhere.

Lockyer spoke with passion about the importance of building the events centre, in order to help continue the development he said the region has undergone in the last 20 to 30 years after periods of stagnation in the 1960s and 1970s. While no specific location has been recommended, Lockyer was adamant the project must be completed downtown.

"I can tell you very clearly ... that this community does not want to go back to (what it was like here) in the 1960s and 1970s. It wants to move forward with vision," he said. "The thing about vision, is that if you do not have vision as a community, your downtown will die. And if your downtown dies, your community atrophies, it will not grow. The downtown is the heart of the community and if the heart goes, there's not much left."

The report also looked at the alternative, of what it surmised would be a $40-million renovation in order to turn the aging Moncton Coliseum into modern day standards as a 9,000-seat arena capable of handling some of the concerts that have passed on the area recently due to venue limitations.

Oh, here we go. Of course they spent time looking into that. Morons.

Sorry for being such a pessimist, but this is Plan B right here. It's like they think Plan A doesn't have the greatest probability of getting off the ground.

The task force concluded that investing in the Coliseum would be a waste of money and not something that would provide long-term benefit to the area. Rather, the plan suggested the Coliseum be repurposed as an alternative exhibition space, which could also play host to smaller-scale hockey games or sporting events.

"There is no economic spin-off, there is no economic development and there's no contribution in the downtown core. Putting money into (the Coliseum) is folly and it is certainly the wrong thing to do," Lockyer said. "What it does is sets back the forward momentum that we've developed and created over the last 20 to 30 years.

Lockyer sounds like one of the good guys.

The report also detailed potential sources of city funding for the new facility, including a general fundraising campaign, a dedication of revenue from tax revenue from the soon to open casino, adding a hotel room levy to downtown locales and levy on downtown properties. Also discussed was the possibility of establishing a tax increment finance (TIF) zone for locations in a certain distance of wherever the downtown centre is built.

Brutal. Horrible idea.

Councillor Daniel Bourgeois expressed issue with that proposal, as he thought increased tax rates might discourage people, specifically single-parent families, from living in the downtown area.

Mayor LeBlanc noted that the estimates in the report were all very conservative, as he called it almost a "worst case scenario" and stated it is entirely possible the financial benefits could be greater, while the financial debts could be smaller than noted in the document.

"In my view, this is a very important step forward. The resolution allows city council to approve in principle the downtown centre project and I think that's an important step," he said. "It allows council to take the next important steps."

Don't stop believing, George!

Councillor Pierre Boudreau also spoke favourably about the report.

"There is still a lot of work to do, but we've got to get it and I sincerely believe that the key words ... is buy-in. You've got the buy-in by the community that I believe we can muster rather easily," he said. "The other buy-ins from the two levels of government and from a major tenant, I do remain positive and confident that the governments have sufficient political goodwill and business acumen to appreciate the importance of this particular project for not only Moncton but for southeastern New Brunswick."

The report and its findings have been long awaited, as the idea behind a downtown Metro events centre has discussed for quite some time. In January of 2009, seven months after taking office, the city council hired IBI Group to do a feasibility study, which it presented to council last June.

How's that for an understatement? So far, all the REAL work has been outsourced. Now, they're trying to outsource the responsibility.

In July, Mayor LeBlanc appointed the committee to review the financial feasibility and merits of a downtown multi-use sports and entertainment facility. Along with Lockyer and Hicks, the committee also consisted of Councillors Kathryn Barnes, Deputy Mayor Merrill Henderson and community members David Campbell, Vera Gervais, Susan Hicks, Louis Leger and Guy Levesque.

Anyone know who these people are? There's an apple going bad somewhere in that bunch.

[mmmatt]

^ I agree on all points StormShadow, I think it should be 10,000, it just sounds so much bigger than 9,000 and it will draw bigger acts...also it will help it stay large enough for the next 40 years of its lifespan.

Heres hoping this ends up taking over a large parcel of surface parking and we end up with a decent parking structure to go along with it! :D

[MonctonRad]

Excellent deconstruction of this article StormShadow!!!

Like mmmatt, I agree on all points.

- 10,000 seats would be better than 9,000......especially when trying to book major acts, it just sounds so much larger.

- I agree that the province would likely be willing to cough up $25M. I am not so sure about the feds though........I think that time may have passed. The key words for the next 5-10 years will be fiscal austerity.

- What do they mean by a major tenant agreement? It seems to me that the "tenant" would have to be the Wildcats. I know Robert Irving is supportive for the idea of a downtown arena/events centre. I suppose that legally they would need to have a lease agreement signed before proceeding but unless they jack up the rent substantially, I imagine that having the Wildcats as the main tenant would be a no brainer.

- Perhaps by "major tenant" they are referring to a larger integrated project than just simply an arena, perhaps including a hotel, convention centre and/or integrated retail/entertainment facilities. This point should be clarified!

- The proposal for a "TIF" zone should be considered a no fly zone.....let's just not go there! :haha:

- They really need to find some private partners to get involved in this project. It's the only way that this project will move forward in my lifetime. Don't count on the feds for funding, instead make a good business case and get a private equity partner willing to kick in 30-45% funding. If you include other components in the project such as retail/entertainment/convention facilities so that it is busy on most dates during the calendar year then private equity partners might come knocking on your door.

- Come on city council.......let's make this happen!!! :tup:

[MonctonRad]

Since @Champlain seems to be MIA, here's a brief Champlain Place update:

- David's Tea is now open
- Jacob is still under construction
- The space next to Jacob is also being renovated, I have no idea what's going in here.
- Rocky Mountain Chocolates plans on opening a Champlain Place location.
- Sony Style will move to the NorthWest Centre on April 1st.
- English Butler is closing out.
- Bizou is currently under renovation.

[mylesmalley]

Apparently StatCan has released CMA population estimates for 2031. Some cities do quite well. Some cities are evidently not expected to grow past their current numbers. Us and SJ included! These are their high estimate numbers:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-551-x/2010001/tbl/tbl028-eng.htm

I realize we're going to have a demographic issue as the population ages, however this stagnation in almost all of the country's smaller cities seems a bit overambitious. At any rate, it's a good reason to be in favour of greater immigration.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

I saw this.......I think StatsCan is being very pessimistic in it's outlook for the smaller eastern cities and fails to take into account inmigration from surrounding rural areas to the regional cities.

I personally predict a population for Moncton in 20 years time of 155,000.

[pierremoncton]

According to http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-214-x/2008000/t013-eng.htm (posted by mmmatt last month), Moncton's estimated population was 133,880 in 2009.

The reference scenario (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-551-x/2010001/tbl/tbl015-eng.htm) shows 132k for 2031. At just 1% yearly growth (it was ~1.2% between 2001 and 2006), the number should exceed 160k by 2031.

This gives a good idea of the disappearing babyboomers' effect on the population within the next decade or two:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/kits-trousses/animat/img/edu06a_0002_01-eng.gif
(source: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/kits-trousses/animat/edu06a_0002-eng.htm)

[JasonL-Moncton]

Since @Champlain seems to be MIA, here's a brief Champlain Place update:

- David's Tea is now open
- Jacob is still under construction
- The space next to Jacob is also being renovated, I have no idea what's going in here.
- Rocky Mountain Chocolates plans on opening a Champlain Place location.
- Sony Style will move to the NorthWest Centre on April 1st.
- English Butler is closing out.
- Bizou is currently under renovation.

The space next to Jacob is being renovated to move "Showcase" (As seen on TV store) into it. The water massage place will no longer be in the mall from what I'm told.

No word on what's going in Showcase yet.

JL

[MonctonRad]

Build new $80M Moncton coliseum: report

Task force says city must get N.B., federal governments to help fund new facility
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 | 12:39 PM AT
CBC News

A task force report is recommending Moncton build a new $80-million downtown sports and entertainment complex to replace the city's aging Moncton Coliseum.

