From today's T&T
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=10707
Harrisville development picks up steam
Monday, March 04, 2013
Times & Transcript
By: James Foster
12-acre lot approved for sizeable new Kent Building Supplies store
The Moncton Planning Advisory Committee has approved the creation of a 12-acre lot of land just off Harrisville Boulevard to accommodate a new building supplies store.
While the store is a expected to be a significant sized development just on its own, in the bigger picture it is a sign of the continuing commercial development along Harrisville Boulevard, something that is only expected to pick up steam in the coming months.
Kent Building Supplies is expected to start construction soon on the new retail store and lumber yard to be built on the east side of Harrisville Boulevard, near Highway 15 (Veterans' Memorial Highway).
Conditions of the approval include contributing to the creation of a new east-west street that will run parallel to Highway 15 (on the north side of the four-lane that runs between Moncton and Shediac) to be called Babineau Boulevard.
Babineau Boulevard will, in turn, open up even more tracts of formerly landlocked land along the north side of Highway 15 to future development.
Meanwhile, Kent has also agreed to help pay for a set of traffic lights that will be erected at the intersection of Babineau Boulevard and Marriott Street, where a new hotel development is already underway and expected to open for business later this year.
Kent already received approval to rezone its parcel of land to commercial to accommodate its new store.
A second road will be built behind the businesses that are anticipated to set up shop along that stretch of Harrisville Boulevard, with the new road paid for by the developers as well.
Moncton Urban Planning director Bill Budd has said in the past that a national grocer plans to also set up shop in that area, and while no names have been released, it is widely expected that Sobeys will build a store on Harrisville Boulevard either this year or next.
A significant apartment/condo complex is being developed on the west side of Harrisville north of the Shediac Road, and one significant chunk of land at almost 10 acres just south of Shediac Road on the east side of Harrisville is still zoned residential, giving rise to speculation it will eventually be developed into an apartment complex, though any potential developer could apply to rezone it for other uses.
As well, a strip mall was built two years ago on the northwest corner of Harrisville and Shediac Road.
The great majority of the properties on the east side of Harrisville Boulevard is currently commercial land, already properly zoned to accommodate retailers and services looking to set up in a hightraffic area.
The area hosts thousands of vehicles daily as commuters travel between Dieppe and Moncton.
As well, busy Highway 15 funnels traffic almost to the doors of businesses establishing a presence here, and traffic levels are growing in that area, with Shediac the second-fastest growing town in New Brunswick and Sackville also experiencing growth, with many residents commuting to Moncton daily to work.
The downside to the development is that the area is already subject to rush-hour delays. However, improvements are planned to the road network around Highway 15's off- and on-ramps.
Highway 15 is also the main conduit used by shoppers from other Maritime provinces when they come to Metro Moncton to shop, work or vacation.