Northern Ontario developments!
 

I thought i'd start this thread to show that there is indeed development going on in some of the cities and towns of Northern Ontario, so anyone who lives up in this neck of the woods please feel free to contribute pics and articles here!

Here are some pics and articles highlighting some of the development going in my city of North Bay.

Today i went and took these pics of the construction site of the new Watersun condominium on Lakeshore Drive, too bad it's not taller, but it's coming along nicely!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nsept6-06j.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nsept6-06d.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nsept6-06f.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nsept6-06i.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nsept6-06e.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nsept6-06g.jpg

This pic is looking down the beach towards another condo building called 'The Beaches'.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...chsept6-06.jpg

I was on the city bus a few days ago and (somewhat unsuccessfully) snapped this pic of the tower crane at the site of the new city filtration plant on Trout Lake.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...09-01-2006.jpg

Construction is also getting underway on the new city transit terminal on Oak Street in downtown North Bay, here's a recent article about the project:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...nalarticle.jpg

Finally, here's a small rendering of the 6 storey phase of the Marina Point development that is currently under construction two blocks to the west of the transit terminal. The 3 and 4 storey phases are well underway, so hopefully this next phase will start construction soon. Tomorrow i'll take some photos of the site, when it's completed it going to be a huge development and will bring quite a boost to the downtown core!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...p_Cassells.jpg

More to follow! So, what else is happening up here in the so-called North?

There was an article in the Chronicle-Journal about the new waterfront project, I can't find it online though.

Anyway, they're rethinking their plan. Again.

They're going to make the former pool six site a market place / hotel, with the main enterance of the hotel near the new park street enterance of the area. The hotel will be in the 4-10 storey range. They market place will be 1-2 storey mixed locally owned and major chain businesses, but they're looking for a pedestrian feel. It'll probably have stuff like Tim Hortons or McDonalds or whatever; anyway, in the middle of that is supposed to be a park/plaza, lots of trees and probably fountains. On one side is the cruise ship dock and on the other is an expansion to the civilian marina. Along the road going from Marina Park to the pool six site, mostly parking and greenspace, alot of walking paths on the entire site. They're going to move the train tracks closer to Water street (the tracks along wilson street headland were ripped up years ago, they're going to move tracks back to there and use the part where tracks are in the plan, apparently) and have alot of greenspace there.

The condos that were supposed to go with it have moved to where the bus terminal is now, and that will either be moved to Intercity (it will be combined with the one in Fort William, with will likely be replaced by the proposed new consolidated courthouse) or moved to another part of the downtown core (probably on the other side of the provincial building, between Marina Park Tower and Marina Park Place) and the condos will be 'Vancouver style' with shoppes and crap on the main floor podium and one or two ten storey towers (that will not exceed the hieght of the hydro building for historical purposes) will be built there depending on demand. The main business/hotel component will likely be finished by 2011, the residential part may not even be built. We do tend to have hotel room shortages because they're used as temp housing for displaced natives when they have to be evactuated from their reserves for reasons that shouldn't exist in this hemisphere.

In non-waterfront news, the Shelter House is almost finished (it's located across from the Royal Eddie, about a block or two from the old one which is a sneeze away from collapsing on itself), and a new ten unit hospice is being built, it will be the first of its kind in Canada outside of Toronto where each patient gets an entire suite, allowing them to pass away in peace with their family, as opposed to the current hospice which has very small rooms in the main hospital and is quite impersonal.

The University recently installed a pedestrian underpass to allow students to cross LUDrive easier, and it will be renovated to connect to the new proposed Lakehead Convention Centre should that be built, all they need is funding (they have an okay to build it, from what I understand)

Condo/Retirement home construction has wound down this year, but Pine View II should begin construction next spring, and sales of pphase III are begining. The city wouldn't let the developer build a highrise with parkspace around it that would be shared with the neigbouring retirement home (at the corners of Red River, Pine and Dorothy) because it would 'cast a shadow' so he built the thing sideways in 2 4 storey and one yet-undetermined-height condos.

The court house isn't really a stale proposal, there's just a dead lock because while downtown has alot of vacancies, none of them are big enough to support even a slender highrise, other than the parking lot by Paterson Park which is dearly needed (our downtowns have insufficient parking for the demand, amazingly enough. You have to pay almost 24 hours a day, and youre lucky if you can park within 3 blocks of where youre going) but I figure they could add another level or two to the Victoriaville parkade (or rebuild it to something nicer, if thats impossible) and put it there, making a triangle shape of Parterson tower, Royal Eddie and the courthouse (all 30-45m high)

That's all I can think of.. none of these are really recent stories just going from memory, but that's most of the developments we've got. In the past few years we've opened the 6 storey ATAC centre, the most technologically advanced building in NWO, the medical school, the new hospital and neighbouring profession building, and no less than 450 tim Hortonses. :)

So today i went and snapped some pics of the Marina Point development and the new transit terminal site, sorry about the picture quality -- my camera sucks.

Here's a shot of the 3 storey phase of the development looking from the area of the our current (open air) transit terminal. You can see how big this building really is.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...rinapointb.jpg

Here are a few shots of the 4 storey section -- the big pit in the last pic is where the 6 storey phase is going to go -- i can't wait!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...rinapointe.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...rinapointf.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...rinapointg.jpg

Here are some shots of the new transit terminal site, when it's completed nobody will ever have to freeze their asses off in the winter or die of heat-stroke in the summer while waiting for their bus again!