For the past seven months Jim Lockyer and his committee have been looking at the possibilities of fixing up or replacing the 40-year-old arena.

Lockyer said as far as he's concerned it doesn't make sense to spend $40 million to renovate the 6,500-seat coliseum.

"We are losing entertainment products, for example, just in the last few months we've lost Cirque de Soleil, we've lost Stars on Ice, we've lost Martina McBride, we've lost Brad Paisley all because of the way the building is structured," he said.

Lockyer said the low roof at the coliseum doesn't allow for the spectacular sets shows travel with these days.

The facility's design also limits the sporting events that can be hosted in Moncton.

Last year, there were problems maintaining the ice during the World Curling Championships.

The facility's main tenant is the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Moncton Wildcats.

The Lockyer report comes almost a year after a Toronto-based consultant recommended building a $74-million sports and entertainment centre that would hold 9,000 people in the city's downtown.

Jonathan Heck, the consultant hired to produce the 2009 report, said at the time that a new building will rejuvenate the downtown and pay for itself by attracting up to 50 per cent more shows.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc struck the committee of councillors and citizens to consider the consultant's report last June.

Lockyer said he is confident there is a way to build the new downtown facility if federal and provincial governments help.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/03/17/nb-moncton-coliseum-report-lockyer-1218.html#ixzz0iQVQx6db

[MonctonRad]

Construction remains strong in Moncton
News 91.9 Staff Mar 17, 2010 10:03:01 AM

MONCTON, NB - The construction sector remained strong in Moncton last month.

The city issued 42 building permits in February worth almost $5 million.

It was the strongest February in 7 years.

Some of the major commercial projects last month included a permit to create a new Sony store at the Northwest Centre on Mountain Road, a permit to expand the existing Co-op Pharmacy on Mapleton Road and a permit to renovate the Old Navy store on Trinity Drive.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton needs events centre now: Brian Murphy
Published Wednesday March 17th, 2010

'Let's get on with it,' says former Moncton mayor
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Moncton MP Brian Murphy says he'll do whatever it takes to help the city find federal funding for a downtown Metro events centre, but the city should start making applications sooner than later.

"It's still a ways off but I urge the city to act now and pursue the normal infrastructure funding path. Let's get on with it," Murphy said in a telephone interview from Ottawa. "It's Moncton's time and I'll do whatever I can. It's Moncton's time. St. John's has done a lot, Halifax has done a lot. We should have what Halifax and St. John's have and we should have it sooner than later."

He said the Conservative government of Stephen Harper has been handing out lots of money recently but it is only a matter of time before that dries up. He said there will likely be money for infrastructure projects but Moncton should get its applications in as soon as possible so the money is available when it comes time to get started.

This week, Moncton city council voted unanimously to approve a report compiled by the Downtown Centre Task Force, which detailed a business case for a 9,000-seat facility to host both major sporting events and concerts. The centre has an estimated cost of $80 million and one of the big steps will be to find the money. The provincial and federal governments will be asked to contribute $25.2 million while the city would match that, and pay about $4 million for the land. A site for the centre has not yet been chosen but consultants say there are six possible locations, all in the downtown area.

Premier Shawn Graham said yesterday the provincial government remains committed to the project and the idea of making Moncton the entertainment centre of Atlantic Canada. However, he would not speculate on what it might look like.

"Our goal is to position the greater Moncton region as the entertainment capital for Atlantic Canada and a convention centre will play a key role in that," Graham said yesterday during a visit to the Moncton Flight College. "We'll be working with the mayor and council of Moncton. We want to see the plans that they are putting forward but we're going to be a partner at the table."

Murphy recalled that when he was Mayor of Moncton in 1998, he and Shawn Graham campaigned together for a events centre for Moncton. Back then, he said Moncton's priority for federal funding was the centre, while Riverview wanted a new bridge across the Petitcodiac and Dieppe wanted airport improvements. Now, more than 10 years later, the Gunningsville Bridge is complete, the airport has come a long way and Moncton is still waiting for a Metro events centre. The casino is now under construction by a private company and the provincial government is responsible for the new courthouse now under construction.

Murphy said Moncton has come a long way in 10 years to overcome problems with the airport, traffic, hotel occupancy and business development, and the time is right for a downtown Metro events centre that will be the last major piece in the puzzle of redevelopment.

Personal note: It's too bad that Brian is on the "wrong" side of the house. He would be a valuable ally if he were a federal Tory.

It is worth remembering however that Stephen Harper has Moncton roots.......his grandfather was principal of the old Prince Edward School in the city. The family only moved away from town after the mysterious disappearance and presumed death of his grandfather. He has been back to the city on several occasions in the last number of years. This connection may count for something.

Also, Harper is at least somewhat interested in improving Tory fortunes in the east and there will be election sometime in the next 12-24 months........let's get that funding application in tout de suite!!

[SJTOKO]

http://www.youtube.com/v/h5DupPG857E?hl=en_US&fs=1

[StormShadow]

Personal note: It's too bad that Brian is on the "wrong" side of the house. He would be a valuable ally if he were a federal Tory.

It is worth remembering however that Stephen Harper has Moncton roots.......his grandfather was principal of the old Prince Edward School in the city. The family only moved away from town after the mysterious disappearance and presumed death of his grandfather. He has been back to the city on several occasions in the last number of years. This connection may count for something.

Also, Harper is at least somewhat interested in improving Tory fortunes in the east and there will be election sometime in the next 12-24 months........let's get that funding application in tout de suite!!

Remember who ran against Murphy? I think we could have been looking at construction photos or renderings, at the very least, right now.

[JimiThing]

I'm just wondering how much private funding they could get with a private
sponsor involved, for naming rights and a dedicated business agreement.

Examples:

Molson: - Molson Stadium - Molson Beer products
Irving: - The Irving Center - Irving paper product/heating etc....

[mylesmalley]

Remember who ran against Murphy? I think we could have been looking at construction photos or renderings, at the very least, right now.

Yeah, I seriously doubt that.

Politically, it would be in the best interests of the federal conservatives to support that kind of project, especially if funding decisions take shape around the next election. 80 million dollars would buy a lot of votes.

That said, as MonctonRad pointed out earlier, restraint will be the name of the game for the next few years, especially if the liberals come to power federally.

[MonctonRad]

Modicum of colour for the page

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=467487&size=315x223

Thumbnail image from the T&T today showing the casino hotel in the foreground and the rampant skyline of downtown Moncton in the distance.

[JHikka]

That said, as MonctonRad pointed out earlier, restraint will be the name of the game for the next few years, especially if the liberals come to power federally.

Hah, New Brunswick's always on the opposition of the Federal Government. We vote Liberal and Conservatives get a Minority. Once our Liberals get kicked out we'll be Conservative, and the Liberals might take power federally? Hilarious.

[MonctonRad]

London a model for Metro centre?
Published Thursday March 18th, 2010

Multi-use facility helped revitalize Ontario city
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Ten years ago, the majority of people in London, Ont., were dead-set against building a downtown sports and entertainment facility and now it has become a beacon to downtown redevelopment and a boost to community pride.

"The majority of people were not in favour of it, but try moving it out of the downtown now. It has become a great source of pride for the community," says Victor Cote, director of finance for the City of London, Ont.

The John Labatt Centre is one of several downtown arenas cited as examples by the Moncton Downtown Centre Task Force in the report submitted to Moncton City Council this week. Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve the report and move forward with the idea of building a downtown Metro events centre.

Premier Shawn Graham has enthusiastically supported the Moncton idea and yesterday provincial Conservative Leader David Alward also said he supports it.

