The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[ErickMontreal]

Med school to open in 18 months

Dave MacLean
Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday April 14th, 2007
Appeared on page B1/B2


An English-language medical school set to open in Saint John in the fall of 2009 could allow New Brunswick to enter the lucrative field of medical research and development.

Premier Shawn Graham said Friday the provincial government is on the verge of finalizing a deal that would see a medical school at the Saint John Regional Hospital welcome its first students in about 18 months and he added the school could provide the Port City with economic spin-offs.

"Dr. Ed Doherty has brought this file forward to cabinet and we have made a decision to proceed with a new medical school in Saint John," Graham told the Telegraph-Journal's editorial board, referring to his minister of Post-Secondary Education. "This is going to require a significant investment out of the operating budget of the department of health.

"We will be in a position in the very near future - sometime in May - to make an official announcement. We're negotiating the final details with Dalhousie University, but government has been given the green light to proceed in finalizing the negotiations for the creation of a 30-seat medical school here in the Saint John region.

"This is going to be a substantial investment that will require approximately $2 million for infrastructure investment and $7.3 million in annual operating costs. As a government, we made the decision that these were necessary investments over the long term that will improve our ability to retain doctors."

The premier added the facility could allow Saint John to wade into the field of medical research.

"We also want to build new industry around this medical school with research and development opportunities that exist with medical training," Graham said. "Today, health care is one of the fastest growing businesses in North America and we want to position New Brunswick as a viable business partner in this growing market. This medical school will help us take this strategic step forward."

Graham said his government has taken a cautious approach in its negotiations and he feels the efforts will soon be rewarded.

"All partners want to see this project work," he said. "We've had to do the necessary due diligence to make sure that when the program is fully operational we have the revenue streams to cover the expenditures. We're cautiously optimistic that we'll be in a position to make an official announcement about the new partnership sometime in May and we want to see this program fully up and running in September, 2009."

The premier hinted the city could also soon receive good news about expansion of the Saint John Regional Hospital's emergency room.

"The minister of health will be in a position to make an announcement on his estimates in the next two to three weeks in the house, but I can say that there is positive news pertaining to that."

The premier also said there will be no immediate decision on the location of a trauma centre.

"The minister of health hasn't brought it before cabinet yet for review," said Graham. "(Health Minister Mike Murphy) received the report two or three weeks ago and it's my understanding that it's quite a complicated document, comprehensive in nature. So the staff is now reviewing internally what recommendations to bring forward to government and it's my understanding it's going to require at least another two months for that process."

[Smevo]

That multiplex sounds like the two that are being built here...it's the new fad I guess. Anyway, it would be a significant sports investment and that's usually a good idea. I doubt SJ is saturated with good sports infrastructure...it's a common problem in this area of the country.

[ErickMontreal]

One-Mile depends on Ottawa

Khalid Malik
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday April 10th, 2007
Appeared on page C1


The One-Mile House Interchange has ties that bind it to the cleanup of Saint John's harbour.

Like harbour cleanup, the big highway project has been discussed by community and political leaders for decades. It is also acknowledged as a strategic infrastructure building block for the region - and the province. And, it serves as a linchpin for the city's economic outlook - one that complements the social fabric of a revitalized uptown.

But while politicians listened to citizens' demands by reaching a municipal, provincial and federal partnership worth $88 million to clean up Saint John's polluted harbour over the next five years, the One-Mile House Interchange project remains stalled in Ottawa.

It's a matter of the federal government's showing Saint John the money, says Pat Darrah, executive director of the Saint John Construction Association. Only then will the interchange be constructed to give the big trucks a proper route to the industrial heart of the city on the East Side. That will keep the rigs off city streets, especially in the uptown with its commercial and entertainment development possibilities.

"It is a question of money - let no one tell you anything otherwise," said Darrah. "Everything else is just whistle Dixie. As soon as the province gets the (federal) money, it will do it."

The proposed interchange - located literally one mile (1.6 kilometres) east from the city centre - is expected to cost between $45 million and $50 million. It's an idea that's been around for more than 35 years - it was to be part of the Saint John Throughway built in the early 1970s. It will off-load heavy industrial traffic from Highway 1 to near Russell Street on the East Side, allowing it to go directly to two of Saint John's industrial parks via Bayside Drive.

For what it means economically to Greater Saint John, Bob Manning says its price tag is a bargain.

The Board of Trade chairman said "the cost of building the interchange is leveraging $7-billion investment in the new refinery. Spinoffs will be 1.5 to two times the ($7 billion) investment. The interchange is a strategic piece of infrastructure. Nowhere else in the province is the investment (of $40 million) going to bring that much leverage to the economy."

