The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

That whole situation is embarrassing. The city caved, gave a huge peace of prime real estate to a developer with no requirements that anything actually get built, and worst of all, WE'RE PAYING THE TAXES ON IT! I think it's more than high time for the city to ditch Verdiroc. They haven't done a damned thing in ten years. Either use the land for something, or sell it to a local developer so that somebody actually uses it.

And for the record. Rogers could have been just as significant a project in downtown if it was half as big and twice as tall.

Exactly, this whole adventure with Verdiroc has been a complete waste of time. While the city as a whole has leapt forward over the last decade, the Beaver Lumber lands have languished while we have waited for Verdiroc to formulate a coherent proposal to develop this important property in the downtown. The time has come to be done with them. The city should repatriate the lands and sell it to a development company that knows what it is doing. This property is the cornerstone for the future of downtown.

[David_99]

I curse that parking lot at the Rogers call-center every time I drive by it.

I unfortunately drive by it every day as my wife works near there. That whole area bugs the hell out of me. Not only is the Roger's parking taking up at least twice as much space as the new Court House lot, but the entire block between Lutz and Westmorland st. is in disarray. Between the Tuttle's Funeral Home and Colpits(who has had a For Lease Sign on the second floor for how long?), there's a large parking area, followed by three smaller parking lots. Across from that is a deserted building next door to what should be a deserted building but houses some kind of urine reaking pub. You then have a nice restaurant in the Creek and all of a sudden 6 residential houses in what seems like the middle of nowhere. There's all that space and all of that private parking area, yet the Farmer's Market has barely any parking. Even less for the TD Bank, Red Pepper and City Grill.

When walking up Robinson st., I honestly don't know if I should feel creeped out by the shifty looking pub, feel welcomed by the classy Creek, vulnerable being in a suddenly open area, cramped trying sqeeze pass parked cars or feel safe in a tiny oasis-like neighborhood.

That whole area needs to be defined. What is it? Commercial? Residential? Urinal?

[MonctonRad]

When walking up Robinson st., I honestly don't know if I should feel creeped out by the shifty looking pub, feel welcomed by the classy Creek, vulnerable being in a suddenly open area, cramped trying sqeeze pass parked cars or feel safe in a tiny oasis-like neighborhood.

That whole area needs to be defined. What is it? Commercial? Residential? Urinal?

LOL :haha: , do I detect a desire for massive urban redevelopment?

Seriously, it is this area of downtown between Main and Assumption which will in the future really define what our city will be. There are large tracts of land there that are ripe for development. There are not many cities that have an opportunity like this where there is so much land available so close to the downtown core, just crying for renewal. Handled correctly, downtown Moncton could be completely transformed.

There is a lot of new development going on downtown but it seems to be concentrated in the Main/Vaughn Harvey area and along East Main Street. The wasteland along Assomption has been ignored. Hopefully the new courthouse will help spur development, but I think we still need something else "big" in this area to continue the momentum. To me, this should be a downtown arena/commercial development.

Verdiroc just helped delay things by a decade. It is time to turf them from the downtown!!!

[mmmatt]

Metro Centre study begins

Consultants to assess feasibility of downtown sports, entertainment facility

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday January 24th, 2009

The business community wants it, according to statements from Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville Inc. and Enterprise Greater Moncton. Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc and at least some of his council want it, according to his campaign action plan and numerous statements since (though there was little talk of it during 30 hours of budget deliberations this month). Premier Shawn Graham and Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Brian Murphy want it. The public overwhelmingly wants it, according to several years' worth of polling by Omnifacts Bristol.

But what exactly is it everybody wants?

So far, the community dream of a new downtown metro centre has existed mostly in hazy outlines. But now IBI Group has begun the work of putting some hard numbers to the concept of a multi-purpose civic facility in the heart of Metro Moncton.

The City of Moncton issued a request for proposals last summer and now the contract has been awarded to the Toronto firm, which started preliminary work this week.

The firm, chosen from among five companies who submitted proposals, is no stranger to the lay of the land in downtown Moncton, having done the 2006 parking study that has laid out the city's parking plans for the next two decades.

Perhaps more relevant, IBI Group has specialized in feasibility studies of such facilities in other parts of Canada.

As part of its proposal, the firm provided references from Charlottetown, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and London, Ontario.

The consulting firm was also able to cite relevant involvement with recreational facility projects in about a dozen other cities in Canada and the United States.

IBI Group expects to have staff on the ground in Metro Moncton within a couple weeks as part of the firm's research. Ian Fowler, general manager of the Recreation, Parks, Tourism and Culture Department said the study should be in the hands of city council by mid-April. The consultants will have their work cut out for them in the next eight to 10 weeks.

The report will be comprised of four main parts, a situational analysis, a market profile and gap analysis, a recommended program of action, and a financial analysis.

"Bottom line, once we have the study, we'll have a ballpark cost and an idea of what the size (of such a facility) should be," Fowler said.

[mylesmalley]

Stop calling it Metro Centre! It doesnt' mean anything! Metro Centre is a proper name of a hockey arena in Halifax. If they want to call a downtown arena the Metro Centre, that's fine, but there is a difference.

[mmmatt]

Visionary councils build for the future

Published Saturday January 24th, 2009
John Wishart
Opinion

I remember the first time I walked into the Moncton Coliseum.

I was a teenager who had played hockey in the old Moncton Stadium right up to the day before the old arena's roof collapsed on Christmas Day in 1970, marking the end to the venerable old place. Like most hockey-mad kids, I awaited the Coliseum's opening with excitement and a bit of awe.

We had chased pucks at the J. Louis Levesque Arena and a couple of hastily-built community rinks -- the Dud James and the Carroll -- in the intervening years.

But the Coliseum . . . it was a real stadium. Close to 7,000 seats, a fancy score clock, big dressing rooms, full concession area.

I remember the controversy when the city council of the day decided to build the new rink. Seven thousand seats? What did Moncton think it needed to watch hockey? The Montreal Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, Madison Square Gardens? There's no way we will ever fill those seats for an event, the naysayers predicted.

In hindsight, city councillors in the early 1970s were visionaries. They didn't let criticism or cost or the reality of hockey crowds then dissuade them from building something for the city's future.

Thirty-five years later, the Coliseum is a sturdy, if dated, piece of sports infrastructure. The low ceiling prevents the city from booking certain acts and the number of seats isn't enough for the really big shows Moncton now attracts. The lack of corporate suites and many of the amenities new rinks offer limits the ability of the city to maximize revenue from its primary hockey and entertainment venue.

So this week, when the facility's prime tenant expressed concern with the lack of available dates for what is expected to be a deep run in this year's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, I had some sympathy. Imagine the conundrum facing the people who run the Moncton Wildcats. They have iced one of the best Wildcats' teams ever and have a very good chance of a run at the QMJHL championship, but a busy March and April at the Coliseum means they may have to play some of their playoff games at much smaller rinks in Metro or -- even worse -- move them outside of the region.

Can you imagine Wildcats' fans crammed into the 2,200 seat Levesque or the even smaller 4-Ice Centre to watch the best hockey of the season?

Even more bizarre would be the prospect of watching our hometown heroes do battle on Harbour Station, Aitken Centre or Metro Centre ice.

At the same time, you can't fault the City of Moncton for booking the Coliseum. If there are trade shows, concerts or a prestige event like the Ford World Curling Championships, you can't turn down a sure buck. We would be right to criticize the city if it left open weeks each spring on the chance the Wildcats may need them.

The city has a responsibility to book as many dates at the Coliseum as possible. In 2008, that wasn't a problem as trade shows, concerts, the Wildcats and other events used the venue for close to 240 days. By any measure, the Coliseum is a valuable community resource but one that is quickly reaching its capacity to serve us.

This upcoming playoff scheduling problem provides yet another reason why the city should make construction of a downtown Metro Centre a capital works priority.

If we had a 12,000 to 15,000-seat Metro Centre, the Wildcats would obviously be a prime tenant. They would not have to worry about scheduling conflicts in their prime money-making season. The city would have a more powerful magnet to attract big name entertainment acts, national and international conventions and week-long signature events like the World Curling Championships.

The Coliseum, meanwhile, would revert to a dual purpose: as the city's main trade show venue, complete with the additional floor space and facilities offered by the Agrena, and as a back-up location for the Wildcats should the new Metro Centre be booked during playoff runs.

Yes, it would be expensive to build the Metro Centre, but there are ways to mitigate that cost. The federal and provincial governments are about to unveil billions in infrastructure stimulus funding. A downtown Metro Centre that would also have numerous spin off benefits to clubs, restaurants and suppliers makes economic sense.

Securing a corporate sponsor for the venue should also be on the city's agenda. If the Irvings, McCains or Sobeys want naming rights, as routinely happens with major public stadiums these days, go for it. A new 15,000-seat Sobeys Centre on the site of Highfield Square would become a gorgeous addition to our downtown.

Add convention space and retail outlets to the development and you have built in some revenue-generating ancillary uses that would help underwrite the building's annual cost.

Some of our great ideas are born out of necessity. With the city becoming a focal point for entertainment in Atlantic Canada, the Wildcats needing more flexibility and the Coliseum showing its age, we have a convergence of need that should inspire us to dream big.

Today's city council has the chance to leave its mark on our community, just as the city council of the early 1970s did when it made that leap of faith with the Coliseum. Council can make that mark not only through financial responsibility, but by showing some visionary boldness.




- I agree with most of this article...The Coliseum has been great, but it is now old and not nearly meeting our needs. Its also far from downtown reducing spin-off benefits. I also took the liberty of saving you from the "Metro Centre" name haha.

