[Saint John] Uptown Thread

[adamuptownsj]

Kind of O/T but interesting.

Someone's trying to unload three lots on Elliot Row for truly hilarious prices. PAOL tells me it's not a prospective flipper, so who knows what ambitious long-time owner is shooting for the moon here. All three would maybe be worth $100,000-$125,000 together, if a buyer wanted to go all-in on revitalizing the street with infill, assuming ~30 new units total.

Smaller single home lot @ 51 Elliott: $39,900

Large lot @ 73 Elliott: $89,900

Large albeit strangely shaped lot @ 80 Elliott: $79,900

[Fischbob]

Those are JDI-owned lots iirc, no doubt underutilized since they built their parking garage.

This could be a good opportunity to add to the existing co-op housing stock in this corner of the uptown, although at the asking price I'm not sure that Unified SJ/Housing Alternatives would find it worthwhile to pull the trigger.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Kind of O/T but interesting.

Someone's trying to unload three lots on Elliot Row for truly hilarious prices. PAOL tells me it's not a prospective flipper, so who knows what ambitious long-time owner is shooting for the moon here. All three would maybe be worth $100,000-$125,000 together, if a buyer wanted to go all-in on revitalizing the street with infill, assuming ~30 new units total.

Smaller single home lot @ 51 Elliott: $39,900

Large lot @ 73 Elliott: $89,900

Large albeit strangely shaped lot @ 80 Elliott: $79,900

It looks to me like 73 Elliot could have some really good potential for multi-unit development. What do you think the value would be closer to?

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Kind of O/T but interesting.

Someone's trying to unload three lots on Elliot Row for truly hilarious prices. PAOL tells me it's not a prospective flipper, so who knows what ambitious long-time owner is shooting for the moon here. All three would maybe be worth $100,000-$125,000 together, if a buyer wanted to go all-in on revitalizing the street with infill, assuming ~30 new units total.

Smaller single home lot @ 51 Elliott: $39,900

Large lot @ 73 Elliott: $89,900

Large albeit strangely shaped lot @ 80 Elliott: $79,900

Are land prices really that low in SJ? I'd expect to pay ~$400k for a serviced lot that could house 30 units in Fredericton.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by OliverD

Are land prices really that low in SJ? I'd expect to pay ~$400k for a serviced lot that could house 30 units in Fredericton.

Pretty sketchy area, or at least it used to be......I've heard people call it Murder Row.

The local paper used to have a section called "In the Courts" and you'd often read "John Doe of xxx Elliot Row found guilty of........"

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by OliverD

Are land prices really that low in SJ? I'd expect to pay ~$400k for a serviced lot that could house 30 units in Fredericton.

Originally Posted by nwalbert

It looks to me like 73 Elliot could have some really good potential for multi-unit development. What do you think the value would be closer to?

It's three lots, none of which touch each other, over a block and a half, on arguably the worst street south of Union. In its favour, proximity to JDI is a plus, and like you said, the lots are serviced. A reasonable price would be $5-7K a door seeing as you'd have to have three distinct plans, sets of permits, and so on.

If they were adjacent to each other, yeah, a higher price would be warranted. But definitely not more than $10K a door.

I grew up there! Across the street at 70.

Most importantly, Irving is parting with disused South End land. That's the news! Are we sure this wasn't just land owned by someone else, that they leased for parking?

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

It's three lots, none of which touch each other, over a block and a half, on arguably the worst street south of Union. In its favour, proximity to JDI is a plus, and like you said, the lots are serviced. A reasonable price would be $5-7K a door seeing as you'd have to have three distinct plans, sets of permits, and so on.

If they were adjacent to each other, yeah, a higher price would be warranted. But definitely not more than $10K a door.

I grew up there! Across the street at 70.

Most importantly, Irving is parting with disused South End land. That's the news! Are we sure this wasn't just land owned by someone else, that they leased for parking?

I checked, and yes it is JDI land currently, so yes this is incredible news since they have a very long history of never giving up anything in the core - or virtually anywhere else for that matter.

[bridgeoftea]

Looks to be 183 Union Street that's on fire at the moment. Initial reports stated it was the Max Pub, but a comment since updated it appears to be the abandoned building beside.

[darkharbour]

Maybe this was posted before, but I was looking through the Hospital Hill development website this morning and came across this very peculiar rendering:

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Maybe this was posted before, but I was looking through the Hospital Hill development website this morning and came across this very peculiar rendering:

That is very weird. Especially the ground level pedway system running to St Joe's.....and the Inca pyramid looking thing running down the hillside.

[Pugsley]

I think that's because it is a senior's living development - per the website. Looks like they are trying to create a series of connected structures that would have direct access to nursing or healthcare. Rather smart in my opinion and could be a great way to add some density to the downtown while clustering elderly residents around a primary care facility.

But I admit...pretty terrible renderings.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by sailor734

That is very weird. Especially the ground level pedway system running to St Joe's.....and the Inca pyramid looking thing running down the hillside.

I actually like the Inca Pyramid building. Many times a week driving past hospital hill, I try to visualize what type of buildings you could build into the rock face to add some extra density.
Does anyone have the link to the website?

[DyAm00394]

https://www.hospitalhill.ca

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

Looks to be 183 Union Street that's on fire at the moment. Initial reports stated it was the Max Pub, but a comment since updated it appears to be the abandoned building beside.

Not abandoned- U/C.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Not abandoned- U/C.

Attempt at DYI demolition by the new owner?

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Maybe this was posted before, but I was looking through the Hospital Hill development website this morning and came across this very peculiar rendering:

Lol, who knows what it will actually look like though.


It’s too bad they're just thinking twelve stories there (if I recall correctly)… something 30+ storeys at Hospital Hill would have the appearance of like a 50+ storey building when approaching Uptown from the throughway, which is the first look our city center that many people see travelling in HWY 1. Moncton has already proven that it is possible to secure investment for a 30+ storey building here in NB... why not here in Saint John? Especially at a place like "hospital hill" which may not longer have a hospital, but it would definitely have an amazing view of the harbour, surrounding river valley, The Bay of Fundy, and even Nova Scotia on a clear day!

[DyAm00394]

Freak Lunchbox has announced today that this weekend is their final weekend on King Street. After 14 years of business uptown. They are moving the store to McAllister Place on the east side.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

What could be even more amazing for hospital hill, is if they were able to incorporate some sort of specialized medical facility or specialized hospital into a mixed used high rise building somewhere in Uptown Saint John... something like the Hospital for Special Surgery which occupies some floors in mixed used high rise in New York

Just imagine something like this built in the "neo-Art Deco" architectural style:


What a sight that would be on top of the former hospital hill, for all to see from the HWY #1 driving into Saint John!

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Freak Lunchbox has announced today that this weekend is their final weekend on King Street. After 14 years of business uptown. They are moving the store to McAllister Place on the east side.

do we know what's going to replace their Uptown location?

[JakeNB]

What is wrong with City administration/management?
- Skating oval won't be operational for at least a "month and a half" as per the Mayor. [Fredericton had its new skating oval at Officer's Square open last weekend].
- It's December and the pedway stairs project is still incomplete. Was supposed to have been done in Oct - which was ridiculous to begin with.
- Market Square patios are still not complete; heating systems are incomplete and they are still using picnic tables.
- Homeless issue continues to fester; the promised Green zones were supposed to be announced in November and this hasn't been done.

Why is our municipal government so seemingly incompetent. Is it the staff or the politicians or both who are the problem?