Premier Shawn Graham is plugged into the city's wish list. He told a Saint John audience last month the One-Mile House Interchange would form part of a $400-million federal-provincial infrastructure agreement.

The premier's press secretary, Marie-Andrée Bolduc, said following discussions with federal Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Lawrence Cannon, the premier feels "confident that there will soon be a positive announcement that will allow the province to make the needed investment in Routes 1, 7, 8, 11 and 17. And yes, the One-Mile Interchange."

Tracey Burkhardt, spokeswoman for the provincial Department of Transportation, believes New Brunswick will obtain funding from the federal government. She maintains the project is not wholly dependent on federal dollars. Further, she says the province has now obtained 80 per cent of the land needed for the interchange. The remaining 20 per cent belongs to one property owner. Burkhardt says negotiations are continuing.

For Manning, the project can't get under way soon enough. With harbour cleanup funding now committed, the Board of Trade has made the interchange its top priority. Manning said there are a number of reasons for the urgency.

"A lot of our industry is based in the southeast of the city and there is no direct connection from the highway to that area," he said. "Two of the city's largest industrial parks - Grandview and McAllister - are located there."

The interchange will create increased opportunities on Bayside Drive properties, he said. This will also connect the heavy traffic to the new Red Head road being built to serve the LNG terminal and potentially to a proposed second oil refinery.

Currently, if trucks are coming from the east, they have to take the Crown Street exit and mingle with the light industrial traffic on Crown Street, then head to industrial parks via the causeway.

If the trucks are coming on the highway from the west, they have to take the city centre exit and pass through the uptown to head toward the causeway. Manning said this causes tremendous stress on city streets, poses a safety hazard and affects tourism. It also detracts from waterfront development as the heavy traffic goes through Water Street, facing the port.

The Board of Trade chairman said the interchange should be "very high on the city's perspective" because the city will be spending less money on the maintenance of roads if traffic can be diverted through the interchange.

"This should be the province's number one priority, not just the board's," said Manning. "The premier talks about bringing self-sufficiency to the province. It will do a lot for that. The premier has to step up and show that the money (to construct the interchange) is there. The government can spread the expenditure over two years. The interchange can leverage an awful lot of investment for the province."
_________________________________________________________________

Energy board OK with proposed Emera pipeline

By The Canadian Press
Chronicle Herald
Published Thursday April 12th, 2007

CALGARY — The proposed Emera Brunswick pipeline to carry imported natural gas across southern New Brunswick to the United States "is not likely to result in significant adverse environmental effects," according to a National Energy Board environmental assessment.

The NEB released its report Wednesday, noting that the finding is contingent on the project receiving regulatory approval and on Emera Brunswick Pipeline Co. meeting all of its commitments.

Board recommendations include a site-specific plan to protect wildlife and vegetation, along with "various precautionary measures including consultation activities on emergency procedures" for people along the route.

The next step is for federal ministries to respond, and this response and the environmental assessment will be considered by the NEB as it decides whether to approve the project.

The NEB wrapped up public hearings in November into Emera’s application to build the $350-million, 145-kilometre line that would transport gas from a planned liquefied natural gas terminal near Saint John to the Maine border to serve the energy-hungry northeastern United States.

Irving Oil and Spanish partner Repsol plan to build the $750-million Canaport LNG terminal, with Emera Inc., the parent company of Nova Scotia Power, providing the pipeline.

[SJTOKO]

This thread is DEAD! Every day I check CBC or the Telegraph Journal and there is usually something to do with development. I am overseas so I can't access the full articles but they should be discussed on here.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by SJTOKO

This thread is DEAD! Every day I check CBC or the Telegraph Journal and there is usually something to do with development. I am overseas so I can't access the full articles but they should be discussed on here.

Samething for us, its bad, there are a plenty of good articles about police station, courthouse, Waterfront and Water street developement as well.

[ErickMontreal]

Saint John Port Authority has busy years ahead

SAINT JOHN, NB -- The Saint-John port will become a more secure area by December 2008.

Initiatives were discussed today during the port authority's annual meeting.

Workers will need to have security clearance issued by the federal government on container terminals and cruise facilities.

President and C-E-O of the port authority Al Soppitt said the Federal Government has put forward four hundred thousand dollars so far, but more is needed to complete the project.

"We're hoping that some program will come forward that would allow for furthur funding for secutiry requirements," Soppitt said.

He added there are more requests on the project being made than there are dollars available.