[mylesmalley]

Moncton cannot afford more delay
Published Saturday January 24th, 2009
D6

The City of Moncton has prime downtown land near the former Beaver lumber property available for development that would be the envy of many cities on the continent, presenting a golden opportunity for careful development that can revive the entire downtown and make it a focal point of city life, yet it has been 10 long years now and Moncton has achieved very little towards the obvious goal.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=238403&size=500x0

There has been much talk. There have been glossy reports. A casino/convention complex was possible. Housing was possible. A hotel or hotels were possible. And they all fell through or failed to materialize for various reasons, including at times dithering and changing of minds by city council in the past. Even the provincial Justice Centre about to begin construction took far too long to materialize. And through all the years and discussions, more than one willing and able developer has walked away, fed up and frustrated.

Moncton cannot afford this; the downtown very much needs development and a cohesive vision.

City council has given no indication it has such vision or any interest whatsoever in the most logical project of them all: a multi-purpose Metro Centre. The mayor backs it and knows its importance. It is crucial council get behind the mayor. There are ways to achieve the goal responsibly, even in economically worrying times. In fact, in such times we need the project more than ever. Will Moncton council show vision and do the right thing, or will it miss the boat and lose crucial momentum?

[mmmatt]

As much as I dont like the T&T for various reasons, (monopoly, opinion pieces on front page, poor spelling etc), they sure push development a lot, and that is one of their very few redeeming qualitys for me...the moment they become NIMBYs I will stop reading haha.

Really they are right though, we need to ditch Veridoc and get someone who actualy gives a rats a** about Moncton in the drivers seat. The mere fact that they put that Rogers vomit downtown makes it clear what they think of the city...that we dont care what gets built as long as its something. Well we cant stand for that, its BS, in a city thats growing at the rate we are we deserve high quality development!

[mylesmalley]

Well said, Matt.
I agree they do push development. There are two things they generally do though which I don't think are constructive. The first is, the tend to beat things to death. Just in today's paper, there are at least 4 articles where they bring up a 'Metro Centre'. While that's great, people are going to get sick of hearing about it, and they havent' said anything new about the project in months. The other thing is, while they do get on board with development, all too often it's years after the fact and only because they want to criticize council. They're pretty outraged about Verdiroc right now, but where were they over the past ten years?

[mmmatt]

Well said, Matt.
I agree they do push development. There are two things they generally do though which I don't think are constructive. The first is, the tend to beat things to death. Just in today's paper, there are at least 4 articles where they bring up a 'Metro Centre'. While that's great, people are going to get sick of hearing about it, and they havent' said anything new about the project in months. The other thing is, while they do get on board with development, all too often it's years after the fact and only because they want to criticize council. They're pretty outraged about Verdiroc right now, but where were they over the past ten years?

haha, its true, they were slow to react on the Veridoc thing, we have been doing that for years on here. Veridoc has been the brunt of many jokes on the forum, besides a small stint of time when they had the only proposal for a downtown Casino and we had hopes they could redeem themselves...but of course in standard Veridoc fashion nothing happened...:P

[mmmatt]

Flickr Finds

New Moncton Fire Station
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3267/3213080042_0c42c87795_o.jpg
credit: Brian Branch on Flickr


UdeM on a cold morning
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3382/3215136579_4c5b4bb72b_b.jpg
credit : stephen downes on Flickr

[mylesmalley]

added 15 or so new points to the map. Most are in the North End, though there are a few in Dieppe, Riverview, Central Moncton and the East end.

[MonctonRad]

I see there is a "help wanted" ad in the classified section of the T&T today for H&M, advertising the store as "their first in Atlantic Canada".

Things therefore must be moving along expeditiously at Champlain Place. Basically, there is a complete section of the mall (except for Regis hair salon and the temporary Fairweather location) which is walled off for renovations. If H&M is to occupy this entire space, it will be one whopping huge store! It will easily be classified as one of the mall anchors.

[mmmatt]

:previous:

Yeah Im hoping H&M will take a large spot like Mexx did, or larger, would be a very nice addition to the mall :)

Off topic I drove down St. George street yesterday and was happy to see less vacancies there, the former Ritchies Carpet Warehouse (they moved to Trinity) is now occupied by Canada Wide Liquidators. And another building nearby which was vacant is now home to an Interstate Battery store.

That section of St Geroge is slowly coming back to life :)

[Haliguy]

I see there is a "help wanted" ad in the classified section of the T&T today for H&M, advertising the store as "their first in Atlantic Canada".

Things therefore must be moving along expeditiously at Champlain Place. Basically, there is a complete section of the mall (except for Regis hair salon and the temporary Fairweather location) which is walled off for renovations. If H&M is to occupy this entire space, it will be one whopping huge store! It will easily be classified as one of the mall anchors.

Its funny I seen the same in the paper for H&M at the Mic Mac mall stating the first in Atlantic Canada. They both can't be the first..weird

[mmmatt]

Its funny I seen the same in the paper for H&M at the Mic Mac mall stating the first in Atlantic Canada. They both can't be the first..weird

Trying to make both cities feel special at the same time perhaps?

I have a feeling both locations will open around the same time, so maybe they dont even know which will be first haha.

[mmmatt]

Another store confirmed for Mapleton Power Center:

Le Chateau
http://www.lechateau.ca/en/fashion-trends

Says "opening 2009"

[mmmatt]

Diana Krall will be coming to town this year which is nice, however from a Moncton point of view it brings up an interesting point, we are becoming known as a concert haven, look at the tour locations for her Canada tour:

Calgary, Alberta - 1,162,100
Edmonton, Alberta - 1,081,300
Regina, Saskatchewan - 201,000
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - 233,923
Winnipeg, Manitoba - 694,668
London, Ontario - 457,720
Kitchener, Ontario - 451,235
Hamilton, Ontario - 692,911
Toronto, Ontario - 5,555,912
Ottawa, Ontario - 1,168,788
Kingston, Ontario - 152,358
Montreal, Quebec - 3,635,571
Moncton, New Brunswick - 126,424
Halifax, Nova Scotia - 407,007
Vancouver, British Columbia - 2,524,113

Which one of these things is not like the others?? Moncton is the smallest city on the list by quite a bit, and thats even with an outdated venue like the Coliseum. Just another reason for building a new arena, just think of how many acts we would get then!

[mylesmalley]

I always thought Kingston was bigger than that.

[David_99]

I always thought Kingston was bigger than that.

Too many good hockey players drafted and moved away. :yes:

[Dmajackson]

The Halifax number's off a bit but hey if that puts us even higher I'm fine with it :tup:

How many people can the Moncton Collesium fit anyways?

[MonctonRad]

The Halifax number's off a bit but hey if that puts us even higher I'm fine with it :tup:

How many people can the Moncton Collesium fit anyways?

I was at the 'Cats/Remparts game tonight and they announced a sell-out crowd of 6,984 (big rivalry there). The coliseum can hold about 7,200 with standing room.


Edit - Whoops, I just noticed that you meant for concerts. That can depend on the layout that they use. I think most of the time the seating would be in the 5000-6000 range although I think for Elton John they may have packed over 8,000 in there.

[gehrhardt]

Most of the steel is up for the new NB Liquor store in Salisbury. There is a large mobile crane there helping out. It's just off the highway across from the Big Stop.

They're really coming along with this. It seems like it was still a field not too long ago. :tup:

I'll try and get some pictures up soon.

[mylesmalley]

Is that new subdivision on the other side of the overpass still in the works?

[gehrhardt]

:previous:

As far as I know it is. I'm sure you have read in the papers about the recent arrests in the Salisbury area. The owners of the subdivision development aren't those who were arrested, but probably feel pretty good that it happened. :shuffle:

Since they are surely more comfortable now, you may be seeing a lot more activity around there.

I also had it confirmed that the Best Western Salisbury project is dead. I guess one of the families that was involved dropped out of the partnership and there wasn't enough money to continue. Too bad.

[JasonL-Moncton]

Another store confirmed for Mapleton Power Center:

Le Chateau
http://www.lechateau.ca/en/fashion-trends

Says "opening 2009"

I wonder if this is 'another' location in the GMA or is the one in the mall 'moving'?

Jason

[mmmatt]

I wonder if this is 'another' location in the GMA or is the one in the mall 'moving'?

Jason

I'm assuming that this will be a second location...they are advertising it as a "new location", I dont think they would do that for a moving store, I think the two of them would be far enough apart to do well.

[MonctonRad]

I wonder if this is 'another' location in the GMA or is the one in the mall 'moving'?

Jason

I'm certain that it will be a new store. They just renovated their existing location at Champlain only six months ago.

[ErickMontreal]

Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital to undergo $73-million expansion (09/01/26)

NB 70

Jan. 26, 2009

MONCTON (CNB) - Space shortages at the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital in Moncton will be addressed with a $73-million, two-storey addition and a new power plant, Health Minister Michael Murphy announced today.

"The quality of health care will be enhanced, and wait times will be reduced for patients at the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital as a result of this project," Murphy said. "Increasing this hospital's capacity for clinical care is part of our government's ongoing work to ensure that the health-care system will be sustainable for all New Brunswickers on our journey to self-sufficiency and beyond."

In 2009-10, the Department of Health is investing $4 million to start work on the major expansion, which will create more space for the provision of clinical services.

"Providing quality health care to all regions of New Brunswick is extremely important to this government," said Supply and Services Minister Dr. Ed Doherty. "We look forward to construction getting underway on this very significant expansion project."