This is the existing building that will be renovated and expanded in order to house the new waiting facilities and offices.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...minalsitea.jpg

Here's the back of the building, say goodbye to the grit!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...minalsitec.jpg

The next few shots just show some of the work being done on the site, an old cinderblock warehouse building is being demolished to make way for the bus platforms.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...minalsitee.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...minalsiteb.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...minalsitef.jpg

This project and the nearby Marina Point will go a long way to furthering the improvements to Oak Street, which has long been regarded as being a run down and seedy downtown street. Here's a pic of the new face of Oak Street that was in the paper recently.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ticlephoto.jpg

that looks like some good density being added (although i have to admit that i know basically nothing about the area). who will be buying these new units? are they selling to people from the area or to people from further south as second/vacation homes?

nice reuse of an existing building for the bus station.

and IMO, its good to see some development in the northern cities being represented on the forums. cheers.

Most of the buyers in those units will likely be retirees and local elderly. Up here, almost everyone who lives in Condos is over the age of 50.

Yeah, it's mostly a mix of retired people from points further North who want to be closer to their children who moved down South, local empty nesters, and retirees from the GTA who want a change of lifestyle who are buying these units.

Here's another recent project that was completed last spring in downtown North Bay, it's called the 'Empire Terrace Suites' and it nicely filled in a big hole in the streetscape along Mcintyre St.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...tW09-09-05.jpg

What Thunder Bay has to do is run out to the suburbs and exurbs, pick up all the construction from out there (dozens of oldfolkes sprawlplazas) and pile them all up downtown. Hell if they were all in one building we could easily have something as big as Spire at least. :P Thats how many of the damn things there are. One near my school is about 200m long. :X

Here's an article about the transit terminal i copied from www.baytoday.ca
http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=15427

The city hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony today at the corner of Oak and Wyld Streets where the new transit terminal will sit.

With eight designated bays the new terminal will make it much easier for people to find their bus as well as grab a cup of coffee from a coffee shop that will also sell bus passes.

“It will be much more convenient for the drivers to have everything on one level rather than having to run up a couple of flights of stairs to get to our current facility,” says transit manager Peter Reid.

Reid also points out that the new facility will offer other amenities that are long over due including washroom facilities that are sadly lacking at the moment.

Downtown Manager Jeff Serran says the new terminal brings the area one step closer to seeing the finished product of new face of the Waterfront development.

“It’s going to mean more beautification and vitalisation of the downtown core and we’re really looking forward to the completion of the transit terminal,” says Serran.

“It’s going to mean more people downtown, and the more people coming downtown is good for the businesses, so we’re really excited about this project.”

Councillor Dave Mendicino, Chair of the Community Services Committee, says it has been twenty years in the making but he is pleased that all three levels of government came together to help make the project a reality.

“When I was told it was since 1988 that this has been in the works, and for various reasons mainly budgetary that it was never able to happen it kind of made us more determined to see if we could do something,” says Mendicino.

“When we came on council one of the first things that was identified was that if we could possibly make something like this happen a new transit terminal that would certainly be a step in the right direction, considering everything else that’s been going on downtown.”

Mendicino says the department is excited with the positive change the new terminal will bring about but says the real focus is on the riders.

“It’ll be nice that while they’re waiting for a bus here that they’ll be able to wait in the comfort of a heated building. You’re going to see the state of the art bays develop, we’re certainly injecting a lot of funds into the transit operation in general not to mention the upgrade of the transit fleet.”

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith echoed Mendicino stating the province was delighted to be a partner in the project through the gas tax initiative.

“I think that the new terminal is just going to be a real bonus to the riders, I think it may increase ridership and I think it will be an added attraction to the downtown.”

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/7223/s1010027mn9.jpg

Thunder Bay: 'Fuckin' boring.'

I think that's on the back of the EEkos building, or the one beside it. It's along Cooke Street anyway.

very nice development its good to see a new building being built right out to the sidewalk (somewhat). it fits in nicely with the older building beside it.

thanks for the pictures.

^ You're welcome, thanks for the comment.

http://www.nob.on.ca/industry/constr...6-building.asp
North Bay experiencing building boom not seen in 20 years

By IAN ROSS

Retail development in North Bay is catching up with its robust home building boom.

The arrival of Home Depot two years ago has kick-started the arrival of new power shopping centres on McKeown Avenue and the Highway 11/17 bypass.

McKeown Avenue is hot property for new and expanding retail in North Bay. MTO is examining the city’s future retail and traffic growth with a proposed new expressway at the Highway 11/17 interchange. The city is experiencing a building boom not seen in 20 years.

“McKeown is hot property,” says City of North Bay planning manager Ian Kilgour. “Northgate Square plaza likely has future expansion plans, and the corner of Seymour and the highway bypass will continue to grow.”

Canadian Tire’s 30,000-square-foot addition is underway and rumours persist of Loblaw’s opening a Big Box grocery outlet between the highway and McKeown.

A new pharmacy centre is being proposed nearby and North Bay businessman John Hopper has two-and-a-half acres of commercial property on the street that is slated for commercial development. On the east end of McKeown, on the way to the airport, Bradwick Property is building a strip mall.

On the highway, half of the current North Bay Chamber of Commerce property will be annexed for a 120-room Marriott hotel next door to the Home Depot. An adjacent nine acres of vacant city-owned land, once a City Public Works yard, is being designated for commercial purposes.

A Chrysler dealership is relocating from Lakeshore to the Highway 11/17 corridor with a Hyundai dealership relocating on Trout Lake Road.

Kilgour credits the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development for identifying gaps in a retail market study and actively recruiting new retailers to come to North Bay.

Institutionally, construction of the North Bay Regional Hospital mega-project on Highway 17 is expected to begin by year’s end.

Across town, a $45-million water treatment plant is underway to replace a 75-year-old pumping station with a modern water filtering system.

In June, groundbreaking began on the new Ecole Publique Elementaire, a new $11-million French elementary school on Connaught Avenue, which will be open September 2007.

