[Saint John] Uptown Thread

[Uptowngal]

Does anyone know what is going on at the three sisters condo building? Their patio looked great but they're about half way done demolishing the front of it (facing Prince William Street)

[DyAm00394]

Renderings are now released for the new South Central Peninsula School.

[sailor734]

Like the courtyard open to Rainbow Park

[darkharbour]

It’s a little dull, and I admit I chuckled when I read one of the cladding colours is named “Sedate Grey,” but I’ll never say anything bad about the province finally getting off its high horse and finally building schools in urban neighbourhoods that have been systematically ignored - or even actively neglected - for well over half a century.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

It’s a little dull, and I admit I chuckled when I read one of the cladding colours is named “Sedate Grey,” but I’ll never say anything bad about the province finally getting off its high horse and finally building schools in urban neighbourhoods that have been systematically ignored - or even actively neglected - for well over half a century.

I agree that the colour scheme is pretty bland but you are also right it's great to see it finally started ( In a perfect world it should have been built and open by now)

[bridgeoftea]

Do we have a timeline on construction?

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

Do we have a timeline on construction?

https://www.country94.ca/2024/07/11/...t-john-school/

Scheduled to open September 2026

[adamuptownsj]

The long-vacant small apartment building at 230 Duke seems to have partially escaped the wrecking ball: only the extension off the back was demolished and there's been workers on-site.

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/230...5409&entry=ttu

https://paol-efel.snb.ca/paol.html?v...n&pan=01623607

[adamuptownsj]

AllAtlantic ran down the Landmark developers; apparently they're still planning on building it. I have my doubts.

They recently handed off the large lot at 258 Hampton Road in Quispamsis for $600K more than they paid for it; the new proponents are looking to build 160 units across 2x 4 storey and 1x 3 storey. Same developers as the 661 Dever Road townhouse complex.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

AllAtlantic ran down the Landmark developers; apparently they're still planning on building it. I have my doubts.

Tremendous news. That's exactly what Saint John needs more of, developers from outside of SJ, and outside of Atlantic Canada, who are committed to building up the Saint John skyline with projects far more ambitious than the typical 4-6 storey apartment blocks we've seen going up around the city.

I'm not sure what's so doubtful about the project, anyways. Developers from outside of Atlantic Canada build stuff like this all time like they're no big deal.

Hopefully it's the first of many projects from developers outside the region looking to take advantage of the low cost land with big potential for ocean views in the form of mid rises and high rises.

I bet the Landmark is completed with people living in it, well before the 19 storey building at Fundy Quay is topped out.


Would be quite the transformation, and hopefully lead to some major improvements between its location and the lower cove loop, maybe even some apartments built on the fringe of the lower cove terminal site. From what I've heard the idea of building residential housing on Port owned lands was more of a PP idea than a JT idea anyways.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Tremendous news. That's exactly what Saint John needs more of, developers from outside of SJ, and outside of Atlantic Canada, who are committed to building up the Saint John skyline with projects far more ambitious than the typical 4-6 storey apartment blocks we've seen going up around the city.

I'm not sure what's so doubtful about the project, anyways. Developers from outside of Atlantic Canada build stuff like this all time like they're no big deal.

Hopefully it's the first of many projects from developers outside the region looking to take advantage of the low cost land with big potential for ocean views in the form of mid rises and high rises.

I bet the Landmark is completed with people living in it, well before the 19 storey building at Fundy Quay is topped out.


Would be quite the transformation, and hopefully lead to some major improvements between its location and the lower cove loop, maybe even some apartments built on the fringe of the lower cove terminal site. From what I've heard the idea of building residential housing on Port owned lands was more of a PP idea than a JT idea anyways.

In this case I have a feeling these guys are more land speculators than actual developers.

[adamuptownsj]

They've done two projects, ever, as far as I can tell: one similar, if smaller scale, in metro Vancouver pre-covid, and... converting the office space at Millidge and Woodward to self-storage. No evidence they have the cash or chops to pull this off.

These are not serious developers from away per any publicly available info. If they do it, great, but it's not on my bingo card. No public statements for multiple years until AllNB chased them down in the context of a different project elsewhere in the metro, which they are no longer part of.