"I'm pleased to see the City of Moncton progressing on this exciting project. We will wait to see the results of the business plan, but I believe strongly in downtown development and the Moncton Metro centre has a lot of positive potential," Alward said yesterday. "I applaud the city and stakeholders for their consultative approach and citizen engagement on this issue.

The John Labatt Centre is located in the downtown area of London, a city of 350,000 between Toronto and Detroit. It has a seating capacity of 9,000 for hockey games and 10,000 for concerts and is surrounded by restaurants, boutiques and specialty shops. It cost about $45 million to build and opened in October of 2002. Cote says it was built as a public-private partnership with $32 million from the city, $12 million from business partners and $5 million from the provincial government. The project did not receive federal funding.

Cote says London's downtown was in decline and something was needed to generate new business, economic development and community pride, so the city decided to build a multi-purpose building for hockey, concerts and other sports and events. The centre has hosted many concerts by big-name performers, Broadway shows, Cirque du Soleil and the locals regularly fill the seats to watch the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, who were the 2005 Memorial Cup Champions.

Over time, the area surrounding the centre has become home to many apartment buildings, restaurants, boutique hotels and a garden market. Property values went from $35 per square foot to more than $75 per square foot.

"It's a very attractive place to be. The centre has become the single most important factor to the revitalization of our downtown."

André Hudon, president of Donald K. Productions in Montreal, says the Labatt centre is an excellent example for Moncton to look at as an example for a downtown events facility. Donald K. Donald has been staging concerts across the country for many years and put on many shows at the aging Moncton Coliseum.

He said today's touring productions have very technical requirements for electronic equipment and staging that hangs from the rafters, and the more modern buildings better meet those requirements. Hudon said touring companies also enjoy facilities that provide easy access to the big trucks carrying all the equipment so they can get in and out quickly.

Hudon said one of the most important aspects of a multi-use facility is flexibility. He said a 10,000-seat building that can have some sections curtained off to make smaller shows more comfortable gives promoters more flexibility in booking acts.

Now that the Labatt Centre is almost 10 years old, Cote says he wouldn't change a thing cosmetically, but one piece of advice he would offer to Moncton is to make sure the events centre has a good business plan.

That sentiment was echoed by Tom Hann, a city councillor in St. John's, Nfld., who is a member of the city's committee that oversees the Mile One Centre.

The Mile One Centre was opened in 2001 as a sports and entertainment facility. Hann said the Mile One Centre went over budget and suffered from an operating deficit in the beginning. It was built as home to the St. John's Maple Leafs of the AHL, but the team moved to Toronto after the 2005 season.

Hann was an outspoken critic of the centre but major changes were made to fix the financial problems. The Mile One Centre has played host to many big-name entertainers from Elton John and Bob Dylan to Willie Nelson, INXS and Pearl Jam. This year, it will host the Juno Awards for the second time. The Mile One stadium is surrounded by a hotel and convention centre.

"Overall it was worth the investment. It helped put us on the map even though we are off the beaten path," Hann says. "But if I had any advice for Moncton, it would be to hammer down the cost before you start and make sure you have a strong management team that knows what they are doing."

Other downtown multi-use facilities cited as examples in the Moncton committee's report are the K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ont.; Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C.; and the Essar Centre in Sault Ste Marie. All of these centres are seen as projects that helped revitalize their downtowns and become the focus of community activity.

Ivan Court, mayor of Saint John, says the development of the Harbour Station facility has certainly improved the port city's reputation and ability to draw tourists over the years.

Harbour Station has various seating configurations that can allow up to about 7,000 people for concerts. The arena is connected by a series of pedways to parking garages, hotels, a shopping mall, city hall, the New Brunswick Museum, the Canada Games Aquatic Centre and the Trade & Convention Centre. The pedway system, billed as the biggest in Atlantic Canada, allows visitors to walk through all these facilities without ever having to go outside.

Lawrence Forbes, president of Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Inc., said these and many other multi-use facilities across Canada and the U.S. have shown that downtown centres can rejuvenate their communities.

"DMCI is committed to the continued growth and development of our core and that is why we urge our decision-makers to take the necessary steps into making this long-time idea a reality and not a missed opportunity," Forbes said this week.

Personal note:

Two major take-aways from this piece:
1- John Labatt Centre was a public private partnership. If we do the same, we might not have to go hat in hand to the feds for funding. It's the feds who will be the major deal breaker in this initiative!
2- JLC is surrounded by street level restaurants, boutiques and specialty shops. We need to do the same. It helps to integrate the development into the neighbourhood and would also help give the events centre a friendlier street presence rather than yet another blank wall greeting pedestrians. This was always a major flaw with Highfield Square IMHO.

[StormShadow]

I had the pleasure of living in London for about 18 months, so I'm somewhat familiar with the JLC, I've thought all along that it was the way Moncton should go from A to Z.

I'm not really sure why the T&T isn't making more of a story about the City IGNORING the report and not spending the last 12 months researching innovative ways of financing the building and instead, researching what would need to be done to keep the Coliseum relevant?

The other thing I said earlier, I was referring to Daniel Allain (sp?) IIRC, he was the one who ran for the Conservatives in Moncton. He just seems to be someone who has the right intentions (for downtown). Also, I wonder why he or Fowler were not on the "task force"? Too much forward thinking, I guess?

[benvui]

I've noticed that the TT has reverted to calling it the Metro Center again...man I wish they would stop that. The worse part is now that they have been calling it that for so long that is what people are going to call it regardless of what the name is in th end.

[MonctonRad]

Ottawa to fund Metro centre
Published Friday March 19th, 2010

But city needs to submit detailed proposal before funding can be committed
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The federal government will likely provide financial support to a downtown Metro entertainment centre in Moncton, but it will be up to local officials to come up with a solid proposal and sell it as a community priority, Fundy-Royal MP Rob Moore said yesterday.

The federal government has been a strong partner with Moncton over the years. We have a good relationship and look forward to working with Moncton on its priorities," said Moore, a Conservative MP who serves as minister of state for small business and tourism.

Moore said applications for federal funding come from municipalities all over the country and the federal government wouldn't be able to commit to funding until a formal application is made with a detailed proposal of the project.

Keith Ashfield, the MP for Fredericton and New Brunswick's regional minister, was not available for comment yesterday, but a spokeswoman in his office said it would be premature to commit to the Metro centre project until a formal proposal has been submitted.

Ashfield was in Moncton earlier this year for the announcement of federal funding for the Peace Centre and the Aberdeen Cultural Centre.

Moncton city council this week voted unanimously to move forward with the idea of building a 9,000-seat downtown Metro events centre for sports and entertainment. The centre would cost an estimated $80 million. A report submitted to council suggests the federal and provincial governments would each contribute $25.2 million, while the City of Moncton would match that and pay about $4 million for the land. An exact location for the centre has not been chosen but it would be somewhere in the downtown. The Moncton Coliseum would remain in operation for sports and trade shows.

City council's move has so far been endorsed by both Premier Shawn Graham and Conservative Party Leader David Alward, who will square off in a provincial election this fall. Brian Murphy, the Liberal MP for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe and former mayor of Moncton, has voiced his opinion that the City of Moncton should get cracking to put together a proposal and rush it to Ottawa so he can lobby for it.

Moore said the Harper government has recently shown its commitment to Moncton by contributing to several projects, including the new track at l'Université de Moncton, the Aberdeen Cultural Centre and the Peace Centre.

The federal government has contributed to projects across the country as part of its economic action plan and there is still $19 billion worth of stimulus funding yet to flow.

Moore said stimulus funding is usually granted for recreation infrastructure projects, green infrastructure and projects that will have a lasting and positive impacts on their community and are seen as a priority in their community. He mentioned the Kay Arena/Crossman Centre in Lewisville -- an arena and community centre -- as a project that was deserving of funding.

However, Moore said Canadians expect the federal government to get back to a balanced budget so it's only a matter of time before the money tap is turned off.

