The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[bam63]

Peddy Place?
Bore Square?
Beaver Lumber Arena?
Railroad Center?

[MonctonRad]

The smaller downtown eateries do OK in the summertime, especially when all the downtown patios are open. It's the six long months of winter that do them in.

We need something to help make the downtown a destination during the colder months of the year.

What could the city do to bring thousands of people downtown on a regular basis during January & February?

What sort of venue could become a downtown destination.......

What could this be........

[MonctonRad]

Coliseum seating capacity reduced
Published Tuesday February 10th, 2009

Fire marshal cuts number of people allowed in Moncton's main public venue
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

Thanks to a new ruling from the provincial fire marshal, there are now less people allowed in the Moncton Coliseum than there are seats.

The Moncton Coliseum's new maximum allowable capacity for people occupying the Coliseum is 6,465, following a safety audit conducted by the provincial fire marshal's office in November. That's the total number of people allowed -- seated or standing, visitor or staff. That's also 333 less people than the number of seats in the facility.

The issue is not about space, however.

Rather, the City of Moncton's Ian Fowler says, the issue is the number and quality of the building's exits. The building, well into its fourth decade of service, won't meet a number of more demanding contemporary standards without some significant upgrades.

He said new building codes that have come into effect following the audit see capacity determined by the number of exits, things like their widths and even the building materials in the area around them.

For instance, Fowler said, the building's Famous Players Lounge exit, accessible via the stairs from the mezzanine at the southern end of the building, can't be counted as a suitable evacuation route because flame retardant "two-hour fire wall" was not used in the walls and ceiling surrounding it.

Unless the city brings the building up to code, or the fire marshal's ruling is amended, it appears a once-in-a-lifetime event like the Elton John concert last September will indeed be just that. Sir Elton packed 8,700 people into the Coliseum, 2,235 more music fans than would be allowed in the building if the concert was held today.

Under the new capacity rules, the 1,500 people that could be seated on the floor for events like Sir Elton or Bill Clinton's speech in November has also been cut by more than half to 720. While the ruling makes it ever more difficult to sell the Coliseum, and the city, as a venue, the general manager of the city's department of Recreation, Parks, Tourism and Culture, said the city would abide by any rulings made in the interest of public safety.Bill Schurman, the general manager of the Moncton Wildcats who are the building's principal tenant, admitted he was caught off guard by the change in capacity.

"It's news to us. We weren't aware the Coliseum was being re-assessed," Schurman said.

While he agreed with Fowler that safety was paramount, Schurman hoped there was room to give the matter a second look. "I would hope we're appealing it."

Schurman said that while the hockey team may not fill the building every night, the goal of the organization is to do so whenever possible.

"This business is based on having the opportunity to sell as many tickets as possible," he said.

Yet another reason why we need a new downtown arena complex. The coliseum is obsolete.

[StormShadow]

Wow, a lot of interesting points in the last couple of pages….

Champlain / CP connection: If the new arena is built on the site of Highfield Sq, the Bay would have to move somewhere, right? A reliable source tells me it is one of the better performing locations in Atlantic Canada. I wonder how reluctant the Bay would be to sell their location and move to a new one in this economy?

Business on Main street and parking: The current feasibility study for the new arena should cover this. Parking is going to be an issue at any downtown location for this arena. But what a wonderful opportunity to address parking in the downtown core- build a parking garage! Not one that holds only 300 vehicles, but build one that adequately accommodates a 12,000 seat arena. If you are going to do it, do it ALL right.

Names for the Arena: Insert Corporation name here. Too bad Metro Center is already taken. ;) I remember a time when arenas were named after civic leaders, and had a unique character to them, which ties in well with the post I was already working on…

[StormShadow]

When a project begins a site analysis is done, information is dug up on what used to be on the site and what it is today in context of its neighborhood. Architecture firms will use information from the same study that the city has currently in progress.

It seems like everyone is familiar with the history of the Highfield Square site- the old train station and the history and impact of the railroad in Moncton over the years. In the early 1900’s rail was the only way to travel, massive amounts of people fit inside these massive train stations. They were a meeting place and they were the arenas of today in terms of large groups of people interacting with each other. It would be nice if an arena paying homage to historic train stations, or the former train station was built on this site.

The railroad theme could be also be brought inside, the box office and concession stands could be in the form of vintage train station ticket counters. It would be nice to see something completely different done. Unfortunately, it is much more appealing to the penny pinchers (the decision makers) to build a cookie cutter arena with little character.

The American Airlines Arena in Dallas has a façade similar to an old train station. The JLC* in London ON., reused the bricks of the old Inn that had occupied its site. Instead of losing a historic building, they took the opportunity to rebuild it. Purple Knights take note, but that’s another discussion.

[gehrhardt]

The only problem with naming it after the former train station is that Saint John already has Harbour Station, named in honour of Union Station that used to be at the site. It'd be kind of like naming it Metro Centre.

How about:

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe Non-Corporate-Affiliated Hockey And Multipurpose Tradeshow Arena Complex

or Robert Monckton Centre (just to confuse out-of-towners).

or "The Hub"

[benvui]

Coliseum fix begins
Published Wednesday February 11th, 2009

City will spend an estimated $750,000 to bring Moncton Coliseum up to code, restore seating capacity

By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

Reductions to the maximum allowable capacity of the Moncton Coliseum should not affect the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, even if planned city upgrades worth an estimated $750,000 are not completed by then.

This stairwell at the south end of the Moncton Coliseum is one of the exits that needs upgrading to meet newer, more stringent fire codes governing the capacity of the building.

Lynn MacKenzie, the event manager for the curling championship, said yesterday that building a media area at one end of the bowl and accommodating television camera platforms throughout the arena has already reduced about 300 seats from the building's total.

"We're looking at (a maximum capacity of) 6,000 per event," MacKenzie said, adding she was confident all the other people who might be in the building at any given time -- competitors, staff, volunteers and media -- should come in under the almost 500 extra souls the arena can legally hold above the 6,000 spectators.

As well, the event's spillover into the adjacent Agrena space will also help, as the new 6,465 maximum capacity is the number for the Coliseum proper, not the total capacity of the entire complex. The Labatt Patch, where curling fans can watch the action from next door on big screens in a beer garden atmosphere, will occupy the Agrena during the championships. The curling championship runs April 3-12.

By then, however, the Moncton Coliseum may be back in the business of holding about 7,000 for hockey games and curling and almost 7,500 for concerts and other events where seating can be placed on the ice surface floor.

That was the word from the City of Moncton's director of municipal facilities yesterday. Bruce Tait said the goal was to have two exits upgraded in time for the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, and to have at least most of an upgraded fire alarm system operational by then.

The work on the alarm and emergency lighting system throughout both the Coliseum and Agrena, part of the requirements of a safety audit of the Coliseum done by the provincial fire marshal's office, were already under way. Tait said the work has been done in segments because the building can't be left totally without such systems while the work is under way.

Currently, the alarms in the various parts of the complex are not interconnected, meaning an alarm sounding in part of the Agrena, for instance, wouldn't set off the alarm in the Coliseum. As well, inadequacies have been identified with the emergency lighting, and Tait said both require more sophisticated and expensive systems because the complex does not have an emergency generator.

The other key issues are the need to build enclosed cinder block corridors that would, in the event of an emergency, take patrons from the stairwells at each end of the Coliseum's mezzanine to doorways that exit outside. Currently, those stairs lead to a large open space beneath the mezzanine, a situation that no longer meets codes. Should there be a fire, fleeing patrons should not evacuate one large open space into another, where fire and smoke could be quickly spreading.