The expansion will be located at the north end of the hospital, will include a basement, and will house all rehabilitation services and a PET CT scan. The new premises will make it possible to respond to the growing need for nephrology services, and space will be provided to consolidate allied health, which includes clinical nutrition, psychology, respiratory therapy, rheumatology and social work. Additional space will be available for staff education services, and to consolidate all ambulatory care clinics.

"The Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital is a cornerstone of the New Brunswick health-care system, and an institution that plays a key role in the provision of primary and specialized health-care services, as well as research, teaching and medical education," said Aldéa Landry, chair of the board for Regional Health Authority A.

The expansion area for levels 1 and 2 will be about 10,800 square metres (120,000 sq. ft.). Its structure will be designed to accommodate future storeys. The basement will house new space for central stores and 100 parking spots.

In 2009-10, the department will complete the design work, do site preparation work, and start construction on the power plant.

"The Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital will be ready for further expansion once this key phase of the project is complete," Murphy said. "Our government will continue this important project in the years ahead to ensure that this hospital remains a regional centre of quality care and a pillar of our public system."

The Department of Health has a capital budget of $67 million for the 2009-10 fiscal year. It provides funding for improvements at regional hospitals, medical equipment purchases, and the construction of a new health centre.

[MonctonRad]

Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital to undergo $73-million expansion
(09/01/26)
NB 70
Jan. 26, 2009

MONCTON (CNB) - Space shortages at the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital in Moncton will be addressed with a $73-million, two-storey addition and a new power plant, Health Minister Michael Murphy announced today.
"The quality of health care will be enhanced, and wait times will be reduced for patients at the Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital as a result of this project," Murphy said. "Increasing this hospital's capacity for clinical care is part of our government's ongoing work to ensure that the health-care system will be sustainable for all New Brunswickers on our journey to self-sufficiency and beyond."
In 2009-10, the Department of Health is investing $4 million to start work on the major expansion, which will create more space for the provision of clinical services.
"Providing quality health care to all regions of New Brunswick is extremely important to this government," said Supply and Services Minister Dr. Ed Doherty. "We look forward to construction getting underway on this very significant expansion project."
The expansion will be located at the north end of the hospital, will include a basement, and will house all rehabilitation services and a PET CT scan. The new premises will make it possible to respond to the growing need for nephrology services, and space will be provided to consolidate allied health, which includes clinical nutrition, psychology, respiratory therapy, rheumatology and social work. Additional space will be available for staff education services, and to consolidate all ambulatory care clinics.
"The Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital is a cornerstone of the New Brunswick health-care system, and an institution that plays a key role in the provision of primary and specialized health-care services, as well as research, teaching and medical education," said Aldéa Landry, chair of the board for Regional Health Authority A.
The expansion area for levels 1 and 2 will be about 10,800 square metres (120,000 sq. ft.). Its structure will be designed to accommodate future storeys. The basement will house new space for central stores and 100 parking spots. The new power plant will be a single-storey, stand-alone building.
In 2009-10, the department will complete the design work, do site preparation work, and start construction on the power plant.
"The Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Regional Hospital will be ready for further expansion once this key phase of the project is complete," Murphy said. "Our government will continue this important project in the years ahead to ensure that this hospital remains a regional centre of quality care and a pillar of our public system."
The Department of Health has a capital budget of $67 million for the 2009-10 fiscal year. It provides funding for improvements at regional hospitals, medical equipment purchases, and the construction of a new health centre.

This is "from the horses mouth", ie - the government press release. This is a large project, more expensive than the ACC/ER/lab at the Moncton Hospital and is at least of similar scope.

EDIT - Sorry Erick, you beat me to it.

[mmmatt]

^ WOW! Great news, thats a massive project...the Casino is $90 Million and its massive, this is big news :D

I also have some news, I e-mailed the GMIA and got the final passenger figures for 2008...but I dunno if I should tell you guys or not haha... :P

[MonctonRad]

^ WOW! Great news, thats a massive project...the Casino is $90 Million and its massive, this is big news :D

I also have some news, I e-mailed the GMIA and got the final passenger figures for 2008...but I dunno if I should tell you guys or not haha... :P

Why, are they bad?!?

[mmmatt]

Why, are they bad?!?

Nope...but I don't think you guys are that interested :P

(cant hold back much longer)

EDIT: Ok, Im just being mean haha...the number for 2008 was DUN DUN DUN!


573,688

:D :D

An increase of 10.6% from last year and the best year ever, beating out the previous record set in 2006 of 558,513

[mmmatt]

Heres a quick little graph I made

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/archetecture/graph.jpg

So in other words, after a little setback last year we are right back on track with growth :D

[mylesmalley]

Great news all around. I'm -extremely- glad that they are designing the Dumont expansion in such a way that it can accomodate further upward expansion. While the new addition to the Moncton Hospital looks great, it's a huuuge waste of land, and doesn't appear to be designed with the future in mind.

And matt, any idea what the cargo numbers for this year were?

[MonctonRad]

Great news all around. I'm -extremely- glad that they are designing the Dumont expansion in such a way that it can accomodate further upward expansion. While the new addition to the Moncton Hospital looks great, it's a huuuge waste of land, and doesn't appear to be designed with the future in mind.

I agree that the Moncton Hospital has a huge footprint (the equivalent of four city blocks), but for patient flow it frequently is better to avoid too many elevators. that's why you don't see too many 12-15 storey hospitals.

BTW, although the new ACC/ER/lab at the TMH doessn't look like it, it actually is designed for future vertical growth. It can accomodate an additional two floors when space requirements eventually mandate it.

[mmmatt]

Great news all around. I'm -extremely- glad that they are designing the Dumont expansion in such a way that it can accomodate further upward expansion. While the new addition to the Moncton Hospital looks great, it's a huuuge waste of land, and doesn't appear to be designed with the future in mind.

And matt, any idea what the cargo numbers for this year were?

Yeah I agree about the upward expansion, definitely great news they are thinking about the future there.

I didn't ask about the cargo numbers however they said the stats will be up in a few days, so we dont need to wait long...I was just very excited to hear the passenger numbers so forgot to ask that haha.

Funny you should mention the expansion to TMH as I was working on posting a pic I took of TMH yesterday (you can see the expansion to the left, with its nice glass atrium poking out) :)

Plus I think I remember you saying you like this angle of the hospital...I do too, it looks so massive up on its little perch when driving down this street.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/archetecture/DSCN2172.jpg

Heres a bonus pic I took of the new apartments going up nearby (taken from the highway, so like 1/2 of the building is out of frame haha.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/archetecture/DSCN2173.jpg

[mmmatt]

you don't see too many 12-15 storey hospitals.



Thank goodness too, we might have ended up with more like this:

Guy's Hospital in London, tallest hospital in the world, and ugly as sin :yuck:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Guys_hospital_tower.jpg
credit: Wiki

[mylesmalley]

I don't mind most brutalist architecture. That hospital reminds me too much of the library at Ryerson though:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Ryer_lib_brut.jpg

[mylesmalley]

Oh, and thanks for the update, MonctonRad. I based my assumption on the fact that they had that huge atrium/glass installation on the roof at TMH. I suppose they could add floors and replace it on top.

[mmmatt]

GMIA continues to grow this year, but we aren't alone, the other NB airports have been posting growth aswell:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/archetecture/graph2.png

All info except the 2006 figure for Freddy is from reliable sources, for that one I made and educated guess based on a graph :P

[MonctonRad]

NBCC Moncton gets $20M upgrade
Published Tuesday January 27th, 2009

Two-year project will create places for an additional 400 students at Mountain Road campus
By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff

While fears over the financial downturn and weakened economies persist, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault believes investing in the province's community colleges is a crucial step to help New Brunswick weather the storm.

"The success of the community college system in New Brunswick is being able to adapt to the changing needs of our economy," Arseneault said. "Moncton is a growing community and it has been growing for a long time and there are many opportunities for people here. We have to make sure we have the skilled workforce in order to get people into those jobs."

Arseneault was at the Moncton campus of New Brunswick Community College Moncton on Mountain Road yesterday to officially announce a two-year $20-million infrastructure investment from the provincial government. The funding, originally announced in the province's capital budget last December, is expected to add an extra 400 seats to the university, bringing total capacity to 1,500 in the fields of health, social sciences, technology and trades.

"That means there are 400 more opportunities for students to enter their career paths and contribute to the growth and self-sufficiency of New Brunswick," said Dale Finnamore, campus principal.

Arseneault said that upwards of 92 per cent of the college's graduates are able to find employment after college, with the majority of them finding work in New Brunswick. After the province rebounds from the current economic downturn, Finnamore says the investment will pay off large dividends.

"It's all about the growth. There are opportunities out there today for college graduates from a variety of different sectors," he said, noting the demand for skilled workers is currently increasing. "A downturn in the economy tends to be fairly short-term, this allows not only for training of people who are working at this time, but it's also training for the future.

The campus improvements will change the use of existing training space and add 3,600 sq. metres (40,000 sq. feet) of new training space. The building will also undergo various renovations and upgrades, including to the campus's roof, which has recently had problems with leaking.

Yesterday was also the official opening of the NBCC-Moncton campus learning commons, an area which offers improved services to students and the community, including smartboards, wireless laptops and assistive technology for students with disabilities.

"There's obviously a lot of things around the building that need to be up-kept. I think an investment of that size is going to help when they work on renewing things at the college," said Jeremy Mclean, 22, a second-year electrical engineering student at NBCC Moncton.

The investment runs over the course of two years with all work expected to be complete by March 31, 2011.

"This is a strategic investment; in our capital budget it was about (determining) what can we invest today that will benefit us in the future when the economy turns around," Arseneault said. "That's why we are investing in roads, that's why we are investing in our students, in community college infrastructure and our universities. We have to make sure that our workforce is trained."


