The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by NB_ExistsToo

There's probably more traffic resulting from the school in the middle of Island View Heights than this. Not to mention they say it's a "quiet neighborhood" but Manawagonish is a main artery with a good amount of traffic on it anyway.

I do see the 80 spot parking lot being an issue in times they host provincial/national tournaments, which host numerous teams and divisions at once.

I honestly think it's kind of a silly location for it and since it's the "first of its kind in the province" it shouldn't be a in a place that's walking distance to effectively nothing. But I'm sure the pricing of the land probably helps make the project more cost-effectively compared to more desirable locations.

They could have put it in the old Zellers crater that's at the Lansdowne place.
It's close to a couple restaurants and kids would love a pizza pizza across the road. Plus it's close to LBR which if they had a bigger tournament they could use both locations.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

They could have put it in the old Zellers crater that's at the Lansdowne place.
It's close to a couple restaurants and kids would love a pizza pizza across the road. Plus it's close to LBR which if they had a bigger tournament they could use both locations.

I agree this location would be a better bet. The land is probably more expensive though, and there may be bigger developments at play here in the future.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by Helladog

I agree this location would be a better bet. The land is probably more expensive though, and there may be bigger developments at play here in the future.

I wish there was some rumours or even chat about that location. It's been an empty hole since what 2015? It would be nice to see something put there.

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

I wish there was some rumours or even chat about that location. It's been an empty hole since what 2015? It would be nice to see something put there.

I think it's just a matter of time. That area of the city is growing significantly (I'm including Millidgeville with the North End as a corridor), so I think someone is going to see the influx of immigration and the investment in the new school nearby, and a grocery store next door and want to build something there. I'd love to see a few buildings in that space, some ground-floor retail with a lot of housing on top. Even just a modest 6 floors in two buildings could add nearly 200 units to an area that needs it badly, but I'd love to see more. The whole Landsdown are could be redeveloped into the start of a dense new urban neighbourhood if someone was ambitious enough, in many ways it has more services than Uptown (closer to hospital and university, shopping options, the Y, etc.).

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

I think it's just a matter of time. That area of the city is growing significantly (I'm including Millidgeville with the North End as a corridor), so I think someone is going to see the influx of immigration and the investment in the new school nearby, and a grocery store next door and want to build something there. I'd love to see a few buildings in that space, some ground-floor retail with a lot of housing on top. Even just a modest 6 floors in two buildings could add nearly 200 units to an area that needs it badly, but I'd love to see more. The whole Landsdown are could be redeveloped into the start of a dense new urban neighbourhood if someone was ambitious enough, in many ways it has more services than Uptown (closer to hospital and university, shopping options, the Y, etc.).

I would love this. I sometimes walk to Sobeys/Tim Hortons from my house and would love to see the plaza reworked and utilized better. Having some store/apartment combo would be great.

Also I think it could benefit from some road diet / parking lot diet. It's just a vast asphalt of nothing. Would love another sidewalk or two within the plaza.

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

I would love this. I sometimes walk to Sobeys/Tim Hortons from my house and would love to see the plaza reworked and utilized better. Having some store/apartment combo would be great.

Also I think it could benefit from some road diet / parking lot diet. It's just a vast asphalt of nothing. Would love another sidewalk or two within the plaza.

I agree, I think the most logical first step is to turn Sears Street into a proper roadway all the way between Harrington and Landsdown. Then maybe do the same to Newman, which would create 2 distinct blocks and would make the whole space a lot easier to develop and navigate.

[adamuptownsj]

There's a lot of infill potential there. Additional standalone businesses could fit south of Tim's, between Subway and RBC, and on the corner of Lansdowne and Visart. I doubt we're getting integrated developments or anything fun here, but there's room for more meat-and-potatoes business.

The Sobeys has to be the most decrepit and dated one I have ever been in. If they like the location perhaps they would build on the Zellers lot, or on the Lansdowne side of their current 'block'.

I agree on bringing back Sears St. Bring it to a proper four-way at Lansdowne and Teck. Close off 2 or 3 of the parking lot entrances entrances off Lansdowne too.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

There's a lot of infill potential there. Additional standalone businesses could fit south of Tim's, between Subway and RBC, and on the corner of Lansdowne and Visart. I doubt we're getting integrated developments or anything fun here, but there's room for more meat-and-potatoes business.

The Sobeys has to be the most decrepit and dated one I have ever been in. If they like the location perhaps they would build on the Zellers lot, or on the Lansdowne side of their current 'block'.

I agree on bringing back Sears St. Bring it to a proper four-way at Lansdowne and Teck. Close off 2 or 3 of the parking lot entrances entrances off Lansdowne too.

