[Fredericton] Rookwood and Waggoners: 8 Story | 27m | Phase 1 Approved

[Taeolas]

This is a project thread for the 8 story mixed use development being built on the corner of Rookwood and Waggoners. There will be 2 8-story buildings of around 27m of height planned to fill in the old CARIS office building site.

Google Maps link for the project site

Timeline

• December 2019: Old CARIS building torn down. "Mount CARIS" built on the site; earth trucked in to settle and compress the building site.
  
• January 15, 2020: Requests for variances approved by city planning committee. No need for council approval, so the project is good to go.
  
• Spring 2020: Construction will start. Stay tuned for updates.
• December 2020: Mount CARIS being removed from the site.
• March 2021: Construction start
• April 2021: Warehouse/Barn torn down; only the blue-gray building left. Crane erected in late April.
• October 2021: Roundabout work completed on the Rookwood/Odell/Waggoners intersection.
• October 2021: The remaining old CARIS building was torn down.
• May 2022: First building seems to be topped out. Dirt pile has been removed from the site of the second building.
• August 11, 2022: Big Foundation pour for Building 2 (Rookwood Avenue closed around the site for the day)
• August 15, 2022: Tower crane was disassembled and moved to the second building site.
• September 8, 2022: Tower crane assembled on the second building site after a 3 week delay.

Media articles on project

• PAC Agenda with the requests for variances and a description of the project
• CBC Article on approval
• Huddle article on project approval Includes pictures of a model of the Phase 1 development
• Update on the project, including April 2021 start date

[MonctonRad]

Freddys first project specific thread!!

Congratulations.

[MonctonRad]

If I were to make a suggestion, I might change the header for the thread to say "Fredericton" rather than "Fred". This would follow normal naming conventions for SSP.

If you can't do it, you could request JHikka or mylesmalley to do it for you.

[Taeolas]

I think we had one for the Convention Centre downtown years ago, but yeah, we've been amiss with project threads in the Capital, so this felt due, especially since it's so big and multiphase.

I suspect once the NB Ex grounds projects get finalized we'll have a few more project threads there too.

[Taeolas]

Hmm, don't think I have the thread tool option to rename now, which could be tricky to update as the project progresses.

I shorted it to [Fred] due to length since [Fredericton] feels so long, but writing it out I see it's only one extra character from [Saint John] so I guess it's not that bad.

If a mod wants to change now feel free; otherwise I might leave it until the next big update (probably when Mount Caris is scraped away and foundation work starts in the spring)

[Taeolas]

Taken from the Fredericton thread, some renderings of the project. (Spoilered for the size of the pictures)

Originally Posted by OliverD

[Ire Narissis]

My brother works at CARIS and word from their office is they're hoping the ground floor retail will include a restaurant.

[shazapple]

https://tj.news/story/101195283?ref=linkShare
Second reading of the zoning ammendments was passed.

[Taeolas]

After a quiet year, it looks like we have a start date of April 2021

"Mount CARIS" is being removed as of December 2020, so site prep seems to be going on to be ready for a spring start.

[gehrhardt]

I worked at CARIS 20 years ago. The older building was not a nice place to be in the summer.

I remember them giving employees popsicles in on the hotter days. We couldn't go home of course, even when it was 30C at my desk. That's one of the reasons I left.

[starburns42]

I'm unsure of the design but I'm glad that they are making the ground floor retail

[FreddyGuy]

Crane on site this morning.

[Taeolas]

Actual crane? I saw the concrete trucks pouring a base when I went by around noon.

[FreddyGuy]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Actual crane? I saw the concrete trucks pouring a base when I went by around noon.

Just a small one, guessing it was dropping in some pipes or forms or something.

[Taeolas]

As noted in the main Freddy thread, construction fencing has gone up and foundation excavation has started.

Looks like they are storing the excavated dirt on the side of the other building for now.



Note how the fence is angled at the corner near the Rookwood/Waggoners corner. I think the city is going to start the roundabout this summer as well. That's going to make that corner very busy this summer.



I'm not sure when the other building is due to be emptied out; but I suspect it will be torn down by the end of the year to start site prep for the second tower.

[Taeolas]

They've lego'ed a retaining wall around the construction pit, and there are huge piles of dirt around the rest of the property, along the trail. The barn that was behind the CARIS building has been taken down and I noticed a concrete pump truck back there last night. I suspect they'll be pouring the foundation and a crane base soon.

The blue building's days are likely very numbered now.

Also the Rookwood/Waggoners Roundabout project is going to start next month apparently. Details are still being nailed down, but it will take a lot of the summer, and they'll be replacing/upgrading underground infrastructure at the same time, and adding a paved trail link from the park to the trail network.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

The barn that was behind the CARIS building has been taken down and I noticed a concrete pump truck back there last night.

You mean the long structure that ran parallel to the trail?

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by OliverD

You mean the long structure that ran parallel to the trail?

Yes, this one. The entire lot is basically full of piles of dirt now; more than I would have expected from the excavated section. And only the squarish blue building is left (the bigger one next to the trail with the shingled roof).

[Freddypop]

Tower Crane raised today on the site. Activity will really pick up now

[NB_ExistsToo]

Originally Posted by Freddypop

Tower Crane raised today on the site. Activity will really pick up now

Ohhh! I forgot to check out this site when I went on my bike ride the other day. I'll capture some photos on my next ride.