While not "new" news, this article does flesh out what is to be done at NBCC Moncton during the expansion. The creation of 400 new spaces at the college should solidify the position of NBCC Moncton as the largest campus in the community college system.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton Hospital expansion complete
Published Tuesday January 27th, 2009

Opening of new ambulatory wing delayed by problems with floor: CEO
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Construction of the new $47-million ambulatory care centre at The Moncton Hospital is complete, but problems with the floor mean its opening will be delayed until further notice, Donn Peters, President and CEO of the new Regional Health Authority B said yesterday.

"It's frustrating for everyone because everything else has been delayed like a domino effect," Peters said yesterday during a meeting with the Times & Transcript editorial board.

He said construction was complete but the floor has not passed inspection by the Department of Supply and Services. He said the floor is apparently too soft and indentations left by heavy equipment are not bouncing back the way they should. It is not known whether the floor will need to be re-done.

The new ambulatory care unit is a massive structure attached to The Moncton Hospital with a long glass-enclosed entryway and parking garage. It has been under construction for two years. When finished, it will have six major clinics, laboratories, diagnostic centres and treatment centres, including a cardiac assessment clinic. One of the goals of the centre is to allow day surgeries to be done in a different area so they can free up the major operating rooms. Many other departments within the hospital have been waiting for it to open so they can move according to the plan. It was originally supposed to open in the fall.

The building's owner is the Department of Supply and Services, so the health authority won't take it over until it has passed all inspections.


Regardless of what they are saying in the paper, the flooring is being replaced. This will delay the opening of the ACC until September, almost a full year behind schedule!

[MonctonRad]

Nope, this rumoured development is something different. There was something in the T&T about it last year, possibly in "the Sleuth", but I have heard nothing new about it since.

It is supposed to be directly to the east of Mapleton Power Centre, parallelling Wheeler Blvd., seperated from the Mapleton Power Centre by that little branch of Hall's Creek that forms the back boundary of the current development. Access would be off the yet-to-be-constructed Frampton extension.

According to what I read at the time, it is supposed to resemble phase one of the Dartmouth Crossing development down in Halifax. The overall scale of the development however would be much smaller I'm sure.

Ever since Myles questioned me on this several pages back, I've been crawling the web trying to find a reference for this rumoured development and I finally found it!

Unfortunately, when I originally saw this article in the T&T, I remember seeing a diagram of the site but I can't seem to find it right now. I'll keep trying.

As I stated before, this proposed development could be serving as an impetus for the sudden interest in extending Frampton to Morton at Universite. The city really wouldn't want to look at a $40M gift horse in the mouth!


$40M Moncton shopping project raises concerns
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
T&T
By: Nick Moore
Location: A3
Topics: Economic Development, Land Development

City wants further discussion on Mapleton Road project to address traffic, environmental issues

Moncton City Hall is for the time being putting the brakes on development of a new "lifestyle centre" shopping complex proposed for the city's north side.

City councillors at this week's regular meeting were presented with a zoning application on what would be a $40-million high-end shopping centre along Mapleton Road, which would also call for the extension of Frampton Lane to meet the proposed location.

While some councillors were encouraged by news of retail development in the city, they also said they were concerned about the environmental implications and effect the new shopping complex could have on the Mapleton Road's traffic flow.

They didn't pass the new zoning application at Monday night's regular council meeting, but instead referred it for further discussion before it's revisited in council chambers at a later time.

Les Carrie, who is the "lifestyle centre's" project co-ordinator wanted a specific date for the matter to be re-addressed. But Coun. Pierre Boudreau said it was in everybody's best interest if discussions and debate weren't hampered by a looming deadline that could spur a hasty decision.

"The assessment process was supposed to be a two- to four-week process," said Carrie after addressing city councillors. "We're at about four months right now."

Developers and the department of city planning will return to the bargaining table in an attempt to try and work out a resolution to the zoning application.

According to city planning director Bill Budd, there are some key sticking points including details of an extension of Frampton Lane which would cross a creek and go directly through to the development site.

"That is a major arterial road that's required to support all the development that will take place on the east side of Mapleton Road," said Budd. "That's got to be designed in a manner that can accommodate development not only on that site but development that will take place on adjoining land."

Budd said a traffic impact study also needs to be conducted to support what the developers are proposing in their plan.

"We're going to go back and sit down with the developers and senior city staff to take another look and explore possibilities to see if we can make this work."

The location of the proposed shopping complex, and how it would fit in with the amount of commercial and residential space already in the area concerned some councillors.

Coun. Louisa Barton-Duguay said there was 78 acres of commercial space already zoned in the area and had issues with adding even more to the area tipping the balance between that and residential space.

A new shopping complex could add up to 250 acres of commercial space "as a rule" according to project developers.

Coun. Brian Hicks said he had some reservations about plans as they stand right now for the shopping complex, but added he thought the city and developers should work together and find a compromise on the project so the whole application wasn't just thrown away.

"We don't get people knocking on our door everyday," he said.

The shopping centre is modelled roughly after Nova Scotia's "Dartmouth Crossing," but Carrie said if Moncton's project did go ahead it'd be different from any other shopping arena in the Maritimes right now.

"This is a very unique opportunity for New Brunswick," he said "It's the only 'lifestyle centre' that will be centered on very high fashion."

The stores would all be open air, but Carrie stressed it wouldn't be a strip mall.

"Moncton doesn't need another strip mall," he said.

Carrie said his developers will regroup and look forward to meeting with the city again to find common ground.

"If you can't get the appropriate rezoning and road networks built to accommodate a project then obviously developers have to go home and reassess what they're going to do with their time," he said.

"I think the confusion right now is between the concept plan for residential development and how we integrate it with commercial development. I think once we get past that issue and get the elements in the right place it will all work itself out."


If anyone is interested, here is a link to a .pdf of Moncton city council minutes from July 2007 dealing with this issue. The discussion is on pages 7-10
It is http://www.moncton.ca/Assets/Government+English/Agendas/Agendas+Decision+Meetings+2007+English/Minutes+20070716.pdf

[mylesmalley]

If they're going to pave the "vision lands", might as well start now.

At least it wouldn't be another strip mall.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I hope the vision lands don't get completely gutted of all the trees and then houses built. Nothing ticks me off more than a builder coming in 'clear cutting' and building houses then planting little saplings that won't mature for 30 years...so aggrevating.

Jason

[mylesmalley]

I know eh! Look at the contrast between two neighborhoods built around the same time. Evergreen Park is pretty drab, and there are no trees at all. Then look at Kingswood, which is basically still forest, and how great that looks.

I've heard that there are some jurisdictions where you can only cut down the minimum number of trees needed to make room for the building.

[mylesmalley]

Dieppe Industrial Park expands
Published Wednesday January 28th, 2009

City plans development of 150-acre parcel adjacent to airport
A4
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
The latest planned expansion of the Dieppe Industrial Park will open up another 150 acres of prime land for business and industrial development in the area northwest of the Greater Moncton International Airport and create more potential for growth.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=239829&size=329x275Dominique Chiasson
The next phase of expansion for the Dieppe Industrial Park will be a large parcel of 150 acres of land, wedged between the runways of the airport and the junction of Highway 15 and Highway 2, (the Trans-Canada Highway). The new land will provide quick access to the airport, rail lines and highways. It would also be close to the growing Caledonia Industrial Park, located on the other side of Highway 15 in Moncton, and within a few minutes’ drive of the downtown core.
"Having the airport in the middle of your industrial park is a huge asset," says Roger Melanson, general manager of the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Dieppe.

Dieppe has grown tremendously over the last 10 years, to the point where new land must be opened up to provide a home for more business. Melanson is hoping the latest expansion will draw in businesses involved in transportation and distribution, air cargo, light manufacturing and aerospace.

The next phase of expansion for the Dieppe Industrial Park will be a large parcel of 150 acres of land, wedged between the runways of the airport and the junction of Highway 15 and Highway 2, the Trans-Canada Highway. The new city-owned land would provide quick access to the airport, rail lines and highways. It would also be close to the growing Caledonia Industrial Park, located on the other side of Highway 15 in Moncton, and within a few minutes' drive of the downtown core.

The main access would be via Aviation Boulevard, which exits off Highway 15 and runs to a current dead end in front of the new airport terminal building. Dieppe City Council recently voted to apply for federal and provincial funding under the Built Canada program. Dieppe will put up $2 million for its third of the $6-million funding. If approved, the funding will be used to put in streets, water and sewer lines, electrical infrastructure and high-speed Internet access to make the next phase of the industrial park "shovel ready" for new business.

Melanson says earlier phases of the Dieppe Industrial Park are already full and the city needs to make more room available so business development can keep up the pace with residential development, which is happening mainly on the south side of the airport. As a rule, cities should have a tax base of about 60 per cent residential and 40 per cent industrial/commercial.

"We're trying to help companies find a space where they can have access to markets faster and more efficiently."

Having the industrial park so close to highways, rail lines, the airport and the downtown core makes a good business case. The proximity of new housing, recreational facilities and big retail developments also helps. New businesses create jobs that attract more people to work and live in the community, which drives retail and service industries and increases demand for recreational facilities like hockey rinks, walking trails and fitness centres.

"We need to build a relationship with the businessmen who are thinking about coming here and show them there is a good business case but also competitive tax rates and quality of life. They need to see the whole package," Melanson said.

He says Dieppe's population has grown by about 60 people a month since 2001 and the population is now over 20,000. Non-residential building permits in the city have grown from about $16 million a year in 2001-06 to $46 million in 2008. The city is conservatively predicting the number to slide to about $32 million in 2009.