As well, the main emergency exit from the floor of the Coliseum, through the large opening by the penalty boxes on the east side of the bowl, will need some rethinking. Currently, that leads to an open space where vehicles and other equipment are stored during events.

"An exit doesn't just mean a door. It's how you get to the door that matters too," Tait said.

Jim Banks, the Moncton Fire Department's division chief for fire prevention, said yesterday the work done by the city will have to meet the specifications of a fire protection engineer. Once a professional engineer gives the proposed work the thumbs up, Banks said his office will raise the building's capacity again. Tait said the city has already hired such an expert.

Those questioning how Moncton Fire Department officials, who are City of Moncton employees, can do their jobs without bias or fear of recrimination, should know it was Banks' office that first raised the red flag with concerns.

"We get our authority under the (provincial) Fire Prevention Act," he said. "We called in the (provincial) fire marshal and said let's work together with the city to get safety improved."

He said their duty under the provincial act is why the public often sees fire prevention officers at Coliseum events.

"We're not just there watching the game or the concert," he said, explaining they check exits, watch for trouble with crowd flow and look for potential hazards throughout the complex, including places outside the public's view. He added problems are much easier to spot when there are actual crowds and events in the building, apart from the fact fire prevention officers must be on hand to enforce regulations.

One aspect of yesterday's report in the Times & Transcript requires clarification. The total number of seats in the Coliseum is 6,598, meaning the new total number of people allowed in the building is 133 less than the number of seats. However, at a typical sold out hockey game, where some fans prefer standing room tickets and a maximum of 200 standees are allowed, there will have to be 333 empty seats to offset those 200 fans.

*** I wonder how these changes are going to affect floor space for trade shows. If they have to add halls made from cinder blocks from the stairs to the exits they are going to be using up a lot of valuable floor space.

[MonctonRad]

How about:

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe Non-Corporate-Affiliated Hockey And Multipurpose Tradeshow Arena Complex

or Robert Monckton Centre (just to confuse out-of-towners).

or "The Hub"

The Acadians wouldn't like "Robert Monckton Centre". I kind of like the idea of calling it "The Hub" however, that could catch on! It conveys the impression of a place which is at the centre of activity. The arena could still be dressed up in a railway motif and the name would still be appropriate given the fact that Highfield Place lies on the former site of the ICR headquarters and railway station.

Good idea gehrhardt!!

[mylesmalley]

Metro Moncton SuperDome!

I like The Hub too.

[StormShadow]

"The Hub" is a great name! It is so...Moncton. Good call!

[gehrhardt]

Oops, yeah I forgot about what the Acadians might think about naming it after Robert Monckton. :dunce:

[Jerry556]

am an acadian and i wouldn't mind whatsoever that they would call it Robert Monckton center, Dieppe is starting to be bit annoying with there all french point of view(i live in Moncton, and wouldn't even think of moving to Dieppe). And am french so i don't mind saying it.

[D3nZ]

The American Airlines Arena in Dallas has a façade similar to an old train station. The JLC* in London ON., reused the bricks of the old Inn that had occupied its site.

Good news is that the city took the same company that proposed the JLC in London. I personally think that the John Labatt Center is one of the most beautiful arenas in North America, including the "The Ralph" in North Dakota, another nice arena with brown brick facade.

[BlackYear]

I don't think calling it the "Robert Monckton Centre" will fly. Since the the new arena will most likely need corporate backing down the road, the arena will probably end up having a name change some time during the course of its existence.

Honor the name Robert Monckton on another project.

Naming it with the words Acadien or Acadian won't fly either. I have nothing against Acadians, Acadiens or anything associated with this name, but it doesn't sound good. The word Acadien draws a lot of controversy among English and French so let's leave it out.

The Hub would make a great nickname and that's about it.

If a corporate name is not introduced, I like the following name.

- Hub City Complex (we can nickname it "The Hub")
- Codiac Centre
- The Moncton Metrodome (we can nickname it "The Dome")

That's all I have for now.:)

[StormShadow]

The JLC is similar in size and scope of what Moncton should try to do. Not just the aesthetics of the arena, but the business plan. It's a partnership between Global Spectrum (Philly Flyers) and the city. London gets tons of concerts, because of this partnership. I am sure Moncton can learn from and even improve on this arena. The wiki page has some good info. Another arena management company worth a cup of coffee with is AEG.

[riverviewer]

I like "Hub" alot. A rink is the center of the round structure with the staircases between the seats like spokes.

The outside could also tie into the hub theme by incorporating the Via Rail station, the Acadian Bus Depot, and a new Codiac city bus Transfer Station.

As the direct French translation of "Hub" is "Centre" calling it the "Centre Moncton Hub" is a truly bilingual solution. The word "Moncton" could be replaced by any corporate sponsor name.

[BlackYear]

If the new arena is built on the site of Highfield Sq, the Bay would have to move somewhere, right? A reliable source tells me it is one of the better performing locations in Atlantic Canada. I wonder how reluctant the Bay would be to sell their location and move to a new one in this economy?



I would need to see the books on this one. I'm surprised they haven't closed their doors yet. I drive by The Bay almost everyday and never see anyone walk in or walk out. Parking lot is always more empty than full. And on the very few times I have ever walked in myself, the place always had more staff than customers.

The building itself is almost eyesore with hardly no windows or any upgrades done in the past 30 years and if it wasn't for the pedway, the place would have no motivation for anyone to walk in except for the yellow words "The Bay".

The city could easily expropriate the land. I'm sure the Bay could find a new home in the Trinity area easily enough.

[mylesmalley]

I've wondered the same thing, Budyser. Perhaps what they lack in volume, they make up in sky-high prices. I wouldnt' know because I don't think I've ever bought anything there. That said, HBC is a Canadian institution (even though it's owned by the Americans) and I think it'd be a real shame if it closed. Though it'd be just as big a shame if they moved to the edge of town.

HBC Place has a neat ring to it. Seeing as how it's neighbor has a similar name, Dominion Park/Place/Plaza would be cool too.

As for Robert Monckton, even though I doubt it would cause too much of a stir, I wouldn't be terribly thrilled if we blew an opportunity like this to name an attraction after a guy like that. I think his only accomplishment was that managed to uproot much of a people against their will and dump them all down the Eastern Seaboard where they wouldn't be a nuisance.

[brod3211]

http://www.downtownmoncton.nb.ca/strategicplan.php check that out i'm sure we have all found this but, I noticed there plans for st. george street on there if you go down the page its pretty interesting, it mentions the old abandoned gas station on the corner of high and st. George (northwest corner) and how they plan a 4 storey apartment or condo.

[StormShadow]

I would need to see the books on this one. I'm surprised they haven't closed their doors yet. I drive by The Bay almost everyday and never see anyone walk in or walk out. Parking lot is always more empty than full. And on the very few times I have ever walked in myself, the place always had more staff than customers.

That sounds like the Bay out here! lol! I'm not sure what the future holds for that chain, nationally. Apparently, 1) Sydney 2) Moncton 3) Dartmouth 4) Halifax. Hard to believe isn't it?

[MonctonRad]

That sounds like the Bay out here! lol! I'm not sure what the future holds for that chain, nationally. Apparently, 1) Sydney 2) Moncton 3) Dartmouth 4) Halifax. Hard to believe isn't it?

So, you're saying that the Moncton Bay store is the second busiest in the whole chain? That is truly difficult to believe!

