[FYI...there was a story about this on CBC TV at 6 last night and they said the names of exactly which stores were coming to Corbett Centre: Winners, Michael's, East Side Mario's and Montana's.]
Building boom should continue, mayor says
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com
Published Saturday October 27th, 2007
Appeared on page A7
Fredericton is healthy and growing, according to members of the committee that oversees planning in the city.
Committee members and city officials visited about 50 construction sites around the city Friday for a first-hand look at the development going on.
"It's hard to believe this is going on in a city the size of Fredericton," said Zona Bovingdon, a resident and one of the five members of the public on the city's planning advisory committee.
She sad she's impressed by the results of the applications the committee has considered.
"To come out and see the finished product, and the new developments being developed, is so phenomenal "¦ It's just forever progressing," she said.
The city appears to be headed for another banner year in construction. The value of construction in the city has broken the $80-million mark for 2007.
All indications are that the trend will continue, said Mayor Brad Woodside.
"It's not going to stop. We've still got a good couple of years ahead of us," Woodside said Friday, as he looked at the progress being made on commercial work at Corbett Centre at the intersection of Regent Street and Knowledge Park Drive.
"I'm not so sure you could find any big pieces of equipment like they're using here and the site at Two Nations Crossing sitting around not being used."
Members checked on housing developments, the off-ramp being built on the north side of the Westmorland Street Bridge and construction at the Corbett Centre, among other things.
The tour is an opportunity to see what's going on and observe partnerships such as the one with the University of New Brunswick for development of the Corbett Centre, said public committee member Jim McElman
He said he was impressed not only with the volume and quality of work, but by the workmanship that developers are putting into the projects by way of additional green spaces, flower gardens and extra trees.
"The bottom line is it provides a much stronger tax base to provide the amenities we all expect of the community."