As the Dieppe Industrial Park continues to grow, so does the Caledonia Industrial Park, just on the other side of Highway 15 in Moncton. The Caledonia park recently received $800,000 in forgiveable loans from the province to help out with the $5 million cost of clearing land, paving roads and putting in infrastructure for expansion. The Caledonia Park has a varied portfolio of businesses from the new Molson Brewery and game manufacturer Spielo to Shoppers Drug Mart, Source Medical, Bunzi Canada, Superior Propane and Irving Personal Care.

Spokesman Peter Belliveau said there are still quite a few open lots in prime locations near the juncture of Harrisville Boulevard and the Highway 2, the Trans-Canada Highway.

Rob Robichaud, CEO of the Greater Moncton International Airport, said having growing industrial parks so close to the facility bodes well for the future. The airport already provides about 1,500 jobs and generates approximately $378 million per year in economic activity. The airport is already home to big-name cargo carriers like FedEx and Purolator, which have their own warehouse facilities, and the air cargo business is growing.

Robichaud is hopeful the new industrial park will become home to some air cargo operators or perhaps some aerospace maintenance and repair facilities, where planes could be repaired and painted. Besides the new spaces in the Dieppe Industrial Park, there are about 21 spaces on airport-owned land that are already serviced and available for lease.

Robichaud said it bodes well, despite the economic situation facing other parts of Canada and the United States.

"You always have to look at opportunities and take advantage of those opportunities as they arise."

He said a big help would be some federal and provincial money to build another overpass near the airport terminal that would provide better access to the eastbound lane of Highway 15.

Officials with the airport and other business groups are also actively involved in promoting the Canada East Air Cargo Gateway, a body that wants to generate more air cargo business for Metro Moncton. One of the first priorities is to set up a regular transatlantic flight from Moncton to Europe to provide fresh seafood to markets in Europe and Asia. The direct flight would bypass Boston or New York.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I know eh! Look at the contrast between two neighborhoods built around the same time. Evergreen Park is pretty drab, and there are no trees at all. Then look at Kingswood, which is basically still forest, and how great that looks.

I've heard that there are some jurisdictions where you can only cut down the minimum number of trees needed to make room for the building.

Maybe someone should write the Mayor with that very example. You just have to look at the two areas on Google Maps and it's VERY visible the difference.

Jason

[acrew79]

Hey ALL ..
well i havent posted in a while so i thought i would.. ( sorry but i cant be bothered with correct capitalizations.. lol ) ..
anyway i have 2 questions and i was wondering if anyone could shed their opiion on them..

1. I have heard rumours that THE BRICK pulled out of Mapleton Shopping Centre is that right?

2. here is a thought i would like to run by people and maybe the right person will read it and it can become a reality.. it has to do with the nightmare traffic light intersections at Mountain and Tinity.. now i dont know how to add a picture or anyhting so bear with me as i try to explain..

1.If I am driving towards riverview on Wheeler , as i approach the Mapleton Road exit i see 2 signs.. one that says.. Mountain Road East ( this exit only) and mapleton road.. the other says.. Mountain Road West only ( next exit) ..

so now.. here is my question.. WHY are there two exits to mountain road.. if the one that goes down trinity will allow you to go in either direction on montain without sitting through a light.

If i was on mountain and heading towards magnetic hill, i have the potential of being stopped at a light simply to have the off-ramp of wheeler go ahead. if we remove that exit all-together.. then there would be no back up ( besides the tirnity light) and you would have less traffic trying to get through

the bonuses to this ..
1. less congestion in the exit/entrance lane off wheeler at Mtn road/on trinity from mountain road
2. Less congestion for traffic wishing to go to magnetic hill ( right hand off ramp next to Irving allows the traffic to skip a light
3. no snow removal for a useless off-ramp
4. the removal of a useless light hence saving energy.
5. all the trafice that will now need to take trinity regardless to get to mountain road.. so therefore they will have access to all the shopping which would increase revenue for teh city.

so why wouldnt the city entertain this idea??

and is there a purpose for this off ramp that i fail to see??

your comments would be appreciated.. and who do i contact to voice my opinion to the city Engeneering Department?

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

I have not heard any rumours of The Brick pulling out of Mapleton. It would be a little surprising since they are expanding in Atlantic Canada and they are already in a number of markets smaller than Moncton but I suppose that given the economic climate, anything is possible. Does anyone have any updated information?

re: the "useless" Wheeler offramp to Mountain Road, a lot of what you say is very true. About the only reason to keep this offramp active would be to decrease through traffic on Trinity Drive itself, which is after all really just a collector road and access point for the Trinity Power Centre itself. I'm sure they would want to discourage as much through traffic as possible.

[mylesmalley]

I take it the ramp to which you're referring is the one next to the dental clinic?
If that's the case, I'd have to reiterate what MonctonRad said. If they got rid of the ramp there, you'd have to get off Wheeler at Mapleton to access Mountain from downtown. That'd force everyone onto Trinity Drive. As I'm sure you've noticed, that ramp gets backed up very badly most evenings anyway, without that extra traffic burden. Unfortunately, the use of a diamond interchange probably wasn't the best decision in the long run. I'd almost say they'd be better eliminating that ramp, and replacing it with a loop on the other side of the street.

http://www.marketingsociety.ca/projects/wheeler.png
Where Mountain is in yellow, wheeler is in white.

If a loop was added beside the Riverview-bound onramp, they could take advantage of the existing intersection at Trinity, while at the same time taking all the traffic off Mountain.

[MonctonRad]

If a loop was added beside the Riverview-bound onramp, they could take advantage of the existing intersection at Trinity, while at the same time taking all the traffic off Mountain.

That's brilliant Myles, that would work wonderfully and would by far be the best option!!! There is lots of room there for a loop offramp. Have you ever considered a career as a traffic engineer?

:tup: :D :tup:

[mylesmalley]

That's brilliant Myles, that would work wonderfully and would by far be the best option!!! There is lots of room there for a loop offramp. Have you ever considered a career as a traffic engineer?

:tup: :D :tup:
Thanks!

Yes, actually. Many times. However, an afternoon spent at the city planning office when I was in the eighth grade showed me that the logical solution to a problem is very rarely the most politically feasible one. From the city's point of view, it'd probably be better to widen Mountain Road by an extra lane to alieviate traffic. They'd save money, and people wouldn't whine about 'all the change'. Most importantly, the city wouldn't have to go to the province to get the westbound overpass widened to give people more time to slow down. All told, fewer headaches, but ultimately probably the wrong decision.

So yeah. Now I'm studying marketing and political science!

[mylesmalley]

Metro centre cash in budget?
Published Thursday January 29th, 2009

MP Brian Murphy hopeful funding can be drawn from $12B infrastructure package the Harper government announced this week as part of the federal budget
A1
By Mary Moszynski
Times & Transcript Staff

City of Moncton officials are hopeful funding can be found within the federal budget to build a downtown metro centre.

Daniel Allain, executive director of Downtown Moncton Inc, said he's optimistic the money will be available.

"I think there's opportunity, I think it's up for us to sell it the right way," he said. "I think there are a lot of components to look at."

A metro centre is a perfect example of a project that would kick-start the economy by creating jobs but also benefit the community in the long-term.

"It's the perfect example of how we can help the economy. There will be no better time to construct a metro centre in our downtown. The cost of building will be at its lowest ever, we'll actually have trades available."

The idea of a multi-purpose sport, entertainment, retail and convention facility in the downtown has gathered much support recently.

City council recently awarded a contract to a Toronto company to complete a feasibility study.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said he hasn't seen details of the infrastructure programs but is also hopeful the money can be found.

"We're certainly going to be looking for an opening for that project," he said.

Brian Murphy, Liberal MP for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, said the $12 billion for infrastructure funding announced by the federal Conservative government should include money for the much-anticipated project.

Murphy said he'll also be looking for funding for other community projects, including the Crossman Community Centre-Kay Arena. He's also hoping money will be available to help renovate Moncton High School.

"I think it is more than just an education issue, it's a heritage issue as well."

The federal Liberals announced they plan to introduce an amendment to the budget requiring government to produce three progress reports starting in March.

If the amendment passes, the Liberals will not defeat the government. However, if the progress reports show the government isn't moving forward with its budget commitments, the Liberals say they're prepared to defeat the government.

"I think the Conservative government has been brought, probably unwilling, to produce what could be called a Liberal budget," said Murphy.

Rob Moore, Conservative MP for Fundy-Royal, said the budget should also help communities upgrade their existing rinks.

The Conservatives earmarked $500 million for upgrading arenas and recreational facilities.

"A lot of these rinks are reaching an age in Atlantic Canada where people are having to make some tough decisions about them," Moore said.

Rinks play a special role in rural communities, he added.

"It draws people together, it's part of what makes the community a community."

[mmmatt]

^ Wow, that would be pretty sweet, to get the money even before we have it planned out haha. I doubt this will happen, but its a nice thought.

[mylesmalley]

To get funding, we'd need the city to pony up to 1/3 of the cash first. That'd take a lot of arm twisting.

[q12]

If we had a 12,000 to 15,000-seat Metro Centre, the Wildcats would obviously be a prime tenant. They would not have to worry about scheduling conflicts in their prime money-making season. The city would have a more powerful magnet to attract big name entertainment acts, national and international conventions and week-long signature events like the World Curling Championships.