[ErickMontreal]

Planning goes forward on police, justice complexes, Telegraph Journal April 19,2007

Construction Council hopes work on uptown project will begin in earnest next year. Saint John- If the city's uptown plans go as council hopes, it will be a case of justice for all. The city is moving to ensure the justice complex is a development that makes everybody happy, not just police officers and lawyers. "We thought it can be more than just a police building no one can get particularly excited about, and a standalone parking garage no one can get excited about," said Coun. Chris Titus, a member of the city's Police Justice Steering committee and a Crown prosecutor. The new police headquarters and the new provincial justice facility will be built separately in the uptown near the Saint John Arts Centre and the soon-to-be-demolished YM-YMCA. The area wil also include a new parking garage and a landscaped public place. Titus describes it as "an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime"-one that, done properly, will mean an attractive and welcoming site that will spur further development in a neighborhood that is "rough" in places. "We'd like to really upgrade that side of the city," he said. During one of last week's council meetings, common council approved two important pieces of the project. First, they agreed to hire the park-planning firm Daniel K. Glenn Ltd. to develop the design of the public plaza. The firm, which worked on Harbour Passage and will design the landscaping of Water Street, had already been approached separately by architects behind both the police and justice facilities. Second, the city will pay a company called TOSS Solutions Inc. to produce a land-use plan for the project that will support additional development in the area and help it "meet community expectations." A report from the steering committee says the plan is necessary given the large number of different groups working on the project, including the city, the province, the Saint John Police Force, and the parking commission. It's been well documented that the $15 to $20 million police headquarters will help a force stuck in an inadequate City Hall, and the $28 to $30 million justice facililty will consolidate and improve upon three aging court buildings spread throughout the city. But "just plunking buildings down" would have been a mistake, Titus said. The three-term councillor said the buildings won't necessarily look alike but are being built with co-ordination and co-operation between the various groups. For instance, the police facility will likely be the site of holding cells, with tunnels between the two buildings allowing the accused to be taken to court. The numbers of people working in the three faciities should be enough to spur some private business in the area, Titus said, and the city hopes the site will help attract more development, be it a hotel or condos. Work will start in the area this summer, Titus said, but he says construction won't likely start in earnest until 2008. Ray French, the chair of the police commission and a lawyer, said the complex will change the face of the uptown. "This will create an area within our city that people will want to be a part of," he said.

[ErickMontreal]

Motel 6 comes to the 'Mile'

CANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B2

The North American chain Motel 6 will soon be leaving its light on in the city's west side.

The motel, whose slogan is "We'll Leave the Light on for You," will be constructed behind the Burger King restaurant on Fairville Boulevard, beside the Home Hardware building centre in Beaver Court on the Golden Mile.

[SJTOKO]

Originally Posted by HalifaxMtl666

Motel 6 comes to the 'Mile'

CANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B2

The North American chain Motel 6 will soon be leaving its light on in the city's west side.

The motel, whose slogan is "We'll Leave the Light on for You," will be constructed behind the Burger King restaurant on Fairville Boulevard, beside the Home Hardware building centre in Beaver Court on the Golden Mile.

This is GREAT news...... Finally some development on the West Side... here's the rest of the article, I finally have it set up....

Motel 6 comes to the 'Mile'
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPCANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 21st, 2007
Appeared on page B2
The North American chain Motel 6 will soon be leaving its light on in the city's west side.

The motel, whose slogan is "We'll Leave the Light on for You," will be constructed behind the Burger King restaurant on Fairville Boulevard, beside the Home Hardware building centre in Beaver Court on the Golden Mile.

Mayor Norm McFarlane said the 83-room, four-storey complex should take form within a month, and be completed by the fall.

"It's a pretty big footprint," McFarlane said, adding that the hotel will have meeting rooms, should have a pool, but probably won't have a restaurant. The Motel 6 website states that all locations (920 through the United States and Canada) offer free local phone, free accommodations for children, free morning coffee and data ports.

McFarlane said along with the Motel 6, another smaller-scale hotel is in the works for West Saint John. The second complex will be two stories, and remains in the approval stages.

He said it will be in the vicinity of the Motel 6.

McFarlane, who remarked on the ideal location of the motel, said he did not know the cost of the Motel 6 or the name of the contractors.

"This is the start of things going on the Golden Mile - this shows the confidence," he said, adding that the motel plans have only been in the works for about one month. "It's right off of the thruway, it couldn't be a better location. It's great exposure."

The West Side motel development falls in line with a recent trend in Greater Saint John, with three other hotels under construction. A 78-room Best Western is coming to the city's East Side by late summer or early fall, while the 118-room Hampton Inn on Fashion Drive - also in the city's East Side - should open in the fall.

