Quote:
Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker
So, the forum was awesome.
Everyone wants walkability, livability, mixed use, and all but one person in attendance is open to accomplishing that with highrises. People even talked about having normal-height building fronts up to the sidewalk for retail, and then more modern highrise residential sections set back above.
The municipal plan will be released to the public next Wednesday.
Regulations have been strangling our city. Until VERY recently, the federal building code required all sorts of upgrades to heritage structures in order for them to be used. That's why so many storefronts in St. John's and older buildings are empty. To do ANYTHING with them, for example, the owner would have to install a second way of exiting the building - not JUST another entrance on the back/side/wherever, but a staircase or elevator linking that entrance to all floors. A completely separate way out of the building.
Two months ago St. John's passed new regulations that building owners can still use existing spaces for what they were traditionally used for without such major code upgrades, even if the property is new to their ownership. James Case from LAT49 said we could be looking back at that change in 10-20 years as one that had a huge impact on the city.
Fortis owns the giant parking lot beside the Delta. Under current regulations, they cannot profitably do anything to it except build a parking garage. And an informal request to do so was recently floated by them around council to gauge reaction.
The federal government controls what goes on Port Authority property. St. John's has no say in The Keg, Jack Astor's, Legros & Motti, etc.
Deacon is dead.
People REALLY want transportation hubs, to park somewhere outside of downtown with fast, easy transit to downtown. These hubs could have daycares, etc. Even the commuters present HATE having to drive all the way to downtown and find parking. One woman said, "I commute every day from Cape Broyle. If I could park near Bowring Park and get a bus, I'd do it."
People are FURIOUS about the Steel Hotel, especially that it is just a brick wall on Water Street with no entrance there as was originally proposed.
The same architect that designed Fortis (which has so much wood as a tribute to Harwood Lumber that was there before) is doing the Salvation Army's new proposal.
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I'm really happy to hear it went well!
Sad that Deacon is dead, and that Fortis kind of has their hands tied behind their backs when pertaining to developing their other lot. However if this forum could help get the ball rolling on regulation changes in this area maybe something could change there. Fortis isn't afraid to be bold, but they're also into giving back to the community. They probably don't need to make more office space, or hotels with their sponsorship, so they could get the ball going on something else in the area
Its also a good sign if the same architect behind Fortis' new building will be designing the Salvation Army building. I have complete faith that they could design another eye catching building for that block that will represent the historic use of the original site.
Hopefully something will come of all this! Can't wait to see what the local media (+ dumb comments on local media sites) have to say about all of this
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