He said the City of Moncton is well-versed in dealing with the federal government and should have no problem coming up with a proposal for the centre and asking for funding. He said there have been informal talks between the federal government and the City of Moncton about the concept of a new Metro centre, but nothing formal has been done yet.

I think the T&T is being a little disingenuous with their headline here.............they make it sound like the feds are prepared to sign a cheque in the full amount of $25M tomorrow!

What Moore stated is that the feds are receptive to looking at a request for funding when it is properly filled out and received. In addition, Moore did not commit to the full $25M that will be requested by the city!! There is still a lot of work to do on this portfolio.

If only things were as simple as the headline of this article suggests.........:rolleyes:

[StormShadow]

^^^Anyone get to see the new Ricky Gervais show on HBO yet? "Wow chimpanzee that! It's time for....the Monkey News!!"

That's great news, so the proposal for the Feds should be ready in about a year :)

[riverviewer]

Is the Transcript trying to taunt city hall into action?

I can see the headline next year: "Moncton too slow to capitalize on Conservative MP's generosity".

[ErickMontreal]

GMIA experienced such a drop in 2009, the passenger numbers went down from 573 000 in 2008 to 515 000 in 2009, the worst result since 2005.

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats/trafficlarge.jpg

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats.asp#

No word about it in the T&T, obviously they have willingly forgotten to point that fact out. The bad news about Moncton area are , of course, often unwelcome.

[MonctonRad]

Is the Transcript trying to taunt city hall into action?

I believe the short answer to this question is..........YES!!!!!!!

That's OK though, the point was made by StormShadow (I believe), a couple of pages ago that city hall was being a trifle slow on this portfolio and he was concerned that city hall really wanted this issue to quietly go away.

We all make fun of the T&T's tabloid nature and its hucksterism and hyperbole but these tactics can be very useful in goading politicians into action.

The T&T may occasionally be over the top but on issues such as this, they are doing the community as a whole a valuable service.

[mylesmalley]

GMIA experienced such a drop in 2009, the passenger numbers went down from 573 000 in 2008 to 515 000 in 2009, the worst result since 2005.

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats/trafficlarge.jpg

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats.asp#

No word about it in the T&T, obviously they have willingly forgotten to point that fact out. The bad news about Moncton area are , of course, often unwelcome.

It's been a while, Erick!

I wouldn't worry too much about the GMIA numbers being down that much. It seems like an up and down industry at the best of times. I'm not going to dig into it, but those lower numbers could have been affected by a number of factors like weather causing delays and cancelations. Maybe there were fewer sun destinations this year. And don't forget as well that the economy in Central Canada has taken a pretty big hit lately. I'm just guessing, but perhaps there have been fewer business trips back and forth.

Long story short, I don't think it's a sign of things to come.

[StormShadow]

Exactly, MonctonRad, the media is the only real way to hold these people accountable. The T&T is doing their job.

I hope the thing gets built. But I'm skeptical that they succeed in receiving funding from from the Feds. I'm disappointed that there isn't a movement to have a city/private partnership created. I think going the usual route of city/province/feds is the same old, same old way of doing things and it will prevent this building from being all that it can be.

In a perfect world, the city picks a site ASAP and hires a Design-Build firm to get this thing fast tracked. A Design-Build could have it done in 18 months. If only the city knew what they wanted, and it seems like THAT might be the next step. If you think it was a long time, before they decided this week to move forward, how long is it going to take to figure out exactly where in the downtown to put it?

Hey T&T: Pressure these guys to release which sites they're looking at, ASAP. Assumption Place? Highfield Sq? There's 6 in total, where are they? Don't let them quietly sweep this under the rug again, keep at them!

With the traditional path that the city is beginning to go down, we're looking at 5 years before the doors open for the first Wildcats game. One year for everyone to have their say on where the site should be. 6 months to tango with the Feds. Request for proposals takes 6 months. It could take a year, just to prepare the drawings. Traditional Design-Bid-Build will take 3 years itself to have the arena go from the inside of someone head to the doors opening for the first Wildcats game. I'm afraid that too much can happen in 5 years. Will George and his gang still be around? Personnel will change over 5 years and deals fall apart over 5 years, just like the Beaver Lumber one did.

[mylesmalley]

one problem i can see with a private-public partnership is over the future of the coliseum. a private investor downtown wouldn't want to see smaller shows directed towards the coliseum by the city (who presumably will still want to keep it going). We're setting ourselves up to have a good range of venue sizes, but a 7000 seat coliseum and a 10,000 seat facility downtown will more or less be competing in the same bracket.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Very good point Myles. I recall that when the 4-Ice Centre was built, that the 3P partner wanted to close the Dud James, Carroll and Kay arenas to maximize occupancy and rental income at the new rink complex. It was only by intense community pressure that the Kay survived and morphed into the current Crossman-Kay Community Centre. Even with this, the rink is now managed by the same company managing the 4-Ice Centre. It's the only way the private partner would agree to the compromise..........

Perhaps something similar could happen with a private partner for the new downtown arena/events centre. Perhaps a private partner could take over management of the old Coliseum as well.

The Coliseum will remain the principal trade show venue in the city. I also hope they keep the ice plant operational as well. The coliseum should be able to survive.........

I agree with StormShadow, the city now has to get very serious about deciding exactly what it is that they want in the new events centre. This is their one big kick at the can for downtown revitalization. If done right, this project will be truly transformative. If done wrong however, you risk the future prosperity of the downtown core. It needs to be much more than simply a rink.

This development could include:
- 9,000-10,000 seat arena
- adjacent convention space
- integrated retail/restaurant space
- a hotel
- downtown movie complex/IMAX
- an enclosed parking structure
- a public transit terminal

All of these components would be mutually reinforcing in terms of generating business. If such a complex existed in the core then people would actually want to live downtown. New condos, apartments, shops and restaurants would be sure to spring up on the adjacent streets. A major complex such as this would be truly transformative. It would change the face of the downtown forever!!

The events centre has to be much more than just a rink.

Sure, the three levels of government might be able to fund the arena on their own but they must explore options with the private sector so that this development will satisfy all the ambitions of our growing city..........the time is NOW

Please city hall, don't blow it!!

[StormShadow]

Good point, guys. A private investor would want and take every single event it could and put it in the new building. Now that I think about it, that is another hot button topic.

If the new facility can be built to have all those things MonctonRad suggests, would you even need the Coliseum anymore? Right now, is the Coliseum making money? If the answer is, just barely- why keep it? Because it won't be doing as well with a brand new place downtown. I just assumed it would be torn down and let the infill begin. I wonder how valuable that huge chunk of land would be worth to a housing developer?

Like Myles said, the 2 arenas would be competing in the same bracket. I can't understand why Moncton would want to keep the Coliseum, and the maintenance, etc. of a 40 year old arena?

[MonctonRad]

The Coliseum is the largest trade show space in Atlantic Canada, this can't be replaced in a downtown facility. The Coliseum will live on some form.

[mylesmalley]

Bear in mind that just because the coliseum itself might not make much money, the economic spinoffs make these types of facilities worthwhile.

[JasonL-Moncton]

GMIA experienced such a drop in 2009, the passenger numbers went down from 573 000 in 2008 to 515 000 in 2009, the worst result since 2005.

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats/trafficlarge.jpg

http://www.gmia.ca/english/corp/stats.asp#

No word about it in the T&T, obviously they have willingly forgotten to point that fact out. The bad news about Moncton area are , of course, often unwelcome.