Fundy Quay, once the first building is up, will represent a prime development opportunity even if the current developers go tits-up. The site is prepped, ringed with Harbour Passage, and so on. The second building (SE corner) is almost assuredly a go, per everything I've heard. The parking garage (north middle) could be built by anyone with a pulse and will be needed anyway.

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

They've done two projects, ever, as far as I can tell: one similar, if smaller scale, in metro Vancouver pre-covid, and... converting the office space at Millidge and Woodward to self-storage. No evidence they have the cash or chops to pull this off.

These are not serious developers from away per any publicly available info. If they do it, great, but it's not on my bingo card. No public statements for multiple years until AllNB chased them down in the context of a different project elsewhere in the metro, which they are no longer part of.

Fundy Quay, once the first building is up, will represent a prime development opportunity even if the current developers go tits-up. The site is prepped, ringed with Harbour Passage, and so on. The second building (SE corner) is almost assuredly a go, per everything I've heard. The parking garage (north middle) could be built by anyone with a pulse and will be needed anyway.

Are you volunteering?

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Are you volunteering?

I'm pretty bloodless-- I was obliquely referring to the city itself. The Peel garage was a public works boondoggle until it was fully occupied which took a couple of years, and that was up a cliffside. Mainly saying as long as it's not hideous it could be thrown up quickly and relatively cheaply. Put in a couple underground floors, ground floor commercial, and some half decent cladding, close some surface lots in return.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

They've done two projects, ever, as far as I can tell: one similar, if smaller scale, in metro Vancouver pre-covid, and... converting the office space at Millidge and Woodward to self-storage. No evidence they have the cash or chops to pull this off.

These are not serious developers from away per any publicly available info. If they do it, great, but it's not on my bingo card. No public statements for multiple years until AllNB chased them down in the context of a different project elsewhere in the metro, which they are no longer part of.

Fundy Quay, once the first building is up, will represent a prime development opportunity even if the current developers go tits-up. The site is prepped, ringed with Harbour Passage, and so on. The second building (SE corner) is almost assuredly a go, per everything I've heard. The parking garage (north middle) could be built by anyone with a pulse and will be needed anyway.

Would it really that hard for them to find some investors, though? If they’ve done similar projects in Metro Vancouver where the cost of land could be more than the total cost of this project, that bodes well for them.

Hopefully they aren’t just land speculators and this actually gets built. The more taller builds on the central peninsula, the better!

[cdnguys]

Re: landmark developers - there are 2 partners, one in SJ and one in BC. I’m not going to reveal my source, but the SJ partner already developed properties in city and they are capitalized to build it - it’s finding a builder that is the issue.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Re: landmark developers - there are 2 partners, one in SJ and one in BC. I’m not going to reveal my source, but the SJ partner already developed properties in city and they are capitalized to build it - it’s finding a builder that is the issue.

That’s hopeful. Good to hear!

[sailor734]

Southend school delayed by a full year. Opening now Fall 2027.

From TJ article.......

SAINT JOHN • The opening of the new K-8 south central peninsula school has been delayed by a full year, according to a revised completion date provided by the provincial government.

https://tj.news/saint-john-south/new...-2027-province

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

Would it really that hard for them to find some investors, though? If they’ve done similar projects in Metro Vancouver where the cost of land could be more than the total cost of this project, that bodes well for them.

Hopefully they aren’t just land speculators and this actually gets built. The more taller builds on the central peninsula, the better!

You gotta stop the hopium, it'll only disappoint you. You can't put faith in random people who drop $425K on land and go dark. Projects announced in 2020 with no movement in 2024 are ill-fated.

The developers appear to be a Moji Shahab and an Ali Kamkar, the former BC-based, and the latter rather mysterious and apparently affiliated with a Mahkam Living Ltd., per search:
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moji-shahab-1264381b
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Corporate/Gazette/2020/index-2020.pdf

Unless it's Jonathan Rasenberg who's the local developer, but he's the one working on the Hampton Road project.

[DyAm00394]

A new restaurant and bar called The Country Club On The Boardwalk is coming soon. Opening Fall 2024.
https://thecountryclubsj.com/