[St. John's] The Official Project Thread

[SignalHillHiker]

[Arrakis]

Just reading on Twitter... Councillor Tom Hann says plans are moving ahead for a community market in part of the former Metrobus building on Freshwater Road.

[Horsell]

Never one to shy away from a little controversy I’ll throw this out to see what the mood of this forum is towards Quidi Vidi Village. Just so you know where I stand, I would like to see the character of the village retained but supplemented with new developments that are “in character” and to scale with the “old village”.

Which brings me to what is happening down there now as I write. Next week (Tuesday) there will be a meeting to discuss the Quidi Vidi Overlay Plan. (available on the City’s website) I’ve reviewed the plan in a fair bit of detail and I must say that there isn’t much in there that I object to, with one exception which I will get to later.

What bothers me is that this study/plan must have been commissioned some time ago (I can’t determine when) yet the city has already given approval to a development at 44-48B Quidi Vidi Rd that contravenes the recommendations of the study. What was the rush? The City’s planning department must have known the plan was in the works so why couldn’t they wait to approve these new homes?

The new homes in question are just inside the new recommended zone (QVV) which states as its recommendation that.. “The standard is that renovations, new construction, and remedial measures should be in scale and look and feel like they are “In period”. In what “period” did double wide garages and vinyl siding(?) become the norm in the village.

The other thing in the report that bothers me is a loop hole big enough to drive a truck through. On page 21 it states:

“The proposed new section to be added to Section 7 would also authorize that where an application is made to the City to develop a property which is located within the Quidi Vidi Village Overlay Zone in which the proposed development exceeds the parameters of the Village Design Guidelines, that the St. John's Municipal Council would be authorized to approve the development, provided the applicant undertakes a Land Use Assessment Report on the proposed development at their expense, under terms of reference which would be approved by Council, and provided that property owners/residents in the Village as determined by Council or authorized City staff, are given an opportunity to review and comment on the Land Use Assessment Report before it is referred to Council for consideration of approval and, provided the Assessment Report demonstrates to Council's satisfaction that the proposed development is acceptable”

I’m not a lawyer but the way I interpret this is that any developer can submit ANY proposal that is contrary to the plan and as long as they pick up the tab for the LUAR and the usual notifications and hearings take place, then council can simply approve the proposal, whether it is for a shed or a ten story hotel. Food for thought.

I don’t mean to be a conspiracy theorist but to me it looks like someone(s) at the city made sure that paragraph was put in the report to effectively render it useless.

There is a lot of potential to do good things in Quidi Vidi Village and I hope that Council adopts this plan and lives by its intention over the coming years. I’d like to see more opportunities for people to go there for a meal or a drink or to board a pleasure craft or just stroll the streets and lanes and boardwalks. There is only one chance to get this right for generations to come.

[nando]

Horsell,

Your comments re: approving projects in an area that was currently being assessed and planned is spot on - infuriating that the city would let this happen. Sometimes I think it is honestly a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing in the city.

With respect to the paragraph you cited, I wouldn't be too pessimistic about it. I think it leaves the door open to exceptional developments which the consultant / councilors hadn't thought of during the planning process. Could be a building or something simple like land-use such as a fish market or something.

With a plan in place endorsed by residents in Quidi Vidi and the council, there would be significant risk for a developer to propose projects outside of the box, and so I wouldn't expect much of it. Most developers choose the path of least resistance, and that's why so much crap is built. Least resistance here would be to follow the guidelines.

[Horsell]

Nando…I hope you are right about me being too pessimistic but we’ve all seen examples in the past where council has used their discretion to approve controversial projects.

I like your fish market idea, I’d love to see the stretch from the brewery to the Plantation developed with small shops, pubs and cafes along an old wooden wharf where you can stroll on a summer evening. It’s too bad there are private homes further east of the brewery, it would be nice to continue a boardwalk along there too. Okay..okay..I’m getting ahead of myself.

[KnoxfordGuy]

So great to see your old legislature getting a big restoration! I was worried about it. Ours in New Brunswick got one too and it looks so much better!

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

I was worried about it.

Thanks for the mental picture of some guy in the Maritimes tossing and turning at night worrying about the Colonial Building.

Yeah, it's gonna be awesome!

[Marty_Mcfly]

Sig, how long has Noonan Law been under...uhh.."reno"? I feel like it's been forever.

[SignalHillHiker]

Wouldn't know. Only consciously noticed it the other day. lol

[Architype]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

How come it looks so close to the street? That is the street isn't it? Good grief, it looks like a condo construction site!

[rthomasd]

Looks like construction activity has picked up at the site of the PET scanner at the Health Sciences Complex.

[PoscStudent]

Originally Posted by Architype

How come it looks so close to the street? That is the street isn't it? Good grief, it looks like a condo construction site!

Getting rid of the trees made a big difference. I am actually glad they did too, the building stands out a lot more driving by.

[PoscStudent]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Sig, how long has Noonan Law been under...uhh.."reno"? I feel like it's been forever.

It hash't been that long since the fire.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Wow really? I feel like it's been years

I noticed the crane at HSC this afternoon walking back to my house, exciting!

[J_Murphy]

A company with a huge footprint in the capital city's downtown is looking at selling off its real estate assets. Fortis Properties is exploring its options to see if it can sell off its real estate holdings, which represent just three per cent of its overall business. Fortis owns and operates a number of malls, office buildings, and 23 hotels across the country including the Delta, the Holiday Inn, and the Sheraton in St. John's.

Fortis also owns three malls in this province, the Marystown Mall, the Millbrook Mall in Corner Brook, and Fraser Mall in Gander, and a number of landmark structures in the downtown including Cabot Place, some historic structures on Water Street, the Fortis Building and the brand new Fortis Place which is not yet open.

President and CEO of Fortis Properties, Nora Duke, says it remains to be seen what will happen. She says they buildings may continue to operate as they are now under new owners, but that's not certain.

The sale process will get underway in the next few weeks and will continue through the coming year

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...49591&latest=1

[jeddy1989]

Originally Posted by J_Murphy

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...49591&latest=1

:O

but...why? Are they just selling some properties or are they dissolving Fortis Properties as a company? Will this mean new development/property companies may move in? or what?

[MalcolmTucker]

Focusing on core competencies to unlock shareholder value. You split a company in two because the two parts are very different businesses that are valued by investors in very different ways. Divergent businesses can be a drag on each other's performance while both being healthy.

[jeddy1989]

East Port Properties begins Scotia Centre expansion

Construction is underway in downtown St. John’s to redevelop the Scotia Centre on Water Street.

"Scotia Centre has been a part of St. John's history for over 25 years, with a strong legacy attached to it," John Lindsay, president of East Port Properties, said in a news release. "And that's why we're investing in it - moving it forward a whole generation with the best of today's newest technologies."

The company says the new building is designed to continue the long-standing heritage of Water Street architecture. It will also be a Class AA building that will allow for greater efficiency and greater comfort for all those who visit and work there.

The new Scotia Centre will include an additional 27,000 square feet of available workspace and will reintroduce pedestrian access by opening up Ayre's Lane, connecting Water Street to the harbourfront.

East Port Properties says it will be business as usual at Scotia Centre while development is underway.

The anticipated completion date is set for spring 2016.

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Loca...re-expansion/1

[niccanning]

Exciting - maybe I missed something but did we are see what was the exterior would look like, with materials, etc?

[Architype]

Originally Posted by niccanning

Exciting - maybe I missed something but did we are see what was the exterior would look like, with materials, etc?

This may have been posted before, since it is dated Dec 2013, it contains renderings of the proposed expansion:

http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...a%20Centre.pdf