As I recall Sobeys already tried that (moving out to the corner of Visart and Lansdowne and using the old store site as parking) way back when the Somerset Superstore was announced. The city denied the needed variances to move that close to the road. That's when they started the major remodeling that was still underway when the superstore opened. That cost them A LOT of business as the store was a mess and torn up for months while the Superstore was newly opened.

I don't know how much of a detriment to development it is but the whole Lansdowne Mall is built on a very old (19th-early 20th century) garbage dump. Witness all the dips and valleys in the parking lot and the fact that if you leave a cart unattended in Sobey's Produce dept it will literally roll away downhill. Multi story buildings might be an issue.

I assume engineering solutions could be found but I'm not sure what that might do to costs.

[darkharbour]

Old dump? It was a wetland, park of the Newman Brook watershed that starts up at Howes Lake and runs underground beneath Crescent Valley and the Rifle Range on the way to Shamrock Park and out to Spar Cove. Anyway, my point being that it is shifted because of the old wetland soils, but the bedrock is still under there, it would just require longer pilings than in some places (although still not as bad as on the East Side where the pilings have to go down very far to hit rock).

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Old dump? It was a wetland, park of the Newman Brook watershed that starts up at Howes Lake and runs underground beneath Crescent Valley and the Rifle Range on the way to Shamrock Park and out to Spar Cove. Anyway, my point being that it is shifted because of the old wetland soils, but the bedrock is still under there, it would just require longer pilings than in some places (although still not as bad as on the East Side where the pilings have to go down very far to hit rock).

Yes, and I believe it was used as Portland's dump in the 19th century. The city of Portland was amalgamated with Saint John in 1883. Seems insane by today's environmental standards but by the standards of the day it wasn't any use for much else. I seem to recall reading about artifacts being found during excavations at one point.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Yes, and I believe it was used as Portland's dump in the 19th century. The city of Portland was amalgamated with Saint John in 1883. Seems insane by today's environmental standards but by the standards of the day it wasn't any use for much else. I seem to recall reading about artifacts being found during excavations at one point.

They didn't have too much noxious stuff to dump, to be fair.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

They didn't have too much noxious stuff to dump, to be fair.

Not necessarily...... Creosote was invented in 1716 and mercury was used extensively in the 1800's in a variety of products just to name two.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Not necessarily...... Creosote was invented in 1716 and mercury was used extensively in the 1800's in a variety of products just to name two.

Of course. But in terms of stink and effluent, nothing that would have caused concern downstream.

[sailor734]

I'm a little surprised by the state of Seabird Suites in Millidgeville. The first building has had occupants for several months now but is still extensively under construction. Balconies are only partially installed, exterior cladding isn't done, not all heat pumps are in and there is considerable heavy machinery (self propelled man lifts, crane etc working on site) It would seem to me that there are multiple potential safety hazards for people living there.

I don't know the rules here in SJ but I always assumed a building had to be complete and city building inspectors , fire inspectors etc had to sign off before occupancy was allowed.

[cdnguys]

[IMG] [/IMG]

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by sailor734

I'm a little surprised by the state of Seabird Suites in Millidgeville. The first building has had occupants for several months now but is still extensively under construction. Balconies are only partially installed, exterior cladding isn't done, not all heat pumps are in and there is considerable heavy machinery (self propelled man lifts, crane etc working on site) It would seem to me that there are multiple potential safety hazards for people living there.

I don't know the rules here in SJ but I always assumed a building had to be complete and city building inspectors , fire inspectors etc had to sign off before occupancy was allowed.

They are a reputable builder so I’m confident they met any requirement. Besides I don’t think the residents would have access to those dangerous areas. When you’re building a high quality place I’m sure it’s harder to get components during these times.

[cdnguys]

[IMG] [/IMG]

[adamuptownsj]

Harbour Passage staked out from Broad to Tin Can Beach, and underground infrastructure completed.

https://imgur.com/a/RoHnMyR

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

They are a reputable builder so I’m confident they met any requirement. Besides I don’t think the residents would have access to those dangerous areas. When you’re building a high quality place I’m sure it’s harder to get components during these times.

So is it considered "normal" to rent apartments and have them occupied while the building is still under construction?.....or is this a abnormality?

If many of them opened their balcony door they'd have quite the first step.

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by sailor734

So is it considered "normal" to rent apartments and have them occupied while the building is still under construction?.....or is this a abnormality?

If many of them opened their balcony door they'd have quite the first step.

I can’t imagine it would be economically feasible to wait until everything complete in this difficult construction industry atmosphere. Probably be 2 years without badly needed rent. Who knows maybe they are offered a credit