This doesn't say very much for the future of HBC. On the other hand, the new owners of the chain did say that they were going to convert some of the locations into Lord & Taylor department stores. They are pretty posh. Maybe Moncton would be one of them. :haha: :D :haha:

[MonctonRad]

As for Robert Monckton, even though I doubt it would cause too much of a stir, I wouldn't be terribly thrilled if we blew an opportunity like this to name an attraction after a guy like that. I think his only accomplishment was that managed to uproot much of a people against their will and dump them all down the Eastern Seaboard where they wouldn't be a nuisance.


You should read the article on Robert Monckton in Wikipedia Myles, I wrote most of it.

He had a very accomplished military and administrative career, including:
- victor of Fort Beausejour/Fort Gaspareaux
- second in command at the Plains of Abraham
- victor of Martinique
- Governor of Nova Scotia
- Governor of the Province of New York
- offered command of the British forces in North America.

About the only stain on his career is the expulsion of the Acadians, and even then he was only following Governor Lawrences orders. The only reason he was put in charge of this debacle is because he was commander of the largest English force in the region at that time. In other words, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[kirjtc2]

The city could easily expropriate the land. I'm sure the Bay could find a new home in the Trinity area easily enough.

They could move into Champlain Place when Wal-Mart moves out.

(Mark my words. Wal-Mart will move out. Eventually. They want nothing to do with malls.)

[StormShadow]

So, you're saying that the Moncton Bay store is the second busiest in the whole chain? That is truly difficult to believe!

This doesn't say very much for the future of HBC. On the other hand, the new owners of the chain did say that they were going to convert some of the locations into Lord & Taylor department stores. They are pretty posh. Maybe Moncton would be one of them. :haha: :D :haha:

NO! I said Atlantic Canada (post#4104) Gimme a break :haha:

[MonctonRad]

I like "Hub" alot. A rink is the center of the round structure with the staircases between the seats like spokes.

The outside could also tie into the hub theme by incorporating the Via Rail station, the Acadian Bus Depot, and a new Codiac city bus Transfer Station.

As the direct French translation of "Hub" is "Centre" calling it the "Centre Moncton Hub" is a truly bilingual solution. The word "Moncton" could be replaced by any corporate sponsor name.


I think we should keep it simple and just call the facility "The/Le Hub"

[MonctonRad]

NO! I said Atlantic Canada (post#4104) Gimme a break :haha:


OK - that makes a lot more sense, the Moncton Bay is busier than either of the two Halifax locations. I can believe that, whew....

[mylesmalley]

How about 'The Facility'. Give it a James Bond theme

[BlackYear]

They could move into Champlain Place when Wal-Mart moves out.

(Mark my words. Wal-Mart will move out. Eventually. They want nothing to do with malls.)

Not if Sears has anything to say about it! Not a chance.

[mylesmalley]

You should read the article on Robert Monckton in Wikipedia Myles, I wrote most of it.

He had a very accomplished military and administrative career, including:
- victor of Fort Beausejour/Fort Gaspareaux
- second in command at the Plains of Abraham
- victor of Martinique
- Governor of Nova Scotia
- Governor of the Province of New York
- offered command of the British forces in North America.

About the only stain on his career is the expulsion of the Acadians, and even then he was only following Governor Lawrences orders. The only reason he was put in charge of this debacle is because he was commander of the largest English force in the region at that time. In other words, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The consumer behaviour course I'm taking at the moment would argue that perception is reality. I'd add to that the fact that there is still a movement to get the Queen to apologize for the expulsion, so wether he did it intentionally or not, he was an officer in the colonial forces and that'd probably upset some people.

Plus it really would confuse a lot of people to see it spelt Monckton :haha:

[riverviewer]

I think we should keep it simple and just call the facility "The/Le Hub"

Can't wait for the exhibition game:

"The Habs play the Hub"

[mmmatt]

I kinda like "The Hub" idea for a name...has a nice ring to it...altough I would hope it would be a temp name and we could see something like "Assumption Center" or "Armour Arena". Of course with Robert owning the Wildcats and all it might be in his best intrest reserving the naming rights...ie Cavendish Place or Majesta Center haha.

I threw together a little design for our idea...I expect David to tear it to pieces, but oh well, I dont claim to be good haha!

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/CMA/TheHub.png

[mylesmalley]

Nice job, Matt!
Only problem with calling it Majesta Centre is people will probably call it the Toilet Bowl :D

[gehrhardt]

Plus it really would confuse a lot of people to see it spelt Monckton :haha:

I was just making a joke about that very thing when I mentioned it. I didn't think it would spark this much debate. :haha:

[MonctonRad]

Only problem with calling it Majesta Centre is people will probably call it the Toilet Bowl :D


ROFL!!!
:haha: :lmao: :haha:

[JasonL-Moncton]

I REALLY like "The Hub"....that's a fantastic name.

Heck it could even be called the Irving Hub Center...nicknamed the hub...or any 'Corporate name Hub Center"

[JimiThing]

I REALLY like "The Hub"....that's a fantastic name.

Heck it could even be called the Irving Hub Center...nicknamed the hub...or any 'Corporate name Hub Center"

We should not leave out Molson they could be a key player in a new Sports Center.

- Molson Dome
- Molson Hub Center
- Molson Coliseum

[David_99]

I threw together a little design for our idea...I expect David to tear it to pieces, but oh well, I dont claim to be good haha!

No that's great! I actually had an eerily similar idea last night, hub cap and all. Then I thought, would people get confused with the hub cap comedy festival? What kind of hub are we? We have a lot of dealerships but we're not a car manufacturing city like Detroit. If they wanted to build on the car theme anyway, great. If not I could see them going more "plain" like this:

http://www.geocities.com/davidchenard99/hub.gif

[JimiThing]

We should not leave out Molson they could be a key player in a new Sports Center.

- Molson Dome
- Molson Hub Center
- Molson Coliseum

Here's something quick I came up with.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/tibrcr/MonctonMolsonColiseum.jpg

[David_99]

:previous:

:tup: Very nice!!

[mmmatt]

Great designs guys! :D

[mylesmalley]

We could really run with this Toilet Bowl Idea. Just think, the building is practically beside the river, which flushes itself twice daily...

Or not.


On a more serious note, the construction of the building made me think of something. While I'd personally prefer to see it behind Assumption Place, would the terrain there be suitable? It seems to me that these facilities are usually built about half in-ground so that when people walk in the front door they're midway up seating. Because there's so much fill and swamp soil down by the river, could such a structure even be built there? Or would it constantly have issues with brown river water seeping onto the ice surface cementing its Toilet Bowl monicker forever?

And speaking of soil. Does anyone know if there are any contamination issues with Highfield Square? It would be a shame to see a project get halted because the soil under it needed a few years to air out.

[curious]

It is hard to believe that this bay is the busiest, I just wrote them an email the other day telling them they needed to upgrade their store. LOL. It is nothing compared to Dartmouth

[JimiThing]

As far as soil suitability goes along Assumption Blvd. It is poor! As an example the courthouse is going on a pile foundation.
However, as we all know the city's ground elevation increases as we go from the river towards Main Street and towards west main.
Therefore Highfield square may just be elevated enough...who knows?

As for soil contamination. It could be, back in the day there were allot of railroad tracks around that area.

[curious]

The smaller downtown eateries do OK in the summertime, especially when all the downtown patios are open. It's the six long months of winter that do them in.

We need something to help make the downtown a destination during the colder months of the year.

What could the city do to bring thousands of people downtown on a regular basis during January & February?

What sort of venue could become a downtown destination.......

