Saint John, NB - Fantasy Projects

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Inspired by the the Prime Minister's recent comments on getting more serious about building housing, including building on top of federally owned properties, such as post office and ports, and another poster's suggestion to start a thread dedicated to "fantasy" projects.

• Video Link

Here's a wild one in response to the Prime Minister's suggestion. Build a skyscraper on top of the former AIM office building, on the West Side of Saint John, New Brunswick.

Not only would such a mega project for Saint John be massive shot in the arm to solve the housing crisis, and help revitalize the West Side, it would just look cool as hell, and create a lot of buzz for Saint John and Port Saint John.

Such a building could enhance the operational capabilities of the port, while alleviating the housing crisis. The port could utilize the bottom and top floors of the building for office space and operational usage, while the rest of the building would be residential.

Having a 360° birds eye view of the Port's West Side operations, along with the ability to see their other operations across the harbour, and even out into the Bay of Fundy would be a tremendously useful asset to their operations. Moreover, it would be a navigational aide for ships coming into the port.

Such a project could really put Port Saint John and the City of Saint John on the map, and it would be quite a symbolic final nail in AIM's coffin.

Here's the before:





and here's the after:






AIM's been in many people's back yard for far too long. I can't imagine there being any reasonable NIMBY opposition to a skyscraper being built on top of AIM's former office building, with the the port taking over the rest of the former AIM site to further expand their container footprint. I'd still like to see a little more of the former site given up for housing, but I thought I'd make a point with one really big building built on a really small portion of the AIM site.

As for who might fund such a project, there's quite a few options, but I think the guys over at DP World might know a few people involved in the construction of skyscrapers. But all three levels of government along with private investors could certainly turn such a proposal into reality.

Hope we can all keep on striving for bigger and bolder solutions for Saint John, and use this thread as a place to discuss some grand ideas and proposals that could one day be built in Saint John, Canada's original city.

[Mud]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Inspired by the the Prime Minister's recent comments on getting more serious about building housing, including building on top of federally owned properties, such as post office and ports, and another poster's suggestion to start a thread dedicated to "fantasy" projects.

• Video Link

Here's a wild one in response to the Prime Minister's suggestion. Build a skyscraper on top of the former AIM office building, on the West Side of Saint John, New Brunswick.

Not only would such a mega project for Saint John be massive shot in the arm to solve the housing crisis, and help revitalize the West Side, it would just look cool as hell, and create a lot of buzz for Saint John and Port Saint John.

Such a building could enhance the operational capabilities of the port, while alleviating the housing crisis. The port could utilize the bottom and top floors of the building for office space and operational usage, while the rest of the building would be residential.

Having a 360° birds eye view of the Port's West Side operations, along with the ability to see their other operations across the harbour, and even out into the Bay of Fundy would be a tremendously useful asset to their operations. Moreover, it would be a navigational aide for ships coming into the port.

Such a project could really put Port Saint John and the City of Saint John on the map, and it would be quite a symbolic final nail in AIM's coffin.

Here's the before:





and here's the after:






AIM's been in many people's back yard for far too long. I can't imagine there being any reasonable NIMBY opposition to a skyscraper being built on top of AIM's former office building, with the the port taking over the rest of the former AIM site to further expand their container footprint. I'd still like to see a little more of the former site given up for housing, but I thought I'd make a point with one really big building built on a really small portion of the AIM site.

As for who might fund such a project, there's quite a few options, but I think the guys over at DP World might know a few people involved in the construction of skyscrapers. But all three levels of government along with private investors could certainly turn such a proposal into reality.

Hope we can all keep on striving for bigger and bolder solutions for Saint John, and use this thread as a place to discuss some grand ideas and proposals that could one day be built in Saint John, Canada's original city.

My friend I like the enthusiasm but there are 101 better uses for that site. Not to mention nobody's paying that new-build premium to live next to a working port.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by Mud

My friend I like the enthusiasm but there are 101 better uses for that site. Not to mention nobody's paying that new-build premium to live next to a working port.

Why would it have to be a premium price? It doesn’t necessarily have to be as architecturally spectacular as the John Hancock Center to fulfil the functions outlined above.

Also, people are literally paying a premium price to live at Blue Rock Court which is above an explosive garbage dump (AIM) or at three sisters across the harbour.

An expanded container port wouldn’t be even close to as disruptive as AIM was for decades. Plus, the sound deadening potential for a skyscraper is much greater.

The views of the Bay of Fundy would be spectacular, and would be well worth it. The rents could still be affordable, and would be expected if it was a federal owned project.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Local councillor at large Brent Harris wants to study repurposing the Belyea Arena as transitional housing for 39-46, and even has plans drawn up for this project, as part of his Vacant 2 Vibrant "initiative", which he thinks would be great for the Bayshore area.

Call me crazy, but wouldn't the most logical solution to turn a vacant rink into something vibrant be to turn it back into a functioning hockey rink again? The city has seen significant population growth since they made the short sighted, cost savings based decision to shut down the rink. Brent the builder even wasn't on council when that decision was made, but "Mr. fixer upper" seems to believe the arena is no longer worth repairing, and we should now turn it into transitional housing on the West Side instead?


Leasing out the rink operations to a private interest, and marketing the property to private investors and developers to build some residential towers on the sizeable field and park portion that comprises the majority the land parcel, is a far more desirable goal for the West Side. The Ocean views of the Bay of Fundy from a condo tower would be absolutely outstanding from this location, and the right type of development to add value to the Bayshore neighbourhood, an area with a lot of untapped potential.

If and when the rink is truly "past its expiry date" one day, then demolish it and build a condo tower. But as it stands today, there's absolutely life left in that facility for it to be a useful, profitable rink and asset to the neighbourhood for decades to come. The neighbourhood deserves an asset, not a liability.

A few residential towers and reopening the rink would transform the area in a fundamentally positive way. Perhaps it could look something like this:






The lack of support and strategy for "building up" is one of biggest instances of untapped or squandered potential in Saint John, especially in areas surrounded by the ocean like the Carleton Peninsula of the West Side. Not everything has to be a skyscraper, just tall enough to sea the water, which isn't that high in a lot of places around Saint John.

While I don't expect the West Side to look like White Rock, BC skyline anytime soon, we could certainly learn something from them, along with places like Halifax, Moncton, and coastal cities in the US northeast. Saint John has a lot of room for improvement, especially on the West Side.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

a 500ft tower built on the former AIM site would have ridiculously spectacular views, and the building could be seen out further than Quispamsis.

I can't think of a bigger middle finger to Herb Black and AIM than getting even a 20 storey mixed use/residential high rise built on the site of the former AIM offices. Would leave more than enough room for the port to continue their container port expansions and all kinds of other projects on the rest of the former AIM site.