[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The Cameron Street project is associated with a numbered company based in Dieppe



The overall development will eventually include three buildings surrounding the Ashford parking loi in behind the IG Wealth Management Building (owned by Ashford) near the Main/Vaughan Harvey intersection.



Rendering of the first building:



It is actually five storeys. In a previous response, I had said I thought it was only four storeys. At the time this was presented to PAC, the ground floor was to be occupied by a dental office. I wonder if this is still the case?

I was looking at this development and thought it would be nice if they took High Street and rerouted it between the two buildings that are along Cameron. The building that is north/south on High can be turned 90°. You could potentially build a parking garage where the cul-de-sac & big parking lot is.

[MonctonRad]

The new UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) building, currently under construction in Kelowna. A single building university campus which will be 43 storeys tall.

Whaddaya think? Do you think the province of NB would ever consider a UNB Moncton campus in the downtown of the city to serve the post secondary educational needs of the anglophone community of greater Moncton???? Kelowna is only about 20% larger than greater Moncton.......

[Leroy321]

I noticed there is now a Newco construction signs on a commercial unit next to the Pilates studio at the tomato building. Has anyone heard anything?

[Leroy321]

I found this on Construct Connect:



Render from December PAC:



Note that the start date is normally a rough estimate. I find it interesting that they call this a mixed-use development I don't remember hearing that when it went to PAC

[jonny golden]

The new UBCO (University of British Columbia Okanagan) building, currently under construction in Kelowna. A single building university campus which will be 43 storeys tall.

Whaddaya think? Do you think the province of NB would ever consider a UNB Moncton campus in the downtown of the city to serve the post secondary educational needs of the anglophone community of greater Moncton???? Kelowna is only about 20% larger than greater Moncton.......

It really would be an amazing addition to downtown Moncton, and a huge benefit for Moncton's anglophone post secondary students.

I think that if it were to be a single building campus, (a la UBCO) 1222 Main Street would be an excellent option. They could start by relocating the UNB nursing program. That would allow the demolition of the zestless existing nursing building, and opening up another prime downtown development lot.

But the province and UNB don't seem to be particularly interested. At all. Unfortunately.

[Leroy321]

Resolute Living posted on their Facebook page the other day that the tomato building has only 9 units remaining, which seems really good, as it has only been open for a little under a year. I wonder what their plans will be once their Quinn Court building is done in Riverview this summer. I remember them buying an old two-floor office building on Lutz St with a bunch of parking. Do we think they will ever develop it? Maybe they still want to build a 10-floor building like what the tomato building was supposed to be..

[Leroy321]

45 Lewis St:



This building has quite a large footprint. This and Saint Bernard Place will be a game changer for the neighbourhood.

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by Leroy321

45 Lewis St:



This building has quite a large footprint. This and Saint Bernard Place will be a game changer for the neighbourhood.

What’s interesting is we have seen nothing about what this will look like.

[new kid in town]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

But the province and UNB don't seem to be particularly interested. At all. Unfortunately.

Yup sadly. No plans at all nor even murmurs within current Moncton faculty of any expansion. How I wish the NP program of UNB will at least happen considering the lack of (1) options for anglo nurses without needing to drive out to SJ/Freddy since UdM needs you to be francophone, and (2) lack of primary care providers but it remains a pipe dream.

[MonctonRad]

I noticed yesterday that there is a large "land for sale" sign which has been erected by Ashford on the parcel of land that would have housed the Lorentz Apartments building #2.

It is clearly obvious that this building is not going to get built.

This is yet more evidence supporting the rumour and impression that Ashford is no longer interested in residential construction and management. They have contracted out management of their current residential properties, and no new buildings have been built in the last couple of years.

This is fine, but it does seriously call into question the future of the Ashford/Downing project behind Assumption Place which always seems to be perpetually about 24 months away, The delays have largely been related to improving the necessary infrastructure for this major project (almost certainly well over $100m), and, more recently to difficulties in obtaining federal and provincial monies for the public portion of the project (relocated city market, new convention centre +/- a relocated main downtown library branch).

There are interesting rumours that Ashford has pivoted to a commercial tower, and possibly may have secured a couple of major tenants (provisional on securing the funding for the public portion of the project), but, Ashford/Downing encompasses a full city block, and, it is hard to imagine that a project of this scale would not also include a large residential component.

If Ashford is exiting residential construction, what does this mean for Downing Street? Is this project doomed???

[adamuptownsj]

Re: 45 Lewis, does it extend all the way from the southernmost rowhouses to Queen Street? Or is it just this lot?

And on that subject... how on earth is 45 Queen across the street considered a residential property? What's the deal with the house surrounded by parking?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

how on earth is 45 Queen across the street considered a residential property? What's the deal with the house surrounded by parking?

I have never understood this property. A single suburban residential bungalow, set smack dab in the middle of a parking lot, immediately next to the most prestigious condo building in Moncton, and and, in the downtown core within spitting distance of city hall.