What could this be........
It is crazy that everything closes so early downtown like cafe cognito etc. My friend came down from Halifax and I went to take her out and there was no real place to go. The gate was so packed you couldn't move, the triangle was ok for a while but then the music was just getting old, Rouge was really $$ and they played LOTS of techno, O2 was a tinybop bar and the rodeo well enough said. Too bad there wasn't a place that played live music (ie cover tunes etc) that people could get up and dance to (hopefully there would be room to dance). They need a draw to downtown. I am neither here or there for casinos but it would of helped the downtown area. Too bad there wasn't more indie retail stores like terra verde

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Welcome to the forum curious

[StormShadow]

On a more serious note, the construction of the building made me think of something. While I'd personally prefer to see it behind Assumption Place, would the terrain there be suitable? It seems to me that these facilities are usually built about half in-ground so that when people walk in the front door they're midway up seating. Because there's so much fill and swamp soil down by the river, could such a structure even be built there? Or would it constantly have issues with brown river water seeping onto the ice surface cementing its Toilet Bowl monicker forever?

And speaking of soil. Does anyone know if there are any contamination issues with Highfield Square? It would be a shame to see a project get halted because the soil under it needed a few years to air out.

Excellent question, Myles. I would be surprised if there is enough soil bearing capacity around Assumption Place. To have a 12,000 spectator arena and a parking structure to support it- it's a combo that would be heavier than the 22 storey office building and like you said, its closer to the river. I don't think it's do-able, but if it is possible your cost is going to go too high.

There was some sort of soil contamination when they were building the new Shoppers near Highfield Sq. Another reason why they do a site analysis.

[mmmatt]

It is crazy that everything closes so early downtown like cafe cognito etc. My friend came down from Halifax and I went to take her out and there was no real place to go. The gate was so packed you couldn't move, the triangle was ok for a while but then the music was just getting old, Rouge was really $$ and they played LOTS of techno, O2 was a tinybop bar and the rodeo well enough said. Too bad there wasn't a place that played live music (ie cover tunes etc) that people could get up and dance to (hopefully there would be room to dance). They need a draw to downtown. I am neither here or there for casinos but it would of helped the downtown area. Too bad there wasn't more indie retail stores like terra verde

First off welcome to the forum curious, glad to have you on board :)

I agree there needs to be more options downtown, however I personally think we have quite a bit speaking on a per capita basis. Comparing to Halifax (as Im sure your friend did) is useless as they are over 3 times our size and have a famous bar scene. Moncton has a variety of options downtown and beyond what you mentioned I would reccomend Doc Dylans and Wise Guys if you are just looking to chill and possibly dance to some live music. Both places frequently have bands in that play covers and whatnot, and lots are very good. Ive heard the place that took over the former Shashas is quite good as well...a little bit $$ like Rouge, but better music.

Projects like the new Justice Center and new Arena will certainly help to attract more resturants and pubs/clubs, so be sure our options will continue to steadily expand. :)

[mmmatt]

Excellent question, Myles. I would be surprised if there is enough soil bearing capacity around Assumption Place. To have a 12,000 spectator arena and a parking structure to support it- it's a combo that would be heavier than the 22 storey office building and like you said, its closer to the river. I don't think it's do-able, but if it is possible your cost is going to go too high.

There was some sort of soil contamination when they were building the new Shoppers near Highfield Sq. Another reason why they do a site analysis.

While I agree there would be higher costs involved with building behind Assumption Place it would not be impossible, just as with all the tall buildings downtown piles would need to be driven, but personally I think it is worth it in the end as that spot is more centrally located and better positioned to take advantage of spin-off $$$. Plus it would fill in that lot completely and make that whole area much better looking (which is very much needed). Other advantages is that it could be connected by pedway to the Delta to provide easy access to the hotel and beyond (main st, resturants etc). Just my thoughts...I wouldnt be dissapointed if it ends up on the Highfield site...could be connected to Crowne Plaza etc.

[StormShadow]

As far as soil suitability goes along Assumption Blvd. It is poor! As an example the courthouse is going on a pile foundation.

Well there ya go. I don't think an arena would be suitable for this location. The good news is (or bad news, depending how you look at it) there are other locations downtown, Highfield Square (oh so that's how it got it's name- High field, higher ground :haha: ) is just a stone's throw away.

Highfield is my #1 site. How about some alternative sites to anticipate the upcoming report...I always thought that block of Steadman/Queen/King and Main would be a good location since the traffic circle isn't too far away.

[StormShadow]

While I agree there would be higher costs involved with building behind Assumption Place it would not be impossible, just as with all the tall buildings downtown piles would need to be driven, but personally I think it is worth it in the end as that spot is more centrally located and better positioned to take advantage of spin-off $$$. Plus it would fill in that lot completely and make that whole area much better looking (which is very much needed).

Yeah I like that location because it is really in the heart of downtown, rather than the edge like Highfield.

I have reservations about that site because it's tight to fight a 12,000 seater. PLUS the parking! Don't forget about the parking, its going to be crucial to the success of this arena. Moncton is a suburban city (sorry guys) and the perception has to be that there is adequate parking like there is at the strip malls and power centers. The perception of inadequate parking hurts the Halifax Metro Center- or at least it did when I lived there.

[MonctonRad]

The issue of soil contamination at the Highfield site is an interesting one, but I don't believe that it should be a problem.

If I am correct, Highfield Square was built on the former site of the ICR Headquarters Building and train station. This property was actually used for institutional and not industrial purposes. The actual tracks themselves and the ancillary industrial buildings were actually to the south, where the current tracks and the current VIA station are located. There shouldn't be any contamination at Highfield itself.

I am aware of the contamination issues at the new Shoppers Drug Mart on Vaughn Harvey, but that is not surprising because that area was a true railway brownfield site. Highfield should be OK.

Regarding the Assumption site, soil stability issues could potentially be a huge problem for any proposal to build an arena here. This could kill any proposal to build the arena in that location.

As I have said before, my sentimental choice for a location for the new arena is behind Assumption. It would complete the downtown and provide a huge economic boost to Main Street. While my heart is at Assumption, my head is telling me that Highfield would be better. More land to work with, better parking and better access to Vaughn Harvey, West Main and the Gunningsville Bridge. Like StormShadow says, Moncton is essentially a suburban city. We have to support the downtown as much as we can but realistically, most patrons of the arena will hop in their cars and drive back to the suburbs after the game or concert. There has to be good road/transit access. Highfield would be better.

[BlackYear]

When they announced the casino was to be located near Magnetic Hill, I was first disappointed. I hoped they would place it on the old Beaver Lumber lot. But soon after, the big buzz concerning a new stadium was the hot topic. So I thought, yeah, put the arena on the Beaver lot. That would generate a lot more stir for downtown. The casino near the highway, the hill and golf courses fits right in. I'm happy.

New arena downtown, just like Montreal's Bell centre. I love this idea. Just think of all the people on Main street before and after games, concerts and shows. Restaurants, bars and specialty shops all over Main street and side streets just buzzing with activities.

But now that dream shattered when the announcement came in for the new Justice building to be located on the Beaver lot. That sucks! I'm looking at satellite images and there's absolutely no room for a Justice building and an arena.

Then I thought, put the new arena at Highfield square. The train station is right there, Vaugn Harvey is near by, Albert street offers parking, etc. But for some reason, it doesn't really excite me all that much. That downtown buzz before and after the games and shows doesn't really seem the same as my above mentioned dream!

[mmmatt]

I'm looking at satellite images and there's absolutely no room for a Justice building and an arena.