North Bay’s vibrant home building market continues unabated well into 2006.

Dalron’s $25-million Marina Point seniors’ development is progressing on North Bay’s waterfront and the Watersun Condominium project on Lakeshore Drive was being framed in early August.

Figures released in July by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) indicates North Bay leads the four major cities in northeastern Ontario in housing starts.


“So much for plateauing,” says Warren Philp, CMHC’s Northern Ontario market analyst, who predicted home starts would slacken off in 2006 from the historic highs of the previous two years.

Since 2000, single detached starts in North Bay have risen from to 70, 89, 105, 123, 139 and up to 163 in 2005, with the city on track to better that mark.

Philp says North Bay and its neighbouring townships recorded 72 home starts until the end of July, up 9.1 per cent from 66 during last year’s first seven months.

Total starts — including single and multi-family units — were recorded at 115, up from 66 during the same period.
The resale market has also been remarkable, says Philp.

As of June 30, sales recorded were 779 semi-detached units, up from 698 last year, a healthy 11.9 per cent increase in sales. Home prices on average were in the $161,773 range, “clearly the strongest resale market from a price standpoint in Northern Ontario,” says Philp.

With all types of residential units sold through the multiple listing service of the North Bay Real Estate Board, price figures were up 10.1 per cent from last year.

Philp says as more land has been made available, potential homeowners have the choice to buy or build new. “There’s been some pent-up demand that’s been satisfied in the last few years.”

Based on his conversations with local real estate agents, homebuyers are a combination of retirees and people who have done well in the community and starting to take advantage of wealth and move up in the market. “I’ve been surprised by the number of people who are empty nesters and still wanting that bigger house or new house with everything they want.”

The cottage market continues to boom with appraisers in North Bay talking about the effect of twinning Highway 11 North and how cottage prices were moving in tandem with the road-widening project.

Kilgour confirms new subdivisions are coming on line with 30 mid-priced lots planned for the Kingsway subdivision near the future North Bay expressway and 40 lots are planned for the Thelma subdivision in West Ferris.

Forty, more upscale, lots are in the works for the Stone Manor project next to Kenwood Hills Drive.

To handle the surge of building applications, the City of North Bay recently instituted a DART (Development Application Review Team) program designed to fast-track planning applications.

Meeting twice monthly, the 10-member team includes all the city departments plus a conservation authority member.
The idea being to ease applications more efficiently through the planning process, says Kilgour.

“We changed it from a paper process to more of a consulting process and it allows us to speak with one voice.”

http://www.nob.on.ca/regionalReports...9-06-hwy17.asp
Improving traffic flow along the Hwy. 11-17 corridor

By IAN ROSS

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is dusting off a 50-year-old plan to improve traffic flow through North Bay, and hopefully ease some development frustrations, with a new Highway 11/17 bypass.

For years, ‘Route 6’ has been the big ‘X’ factor that city planners, developers and the business community have known only too well when siting new business on the highway.

With retail space along Lakeshore Drive and McKeown Avenue in the city’s North End shopping district close to being maxed out, new development is shifting over to the Highway 11-17 corridor.

The success of the two-year-old Home Depot outlet and a likely expansion to Northgate Square plaza has rejuvenated developers’ interest in being located on one of Northern Ontario’s busiest thoroughfares.

The plan to create a new highway by-pass or expressway has been on the MTO’s books since the 1960’s. A route later was identified in the mid-1970’s for a four-lane divided highway.

Known as Route 6, a new alignment would run just to the northeast of the current route, behind the present-day Northgate Plaza.

Though the MTO has slowly accumulated property for the potential right-of-way, no construction has taken place.

Some in the business community argue it’s stalled some highway development in anticipation of the new alignment going through.

“Whenever there’s a planning project anywhere near it, they (MTO) mention Route 6,” says Mark King, president of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, who also serves on the city’s planning board.

As a consulting agency, MTO approvals are required for municipal rezoning applications and the issuance of building permits.

King says in cases where developers are required to make road improvements such as turning lanes or install traffic lights, who pays for the upgrades? “We don’t know.”

“You don’t want to give the impression we’re not open for development,” says King, who also serves on the City of North Bay’s planning board.

But Ian Kilgour, the City’s manager of planning, calls any animosity between the City and the MTO “last year’s news” and cites the ongoing 30,000-square-foot expansion of Canadian Tire as a sign no development is being held up.

“We’re on very good terms with the MTO and we respect their processes.”

Kilgour says city staff are on the same page with MTO’s senior planners who regard the expressway study as a top priority.


The cost of any future road upgrades for future development will likely be a combination of the City of North Ba and the developer negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

The MTO has retained Stantec Consulting of Hamilton to do some preliminary design work and an environmental assessment study.

The consulting engineer has established a website (www.northbayhighwaystudy.ca) to allow locals to track the progress of the study and provide feedback.

King admits the existing 11/17 highway corridor is outdated but instead of creating a new alignment, he favours widening the existing route with interchanges at the three busiest intersections at Algonquin Avenue, Trout Lake Road and Seymour Street.

Though construction is years away, King would also like to see some short-term fixes.

Most notably to deal with an Ontario Northland Railway (ONR) crossing on Highway 17 that backs up traffic and offers few detour options for rush hour commuters and emergency vehicles.

King also says Trout Lake Road — Highway 63 to Quebec — “is one of the busiest two-lane highways around” that hasn’t seen since significant upgrades in years.


MTO spokesman Gordan Rennie says the future Highway 11/17 alignment will include an overpass where it crosses the ONR line but there is no feasible short-term solution to deal with the crossing.

The expressway will be a divided four-lane freeway with no plans for an elevated expressway.