I know one reason that some members of my family recently discovered, they were flying to Florida (which they do yearly), 5 people...they decided to fly from Bangor. It was so much easier they said and MUCH cheaper (5 people round trip was approx $1800). They live in Sussex and to fly to Florida from Moncton they would have to be up around 4:30 to be in Moncton for 6:am. The flight in Bangor left at Noon. They said that camparing the two airports it was a breeze getting into Bangor from the parking lot to the plane compared to Moncton, it was cheaper to leave their car there for the week, the flight was cheaper, it was just an all around better experience than taking the plane from a Canadian airport (they've also flown from HFX).

So my wife and I were looking at various trips we wanted to take and I decided to compare. One trip was to Nashville, to fly from Bangor, round trip was around $354...to fly from Moncton was around $764...more than double!?

Based on this experience, I don't think my family will fly to Florida out of Moncton again.

JL

[BlackYear]

Someone told me during the weekend that Irving has bought the Highfield Square property and all of the parking lots on this land. This deal apparently was final a couple of weeks ago.

Included in this rumor, Highfield Square tenants are not offered renewable leases.

I didn't want to really post this information without real confirmation, so take it with a grain a salt.

[MonctonRad]

THE GMIA STRIKES BACK!

ATV News has just reported that Porter Airlines will start flying twice daily between GMIA and the Toronto Island Airport beginning in June. This will provide competition for Air Canada and WestJet and may help bring down fares.

Of course, this will just parasitize the existing traffic volume to Toronto and might lead to reduced service frequency, especially from Air Canada. We'll just have to wait and see.

I would prefer to see more trans-border routes, especially to Boston or perhaps a direct route to the west (perhaps Calgary). Still, this is good news for the airport and it would be intriguing being able to fly directly to Toronto downtown. :tup:

EDIT

News 91.9 is reporting that the service will be to Ottawa as well. I presume this means that the route will be Moncton-Ottawa-Toronto.

This news is most welcome. The existing Moncton-Ottawa route on Air Canada is only seasonal.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Someone told me during the weekend that Irving has bought the Highfield Square property and all of the parking lots on this land. This deal apparently was final a couple of weeks ago.

Included in this rumor, Highfield Square tenants are not offered renewable leases.

I didn't want to really post this information without real confirmation, so take it with a grain a salt.

Wow...perhaps that is the beginning of that "public/private" partnership that we've been talking about.

:banana:

[MonctonRad]

Wow...perhaps that is the beginning of that "public/private" partnership that we've been talking about.

:banana:

If this rumour is true, it is very interesting to speculate as to exactly what this means.

- At present, we know that Crombie REIT manages Highfield Square and the Terminal Plaza office complex as part of the Sobeys empire, but the entire complex is built on leased land belonging to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. They own this land as part of their large holdings in CNR.

- We also know that Highfield is one of the frontrunners as a possible site for the new downtown arena/events centre.

- If Highfield has already been pegged as the site for the new events centre then the land will have suddenly become extremely valuable. Would Irving also consider buying out Crombie REIT as well, or would he enter into a business arrangement with the Sobeys.

- If both Sobeys and Irving became involved in this project, then that would be a lot of private capital that could potentially become available to this project. Perhaps the events centre could become much more than simply an arena.

- Robert Irving already owns the Moncton Wildcats, who will become the new centre's main tenant. If Irving becomes a private partner in the new development then he will essentially be negotiating the lease agreement for the Wildcats with himself. Perhaps he would give himself a good deal! The Irving's have always liked vertical integration!

Of course, this is all just speculation.

[mylesmalley]

That's a lot of speculation... A LOT of speculation haha...
There would be so many parties involved in that kind of deal: Irving, CNR, Empire, the city, the province (probably contaminated land) etc. Probably isn't prudent to dream too widely yet :tup:

[JasonL-Moncton]

I just heard another rumored location for the new arena...down by the car dealerships on West Main St.

That would be a BIG mistake...Highfield is the prime location...git er done City.

JL

[JimiThing]

I just heard another rumored location for the new arena...down by the car dealerships on West Main St.

That would be a BIG mistake...Highfield is the prime location...git er done City.

JL

I've heard that one as well. I have also heard about the corner of Lutz &
Assomption where Oulton's is, as a possible location. IMO this corner would be a great location.

[magee_b]

From Porter:

Porter Airlines expands in Atlantic Canada with Moncton

Twice daily flights begin June 25

MONCTON, N.B./March 22, 2010 – Porter Airlines is introducing service to Moncton, N.B., starting June 25. The destination will feature non-stop flights from Greater Moncton International Airport to Ottawa, as well as service to Porter’s downtown base at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Flights between Moncton and Toronto include a brief stop in Ottawa.

“Moncton is the third Atlantic region destination to be added to our expanding network,” said Robert Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “Passengers will appreciate our focus on service-oriented, stress-free travel, including complimentary access to modern and comfortable passenger lounges in Ottawa and Toronto.”

A schedule of two daily roundtrips is available for the summer season until September 7. A year-round program of four weekly flights remains in place after this time, including daily roundtrips on Thursday and Friday, plus twice daily Sunday service.

One-way fares between Moncton and Ottawa begin at $149, while fares between Moncton and Toronto begin at $129, plus fees and taxes. Seats are available for immediate booking through travel agencies, www.flyporter.com, or Porter’s call centre at (888) 619-8622.

“Porter is a first-class airline and we are absolutely delighted that they have selected Greater Moncton International Airport as their New Brunswick destination partner, providing links to Ottawa and Toronto,” stated Rob Robichaud, President & CEO of Greater Moncton International Airport. “We are very optimistic that this new service will be successful since the airport is strategically located at the geographic heart of the Maritimes, equidistant from the majority of Atlantic Canada’s major communities and tourist attractions.”

Porter offers unique onboard service, including complimentary wine, beer and premium snacks. It is based at Toronto City Airport, one of the most convenient urban airports in the world, situated just minutes from downtown. Complimentary Porter shuttle buses offer passengers a short transfer to the financial and entertainment districts.

The airline flies Canadian designed and built 70-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft featuring high cruise speed, revolutionary cabin noise-reduction technology and environmentally-friendly engines. The aircraft uses 30 to 40 per cent less fuel than comparable regional and narrow-body jets.

About Porter Airlines
Porter Airlines is Canada’s third largest scheduled carrier, based at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Porter is committed to offering speed, convenience and service as part a premium travel experience. A refined journey begins on the ground with comfortable airport lounges and service-oriented team members. The experience continues seamlessly in the air with spacious interiors and well-appointed crew. Passengers enjoy complimentary services, including free in-flight wine, beer and premium snacks, all aboard modern aircraft.

The airline currently serves Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, St. John’s, Thunder Bay, New York (Newark), Chicago (Midway), Boston (Logan), and has seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Que. and Myrtle Beach, SC. Sudbury service begins March 31.

[StormShadow]

I just heard another rumored location for the new arena...down by the car dealerships on West Main St.

That would be a BIG mistake...Highfield is the prime location...git er done City.

JL

ouch. ouch, ouch. that can't be right?

[StormShadow]

I've heard that one as well. I have also heard about the corner of Lutz &
Assomption where Oulton's is, as a possible location. IMO this corner would be a great location.

That one also kind of worries me, because of all the empty space (parking surface lots). Can't you just see the Montana's, Jack Astor's, Boston Pizza's and Milestones of the world setting up their big-box, Trinity Dr. type spots down there? LOL

[NBNYer]

:previous:

Don't think the city would allow that, at least I sure hope not. but I still don't like that Lutz/assumption location. Sure it's still technically downtown but it sure doesn't feel like it.

I hope the city doesn't take the easy way out and select a location that's out of the way and assume that everyone will just drive there. I have a bad feeling though.

[StormShadow]

:previous:

Don't think the city would allow that, at least I sure hope not. but I still don't like that Lutz/assumption location. Sure it's still technically downtown but it sure doesn't feel like it.

I hope the city doesn't take the easy way out and select a location that's out of the way and assume that everyone will just drive there. I have a bad feeling though.