Moncton does not need a 12,000 to 15,000 seat arena. No other city close to Moncton's small population has an arena anywhere near that. The main tenant which would be the Wildcats, only draw about 3000-4000 most games unless they are winning. It would be like going to a Hamilton Bulldogs game where they have to draw a curtain around the upper bowl of Copps Coliseum to hide the empty seats. Cities like, London, Saskatoon, and Halifax, have arenas in the 9,000 to 11,000 range, and these cities are all significantly larger than Moncton. Some cities like Kitchener and Portland (Me) which are also much larger have arenas the same size as the Moncton Coliseum. On top of that previous NHL cities of Winnipeg and Quebec City have only 15,000 seat arenas and they have 6 times the population of Moncton. I highly doubt that a feasibilty study will show a need for a new arena of more than 10,000 if at all. Moncton must have no streets needing repair (shocks and struts must be free in Moncton) :rolleyes: , or schools or other infrastructure if they can afford to build a new arena. Moncton get real. :koko:

[MonctonRad]

Moncton does not need a 12,000 to 15,000 seat arena. No other city close to Moncton's small population has an arena anywhere near that. The main tenant which would be the Wildcats, only draw about 3000-4000 most games unless they are winning. It would be like going to a Hamilton Bulldogs game where they have to draw a curtain around the upper bowl of Copps Coliseum to hide the empty seats. Cities like, London, Saskatoon, and Halifax, have arenas in the 9,000 to 11,000 range, and these cities are all significantly larger than Moncton. Some cities like Kitchener and Portland (Me) which are also much larger have arenas the same size as the Moncton Coliseum. On top of that previous NHL cities of Winnipeg and Quebec City have only 15,000 seat arenas and they have 6 times the population of Moncton. I highly doubt that a feasibilty study will show a need for a new arena of more than 10,000 if at all. Moncton must have no streets needing repair (shocks and struts must be free in Moncton) :rolleyes: , or schools or other infrastructure if they can afford to build a new arena. Moncton get real. :koko:


Moncton needs a new arena complex; period. The existing coliseum is about 30 years old, is plagued by structural problems like a low roof and is frequently overbooked, especially in the spring with trade shows and concerts competing with the Wildcats for available dates. The situation this year is compounded by the fact that Moncton is hosting the World Men's Curling Championships. There are only a handful of dates available in April if the Wildcats make a deep playoff run. Some of the playoff games may have to be played out of town. A second major sporting venue in Moncton is absolutely necessary.

True, the Wildcats average only a little over 4,000 in average attendance but the city administration is looking at an all-purpose facility that would be used for concerts and for conventions in addition to hosting sporting events.

I agree, a 15,000 seat arena seems ambitious but I think a solid case could be made for a 10-12,000 seat arena with corporate boxes. It will be interesting to see what the feasability study currently being undertaken will have to say on the issue. I am sure that for major concert acts, a new 12,000 seat arena could easily be sold out. One thing you have to remember is that although the CMA is only 126,000, the regional draw within two hours is not that much different than Halifax.

The following table says it all:
http://i27.tinypic.com/24vpnwp.jpg

Bottom line, Don't count the possibility of a major arena in downtown Moncton out. You might be surprised by what actually happens. :tup:

[mylesmalley]

There are two real problems with the coliseum as it is. First, it's aging, and it really shows. Secondly, the roof is too low for a lot of acts. If the city intends to replace the coliseum, it would not significantly increase the cost to put in a couple thousand extra seats. Even if the Wildcats aren't the biggest draw, there quite a few events there every year which fill it to capacity.

[MonctonRad]

Old Riverview firehall becomes Chocolate River Station
Published Thursday January 29th, 2009

Renovation of complex, to house retailers and eateries, expected to be completed by July 1
By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

Riverview's long-discussed and long-awaited Fundy Gateway project finally has a name.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=240234&size=500x0
This is an artist rendering of the Chocolate River Sations. And while it was once the Riverview Fire Station, 391 Coverdale Rd. will soon be the Chocolate River Station.

The town's chief administrative officer and manager David Muir confirmed the new name yesterday and put a timeline on the project, which has been talked about or been in the works for the better part of a decade.

Renovation of and an extension to the town's former fire hall are set to begin in the next week or so, with an expected completion date of June 1, as long as there are no more bumps in the road for the $2.75-million project.

It comes at a perfect time too, Muir notes, since the federal government said in its budget announcement this week that money would be given to the province to work on completion of the Fundy Trail Parkway.

The Parkway should bring more tourists into this region of the province, which will only further benefit Riverview's new tourism venture.

"Absolutely," Muir says, when asked if this means bigger and better things for Riverview's own project. "We always thought we would try to capitalize on (being at one end of the Parkway)."

For years the Chocolate River Station had been referred to as the Fundy Gateway project; Riverview is indeed a gateway into the national park and other Albert County tourist attractions, including the Hopewell Rocks.

Muir says the town hopes to "siphon" tourists into the town and into the new attraction.

The Gateway project dates back nearly 10 years, and it's one Riverview council has been waiting a long time to see come to fruition.

Perhaps Ward 2 Councillor Ian MacDonald expressed council's sentiments best on Monday night at a council meeting.

"Git 'er done!" MacDonald said after council awarded Moncton's Rice Contracting the tender to complete renovations and construction of the extension.

Mayor Clarence Sweetland offered similar thoughts on the project.

"It's been a long time coming," he said this week, excitement on his face and a little relief in his voice. "There was a lot of planning and a lot of work."

Over the coming weeks, more of the prospective tenants of Chocolate River Station will be making themselves known, Muir says.

St-Anne-de-Kent soap maker Olivier Soapery was announced several years ago as the anchor outlet in the Gateway project, and yesterday another business confirmed it would take up shop in the Station.

Rocky Mountain Maple, a maple sugar company based in Hillsborough, will open a retail outlet in Chocolate River Station, owner David Briggs says.

"I'm excited for it," he said yesterday. "It's a whole new venture for us."

Rocky Mountain Maple has been in business in Stilesville for 10 years, but maple sugar processing has been in the Briggs family for five generations.

Opening a retail outlet is the next logical step.

Briggs says the operation will have a museum-like atmosphere and will showcase processing of all kinds of maple products, including maple butter, cream, syrup and candy.

Displays showcasing family history and maple syrup history will be a part of the store.

Other food will be on sale as well, and there will be chocolate elements in the store to build on the theme of the entire Chocolate River Station.

Briggs is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, and he says Chocolate River Station is like "nothing else in this area."

Muir says it is expected that all of the tenants of the development will take a hands-on approach to their businesses, providing demonstrations and seminars of their products to really give people a feel for the culture of the region.

Albert County artists will have room to showcase and sell their products in the building, and a boardwalk outside, housing a number of small kiosks, is expected to create a market-like atmosphere in the summer.

A restaurant or food court will take up the second floor of the old fire hall, and a tourism office, operated by the town and promoting the entire Fundy region, will be housed in the building.

It would only make sense, with a name like Chocolate River Station, that a chocolatier set up shop in the building and indeed, one has been mentioned in the past as a possible tenant.

Muir could not confirm this yesterday however, and calls to famed New Brunswick chocolate maker Ganong, based in St. Stephen, were not returned yesterday afternoon.

A piece of land that once housed an Esso gas station next to the old firehall will serve as a parking lot for vehicles and buses, with plenty of room for tour buses to turn around and manoeuvre.

Imperial Oil still owns the old Esso land and refused to sell it to the town, but they were happy to arrange a long-term lease agreement with Riverview to allow for a parking lot to be built.

The entire project is expected to cost $2.75 million. The federal government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, has committed $1 million to the project, and Mayor Sweetland is hopeful the province will also support the project through funding as well.

The town already owns the old firehall building and the land it sits on, which isn't included in the $2.75-million price tag.

In all, Sweetland expects the town's share will be about $1.5 million, on top of the land and building. And the town will own it all when the project is finished.

"We're putting in about a $1.5 million, and we're coming away with an asset that's worth about $3 million, so that's not a bad deal," he says.

Personal note; Is it just me or does every time they post a new picture in the paper about this development, it looks different. :shrug:

[mylesmalley]

I think you're right, MonctonRad :D

I'm glad they're finally doing something with it.

[q12]

The following table says it all:
http://i27.tinypic.com/24vpnwp.jpg
:

Here we go again, Moncton and its magic math, why don't you include a 24 hour drive because that would include southern ontario and then you could say you have a population of half the country. Moncton = 126,000, deal with it. Most of the population you are including are other cities with their own arenas! They aren't going to a hockey game or concert in Moncton if the same kind of hockey or act is playing in their own city.:koko:

[MonctonRad]

Here we go again, Moncton and its magic math, why don't you include a 24 hour drive because that would include southern ontario and then you could say you have a population of half the country. Moncton = 126,000, deal with it. Most of the population you are including are other cities with their own arenas! They aren't going to a hockey game or concert in Moncton if the same kind of hockey or act is playing in their own city.:koko:


It's not magic math at all. Moncton is the most central city in the Maritimes, deal with it!

And, oh by the way yes, people are known to get in the car and drive a couple of hours to go to a special concert that they really want to see. It happens all the time! Why, I've even driven down to Halifax to go to certain special events. :D

[David_99]

There are two real problems with the coliseum as it is. First, it's aging, and it really shows. Secondly, the roof is too low for a lot of acts. If the city intends to replace the coliseum, it would not significantly increase the cost to put in a couple thousand extra seats. Even if the Wildcats aren't the biggest draw, there quite a few events there every year which fill it to capacity.

Even the Islanders of the NHL decided to move out west with their training camp/pre-season instead of taking the 3rd year option here. It's partly because Moncton can only hold 6000+ fans per game.

A brand new 12000 seat arena downtown would open so many more options and help put us on the map for shows. We'd be much tougher competition for Halifax and PEI for drawing the big acts.