“The ministry is not certain if more or less property will be required for the future highway. That is one of the objectives of the current planning study.”

Public information sessions are planned for this fall and next year before the planning study wraps up in summer 2007.

But King still believes new provincial planning legislation is warranted to stimulate growth in Northern Ontario.

He supports a brief prepared by the Northern Ontario Municipalities and Planning Board which was sent to provincial Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen calling for a “new deal” for planning in the North.

“We’ve got southern Ontario rules in Northern Ontario and growth does not happen here that easily.”

With population decreases in northeastern Ontario predicted over the next 25 years and the cyclical nature of the region’s resource-dependent economy, King says the province’s development rules are stifling growth.

www.northbayhighwaystudy.ca

Chartwell Home opened today. I can handle 100s of old people. It's their second location in town! :D

And bears haven't been seen in the urban area since Monday! A new record!

Here are a couple more pics i snapped today of the Marina Point development taken from the other side. The 6 storey building will go up in that sand duny area just to the left of the 4 storey building.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ntfromcprd.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ntfromcprb.jpg

From today's North Bay Nugget:
City OKs new 100-room hotel; Traffic study finds development won't affect intersection

Gord Young
Local News - Tuesday, October 31, 2006 @ 08:00

City council gave the green light Monday for a proposed 100-room hotel near Home Depot, after a traffic study found changes are not required at the intersection of Seymour Street and the highways 11-17 bypass.

Councillors lifted a special holding designation placed on the zoning of the property pending the study to determine if any intersection improvements would be needed for the hotel due to increased traffic.

"It's a go," said Coun. Dave Mendicino, community services chairman, noting the construction could begin this fall with developers hoping to move forward as soon as possible.


The Chamberlain Management Group has a tentative land purchase agreement with the city and plans to build the four-storey hotel between the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce and the home renovation centre. Mendicino said the chamber office and Dionne Quints Museum will remain in their current locations as part of the plan.

He said the traffic study, financed by the Chamberlain Group, indicates the proposed hotel development will not generate a large amount of traffic or significantly affect the existing intersection. Mendicino said both city staff and the Ministry of Transportation have signed off on the study.

But he said a second phase will look at needs to accommodate the anticipated full build-up of surrounding lands, particularly the 3.6-hectare parcel behind Home Depot. Mendicino said the city is footing the bill for the second phase of the study, because it expects to recoup the cost through future land sales.

The ministry has said reconstruction of the intersection two years ago was meant to satisfy increased traffic due to the Home Depot and the True North auto dealership, and additional improvements may be necessary for any further development.

Intersection improvements, according to the ministry, could include a fourth entry lane at the northeast corner, longer acceleration and deceleration lanes and tapers, widening Seymour Street to have a double left turn onto the westbound bypass, median islands on both city street approaches, upgraded traffic signals and a second municipal access to Seymour Street south.

YOU'RE getting a hotel near Home Depot too?????? It's going to be four storeys too????

WOW! :D

Thunder Bay is getting one too!! :D

From the same thread at SSC

This is a new plan, it looks interesting. Though the buildings have all been scaled back to 4 storeys due to 'complaints'.

Maybe they should just close the city down and move it to downtown Toronto.

Muahahaha... Vid will be jealous to know that i just realized that i know one of the lead/one of the only architects in town :P you do know what that means right? *cough* http://members.shaw.ca/artitech/thes...velopment.html
*cough*

i am also going to be looking at some of the condo designs :)

that is the accepted plan that they have come up with for the heritage center and docks for the cruise ships that annual stop by here... but for the last 20 years have not been able to completely accommodate here due to no formal docking... the city also wants to obtain the CN North rail yards which will then be dug up and used for a train tour of tbay using existing and new lines...

I suggested that, but TROC thinks it would be too much expense for such a hopeless city. :)


I liked that proposal, but I really doubt it will go through all the way. It's too 'unusual' for the rest of the city. Personally, I think it's a bold idea, but it needs a bit more work to make it perfect. Some of it's elements don't fit in just right, and it looks a bit off balanced. Great concept though.

You should post some of that at tbchat.com, maybe bring up a conversation or something over there. :)

Of course all that orange and red and stuff isnt actually in the design :P damn a-cad lol. Tbchat.com? never been maybe spark some interest over this topic and get people to talk some sense into the new city council when they come in.. tell them to stop being so freakin old and get with the times lol

...i hate all the old people here...

Im glad to see some proposals going out there though. more will come in time. but its kinda slow when we only have 3 certified B.Archs in town and one M.Arch in town. i will pst more when i can

It isn't the colours I don't like, its the massing. It looks a bit uneven, I think. Some elements need to be moved or made smaller/bigger, etc. I like those colours, though. There are too many monochromatic buildings in this city.

Here's a pic i snapped in late September of North Bay's newly completed high school (the 6th in the city), the other pic is of a site directly across the street of a new elementary school that was just beginning construction, the steel frame has since been erected since the photo was taken. These new schools are located in a new residential area that is being developed near the city's ski hill, the area is surrounded by long existing neighbourhoods, so it is actually an infill development as opposed to suburban sprawl.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...Sept23-06j.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...Sept23-06i.jpg

" It isn't the colours I don't like, its the massing. It looks a bit uneven, I think. Some elements need to be moved or made smaller/bigger, etc. I like those colours, though. There are too many monochromatic buildings in this city."

I know this city wont fly for this but maybe add on a small mall inside that building to even it out the design? i mean cities like Red Deer have like 2-3 Large malls in the city and we unfortunatly only have one... and it is now turning into the Box Store district... *sigh*

well im on my way to the archs office.

We have Intercity, County Fair and Arthur Street Market, those are the larger malls. Northwood Park, Grandview and Victoriaville are the other three. Including other smaller indoor and strip malls, and we probably out-mall Red Deer.