Sure there is...here is a cruddy layout (using my gfs laptop haha) of what it could look like, using London, ONs John Labatt Center as reference (10,200 capacity). The arena image is taken from the google satellite image at the same zoom level as the backround moncton image.

Red - Justice Center
Green - 3-4 floor parking garage

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/CMA/Arena.jpg

There could also be an access road built between the arena and justice center to provide easier access to the garage from Assumption. Just an idea.

[mylesmalley]

I have to agree with you there, matt. There's tons of room back there for a building. of course, there has to be a willingness to build an appropriately large parking structure. Otherwise, you wouldn't have nearly enough room.

[mmmatt]

I have to agree with you there, matt. There's tons of room back there for a building. of course, there has to be a willingness to build an appropriately large parking structure. Otherwise, you wouldn't have nearly enough room.


Exactly, that garage would need to be large enough to handle the Justice Center, Assumption Place, Delta Hotel and the Arena. Id say at 3-4 floors over that area it could do it no problem. And if need be there is lots of other space around for garages.

[Jerry556]

ya that's just too tight, even with a parking garage(which would cost a lot of money for what your proposing would def get shut down by the goverment(too much money), not even counting the cost of putting piles under the stadium(even extra cash needed then if they would build it a highfield. it would prob work if the whole money aspect wouldnt be involved, but it would be a(sorry for the word) clusterfuck to get out of there after a game.

[StormShadow]

yeah Jerry, I think it would be tough to get your vehicles in and out of there. But you know, that's pretty much EVERY downtown stadium's problem. The question is, would the Moncton market tolerate it? I'm not so sure. I do like that it is so close to the heart of downtown, and if I were attending a game, I would hit a pub while traffic empties out. - Better yet, a restaurant/pub/sports bar would be built into the arena and accessed from street level. Lots of potential with this arena here.

[StormShadow]

Did anyone read the articles today in the T&T, I'm sure mmmatt or myles will post them later. Sounds like this forum's mindset and the study are on the same page. Plus, a metro area of only 125,000 is forced to turn away acts, wow. just wow. The cartoon today sums it up perfectly.

[David_99]

- Better yet, a restaurant/pub/sports bar would be built into the arena and accessed from street level. Lots of potential with this arena here.

Exactly. The Bell Centre has the Cage aux Sports and it's a great place to meet before or after a game. From there it's not a long walk if you wanted to bar-hop.

Also the Bay parking ends right at the train overpass which is right on the boundary of "the heart of downtown". If you can walk to your car, you can walk another block.

[mmmatt]

Evidence abounds for Metro Centre

Published Friday February 13th, 2009
D6

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=247658&size=600x0

It may not be articulated in an official report yet, but it is obvious a good business case already exists for construction of a multi-use Metro Centre in Moncton.

Thursday city officials revealed that while it is only February, they already have 27 dates for which concert promoters have asked for a "hold" on the Coliseum so they can bring in major acts. The year is still young and we've just been through the slowest period of the year for such activity but already Moncton is looking at an average of more than two concerts a month. And that is despite the Coliseum's well-known limitations, including a low ceiling that prevents many large acts from stopping here.

Imagine what could be done with a Metro Centre if 27 possible acts for the Coliseum are already lined up for this year; imagine how successful a larger capacity venue without the Coliseum's drawbacks could be; imagine how attractive it would be to promoters who know Moncton is a hot entertainment market and would like to bring acts in but do not in many cases because of the drawbacks, including limited capacity.

A Metro Centre is not merely a good idea, rather the evidence is there that Moncton is a hot market that would support such a centre; a hot market with considerable potential to grow even hotter with larger name acts and bigger productions.

This speaks directly to the business case that is being prepared now by consultants studying a Metro Centre's viability. It also speaks directly to the concerns of some city councillors, many of whom like the idea and are ready to support it but want to see a solid business case first.

There is already plenty of evidence, including the comments recently by the president of the Gillette Entertainment Group, one of Canada's larger promotion firms, that a larger more flexible Metro Centre would bring immediate benefits and make the city much more attractive to firms such as his. And with a similar centre in Halifax, Moncton's would help achieve an economy of scale for touring acts that make stops in the region much more likely.

And all this is just the concert business. As a multi-use facility, including ice-surface for ice sports, A Metro Centre offers further economic benefits. As well, it would have some supplemental convention facilities to complement facilities downtown hotels already have, making it much easier for large conventions to consider Moncton. This too is an area with great potential for growth and only the lack of facilities has held us back in recent years.

All in all, the evidence is out there and it is accumulation almost daily; it's real: there is a solid business case for a Metro Centre.





- We had to pan METALLICA because of this outdated facility!!! Can you believe this? That to me is a huge disappointment as I was really hoping they would stop by soon.

[mmmatt]

Up in the air

Times & Transcript
Published Friday February 13th, 2009

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=247656&size=500x0

Papa John’s Pizza manager Darren Eaton tosses pizza dough in the old-school style yesterday. The restaurant opened yesterday on Mountain Road.





- I drove by it the other day and it took me by surprise...sorta seemed like it came out of nowhere haha, one day its a needs, next day its torn apart, next day its a papa johns! Not complaining though, need to get down there soon :)

[gehrhardt]

- We had to pan METALLICA because of this outdated facility!!! Can you believe this? That to me is a huge disappointment as I was really hoping they would stop by soon.

Really? Metallica? Dammit that would've been unbelievable. :rock: I wonder if they'd play the 'Hill....

[mmmatt]

Really? Metallica? Dammit that would've been unbelievable. :rock: I wonder if they'd play the 'Hill....


Yea I know...its really sad, they have played the coliseum twice before but their stage show is just too massive now to fit.

That would be awesome if they did play the hill...AC/DC + them would be a dream come true, but I don't think they would play together for some reason haha.

We will have to wait and see, hopefully we will hear word soon on what we will see. It was around the middle of March last year that the Eagles were announced, so maybe we will see the same time frame this year as well. Fingers crossed for a good rock show :)

[kirjtc2]

Get Metallica there to the hill for 2010. Problem solved. :)

[StormShadow]

I passed on AC/DC shows in November and January at the Skydome (Rogers Ctr). I'm holding out hope they play the Hill, I am so there if they do! VIP seats all the way! I really think it's going to be them, and that's good because it should be close to the #1 grossing tour of the year.

I like Metallica a lot more though, but their audience is too narrow to draw the big numbers for the hill.

[mmmatt]

I passed on AC/DC shows in November and January at the Skydome (Rogers Ctr). I'm holding out hope they play the Hill, I am so there if they do! VIP seats all the way! I really think it's going to be them, and that's good because it should be close to the #1 grossing tour of the year.

I like Metallica a lot more though, but their audience is too narrow to draw the big numbers for the hill.

Yeah I agree, AC/DC would be amazing, Id be there in a second, not only is their music awesome but they put on one hell of a show.

Im fairly certain Metallica could easily have a similar size crowd to the Eagles if they had a couple strong opening bands.

[Jerry556]

just passed by the papa johns, its mad house in there, lol, cant even get in the parking lot

[MonctonRad]

Metro centre a 'regional facility'
Published Friday February 13th, 2009

Consultants working fast so Moncton council can make decisions soon on flagship project
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff

Just days into his firm's feasibility study, Jonathan Hack said yesterday it was too early to know if there is a market for a multi-purpose civic facility in downtown Moncton. However, he said IBI Group should have an interim report to Moncton city council by the end of next month and a final report completed in April.