It's just fucking bizarre!!!

How can you get away with this shit in the second largest city in the Maritimes!!!

[Mattyyy]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I noticed yesterday that there is a large "land for sale" sign which has been erected by Ashford on the parcel of land that would have housed the Lorentz Apartments building #2.

It is clearly obvious that this building is not going to get built.

This is yet more evidence supporting the rumour and impression that Ashford is no longer interested in residential construction and management. They have contracted out management of their current residential properties, and no new buildings have been built in the last couple of years.

This is fine, but it does seriously call into question the future of the Ashford/Downing project behind Assumption Place which always seems to be perpetually about 24 months away, The delays have largely been related to improving the necessary infrastructure for this major project (almost certainly well over $100m), and, more recently to difficulties in obtaining federal and provincial monies for the public portion of the project (relocated city market, new convention centre +/- a relocated main downtown library branch).

There are interesting rumours that Ashford has pivoted to a commercial tower, and possibly may have secured a couple of major tenants (provisional on securing the funding for the public portion of the project), but, Ashford/Downing encompasses a full city block, and, it is hard to imagine that a project of this scale would not also include a large residential component.

If Ashford is exiting residential construction, what does this mean for Downing Street? Is this project doomed???

I have been of the opinion for some time that Ashford needs to move on from this project. It's unfortunate, but after almost a decade of talk it's highly unlikely anything will ever get built. As much as I would like to see the project come to fruition in the near future, I'm worried they will continue to sit on this land for another 10 years.

It seems to be one excuse after another. Based on what I hear the city also won't move forward with the final pieces of infrastructure until Ashford is ready to go. I think waiting on the city has become a convenient excuse from Ashford.

There was the perfect opportunity to get Towers in the sky over the past 5-6 years with the incredible growth in the Moncton area. I really can't figure out what they're waiting for?

[Mattyyy]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I have never understood this property. A single suburban residential bungalow, set smack dab in the middle of a parking lot, immediately next to the most prestigious condo building in Moncton, and and, in the downtown core within spitting distance of city hall.

It's just fucking bizarre!!!

How can you get away with this shit in the second largest city in the Maritimes!!!

The odd house on the property equals less tax

But I agree, 55 Queen 2.0 would be perfect.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Mattyyy

The odd house on the property equals less tax

But I agree, 55 Queen 2.0 would be perfect.

I hadn't thought of the tax argument........

I also have thought that a sister building to 55 Queen would be perfect.

[Mud]

Taxes are the underlying issue with Ashford, 45 Queen, Heritage and frankly many other properties in the core of the city. It's all well and good to offer up incentives to developers, but until surface parking can be taxed at a rate that somehow compensates for its underutilisation then I don't think the needle will be moved. That might require changes at the provincial level though.

We have to stop seeing these lots as being some sort of neutral blank canvas with potential we can wait on. They're actively harming the city. I think reduced immigration is going to cause us to enter a period of competition for urban growth, and we'll lose that competition because our most valuable real estate isn't generating the amount of housing, amenities or tax revenue that it should due to speculation. They're also straight up ugly and will push away any urbanites who have the luxury of choosing what city to live in.

The province and city need to show some urgency here. I understand that downtown is not the end all, be all of Moncton's growth but we are going to lose a growing subset of the population to other small cities with better urban form.

[adamuptownsj]

I don't know if the crappy bungalow and 90-odd spots get a particularly favorable tax treatment, tbf. Assessed at $564,300.

What Moncton needs is a couple big fat parking garages with residential/hotel space over top and commercial on the ground floor, maybe one on Queen and one in the wasteland around Crown and Westmorland.

Pair this with aggressive taxation on surface parking specifically. I am sure the city could come up with some kind of per-spot fee that wouldn't technically be property tax, and would push lot owners to sell or build, especially along Lutz and Robinson. That seems like the easiest corridor to build out. You'd have to structure this in such a way that it wouldn't screw with lots owned by actual businesses for their employees and customers, even if they aren't ideal from an urbanist standpoint.

[Leroy321]

This has been on CCD for a couple of months. I am just wondering if anyone has heard anything on this. I find it odd because this building still has businesses and such still open in it.

[Mud]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I don't know if the crappy bungalow and 90-odd spots get a particularly favorable tax treatment, tbf. Assessed at $564,300.

True, the bungalow slipped my mind when typing that out. Agree with everything else. That Fredericton beats out Moncton on parking structure is a joke.

[MonctonPerson]

Originally Posted by Leroy321

This has been on CCD for a couple of months. I am just wondering if anyone has heard anything on this. I find it odd because this building still has businesses and such still open in it.

This looks like someone dropped the "1" from the address and it's actually about 162 Queen St., the old Sunset Hotel. It was demolished and is being replaced with a five-storey subsidized housing building.