Big Box Districts, properly known as Power Centres, are the 'wave of the future' in the science of turning society into a blasphemous waste of molecules occupying a city's ex-urban hellscape. They're morally and ethically wrong.

A few high and shoppes and restaurants inside the building would be quite lovely, though. :P Something else to do on the waterfront other than whatever that building was for.

I really like that waterfront developement proposal for Thunder Bay. It would complement the city quite nicely. I think Thunder Bay is a beautiful city that is severly underrated. I am origionally from Winnipeg, and loved to get out to the Shield's sunset country of Eastern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario when I had a chance. The areas between Hadashville, Mb. and Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. are the most beautiful in the world, and I hope to one day settle down somewhere out there. So many lakes, so much fishing. Oilberta ain't got nutin on this area :tup:

Today i took a couple of shots of the progress of the new transit terminal and of one of the facade improvement projects on Main St. For the latter i added a 'before' pic i took of the same location last year.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...usTerminal.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...sTerminalb.jpg

Before:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ee2/Mainst.jpg
After:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...patrastore.jpg

2006 was another all-time record year for construction in NB.

From www.baytoday.ca:

The City of North Bay Building Department released the 2006 building permit statistics, which revealed a record-breaking $101, 264,797 in construction last year.

Included in that figure is $30 million for the building portion of the water treatment plant, currently under construction. If that building were excluded, as it is a one-time anomaly, the $71,264,797 total still surpasses the previous record set in 2004 by over $180,000.

The construction year included 86 single family homes, a robust industrial/commercial mix, and a large institutional component. The single family dwellings represent the third-highest number constructed in a single year, and while they are expected to slow somewhat in 2007, should continue to remain strong compared to North American trends. The industrial/commercial sector saw construction in the Gateway Industrial Park for the first time in over a decade, many expansions of existing businesses and industries throughout the city, and a new 100-unit Holiday Inn Express currently under construction adjacent to the Information Centre. The new French Public Elementary school and the renovations at Ecole Secondaire Algonquin led the institutional component.

All City departments were involved in making North Bay ‘Open for Business’. The creation of the DART group (Development Application Review Team) was a significant improvement in how applications are handled. The group, comprised of all applicable City departments, assembles to meet with applicants at one time, streamlining the approval process and resolving issues before they get out of hand.

The Building Department ultimately issued a total of 750 building permits, while continuing to implement the changes mandated by the Province under Bill 124.

Some info from Thunder Bay. F. Lionel at tbchat.com took the time to compile a list.

Actual Construction -
Unnamed Retail Space at Thunder Center (Near Isabel Street Entrance)
Days Inn North (Junot St)
Unnamed Public School (Sherwood Park)
Holy Cross School Expansion (Jumbo Gardens)
Hilldale Seniors Complex (Hilldale Road)
St. Bernards School Expansion (River Street)
Sacred Heart School Expansion (Franklin Street)
The Beer Store Expansion (Red River Road)
Cascades Mill Modernization (Shipyard Road)
Unknown Retail Space (Arthur Street beside Fat Cats)
Plymouth Landing (Montreal Street)
Commercial Development (Carrick Street behind HSBC)
Roadway Expansion (LU)
Baseball Central Expansion (Baseball Central)
Shabaqua Extension (between Expressway and Twin City Crossroads)
Gore Motors Expansion (Memorial Avenue)
Ecole Catholique Franco-Superieur Expansion (River Street)


Proposed & Approved -
Shopper's Drug Mart Relocation (McIntyre Centre)
A&P Expansion (Arthur Street Marketplace)
Emergency Training Center (Hammond Avenue & Confederation College)
Site Improvements - Security Berm (Marina Park)
Skate Park (Marina Park)
Phase Two Condos (Former Pine Street on School Red River Road)
Medical Clinic (Golf Links Road)
Hospice (Reaume Street - I don't remember the organization's name)
Widening of Red River Road (between Clarkson & Junot)
John Street Resurfacing (Algonquin to Expressway)
Marriot Hotel and Restaurant (Carrick Street)
Husky Truckstop (Alloy Drive)
Unknown Retail Building (Fort William Road & Burbidge Street)
New Railyard Overpass (Brown Street)
Relocation of Broadway Avenue (Neebing Ave south of Bowater)
George Jefferies Children's Treatment Centre (Franklin St.?)
07JA10-Reconstruction of Balrose Bridge at intersection of John Street Road.
07JA10-New gymnasium/library/classrooms at Algonquin Avenue Public School. (I went there. :))
07JA11-Renovations of Uncle Frank's into restaurant, hotel and water park. (Neebing)

Other Proposed but not Finalized -
Two Third Party Research Buildings (LU)
New Courthouse (Site Unknown - Possibly Southside Downtown)
Unknown Retail Building (Thunder Centre - Main Street Entrance)
Walmart Expansion (RioCan Centre)
John Street Overpass (Water Street)
The Athletic Club (County Fair Plaza)
Thunder Bay Gymnastics Centre (Duluth Road)
Lake Superior Place (Marina Park)
Grain Terminal Interpretation Centre (Marina Park or Kam Heritage Park)
Can-Op Expansion (Fort William Road)
Farmers Marketplace (11th Avenue)
Tim Hortons (South James Street)
Flying J Truck Stop (Innova Park)
Kam River Pedestrian Bridge (Kam Heritage Park)
Cruise Ship Terminal (Marina Park)
Dollarama (Arthur Street Marketplace)



Not much, but it's not too little either. :) See how things look when someone takes time to do them? :) If I didn't break my camera on Wednesday morning, I'd go and get some pictures! :)

^ Nice list!
Another new Hotel is coming to North Bay.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...icleasmall.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...elarticleb.jpg

Big plans for city landmark
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 1/11/2007 3:58:03 PM



Some major redevelopment plans are in the works for a Thunder Bay landmark. After being owned for over 60 years by the city's Colosimo family, the Uncle Frank's Supper Club property on Highway 61 has been sold and the new owner has a wide-ranging, three phase plan to transform it.