I sure hope not, too. But when I look at the Rogers building downtown, and look at what has happened at Vaughan Harvey/Main....I wouldn't put it past them. It seems like they wouldn't say NO to anyone who wanted to do anything, downtown. Most cities don't want development like this in their downtown, unless it's Moncton. Of course, the worst case scenario is NO arena being built downtown.

[mylesmalley]

The worst case would be for nothing to happen.

Or worse still, for more money to be spent on the coliseum.

[MonctonRad]

Slightly abridged from today's T&T

The Moncton Hospital celebrates grand opening of state-of-the-art facility
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

A long and hard-fought campaign ended with a victory last night as the Irving Ambulatory Care Centre was officially opened at The Moncton Hospital.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=469778&size=500
RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Premier Shawn Graham, left, Health Minister Mary Schryer and Robert K. Irving, chairman of the Healthy Returns Capital Campaign, shake hands after the official opening of the Irving Ambulatory Care Centre yesterday.

Nearly five years of construction, $40 million from the provincial government and a record $7.5 million raised by the Friends of The Moncton Hospital's Healthy Returns capital campaign were celebrated by a crowd of about 200 of the hospital's many supporters, including Premier Shawn Graham, Health Minister Mary Schryer and the largest donors to the campaign, the Irving and Manship families.

Robert K. Irving, chairman of the Healthy Returns campaign and the man behind a $1-million donation in the name of the Irving Group, told the audience the rallying cry of his Moncton Wildcats as they compete in the playoffs this year has been "teamwork makes the dream work."

Applying that to the work to create the ambulatory care centre, Irving said as he stood in the bright central atrium of the facility, "what you see behind you is the dream."

Praising the campaign's other $1-million donors, Jon and Leslie Manship, Irving said, "your $1-million gift to the campaign provided a tremendous spark and energy to the volunteers during the campaign and helped us to achieve the $7.5 million."

He added it was also the team work of the campaign's volunteers and all the other donors, large and small, that made the dream come true.

"I'm very proud to call myself a Monctonian. Moncton is a community that continues to be a shining example of a can-do attitude. Never has that been more in evidence than with the Healthy Returns campaign," he said, noting the original goal of the campaign had been $5 million.

The $47-million, 160,000-square-foot extension to The Moncton Hospital is a three-storey building that features top-of-the-line equipment in an efficient space for health professionals to work, which will have a positive and lasting impact on the delivery of patient care for all those who visit.

The new Irving Ambulatory Care Centre includes a major trauma and emergency referral centre, state-of-the-art laboratory along with 18 clinics, and a 175-space underground parking garage. Its primary focus is to provide health services to outpatients, or patients who are not admitted to hospital.

"This year, 108,000 patients will attend one of our 18 clinics and another 75,000 will go to our phlebotomy clinic," said Dr. Peter Docherty, medical director of ambulatory care.

Premier Shawn Graham celebrated the fact the new facility "has brought all ambulatory care services under one roof, instead of scattered throughout the hospital. As a result, access to these services is now much easier for patients here. That has always driven the change, to make it easier for patients."

"At the same time, these improvements have enabled dedicated health care providers to better serve the patients from the greater Moncton area, and not just from the greater Moncton area but patients who are referred here from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island," the premier said. "It's a wonderful addition to the communities of this area and one that is going to make a positive difference in the lives of the citizens in this region of the province."

"With our emergency trauma centre open, with the ambulatory care centre and lab officially open today, there's only one piece of the Healthy Returns campaign left to finish, and that is the medical surgical ICU, which will begin construction immediately with the plan to open in 2011.

"So the only thing that remains to decide is, 'when do we launch the next capital campaign?'" he said. "I look forward to another great campaign to continue making this a great hospital for our community and everybody who lives here."
----------------------------------------------------------------------

So, what's next for The Moncton Hospital?

- The majority of the old emergency room will be renovated to become a new medical/surgical intensive care unit. This will open in 2011.

- With the advent of the new Dalhousie Medical School - New Brunswick, the teaching space in the Moncton Hospital will undergo a major expansion. The first clinical clerks (3rd & 4th year medical students) will arrive in 2012. The old administration wing will be renovated for additional classrooms, learning space and also student on-call facilities. The hospital already hosts between 16-20 medical students and residents at any one time. This should roughly double with DMS-NB

- The hospital foundation is exploring the possibility of acquiring the old laboratory wing so that it can be demolished and replaced with an expansion for the Professional Arts Building (the existing six storey doctor's office building connected to the hospital) and an enclosed parking garage. This is at an early exploratory phase and might not happen.

[JimiThing]

That one also kind of worries me, because of all the empty space (parking surface lots). Can't you just see the Montana's, Jack Astor's, Boston Pizza's and Milestones of the world setting up their big-box, Trinity Dr. type spots down there? LOL

This is why I hope the design of the new complex incorporates a large storefront, where potential restaurants and stores could open up shop.

I think having direct access to Assomption blvd. would be an advantage when it comes to traffic exiting events. In Halifax the metro Center is positioned a
few blocks away from Barrington. In Saint John the Harbour Station is position right along highway 1. Traffic will definitely be an issue for us in any location
we choose, since we don't have a main artery going into our downtown.

Although, we could direct the exiting traffic into pedways directed to local bars & clubs, & keep em' here a while ;)

"Get it Done Moncton "

[benvui]

If people are really worried about traffic prolems (don't include me in this group, I really don't think it is going to be that big of a deal, I don't mind waiting 15 - 20 minutes to get out of the game afterwords, and I definitely won't be leaving the event early to beat traffic), they could build garages with pedways joining the events center in opposite directions to divide up the traffic. For instance, if they build at the Highfield Square location, they could have the surface parking around the venue (similar to Saint John, some parking but not a lot), have a garage across the train tracks attached to the building by a pedway. They could build another garage behind the governement build across main and join that. If they built the pedways with moving sidewalks like in airports I'm sure people wouldn't mind parking a little further away. On top of all that, if they build a good network of restaurants and bars around the center a lot of people won't leave directly from the event again reducing the amount of traffic leaving at one time. They could take this same approach no matter where they build the building, divide up the parking lots, scatter them in different directions to split up the traffic. I think the worst thing they could do is build a huge parking lot at the site to accommodate 9000+ people at the site.

[mylesmalley]

Traffic really isn't going to be an issue. It'll be no worse than traffic during the morning and evening rush hours. And the vast majority of big events will happen in the evenings and weekends where traffic would otherwise be light.

[JimiThing]

I agree with your thoughts Benvui. To put this plan into perspective, see my sketch below.

Red: Potential Arena Complex
- Arena
- Retail & Restaurants
- Hotel / convention center / Cinema complex

Blue: Potential Parking
- Surface Parking
- Parking Tower A & B with connecting pedways





http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/ArenaModel.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/?action=view&current=ArenaModel.jpg)

[mylesmalley]

That'd be an awfully big hotel, but otherwise I think it's a great concept.

[JHikka]

That'd be an awfully big hotel, but otherwise I think it's a great concept.

Agreed, and agreed. It's a large hotel, especially with an existing hotel directly across the street. Otherwise, I think it's a wonderful concept. It would be nice if there was some sort of connection across the train-tracks to that parking garage, or something to better tie-in with the Train Station.

[JimiThing]

Agreed, and agreed. It's a large hotel, especially with an existing hotel directly across the street. Otherwise, I think it's a wonderful concept. It would be nice if there was some sort of connection across the train-tracks to that parking garage, or something to better tie-in with the Train Station.