"We're trying to get some answers pretty quickly so council can make some tough decisions," he said.

Hack is a senior associate with IBI Group, a Toronto-based consulting organization that offers services in urban land, facilities, transportation and systems.

The firm was hired in January by the city to do a feasibility study for a downtown multi-use centre and has done similar work in Charlottetown, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and London, Ontario. The consulting firm has also done relevant work with recreational facility projects in about a dozen other cities in Canada and the United States. Hack's curriculum vitae also includes diverse work around the globe, from San Bernadino, Calif., to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

A key consideration in the coming weeks will be determining the pros and cons of a number of downtown sites, but for obvious reasons of potential land speculation, no one was willing to talk about specifics when he and his associate Catherine Pan, a planner and economist, spoke with the Times & Transcript.

Given that the best economic impact from such a facility will come from building in the downtown core, it's not hard for anyone with even a passing knowledge of the downtown's geography to guess at the potential sites between Vaughan Harvey Boulevard and Hall's Creek that lie along or near the Main Street corridor.

Whether it was a professional eye or just what's obvious to any visitor, Hack noted the bad and good of the city's current situation.

"Downtown's got holes in it," he said, "but what we were struck by is the amount of new development."

Meanwhile, those holes provide, "a real opportunity to make a centre with street edge retail."

The idea of presenting open windows and amenities on a human scale at street level is a key concept of successful downtown development and now enshrined in Moncton's planning bylaws, so any design would require such features at any rate. Anyone picturing a metal-sided, blank wall, a Moncton Coliseum plunked down on the side of Main Street, need not worry. But beyond esthetics, the presence of retail or other commercial space, residential space, or even other public spaces like a gallery or museum would all be part of making such a centre economically sustainable, so Hack's point is significant.

"An arena alone can't stimulate a downtown. It has to be part of a bigger plan," he said.

Already the consultants have met with Moncton city council, key city staff, and a number of business people as they do a situational analysis of the area.

They will want to broaden their scope in the days to come.

"This is not a community centre," he said. "This is a regional facility and should be viewed as an economic development project. Moncton plays an important regional role and it's downtown needs renewal."

"Because it's a regional focus, you have to ask questions about who's going to benefit."

It may seem hard to believe for a city accustomed to waiting a decade for development of the former Beaver Lumber properties, but based on Hack's experience with such projects, he said even a massive, multifunctional complex that reinvents downtown could happen in fairly short order.

"From beginning of a feasibility study to opening of doors could be four years, or even three," he said.

Meanwhile, he said, "the design aspect is absolutely critical," to the success of such projects. In cities where such projects are looked at as just a big arena is where they fail to generate significant economic impacts.

[MonctonRad]

Need for new Gunningsville school on Minister's radar
February 13, 2009 - 3:53 pm
By: Cathy LeBreton - News 91.9 Staff


MONCTON, NB - Education Minister Kelly Lamrock says a new K-8 school is in the cards for East Riverview, but he stops short of saying when the ball will get rolling on the project.

The area is served by both the Gunningsville and Lower Coverdale schools, which were built in the 1950's.

The Gunningsville school was built for 150 students and now houses 250, mostly in portable classrooms.

Lamrock says it's a situation that he's well aware of.

"There's no doubt Gunningsville needs a new school and there's also no doubt the district has identified it as a top priority. I have no doubt in the years ahead it will be built, but we can't bankrupt the classroom to pay for buildings."

When asked if he could give a timeline for an announcement, the minister offered a vague promise.

"All I can tell you is if you go back and check the schools you were asking me about two years ago, they're all built now and I suspect the schools you're asking me about now will be built fairly soon too."

[mmmatt]

Metro centre a 'regional facility'
Published Friday February 13th, 2009

Consultants working fast so Moncton council can make decisions soon on flagship project
By Brent Mazerolle
Times & Transcript Staff



nice article

Its great to hear what the consultants are thinking so far...and his opinion echos most peoples on here...downtown has a lot of free space, but there is momentum growing at the moment and this arena project coupled with the Justice Center could really throw it into overdrive :)

Im glad to see they will be done so soon...I expected 5 months or something, but April is not long at all!

[@Champlain]

Champlain Place Tenant

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Welcome @Champlain, judging from your "handle", you must be one of the store owners at Champlain Place. If so, perhaps you can keep us abreast of developments there.

Do you have any juicy gossip re: possible new tenants? :D

[BlackYear]

Hey mmmatt

You should try using Microsoft Live Search Maps for satellite photos. Much more accurate with more up to date photos. http://maps.live.com/

In any case, I took the Moncton Coliseum without the agrena complex and pasted over the same area as the JLC which you added on your pic. Keep in mind you would need to increase the new arena by, I'm guessing, 25% greater in size. Tight squeeze!

The Justice Centre would fit easily over the Beaver empty lot.

This would give room for a multi level parking garage between the Justice Centre and the Assumption building.

Again, a very tight squeeze but do-able. As long as the underground can support these 3 major structures.

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

[David_99]

Heard rumour from a good source that the winter months are taking its tole on Rouge Resto. Summer profits aren't enough to offset winter loses and it's only a matter of time :(

[@Champlain]

:previous:

Welcome @Champlain, judging from your "handle", you must be one of the store owners at Champlain Place. If so, perhaps you can keep us abreast of developments there.

Do you have any juicy gossip re: possible new tenants? :D

Unfortunately, owners & managers don't know much in advance of what's coming and going at Champlain. Secondly, before deals are signed, we are not at liberty to discuss these things, sorry. After lurking around this board; people should keep in mind that often many chains & franchise stores look for mall locations and not bigbox locations; especially higher-end tenants. Regardless of what's going on at Trinity :rolleyes:, the best is yet to come for Champlain.

[Jerry556]

all i have to say about champlain place is that Cadillac fairview better start lowering there rates or that mall wont last another 20 years! big blow to them a soon ass walmart moves out. all the little guys wont be able to keep it open. And the whole thing about highend store not going to trinity i kinda not true, theres already loads of high end retailers at trinity(island beach, Roots, danier clothing,etc) , some that actually moved out of champlain place(sony store will be moving to trinity).

[Jerry556]

?

[MonctonRad]

Unfortunately, owners & managers don't know much in advance of what's coming and going at Champlain. Secondly, before deals are signed, we are not at liberty to discuss these things, sorry. After lurking around this board; people should keep in mind that often many chains & franchise stores look for mall locations and not bigbox locations; especially higher-end tenants. Regardless of what's going on at Trinity :rolleyes:, the best is yet to come for Champlain.

I appreciate your legal obligations for confidentiality, but once the ink has become dry on the contract, it would be nice if you could give us at least a vague rumour of what might be announced for the mall.

BTW, are you insinuating that there might be new high end retailers lining up for space at the mall? What about a restaurant to replace Don Cherry's?

[@Champlain]

all i have to say about champlain place is that Cadillac fairview better start lowering there rates or that mall wont last another 20 years! big blow to them a soon ass walmart moves out. all the little guys wont be able to keep it open. And the whole thing about highend store not going to trinity i kinda not true, theres already loads of high end retailers at trinity(island beach, Roots, danier clothing,etc) , some that actually moved out of champlain place(sony store will be moving to trinity).


Those stores are not what's considered high-end stores and those versions located at Trinity are actually outlet versions of the real store; (ex: roots73). BTW, the Moncton area doesn't really have any higher-end or upper-end stores at this time; (ex: Pottery Barn, Zara, Apple, just to name a few... or even an H&M). If you would like a more specific list of high-end tenants take a look at Yorkdale in Toronto, with sales per square foot of around 1000$; the highest in Canada.