The new owner, Sioux Lookout businessman Dick Davidson, completed arrangements to acquire the property in mid-December. Davidson says he's hoping to create a 'Village mall' type concept on the 40-acre plot of land that would provide a range of services for the large residential population in the area, as well as others using the Highway 61 route.

In the first phase, he hopes to re-develop the restaurant and add an upscale grocery outlet, a banking centre and a coffee-sandwich shop operation. Additional phases would concentrate on more retail space and eventually, a hotel/waterpark complex. He estimates total development costs at over $12-million.

Davidson says the key hurdle initially will be obtaining a highway/commercial rezoning for the 850 feet of frontage on the property, something he hopes to apply for this spring. If all goes well, construction could proceed as early as this summer. In the meantime , Davidson says he will continue to consult with neighbors in the area and look for possible partners to join in the project.


Sounds interesting. It will complement the hockey centre and hotel/convention centre already in downtown Neebing.

(Downtown Neebing and Downtown Shuniah are both in Thunder Bay, because we ate them.)

Has anyone heard if they are going to re-develope that Minaki Lodge that burnt down a while back?

They decided not to, so no. It will remain a burnt out ruin, to be reclaimed by the boreal forest. :)

Unless it was cleaned up? I don't know. I stopped following it after they decided not to rebuild though. There are lots of other lodges now anyway.

I just heard on the local TV news that the second new NB hotel is to be a 200 room Holiday In Suites, so it seems like a pretty good bet that it will be a little on the taller side if the 100 room hotel already under construction is 4 storeys. Hopefully the second hotel will be twice the height of the first one, but we'll see.

http://www.nosta.on.ca/content/busin...ness_30880.jpg

265 rooms.

But we do have a six story one with 126 rooms, so who knows? You could get a 10 story one. If it's half the length as the Prince Arthur, it would be 20 storeys.

I think that the new hotel here will have a much smaller footprint compared to the pic you posted, given the size of the lot that it will be constructed on. At least i hope so!

Well here's hoping it's ugly!

j/k. :) I'm just jealous is all.

^ That's right - take that Thunder Bay!

Here are a couple of development related articles from the Timmins Daily Press that I came across.
http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages

Downtown receiving facelift

Chelsey Romain / The Daily Press
Local News - Friday, January 12, 2007 @ 10:00

The Timmins and South Porcupine downtown cores are in need of a facelift and city officials are looking to the public for input.

Next week public meetings will be held to help develop a streetscape plan, that would help revitalize both the Timmins and South Porcupine downtown areas, said city intermediate planner Andrea Griener.

"A streetscape plan brings a special or unique atmosphere to the community," said Griener. "It's more visual, with a common look and feel throughout the area."

During the meeting, participants will be asked to take a walk through downtown to make any observations about what a common theme should be for the areas, what kind of things create barriers for mobility and what items would help spruce up the area.


Typically, a streetscape plan covers everything from building facades, green spaces and outdoor furniture to parking, the width of streets and sidewalks.

"It's different people with different perspectives walking the downtown together," Griener. "They'll notice different things and point out unique features.

"It's a good learning tool."

Should the temperature drop too low next week, Griener said the walk may not take place, but said organizing the meeting in the winter will help decide what ideas will function all year long.

"The reality is we deal with snow most of the year," said Griener.

The streetscape plan comes after the city introduced the community improvement plans for both areas last year. The plans outline grants and loans to be available to business owners looking to give their business a facelift.

"We're not starting from scratch," said Griener, adding that there has been surveys and a project allowing high school students to give their ideas.

"A lot of those ideas have been pulled out."

To date only Sault Ste. Marie has begun its own revitalization project, while Griener said North Bay is four to five years ahead of the pack, with both a downtown and lakeside project completed.

The last time the Timmins downtown received a new look was 25 years ago, when the interlocking brick was laid in the streets and the lamp posts were erected.

"It's time things need to be re-assessed, the common feel is not there," said Griener.

"We've learned some things from the last project and it's time we go back and look at some ideas."

The public meeting for the Timmins downtown core will take place on Jan. 16 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Timmins Public Library and in South Porcupine at the Maurice Londry Community Centre on Jan. 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The streetscape project is set to wrap up in March, but it could take up to six months for ideas to be implemented.



Northern cities question exclusion from provincial growth strategy

Scott Paradis / The Daily Press
Local News - Friday, January 12, 2007 @ 10:00

A provincial growth strategy doesn't include Northern Ontario, and a representative of a regional business advocacy group says he intends to find out why.

Steve Kidd, Northeastern Ontario Chamber of Commerce chairman, wrote a letter to the provincial government about its Places to Grow Act, which outlines a growth strategy to urban southern Ontario cities.

"They're identifying areas where they want to put some energy for growth," Kidd said. "We feel Northern Ontario should be identified as a growth area."

A sluggish forestry sector has stalled growth in a number of Northern communities. Bad forestry-related news has also caused a number of cities and towns to shrink.


That doesn't mean growth is non-existent in the North, Kidd said.

"We feel Northern Ontario should be identified as a growth area," he said. "There's enough energy from the mining sector ... and we have a lot to offer."

Kidd said he's disappointed that Ontario didn't considered any of the five major Northern centres- Timmins, Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

The province, however, isn't excluding the North from being classified as a "growth area," said Amy Tang, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Renewal.