I was going to call it Hotel/ Convension Center / Cinema Complex. but there wasn't enough room on the roof. :tup:

[JHikka]

I was going to call it Hotel/ Convension Center / Cinema Complex. but there wasn't enough room on the roof. :tup:

Oh man there's definitely enough room on that rooftop! Anyhow, yeah that makes a bit more sense :haha:

Are we talking a regular cinema or IMAX? ;)

[JimiThing]

Oh man there's definitely enough room on that rooftop! Anyhow, yeah that makes a bit more sense :haha:

Are we talking a regular cinema or IMAX? ;)

You know, I was thinking of a combination of both. Everyone is tired of going to Crystal Palace. and when you go to Trinity on a Saturday Afternoon. The parking
lot is pact from Pier 1 all the way over to Home Sense. Also allot more movies are being sold out.

We could use another theater complex, IMO.

[MonctonRad]

Canadian Tire store to open in Riverview?
Published Wednesday March 24th, 2010

Proposed store to be presented to Greater Moncton Planning District Commission tonight
By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

Clarence Sweetland's dream appears to be coming true.

For the last couple of years, the Riverview mayor has been telling anyone who will listen that "Riverview is open for business."

The mayor has said repeatedly that commercial tax dollars are key to Riverview's continued growth.

The centre of development in the town has been Findlay Park and the area surrounding Gunningsville Boulevard.

Last week, a brand new Sobeys grocery store opened in Findlay Park. Tonight, a presentation will be made at the Greater Moncton Planning District Commission meeting regarding a Canadian Tire setting up in the same area.

Officials with the company did not return calls seeking comment yesterday, but the public agenda for tonight's planning commission meeting says that Terrain Group will appear on behalf of Sobeys Land Holdings to seek approval to construct a retail store of more than 1,500 square metres (16,000 square feet), to allow for an automobile service facility and to allow for more than two driveways for a proposed retail store.

Bill Budd, executive director of the planning commission, confirmed yesterday that the proposed retail store in question is Canadian Tire, and that details of the project would be available at tonight's meeting.

Sobeys owns roughly 10 hectares of land in Findlay Park, so it would appear the Canadian Tire will be built on Sobeys land. The planning commission will also address variances relating to driveway and parking aisle widths in relation to the site tonight.

Sweetland was happy to hear the news yesterday.

"The rumour has been around for a long time, a long while, but it's certainly exciting if we're having confirmation like that coming to us," he said.

The mayor said he has a "strong feeling" that things are "about to take off in Findlay Park."

He wouldn't comment on any other projects he may be aware of, but said, "I just get the feeling up there, you know. Just drive up there and see the traffic and see the activity. When you have two big stores like Sobeys and Canadian Tire, I think it's going to draw a lot of people in there; it's going to make it attractive to other businesses as well.

"I think it's going to be a very prosperous, growing area in Riverview over the next few years."

Sweetland says Riverview has invested heavily into infrastructure to facilitate commercial growth in recent years, notably the construction of Gunningsville Boulevard and the collector sewer off the boulevard which will allow development.

In addition to opening up new businesses for Riverview residents, Sweetland notes that the new Sobeys and Canadian Tire can benefit residents of Moncton's west end as well.

"They can drive straight up Findlay Boulevard across the causeway and zip up there in just a minute," he says.

For those looking to avoid busy Mountain Road in Moncton or Paul Street in Dieppe, a new Riverview Canadian Tire may provide a welcome alternative.

Shane Thomson, Riverview's director of economic development, says it's clear that the investment the town has made in infrastructure and the vision council and staff have created for development has paid off.

He says Canadian Tire is "probably one of the most iconic Canadian retailers out there."

"Locating here is not only exciting, but it's encouraging that we're on the right track, that the assets are in place and that we keep working hard towards realizing the dream that they've had up there for some time," he says.

Thomson will be waving the Riverview flag this year at conferences put on by the International Congress of Shopping Centres and the Canadian Franchise Association, targeting specific sectors and businesses, hoping to show them that Riverview is a great place to build a business.

Calls made to a Canadian Tire spokesperson yesterday were not returned. A company spokesperson said last week that the company had no news to report regarding rumours of the retailer setting up shop in town.

Personally I find it hilarious that Canadian Tire still refuses to confirm that they plan a new store for Findlay Park even though they are actively making a proposal to the planning commission. Seems to be pretty obvious to me.........

We've been hearing rumours in this thread for months now about this development. It'll be interesting to see if the other rumoured stores for Findlay Park and area (Wal-Mart, Marks Work Wearhouse etc.) also materialize in the next few months.

[NBNYer]

I agree with your thoughts Benvui. To put this plan into perspective, see my sketch below.

Red: Potential Arena Complex
- Arena
- Retail & Restaurants
- Hotel / convention center / Cinema complex

Blue: Potential Parking
- Surface Parking
- Parking Tower A & B with connecting pedways





http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/ArenaModel.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/?action=view&current=ArenaModel.jpg)


What's with the parking structure across the rail tracks. Wouldn't it make more sense to build it across the street from the Crown Plaza? I assume the land south of the tracks is a different property, different owner? Doesn't seem like a likely outcome for such a development.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

I agree with both of you........

As NBNYer says, it would make sense to place a parking garage on the lot to the east of the Bay. I also agree with JimiThing, a parking garage on the other side of the railroad tracks also makes a lot of sense. A garage here however would require a pedway across the tracks (I like this idea though.......it reminds me of the walkway over the rail lines next to Rogers Centre in Toronto).

Both parking garages would likely be necessary as with a 9,000-10,000 seat stadium, you would need parking for 3,000 cars or so.

The Bay parking garage would empty onto Main Street. The other parking garage would empty onto Albert or Foundry and then onto Assumption Blvd. This should disperse the traffic nicely.

The other proposed site for a parking garage behind the Federal Office Complex would not work because of the new office building on Weldon St.

Jimi's rendering does a good job of showing how much space there is for development at the Highfield Square site. I agree with Myles, the "hotel" is awfully large. I would prefer to think of it as a hotel/convention centre/movie complex(cinema 4 + IMAX). I know that was Jimi's intent anyway.......

I think the surface parking behind the facility could be additional retail/restaurant space. This would connect the Bay to the rest of the complex on the other side of the rink.

Perhaps we should show this to the city!!

Like others have said, Let's git 'er done Moncton!

[StormShadow]

I agree with your thoughts Benvui. To put this plan into perspective, see my sketch below.

Red: Potential Arena Complex
- Arena
- Retail & Restaurants
- Hotel / convention center / Cinema complex

Blue: Potential Parking
- Surface Parking
- Parking Tower A & B with connecting pedways





http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/ArenaModel.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/?action=view&current=ArenaModel.jpg)

Nice job, good concepts. I like the parking garage across the tracks, assuming there is some type of connection that goes straight into the arena, because it could serve those coming from Elmwood, Lewisville, etc. and Dieppe under the assumption that they use Assomption to get there. I would think about a larger west parking garage, on the same side of the tracks as the arena, to serve most of Moncton and Riverview. The ideal, IMHO, would be not relying on Main St at all to carry vehicular traffic to the site.

Of course when you work at a firm, once you put your idea on the table, it's no longer your idea. :P
It should be no different here, I'll take a crack sometime soon.

[benvui]

The purpose of having the garage on the other side of the tracks is to disperse traffic. I think what they should do with the surface parking east of the bay is make it a parking garage with Retail on the first floor (I don't know if that is even possible, never seen it anywhere before). It would also be nice to have some sort of link to the train station, and like I've said before make that the main transfer point for Codiac Transit with a new terminal building.

The parking garage in the east parking lot with a pedway to the hotel is a great idea, I'm sure the hotel would love it and that might free up some parking behind their building for more development (i.e. condos and apartments).
Also I wonder what is going to happen to the bus depot, will it be torn down, converted to retail? Hopefully they fill that empty lot behind it with something nice.

[benvui]

I always forget that there is a parking garage next to that bus station. Crown Plaza must be using that already, but it would be nice to link that garage with the new arena too...one less garage that needs to be built.