Just having the option of parking the car, eating at a sports pub, the Keg or a club, then walking downtown to a Wildcats game, concert, whatever, is a night out much more interesting then what we currently have with the Coliseum location. I guarantee the attendence for games increases by a couple thousand.

"Build for the future" as they say.

[q12]

It's not magic math at all. Moncton is the most central city in the Maritimes, deal with it!

And, oh by the way yes, people are known to get in the car and drive a couple of hours to go to a special concert that they really want to see. It happens all the time! Why, I've even driven down to Halifax to go to certain special events. :D

I'm not saying Moncton cannot draw people in from other places. It likely is a "centre" for some things in New Brunswick and even PEI. Moncton might be close to the geographical centre of the maritimes, but it is not the "centre". This discussion is useless when your talking to people in a dream world who only can see things that benefit their endless promotion of Moncton. Thankfully hardly anyone but the people in Moncton listen to it. There is so much B.S. and fluff talk in the Moncton forum people from Saint John must be so sick of it. :rolleyes:

However, I will say good luck and I hope you get your new arena. As long as that's what the people of Moncton want their tax dollars spent on! :tup:

[michael_d40]

Thankfully hardly anyone but the people in Moncton listen to it. There is so much B.S. and fluff talk in the Moncton forum people from Saint John must be so sick of it. :rolleyes:

You hit the nail on the head there Q12. We dont even pay attention to them anymore in this city. Its beyond normal anymore.

[mmmatt]

Man this thread can be funny sometimes haha...

anyways, on to actual on topic discussion, The "Fundy Gateway" looks quite nice compared to the original design, that will really clean up that area :)

[mylesmalley]

Are they tearing down the fire hall and replacing it, or completely renovating the entire structure?

[mmmatt]

Are they tearing down the fire hall and replacing it, or completely renovating the entire structure?

Looks to me like they will renovate the current structure and add on some extra space.

And for everyone in NB who is hung up on the internal "competition" aspect of things check this out:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090127/t090127a2-eng.htm

This table shows that NB as a whole is doing great right now, the amount of people receiving EI since last year has increased a marginal 1.5% which is the second lowest in Canada, after SK. The national average was 11.7%.

We are holding up very well amid the apparent global economic crisis, I think we need to stick together and make sure this continues :)

[riverviewer]

Anyone interested in setting up a water-taxi betweem the new "Chocolate River Station" and the "Bore Park BoardWalk"? Wasn't there a HoverCraft plying the waters a few years ago?

[mylesmalley]

While that'd be cool, I really can't see there being any market for that whatsoever. Plus, who'd want to get that close to the river? It may look like chocolate milk, but...

[benvui]

Anyone interested in setting up a water-taxi betweem the new "Chocolate River Station" and the "Bore Park BoardWalk"? Wasn't there a HoverCraft plying the waters a few years ago?

I always thought that they should have some shops and vendors along Boardwalk, I think a lot of people in the summer would go down there for a walk, or eat lunch on the boardwalk if there were some patios to eat on. Its to bad that some of the restaurants that are down there now back onto the boardwalk and don't have a patio for people to enjoy, I think the Chateau is the only one that has one. A water taxi between the two would be interesting, but with the tides...might be difficult to have it run a regular schedule.

[benvui]

N.B. chocolatier the latest tenant of town's Fundy Gateway project
A1 Published Fruday January 30th, 2009
By Eric Lewis
Tines & Transcript Staff

Ganong chocolates is the "icing on the cake" for Riverview's Fundy Gateway project, the town's mayor said yesterday.

The famous New Brunswick chocolate company confirmed yesterday it would open a small retail outlet in the Fundy Gateway project in Riverview's old fire hall.

Bryana Ganong, the company's director of quality assurance and product innovation, says, "We're a small part of it, that's for sure, but we're excited about it."

Riverview Mayor Clarence Sweetland is excited Ganong's involvement in the Gateway project.

"We're very pleased about that," he says. "It is a big name, widely known in New Brunswick and beyond New Brunswick, so we're quite pleased to have them as part of Fundy Gateway."

The Ganong outlet will be a small retail store selling some of the company's higher end, handcrafted chocolates. The store will likely also hold demonstrations on chocolate and fudge making.

"We're still developing that," Ganong says. "We're working as a group with Olivier and Rocky Mountain Maple, the other major tenants in the complex. And so we're kind of working on the things that will be done there.

"But mostly for us it will be a retail outlet and we may evolve into making some handmade products in the store over time as well."

This will only be the second retail outlet for the chocolate institution. The other one is in St. Stephen where Ganong's head office is based.

Jeff McShane, Ganong Chocolatier retail store manager, will oversee the Riverview operation.

He says the small operation will likely employ four or five people, some on a seasonal basis.

Ganong's premium, handcrafted chocolates are currently only available at the company's St. Stephen outlet. The Riverview location will provide them another location to sell gift packages and take special orders.

McShane says some chocolates will be priced around 50 cents a piece and boxes will range from $4 to $36 a box, depending on the amount purchased.

"I think it's a great fit for Riverview," McShane says. "One of the key selling points for us is it's sort of the gateway to the Fundy experience and a captive audience of tourists going by that area."

McShane says the company is looking at holding special functions and promotions with the other outlets in the Gateway as well.

"Nothing is nailed down yet, we're still in the planning stages, but those are certainly what our focus is on and what we're leaning towards."

Sweetland says Ganong is a "positive shot in the arm for our development."

"We know it will make our development more widely known, and I think it will make it more interesting and more attractive to customers," the mayor says.

Ganong was approached by the Town of Riverview last summer.

David Muir, the town's chief administrative officer and manager, credits Brenda Orchard, the town's director of corporate services and economic development, with Ganong being involved.

"This has been Brenda's project almost from day one," Muir says. "I know she's been working with Ganong for quite a while as sort of the main tenants. They're well known; people know Ganongs. That'll add to the facility being a destination for people."

Work on the Fundy Gateway project is expected to start over the next week. The town hopes to have it completed by June 1.

Contrary to information that appeared in yesterday's Times & Transcript, the Gateway project does not have a final new name just yet.

Yesterday's story referred to the project as Chocolate River Station.

Mayor Clarence Sweetland said yesterday that it is one of the names being discussed, but name has not been adopted yet.

Several names are in the works and one will be chosen in the coming months.

[JasonL-Moncton]

I still think the 'look' of the building is atrocious...they should have tried to keep it looking more like the old fire station.

Fantastic that Ganong is coming to the GMA.

[MonctonRad]

Well, if Ganong moves into the Fundy Gateway Project in Riverview, at least it will make the name "Chocolate River Station" meaningful. :haha:

Seriously, I don't know if I like the idea of mixing the Olivier Soapery with the Rocky Mountain Maple Products and Ganong stores. Olivier soaps are really pungent and I think that might be somewhat offputting with all those food products nearby.

Perhaps Olivier will be in a hermetically sealed part of the building! :haha:

[bam63]

Mmmmmmmm Papa John's:banana:

[BlackYear]

Hi everyone

I’ve lurking and spying on you guys for months now and I finally decided to post something…hopefully useful.

Here’s my thoughts on the new 12000 seat arena at Highfield Square. The red area is an actual size of the Coliseum without the agrena complex. The green area around the red is the new building which in my guess, will fit 12000 seats, although, I could be off by a couple of meters. The complex itself should only be 2 or 3 stories high since the majority of it will be build inground.

Section A: New Codiac bus / taxi parking for pick-up and drop off. Bigger and better design with a Main street entrance to the arena. Pedway to remain open.

Section B: Added parking space, since Purolator will no longer be there. No entrance on the west side.

Section C: New major entrance to venue. Large outside area with trees and park benches which connects to Main street and section A. Highfield street entrance remains open for parking and taxi drop off area.

Section D: New major entrance to venue. Visibly appealing to VIA Rail passenger trains and large parking area. Rebuild fencing along railway.

Section E: New beautiful pedway crossing the CN tracks connecting to Albert street parking.

Section F: Albert street parking to accommodate Dieppe, Riverview and Albert county visitors via Assumption blvd.

There’s also plenty of parking along side streets North of the arena. So I don’t see parking being an issue. Anyone living downtown within 1 or 2 km would walk to the venue or taxi.

That’s it for now!
Jim

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/blacquiere/random/highfield2.jpg

[Dmajackson]

^Looks good Budyser :)

I have one question for a Moctonian. Where is the VIA Rail station downtown? Because I was thinking if you guys really want to attract people to the Wildcats games making a main downtown "square" of sorts could really work out. Having the train station, collesium, bus terminal and ample parking nearby could really kick up some action in that part of town, especially with it being so close to Main Street.

Its just an idea. I know the VIA Rail Station here in Halifax gives the nearby streets a lot of activity. :)

[MonctonRad]

Welcome Budyser, it looks like you will have some thoughtful input to this forum!

The more I reflect on a downtown arena complex, the more I think the best place for it would be on the current Highfield Square site rather than on the Beaver Lumber site. (This breaks my heart because I really want something done behind Assumption Place!)

Factors in favour of Highfield;

- Traffic access would be more convenient as it would be located on Main, close to Vaughn Harvey and the Gunningsville Bridge.
- One of the main bus transfer stations in the city is located adjacent to the site.
- There is already a reasonable amount of street level parking in the area.
- Since it would front on Main Street, it would make the concept of street level retail as part of the complex quite viable.