[ErickMontreal]

Those stores are not what's considered high-end stores and those version located at Trinity are actually outlet versions of the real store; (ex: roots73) BTW, the Moncton area doesn't really have any higher-end or upper-end stores at this time. (ex: Pottery Barn, Zara, Apple, just to name a few... or even an H&M)

From a Moncton perspective, MEXX could be considered high-end.

The next step would be :

Urban Outfiter
American Apparel
B2
Esprit
Banana Republic
Tristan America
BCBG
Geox
Guess
Jonathan
David Bitton... ect

[bam63]

How about trying an overlay at the Hollis property.Things always seem to happen the way we least expect them to.My money is on two plots,highfield or hollis.The Hollis property is for sale,no contamination issues,whole blocks of derelic bldgs to build parking garages,hotel,retail,residential the list goes on and on,also an opportunity for a total redevelopment of east main and would certainly carry over to the east side of king st. ie robichaud condo project.
The highfield project will totally hinge on the sobeys group,but the project would work nicely there too.It just will not happen on beaver lumber property,no way josee. My 2 cents.

[curious]

That is a shame that the rouge may close, it may have to do with the cost there, it is really expensive. We stayed for one drink then went to the gate

[Jerry556]

does anybody know if somethings gona happen with the empty borded lot on main, in front of near the capitol, around there.??

[StormShadow]

How about trying an overlay at the Hollis property.Things always seem to happen the way we least expect them to.My money is on two plots,highfield or hollis.The Hollis property is for sale,no contamination issues,whole blocks of derelic bldgs to build parking garages,hotel,retail,residential the list goes on and on,also an opportunity for a total redevelopment of east main and would certainly carry over to the east side of king st. ie robichaud condo project.
The highfield project will totally hinge on the sobeys group,but the project would work nicely there too.It just will not happen on beaver lumber property,no way josee. My 2 cents.

I think the report will list those 2 sites out of a half dozen and it will come down to those 2 sites in the end. It's all about vehicle access and either end on Main Street is the best place to put it. One site near Wheeler/Traffic circle, the other site at Vaughan Harvey/ Bridge/ West Main. Good access. The only development I can see happening near Assumption is another hotel, office tower/complex or a parking garage.

[mylesmalley]

does anybody know if somethings gona happen with the empty borded lot on main, in front of near the capitol, around there.??

It's been like that for years. I'm told the problem is parking. At least one developer that I'm aware of approached the city about putting an apartment building there that included an underground parking garage. The city apparently wasn't too keen on the idea of access off Main. Leasing parking from other buildings was also an issue because people don't like having to walk a long distance from home to park their cars. Now that Boomerangs is closed though, perhaps we'll see some movement there finally.

As for Hollis Block. I totally agree there's a lot of land there that could use some sprucing up. My only concern would be the traffic. Putting it there would mean the structure would be surrounded by narrow 2-lane streets and there isn't much room down there for any kind of widening. To be really efficient, the structure should be built on a major arterial road that can handle high volumes of traffic that comes in spurts. I have to say it was pretty smart of the city to build Wheeler next to the Coliseum. Having a high-speed connection to all parts of the city right next to a major venue gets a lot of traffic off Killam Drive that would normally get clogged up on city streets.

[MonctonRad]

It's been like that for years. I'm told the problem is parking. At least one developer that I'm aware of approached the city about putting an apartment building there that included an underground parking garage. The city apparently wasn't too keen on the idea of access off Main. Leasing parking from other buildings was also an issue because people don't like having to walk a long distance from home to park their cars. Now that Boomerangs is closed though, perhaps we'll see some movement there finally.

Boomerang's didn't really close, it's now a seasonal operation based out of Point-de-Chene. It has been replaced on its former site by the City Grill. It's a pretty good restaurant with a really nice urban atmosphere.

re: the empty lot on Main St., I can't imagine anyone thinking about putting underground parking there. The lot is so small, the entire basement area would be filled up by the ramp just to get down there in the first place! :haha:

The only thing that could go there would be a small storefront retail establishment with offices upstairs. Parking would have to be offsite and leased.

[MonctonRad]

Work Begins on Courthouse

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=247999&size=500x0

The work has begun on the property that will house the new Moncton courthouse at the corner of Westmorland Street and Assomption Boulevard.

[MonctonRad]

Riverview to widen, upgrade 'dangerous' road?
Published Saturday February 14th, 2009

Town council mulls over speeding process that would see Pine Glen Road upgraded with sidewalks
By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

Riverview council is considering speeding up a project that would see one of its main thoroughfares widened and given sidewalks.

The upper section of Pine Glen Road with its lack of sidewalks and narrow width were discussed by Riverview council at its meeting this week when a letter arrived from a concerned citizen. The street narrows considerably when the sidewalk runs out at the intersection of Pine Glen and Berkley Drive. Pine Glen Road is one of the town's main arteries, starting on Coverdale Road and connecting to several other key streets in the town, including Whitepine Road, Pinewood Road and Gunningsville Boulevard, before continuing on deep into Albert County. The road is one of several key streets that connect the downtown area to the growing Findlay Park development.

A letter from a concerned citizen was brought up at the town's regular meeting this week in which the resident expressed concern that the busy road, which borders the McAllister Park subdivision, needed sidewalks for safe walking.

The letter sparked debate among council members.

Mayor Clarence Sweetland acknowledged that the road is a "dangerous situation" that needs to be widened and needs sidewalks.

"It's been on our radar," he says.

Ward 4 Councillor Wayne Bennett noted he has seen a mother pushing a stroller for two children up the road and he says there is barely room for the stroller on the side of the road.

Other councillors echoed the mayor's words, saying the road needs plenty of work. The project, which would require major sewer work in addition to the widening and sidewalk addition, is estimated to cost about $7.5 million.

The mayor said council would like to see it widened and sidewalk added up until where Pine Glen meets Gunningsville Boulevard or perhaps even further, extending almost to the town's limits.

Upgrades to the road have been considered third on a list of infrastructure projects behind sewer work to Gunningsville Boulevard to make it more attractive to businesses and work on Bridgedale Boulevard, the next major artery the town is planning as it continues to try to lure business into the bedroom community.

Ken Sharpe, the town's director of engineering and public works, noted that perhaps the Pine Glen project could be bumped up on the priority list. Sharpe noted that the Pine Glen project might be easier to complete over the other two because there is still some land acquisition and other work needed on the others.

Coun. Claude Curwin noted that with the federal government preparing to dole out infrastructure cash to municipalities, the Pine Glen project is one Riverview could be ready to submit an application on soon if preparatory work was complete.

The federal government is preparing funds for projects that are "shovel-ready," Curwin said, and Pine Glen Road could be fairly quickly.

Preparatory work including designing the project and issuing tenders would cost a few hundred thousand dollars, Sharpe noted.

Deputy Mayor Ann Seamans said she would like to see more finalized numbers and would like to have time to consider the issue more before council makes a final decision.

In the end, council decided to mull over the Pine Glen Road issue for a few more weeks before moving ahead on it.

[bam63]

My thoughts exactly StormShadow

[mmmatt]

Work Begins on Courthouse

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=247999&size=500x0

The work has begun on the property that will house the new Moncton courthouse at the corner of Westmorland Street and Assomption Boulevard.