She said the area selected for the "province's first ever growth plan," was the Greater Golden Horseshoe because it will likely see "phenomenal" growth in the coming years.

The act is not meant to suggest that the government doesn't recognize Northern areas as growing. Instead, it addresses the massive growth facing one particular region, she said.

Ministry statistics show the Greater Golden Horseshoe may house an additional four million people over the next 30 years. The Greater Golden Horseshoe area includes cities such as Windsor, Barrie, Niagara Falls and Hamilton.

"The Greater Golden Horseshoe has been selected as the first region for a (provincial) growth plan," Tang said. "It doesn't mean it will be the last."

Kidd said he sent his concerns to the provincial government in the form of a letter in mid-December.

So far, he said he hasn't heard a response.

That letter was sent to John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, but representatives from that ministry said it wasn't responsible for the Places to Grow Act.

The letter may have been forwarded to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Renewal, but that couldn't be confirmed by press time.

Kidd said he plans to get other Northern-based groups involved in lobbying the government to provide parts of the North with its own growth plan.

Thunder Bay may be running a bit behind, but this city council has promised that by the end of their term, work will at least have started on the waterfront and Downtown Fort William will be greatly improved.

I have suggested turning Cumberland South from Red River to Pearl into a residential mall, but I doubt that will happen. :(

From today's NB Nugget:

College approves 'vision' for growth; Nipissing must also accept plan

Bryn Weese
Local News - Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Updated @ 11:02:56 AM

Canadore College's board of governors approved Tuesday night a land use master plan that will guide development at its joint campus with Nipissing University over the next two decades.

The only caveat is the plan also has to be approved by Nipissing's board of governors.

The first such plan, which outlines what type of development can go where and what it must look like, was developed in 1968. It has been updated three times since - in 1992, 1996 and 2001.

Rapid development, particularly at Nipissing, outdated the land use plans faster than previous boards imagined, said Ewen Cornick, a board member at Canadore.

"What's happened, particularly on the university side, was there was such rocket development with respect to the buildings, that the plans that we anticipated lasting for 10 to 15 years were extinct within a five-year time period," he said.
"This is a good comprehensive plan and I think it's given us quite a vision for the two institutions to follow for the next two decades."

Focusing on 10 priorities and including 38 recommendations, the current plan says parking should not dominate the feel of the campus as it currently does from the front, and future development should complement the natural setting of the campus, not work against it. That means future buildings should be limited to two or three storeys and should not extend beyond the tree line.

The master plan also calls for the west side of the pond to be set aside for future residences.

"What the master plan is is a series of guidelines for future development dealing with the physical aspects of the campus," Cornick said.

"What types of activities should be located on which areas of the campus and also the types of environmental and energy guidelines we should be following."

The price tag of the plan is approximately $200,000 to be shared equally by Nipissing and Canadore. It was developed over 15 months with architects and planners, as well as input from other interested stakeholders.

While it does not offer an estimate as to how much money will be spent on development and infrastructure upgrades over the next 20 years, Cornick predicted significant investments will be needed within 15 years.

As examples, he mentioned $1.2 million over the next five years to upgrade the electrical systems of the two campuses (of which $1 million is already committed), a sustainability plan for the joint facility, and approximately $20,000 for a storm water management plan, the latter of which will be required before the city will approve any future building permits for the campus.

Infrastructure costs, as well as the costs to build joint facilities, will be shared by both the college and the university, but the costs for individual campus development, such as Canadore's new media centre and arts centre, will not be shared.

Local hotel plans moving along
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 1/18/2007 4:27:50 PM

A new hotel project that received approval from city council in late October, is now preparing for construction. Architectural drawings are being finalized for a four-storey Marriot chain hotel that will go up near the Harbourview Expressway and Carrick Street.

The hotel will offer 120 rooms, including 35 suites, conference rooms and a restaurant. Sahar Hospitality says construction will begin this summer. It's expected to create forty to fifty jobs when it opens in the summer of 2008. The Courtyard-Marriot is designed to cater mainly to corporate clients.
Meantime construction is underway on a new Days Inn in the city. The 56 room hotel, being built on Golf Links Road near the Regional Health Sciences Centre, is expected to open this June. Thanks to the mild winter weather so far, construction is said to be on target. The hotel will be geared toward hospital and University cliental and management says they expect to hire 15-to-20 employees.

==

Dismantling of Wheat Board may help Thunder Bay port
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 1/18/2007 2:17:17 PM

NDP Leader Jack Layton is chiming in on the debate over the future of the Canadian Wheat Board. Wrangling continues over the wording of an upcoming plebiscite that will be voted on by grain producers. Federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl has yet to release the wording of the question. But Layton says there cannot be any ambiguity and the question must be clear.

Meantime, the CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay says there is no consensus locally on what the impact would be if the Wheat Board were dismantled. Tim Heney says about 65% of the grain that flows through Thunder Bay is Wheat Board Grain. But Heney says a demise of the Wheat Board would have a big impact on the Port of Churchill...something we might benefit from. 'The stories are that if something happens to the Wheat Board's monopoly, it will affect grain though Churchill, and certainly we're willing to take that on through Thunder Bay.' says Heney.
Heney says the fact that non-board grain goes through Thunder Bay, demonstrates that it's an effective mode of grain transport...which he says he hopes continues in the future.