Regarding your points Budyser,

- I like the idea of a pedway over the railway tracks. This would really expand parking options for the complex.
- I notice that you have partly situated the complex on top of The Bay department store. While Highfield Square itself is likely toast, the status of The Bay is less certain. HBC actually owns that building with the rest of Highfield Square simply appended to it. While it might make sense to relocate The Bay to Champlain Place, the presence of WalMart at Champlain effectively blocks The Bay from this move. Assuming The Bay stays in Moncton, they will likely stay put in this location for now. If so, the arena complex would only have to shift about 150m to the west and it should still fit neatly between The Bay and the Terminal Plaza office complex.
- I'm not sure that the ice surface would/should be buried below ground.

Perhaps if the arena were built here, we would have a ready made sponsor for naming rights, something like The Sobeys Centre.

[MonctonRad]

^Looks good Budyser :)

I have one question for a Moctonian. Where is the VIA Rail station downtown? Because I was thinking if you guys really want to attract people to the Wildcats games making a main downtown "square" of sorts could really work out. Having the train station, collesium, bus terminal and ample parking nearby could really kick up some action in that part of town, especially with it being so close to Main Street.

Its just an idea. I know the VIA Rail Station here in Halifax gives the nearby streets a lot of activity. :)

The VIA station would only be spitting distance from the arena, no more than 100m. The station however only has two passenger trains a day, so the effects on the immediate neighbourhood are negligible.

I am a big proponent of rail transportation however, and I would really like to see resumption of train service between Moncton and Saint John some day. As oil prices eventually rise, this might become viable as would increased pasenger service between Halifax and Moncton.

[mylesmalley]

Bedford:

The VIA station is directly across from the new Sobeys, which puts it just below the photo above. It would be cool to have a combined bus (local and intercity) and train station, directly connected to a sports complex.

[mylesmalley]

Welcome Budyser! Looks good. My only comment would be the amount of surface parking. While the city will invariably build a massive parking lot, i'd much sooner see a one or two level structure with an equivalent number of spaces. It would cost quite a bit more, but would allow for a considerable amount of additional development in the area. There's faaaaar too much surface parking downtown.

[Dmajackson]

If the station is that close there probably wouldn't be much of a point to moving it up the street.

One cool thing I think Moncton really should take advantage of is the large blocks next to the rail tracks. Looking at the size of those blocks the city could easily fit some nice buildings at the street with ample levelled parking in behind. Heck, you could even fit a cycling trail in next to the rail tracks if you tried.

[mylesmalley]

Oh, there's plenty of room back there... I figure you could probably put a 6 lane highway from one end of downtown to the other and not have to knock down more than a few old houses, if you ust connected all the surface parking lots along the waterfront.

[mmmatt]

Welcome to the forum Budyser!

I like your ideas, however I am hoping to see at least one parking garage in the final design. Personally I'm still hoping for a more central location such as behind assumption etc to better capitalize on nearby restaurants and hotels.



Check this out, guess what mall is on a list of "Coolest Malls in North America"?? haha...I'll admit it is quite a bit better than before, but its still funny sounding.

http://www.caamagazine.ca/caadvice_articledetail.aspx?ContentId=1110

This goes well with the new slogan though: :P
http://www.champlainplace.com/malls/mall2/images/area1_p1_fr.jpg
credit: champlainplace.com

[Jerry556]

why would champlain place be the coolest, there's nothing special about it??? plus its not even close in size compared to the rest on the list??

[MonctonRad]

Check this out, guess what mall is on a list of "Coolest Malls in North America"?? haha...I'll admit it is quite a bit better than before, but its still funny sounding.

http://www.caamagazine.ca/caadvice_articledetail.aspx?ContentId=1110

This goes well with the new slogan though: :P
http://www.champlainplace.com/malls/mall2/images/area1_p1_fr.jpg
credit: champlainplace.com

So, according to CAA Magazine, good old Champlain is one of the six coolest malls in North America, right up there with West Edmonton Mall and the Mall of America!!

What a riot!! :haha: :jester: :haha:

I wonder how much they paid CAA for this free advertising.

The mall does look seriously better now than it did before the renovations and having Crystal Palace as part of the complex is a plus but what a pile of horse manure!

I know we are getting H&M in the spring but unless we also get some seriously upscale retailers (like Abercrombie, Talbots, Banana Republic and Pottery Barn) in the other vacant spaces in the mall too, then that CAA article can only be considered as fluff journalism.

[MonctonRad]

Two NB companies in the running to build P3 schools
January 31, 2009 - 5:54 am
By: News 91.9 Staff

MONCTON, NB - Six companies have submitted expressions of interest to build new schools in Moncton north and Rexton. Under a public private partnership the selected developer will design, build, finance, operate and maintain both schools.

Supply and Services minister Ed Doherty sasy the submissions will be evaluated by the department before a second-stage request for proposals is issued next month.

The lone Moncton company in the running is Ashford Investments. The only other New Brunswick bid is from Springhill Construction of Fredericton.

Construction on both schools is expected to begin in the late summer of 2009 with completion by the fall of 2010.

[mmmatt]

So, according to CAA Magazine, good old Champlain is one of the six coolest malls in North America, right up there with West Edmonton Mall and the Mall of America!!

What a riot!! :haha: :jester: :haha:

I wonder how much they paid CAA for this free advertising.

The mall does look seriously better now than it did before the renovations and having Crystal Palace as part of the complex is a plus but what a pile of horse manure!

I know we are getting H&M in the spring but unless we also get some seriously upscale retailers (like Abercrombie, Talbots, Banana Republic and Pottery Barn) in the other vacant spaces in the mall too, then that CAA article can only be considered as fluff journalism.

hahaha, quite true, it is certainly fluff. However it is great advertising for the mall and likewise for the area, so its not all bad :tup:

Also regarding the mall, according to the floor plan La Vie En Rose will be setting up shop in the former space of RW&CO before they moved down the hall.

[mmmatt]

Colour for the page (this time from Panoramio)

From the roof of Razor Creative
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/10026750.jpg
credit: richgould on panoramio
View Large: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/10026750.jpg

From the roof of Razor Creative
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/10026786.jpg
credit: richgould on panoramio
View Large: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/10026786.jpg

From the roof of City Hall (obv. a bit dated with the BK sign, but its still neat. The above shots were taken from the roof of the pink building, which is not brown haha)
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/11441208.jpg
credit: XeRoX2k2 on panoramio
View Large: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/11441208.jpg

[mmmatt]

Boredom at work...

Ive just been browsing around looking at some arenas going up of a similar size to what Moncton is thinking of...here are some of them:

Lucas County Arena, Toledo, OH

Capacity: 10,000
Cost: $105 Million USD

http://www.lucascountyarena.com/images/rendering.jpg


Citizens Bank Arena, Ontario, CA

Capicity: 11,000
Cost: $130 Million USD

http://www.sgvn.com/arena/images/landing_masthead.jpg

JQH Arena - Missouri State University

Capicity: 11,000
Cost: $67 Million USD

http://www.missouristate.edu/graphics/buildings/jqharena.jpg


I honestly think that we should shoot for a 10,000 seater maximum. We have 7,000 seats now and that does us well for the majority of events...so I would say with 10,000 that gives us room to grow for at least 20 years. Anything more would be pushing it.

[mylesmalley]

I hope they don't propose some ghastly dome thing.

[MonctonRad]

I honestly think that we should shoot for a 10,000 seater maximum. We have 7,000 seats now and that does us well for the majority of events...so I would say with 10,000 that gives us room to grow for at least 20 years. Anything more would be pushing it.

I think most people on this forum think the new downtown arena should have seating between 10,000 and 12,000. Anything more than this would be excessive.

I wish the T&T would stop talking about a facility in the 15-20,000 range. That is clearly too large for our market. It's not like we're bidding for an NHL team for cripes sake!

Those arenas in your post look quite nice. Clearly a new downtown arena doesn't have to look like a windowless box.

[MonctonRad]

hahaha, quite true, it is certainly fluff. However it is great advertising for the mall and likewise for the area, so its not all bad :tup:

Also regarding the mall, according to the floor plan La Vie En Rose will be setting up shop in the former space of RW&CO before they moved down the hall.

I was in the mall this afternoon. It looks like the new store will be a combo store like GAP/GAP KIDS and MEXX/MEXX KIDS.

The signage on the drywall around the construction site talks about La Vie en Rose (lingerie) and La Vie en Rose - AQUA (swimwear).

[mmmatt]

I was in the mall this afternoon. It looks like the new store will be a combo store like GAP/GAP KIDS and MEXX/MEXX KIDS.

The signage on the drywall around the construction site talks about La Vie en Rose (lingerie) and La Vie en Rose - AQUA (swimwear).

Sounds neat!

I wonder if this is this the 1st La Vie En Rose in Atlantic Canada or just NB? Im sure Erick could answer haha.

[Wishblade]

Sounds neat!

I wonder if this is this the 1st La Vie En Rose in Atlantic Canada or just NB? Im sure Erick could answer haha.

Sorry, there's one in Halifax already, but I think thats it.

[mylesmalley]

4000 posts, eh...

I'm with you on the stadium size, MonctonRad. Seems the Transcript has a soft spot for embelleshments when it comes to guessing how big stuff will be. I know it's been said before, but I still find it funny how needlessly pessimistic the Telegraph can be, and how stupidly ridiculous the Transcript often is.

[Jerry556]

Champlain mall is useless now a days, its all clothing stores, thats about it.
ya 20.000 for the center would def be overkill, am shur in some cases it could be used, but i say 12000-13000 would be a good size. Does anybody know if they finalized things for the ashford office building on Vaughn Harvey(construction starting anytime soon??)??

[mmmatt]

Sorry, there's one in Halifax already, but I think thats it.

Ahh thanks, no need to be sorry, just curious is all, that's usually the way it goes. :)