Awesome! Now lets get that crane up :)

[MonctonRad]

Awesome! Now lets get that crane up :)

That would be crane #2 for the year, with another 1-2 to go! :D

[bam63]

My thoughts exactly StormShadow

That would be crane #2 for the year, with another 1-2 to go! :D

Well i gotta say that is one sweet project on one sweet piece of land.Courthouse will do wonders there and spur spinoffs.I would like to see a few glass bldgs down in that area for some much needed depth.GOOD START THOUGH:cheers:

[David_99]

Boomerang's didn't really close, it's now a seasonal operation based out of Point-de-Chene. It has been replaced on its former site by the City Grill. It's a pretty good restaurant with a really nice urban atmosphere.

I highly recomend it for a special occasion. I've been there for New Years, a brunch a couple weeks back and last night on Vanlentines. The food and service are excellent and it's cheaper then the other higher end Moncton restaurants.

That is a shame that the rouge may close, it may have to do with the cost there, it is really expensive. We stayed for one drink then went to the gate

Moncton just doesn't have the population to sustain spots like that. It's a real shame that it has to close yet we can sustain the Rodeo and Cody's. :yuck:

Anyone remember when Voodoo had a dress code and was primarily for people 25+? I guess you can't survive if you restrict your clientele these days.

[theshark]

Is the rouge actually closed down for good or is it just going pretty rocky at the moment?

For what I think, I'ts only location location location. They are aiming at a certain clientel that currently resides in the burbs and from what I see, is not willing to travel to go to this location. I think it would be different if a couple more of high end condo towers would be downtown. That would bring some of theire clientel they aim for right at theire door steps. Not saying that it would solve the problem and it would always be full but at least it could make them a couple of hundred bucks more per weeks and that would help.

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

True, one of the major differences between Moncton and Halifax is that the downtown core in Halifax is much denser with a number of higher end condo and apartment buildings close to trendy areas such as Spring Garden Road.

That sort of atmosphere would be difficult to reproduce here in Moncton, especially given that the universities and hospitals in Halifax are all located downtown while in Moncton, neither U de M or ABU and neither of the two hospitals are truly "downtown".

The transformation in Moncton therefore will be slow and difficult and will never be as complete as it is in Halifax, but I am confident that at some point in the future, a critical mass of corporate, commercial and entertainment properties will be located in the downtown core sufficient to promote both the concept of downtown living and the ancillary retail stores and restaurants that will come along with that.

Until then certain high end restaurants like Rouge will have a tough go of it but things are changing. The new Marriott and Keg are welcome additions. Robichaud plans to build two higher end condo/apartment complexes on either end of downtown. The Justice Complex will also make a difference. If a downtown arena complex also gets built, this might give the downtown core the push it needs to become truly self sustaining. :)

We are almost there.

[mmmatt]

:previous:

True, one of the major differences between Moncton and Halifax is that the downtown core in Halifax is much denser with a number of higher end condo and apartment buildings close to trendy areas such as Spring Garden Road.

That sort of atmosphere would be difficult to reproduce here in Moncton, especially given that the universities and hospitals in Halifax are all located downtown while in Moncton, neither U de M or ABU and neither of the two hospitals are truly "downtown".

The transformation in Moncton therefore will be slow and difficult and will never be as complete as it is in Halifax, but I am confident that at some point in the future, a critical mass of corporate, commercial and entertainment properties will be located in the downtown core sufficient to promote both the concept of downtown living and the ancillary retail stores and restaurants that will come along with that.

Until then certain high end restaurants like Rouge will have a tough go of it but things are changing. The new Marriott and Keg are welcome additions. Robichaud plans to build two higher end condo/apartment complexes on either end of downtown. The Justice Complex will also make a difference. If a downtown arena complex also gets built, this might give the downtown core the push it needs to become truly self sustaining. :)

We are almost there.

Very well said, I agree 100% on that one :)

[MonctonRad]

Re: Moncton Marriott

I recopied this from one of the posts in the Halifax thread

Southwest owns hotels in Moncton and Dartmouth in partnership with New Castle Hotels.

Construction of the Dartmouth hotel at Dartmouth Crossing is in the final stages and will be completed by the end of this month. It will be open for business in April, Mr. Laing said.

The Moncton hotel opened in June and "is doing extremely well," said Mr. Laing.

"It has been rated from a customer service point of view as the top Marriott property in Canada."

:banana: :banana: :banana:

[JasonL-Moncton]

Ok... a few points.

Arena Facility - I really wish they'd stop calling it a Metro center. Highfield is the ideal location, downtown will be too congested once the justice center is there.

Champlain Place - @champlain there is an H&M opening in Champlain shortly. Champlain place hasn't really done anything exciting in years, they drove out Future Shop (it was cheaper for FS to buy land, and build a building than pay rent), are losing the Sony Store and will have no major electronics chain in the mall. They are potentially losing Wal-Mart which will be a major blow, what, really, could you replace it with (and you'd have to have it ready to go the instant WM left)? No restaurant (Don Cherry's) in the mall is a major fault IMHO, they again, made DC's leave because of high rent and gutted a perfect restaurant area (there's nothing left in there).

Bars - we do have the population to support the bars in Moncton but I see two major problems. 1) they are too far apart...back in the 90's downtown you had Spanky's, Ziggy's, Fat Tuesday's, and Cosmo...all on the same block, all people had to do was walk across the street. They were 'hopping' most of the time, but then some building owners didn't want to renew their leases and things started falling apart. If it's -25 outside it's no big deal to walk across the street...but do you really want to walk from Studio 700 to the Gate? 2) Another issue is it's too costly, when I used to work in the bars it was commonplace for bars to be busy between 9:30-10:00pm now the majority of people are going out between 11:30-12:30pm. What is driving this is a vicious circle, The bars are limited to about 2 hours of really making money versus their former 5 hours so their prices have to be raised, so people are staying home and drinking there. For example, I was buying a friend a drink at the rodeo one night and they were drinking Smirnoff Ice, when I got to the bar and ordered on and she asked me for $6.50 I damn near fell over! 4 - Smirnoff Ice at the liqour store (where it's already overpriced) is $12. When the Rodeo opened, student night (Thursday) had a happy hour of $1.25 beer and bar shots...all night. Fat's used to have $0.50cent draft nights...etc. Think about this a 40 ouncer of rye cost's roughly $40 at the store, they charge you at a nightclub roughly $4.50-$5.25...so that translates into $180-$210 / bottle. Why do they need to make 4-5 times the cost...it's insane. They make almost $3 on every bottle of beer.

Moncton is pretty spread out, and by nature looking for the 'deals' (shopping mecca)...I truly miss the days of having the option of 4 bars on the same block with 4 distinct styles. Spanky's became Mexi's and Terra Verde (yes Spanky's was once that big), Ziggy's is now Cora's, Fat's is now Pink Sushi, and the Cosmo is replaced by Studio 700 that sits empty most of the time.
Rouge caters to a certain crowd...if that crowd isn't going there...and there is nothing else around it to draw a crowd.

Jason

[StormShadow]

Club Cosmopolitan is no more? Damn, I've been gone awhile. Y'know there used to be a time when you could also go to the movies a block away and then hit the clubs. You could have a nice little evening right there, very convenient.

[BlackYear]

And yet another reason why the Coliseum is becoming more and more unsuitable for events. The BMW kiosk just fitting in with only a couple of metres to spare from the low ceiling.

I wonder if Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki had to scale back on their presentations?

If anyone is interested in viewing some of my pics of the 2009 Moncton Bike Show, you can view them at NBRiders.org (http://www.nbriders.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=4099)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/blacquiere/2009%20Moncton%20Bike%20Show/DSC_0007.jpg