==

Actual Construction -
Unnamed Retail Space at Thunder Center (Near Isabel Street Entrance)
Days Inn North (Golf Links Road by Hospital)
Unnamed Public School (Sherwood Park)
Holy Cross School Expansion (Jumbo Gardens)
Hilldale Seniors Complex (Hilldale Road)
St. Bernards School Expansion (River Street)
Sacred Heart School Expansion (Franklin Street)
The Beer Store Expansion (Red River Road)
Cascades Mill Modernization (Shipyard Road)
Unknown Retail Space (Arthur Street beside Fat Cats)
Plymouth Landing (Montreal Street)
Commercial Development (Carrick Street behind HSBC)
Roadway Expansion (LU)
Baseball Central Expansion (Baseball Central)
Shabaqua Extension (between Expressway and Twin City Crossroads)
Gore Motors Expansion (Memorial Avenue)
Ecole Catholique Franco-Superieur Expansion (River Street)


Proposed & Approved -
Shopper's Drug Mart Relocation (McIntyre Centre)
A&P Expansion (Arthur Street Marketplace)
Emergency Training Center (Hammond Avenue & Confederation College)
Site Improvements - Security Berm (Marina Park)
Skate Park (Marina Park)
Phase Two Condos (Former Pine Street on School Red River Road)
Medical Clinic (Golf Links Road)
Hospice (Reaume Street - I don't remember the organization's name)
Widening of Red River Road (between Clarkson & Junot)
John Street Resurfacing (Algonquin to Expressway)
Courtyard-Marriot Hotel and Restaurant (Carrick Street)
Husky Truckstop (Alloy Drive)
Unknown Retail Building (Fort William Road & Burbidge Street)
New Railyard Overpass (Brown Street)
Relocation of Broadway Avenue (Neebing Ave south of Bowater)
George Jefferies Children's Treatment Centre (Franklin St.?)
07JA10-Reconstruction of Balrose Bridge at intersection of John Street Road. (John Street Road @ Belrose Road)
07JA10-New gymnasium/library/classrooms at Algonquin Avenue Public School. (Algonquin Avenue)

Other Proposed but not Finalized -
Two Third Party Research Buildings (LU)
New Courthouse (Site Unknown - Possibly Southside Downtown)
Unknown Retail Building (Thunder Centre - Main Street Entrance)
Walmart Expansion (RioCan Centre)
John Street Overpass (Water Street)
The Athletic Club (County Fair Plaza)
Thunder Bay Gymnastics Centre (Duluth Road)
Lake Superior Place (Marina Park)
Grain Terminal Interpretation Centre (Marina Park or Kam Heritage Park)
Can-Op Expansion (Fort William Road)
Farmers Marketplace (11th Avenue)
Tim Hortons (South James Street)
Flying J Truck Stop (Innova Park)
Kam River Pedestrian Bridge (Kam Heritage Park)
Cruise Ship Terminal (Marina Park)
Dollarama (Arthur Street Marketplace)
07JA11-Renovations of Uncle Frank's into restaurant, hotel and water park. (Neebing)

I just found this rendering on the City of North Bay website of the 100 unit Holiday Inn Express that is currently under construction - it turns out that it is actually 5 storeys instead of 4, i can dig it!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...01319_1437.jpg

http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/1...rontlrgdu1.jpg

Click the picture for more. :)

I went and snapped some shots of the new Holiday Inn project the other day, it's already up to the start of the third floor, so it shouldn't be long before they have all 5 floors built up. The building is located right at the Southern entrance to the city along the highway 11/17 Bypass, so it and it's neighbouring hotel (which is yet to begin construction) will be the first buildings people see when entering the city from the South. I also took a pic looking up the highway into the city directly across from the hotel site.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...010resized.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...018resized.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...015resized.jpg

Here's a recent pic of the Watersun Condo project on Lakeshore Drive, it'll be finished by the summer.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...019resized.jpg

McKellar sale in the works
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 2/14/2007 5:48:12 PM


A former city hospital could soon take on a new life.

Regional Health Science Centre officials confirm two separate buyers have been found who want to acquire the former McKellar hospital property. They have plans for a major redevelopment that will see the creation of a new retirement facility, and the opening up of new commercial and retail space.

The McKellar hospital has been on the chopping blocks since 2002 and it finally appears to have attracted buyers. The local firm of Habib and Associates will work with S&R Retirement Homes to convert the main south wing of the hospital into a 122-bed retirement residence. And Winnipeg's Laureate Developments will tear down the north side for commercial use.

Regional Hospital vice president Scott Potts says the deal has taken so much time partly because of the facilities currently on the land.

''We've been marketing the property for about four years now, five even. It's been difficult because of the existing facilities and buildings that are on the site.''

The deal can't go through until the conditions of sale are met though, with financing and re-zoning being the main roadblocks at this point. Potts believes that these conditions should be met and the sale will be able to go through as planned.

''The developers have put these offers forward with the intent that they can meet these conditions so we would trust that they should be able to be waived and the deal should be completed.''

Potts says that they're looking for a closing date of mid-May and that once the sale has been finalized, the financial burden of the hospital will be off the Regional Health Sciences Center entirely.


http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1897/iisel2.jpg

Things are looking up this week, but we lost two historic buildings in fires recently. The Canadian Bank of Commerce (3 storeys, 1911 | Victoria Avenue East) and 49 N Cumberland Street (2 Storeys, 1920s ; Building that used to have Mr. Print and Cupello Law). There are now many people calling for the city to step in and give tax breaks to owners of historic buildings to make it easier for them to fix them up and maintain them.

^^ It's good to see that the former hospital may be put to good use, I wonder what will become of NB's present hospital buildings once the new Hospital here opens - although that's still years away as they are only going to begin construction this year.

Hopefully yours wont be 3 years late and 400% over budget like ours. :)

And hopefully it wont start falling apart within weeks, like ours. :)

And hopefully you won't have faulty atriums that result in people falling three stories to the cafeteria below, like ours. :)

Any pictures of what it will look like?

Our other hospital is being renovated into a DNA research lab.

:)