[pierremoncton]

Isn't that bus station closing down in favour of the one off of St George? If Irving really bought the Highfield Square properties, the bus station move may be part of a bigger plan (opening it up for retail and/or a parking structure) -- or maybe it's a really bad move (at major events, busloads of people from other cities would end up on St George instead of right by the action).

[mylesmalley]

The parking garage behind the Crowne Plaza isn't all that big.

Also, with the one behind the federal building... would there be enough room there now that the new office building on Weldon is done? Maybe it would be best to just build the second structure next to the tracks where the HBC parking lot currently is.

[kirjtc2]

Isn't that bus station closing down in favour of the one off of St George? If Irving really bought the Highfield Square properties, the bus station move may be part of a bigger plan (opening it up for retail and/or a parking structure) -- or maybe it's a really bad move (at major events, busloads of people from other cities would end up on St George instead of right by the action).

You're saying Acadian Lines might have made a bad move!?

Imagine!

[mylesmalley]

You're saying Acadian Lines might have made a bad move!?

Imagine!

Since they're moving, they might as well go for broke and put it out in Caledonia.

[David_99]

Isn't that bus station closing down in favour of the one off of St George? If Irving really bought the Highfield Square properties, the bus station move may be part of a bigger plan (opening it up for retail and/or a parking structure) -- or maybe it's a really bad move (at major events, busloads of people from other cities would end up on St George instead of right by the action).

Depends what kind of action they're looking for....

[MonctonRad]

Depends what kind of action they're looking for....

:ohyeah :righton: :lmao:

[JimiThing]

Depends what kind of action they're looking for....

Very nice, Howmch! :banana: Hilarious David LOL!

[BlackYear]

I don't think a parking garage across the tracks is feasible and necessary for the simple use of the new Irving Centre.

[BlackYear]

I only wish I had better tools and more time to render something nicer.

In any case, here's my thoughts.

- Extend Weldon street to VIA Rail.
- The Irving Centre will have 2 primary facade. Main street which will include several shops entrances. The North/West corner is a main entrance inside the centre. The West side of the building will be all glass with plenty of sidewalk space for pre&post show hang outs. The South/West corner is another primary entrance.
- The south side of the building is the underground service entrance (trucks & tour buses, etc).
- The East/South side corner is another entrance for those parking on the other side of the tracks, and parking at the Bay parking lot.
- Large taxi & bus drop offs are located on Main street and on Weldon street.
- Irving Centre Staff parking in the rear.
- Reserved Bay staff and service delivery area.
- A new pedestrian railway crossing is created at the end of Highfield street. Similar to the one on West Main street. No need for a pedway. New walkway to the centre.
- New sidewalk along the extended Weldon street from Main to VIA rail.
- Dedicated handicap parking in the rear with easy access to the South/West entrance.
- New 4 way traffic signal at the corner of Weldon & Main.
- I even added some grass area around the CN Plaza. Pop a few trees in there as well.

Parking, parking, parking. Personally, I don't see the need for any parking garages West of the Main St Subway. They will be useless when there's no events at the centre. If you compare the aerial view of the Coliseum parking lot and compare this to the Bay parking lot, the Albert street parking lot, the rear of the CN Plaza, the parking behind Sobeys, plus add all of the parking spots north of Main street, plus the parking near Co-Op, Rogers, Heritage Court, etc., there's PLENTY of parking. The new pedestrian railway crossing will address all of these parking issues. Co-Op, Heritage Court & etc are walking distances.

What else can I say. Oh yes, The Bay needs an extreme make-over. Get rid of that ugly brick facade. Second floor glass windows all around would be nice. Light up this place and make it look ALIVE!

Get'er done Moncton! :notacrook:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/blacquiere/Moncton/arena2.jpg

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Good job Budyser, lots of different people have very good ideas for how a Highfield Square location for the events centre could be configured.

I find the idea of extending Weldon to the VIA station rather intriguing. It would certainly open up the site and perhaps give more options for a large entrance plaza to the arena.

I must disagree with you about the parking however. I still like the idea of having a parking garage on the south side of the tracks, connected to the development by a pedway.

If a large enough integrated development is built, then you would be able to generate enough traffic flow to keep a parking garage busy most of the time.

I envisage keeping the Bay (like you do), but have it integrated with a new retail/restaurant corridor, connecting in some way with a cinema 4+1 IMAX and a modest convention facility. If you could add in a hotel, then all this in addition to the arena would give a critical mass to keep this new development hopping most of the time. This would make the business case for building a large parking garage.

This has to be much more than just a rink. Hopefully city hall "gets" this.

Do we really want to transform the downtown or not!

[BlackYear]

If anyone is looking for updated photos and information on the casino, go here.

http://www.casinonb.ca/news_gallery.html

[BlackYear]

My rendering and ideas are based on an $80 million dollar budget.

Convention centre/hotel/theatre, add another $80 million.

Let's build the arena first and worry about the rest later. We could buy the 2 CN Plaza buildings and completely renovate them into a modern hotel/convention centre.

Then, you could connect the Irving Centre (arena) and the CN Convention Centre Hotel via multiple pedways.

[MonctonRad]

Convention centre/hotel/theatre, add another $80 million.

That's where the private partners would come in! :tup:

[StormShadow]

Nice job Budyser. I do agree that there is lots of surface parking surrounding Highfield Sq. The problem is, it belongs to someone else. The hotels and Imax and other stuff would have to be done in other phases, you're right the arena has to be the starting point.

[gehrhardt]

I like the idea of a parking garage across the tracks as well. The existing surface parking is mostly used by the employees of Heritage court. With a garage there, it could be used by these same people during the week, while opening up the rest of the existing lot for new development. This may be a chance to get rid of another large asphalt scar in the downtown. :tup:

Either way, building a "multi-use facility" (I hate Metro Centre) in that location will require some sort of parking structure to be built. Yes there is a lot of surface parking in that area, but not enough to support a large concert or the like. Just look at the Santa Claus parade for example. That event draws about as many people, but they can park anywhere between Vaughn Harvey and Paul Street.

It may be a good excuse to get rid of a lot of the surface parking and replace it with something a little more dense. It could create an opportunity for wonderful new developments like another call centre on prime downtown land... :jester:

[BlackYear]

I like the idea of a parking garage across the tracks as well. The existing surface parking is mostly used by the employees of Heritage court.



Which is currently free open parking.

A parking garage would require money up front to construct. Then, there's an operational cost and security issues. Someone will need to pay for all this. If I construct a parking garage which is going to cost 1 or 2 million dollars, I'm not going to open it free with liability issues. There's simply not enough income to be made with a parking garage on Albert street, not even with an arena across the tracks.

Again, I believe a parking garage West of the subway crossing is too premature even with a new arena at Highfield Sq.

A parking garage behind the Capital theater is feasible. A parking garage behind the Assumption building is a no brainer. A parking garage near the Blue Cross and City Hall is a money maker.

[NBNYer]

:previous:

I completely agree... I think budyser's proposal is much more likely to be closer to reality. Now for all those extra perks: hotel, convention space, cinema + IMAX, hopefully someone will be interested. I think there's a good case to be made for such a development in Moncton. As for the IMAX specifically, wasn't there talk about a theater in SJ or Moncton a few years back? I remember when IMAX movies were mostly documentaries, I liked them but they do require a larger population base to find their market and be viable. Today, many hollywood movies are featured on IMAX, I'm confident NB would be able to support one. To have it as part of such a development would be great. Having all these attractions in walking distance to each other make them mutually beneficial and hopefully give central Moncton a bit of a "downtown feel" which frankly it doesn't really have now.... nor is it very pedestrian friendly.

Anyone here convinced and happens to have 80 mil lying around?

Off topic: you guys in Moncton, any news about that med research center next to GLD hospital? The announcement was quite a while ago.