Construction of Kennebecasis Valley's first hotel, the Amsterdam Inn, is underway at the corner of Concorde and Millennium drives in Quispamsis. It is scheduled to open by May 15.

[Seely32]

Im a kid from south jersey and im loving all the new developments here in saint john. Im going to school here and what i can remember from when i was a kid the city has made a huge turn. Dare I say this is a good place to live because ever since I got here all I hear is how much the people hate it . I moved here about a year ago and I dont plan on leaving anytime soon, I dont think people know what they have here. Now if they would put some effort into their economy and be pro-growth then we could see Saint john move years forward. I have family hear who are protesting building new buildings on the west side on duke street west for the simple reason they are scared of change. The designs are nice its not low income housing and it brings more money to the city and especially the west side. When I look at these posts which I have been for the past 6 months it makes me happy that people care about the growth that this city can accumb to. HAPPY EARTH DAY

[SJTOKO]

Originally Posted by Seely32

Im a kid from south jersey and im loving all the new developments here in saint john. Im going to school here and what i can remember from when i was a kid the city has made a huge turn. Dare I say this is a good place to live because ever since I got here all I hear is how much the people hate it . I moved here about a year ago and I dont plan on leaving anytime soon, I dont think people know what they have here. Now if they would put some effort into their economy and be pro-growth then we could see Saint john move years forward. I have family hear who are protesting building new buildings on the west side on duke street west for the simple reason they are scared of change. The designs are nice its not low income housing and it brings more money to the city and especially the west side. When I look at these posts which I have been for the past 6 months it makes me happy that people care about the growth that this city can accumb to. HAPPY EARTH DAY

I've got a lot of family in South Jersey some of them just came up for the week... Yeah people really don't know what they have in Saint John, but a lot of people havn't travelled much so I don't really blame them. Most of the kids in my high school went to Halifax for a weekend or MAYBE Montreal...

[Seely32]

Its a way of life here that you cant get in many places there are 44 million people within 3hour of where I love in South jersey. A slower pace and some room to breath is nice. Montreal and Halifax are nice cities but they cant attest to the high impact living in the BosWash Megopolis. I need to get my camera out and capture some of the beautiful scenery and architectecture that reaks throughtout this city the water street development and robertsons wharf interest me but i really wish they stayed brick on the waterfront. i know Cost would be through the roof. But it definately would be more aesthetic.

And where from south jersy are they from.

[Smevo]

Thanks for keeping us up to date, HalifaxMtl...I tried to start a thread last year, but didn't have the support to keep it around. I'm glad to see you and the other SJ fans/forumers taking charge on keeping everyone up to date on the developments.

The effect of people not realising what they have is definitely an effect of not travelling a lot, it's the same story in a lot of places. I've always been a big fan of SJ, though a lot of people can't understand why, I've always stuck by my opinions on the city.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by Smevo

Thanks for keeping us up to date, HalifaxMtl...I tried to start a thread last year, but didn't have the support to keep it around. I'm glad to see you and the other SJ fans/forumers taking charge on keeping everyone up to date on the developments.

The effect of people not realising what they have is definitely an effect of not travelling a lot, it's the same story in a lot of places. I've always been a big fan of SJ, though a lot of people can't understand why, I've always stuck by my opinions on the city.

Thank you Smevo ! I am not a Saint John citizen but i am a Saint john fan like you and others that share their interests about this city. Although, i got the same problem as you the people does not understand why i focus on this town, I already convinced many of my friends in Quebec to come to take a look in Saint John and in New-Brunswick as well

At this point Saint John grows more quickly that I had expected.

Welcome Seely32 to the thread !

[SJTOKO]

More Development of the West Side.... Where is Day Drive though?





West Side developer receives conditional approval to add units
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPMary-Ellen Saunders
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Appeared on page C2
City council approved the first and second readings of a rezoning on Jennifer Street on the West Side to allow for 40 garden homes to be built, on one condition: That developer Stillmen Wilcox meet and come to an agreement with the concerned citizens of Day Drive.

"There's not going to be any garden homes in your back yard," said councillor Chris Titus at Monday night's public hearing. "You have to make a compromise come third reading."

Council approved Wilcox's residential plan in 2003, which included 22 garden home units on Jennifer Street. Wilcox appeared before council on Monday night to request a change of plans to increase the density to 40 units with less yard space and less space between residences.

Wilcox said developing single residential homes and garden homes on the West Side has been harder than he expected, and his previous vision won't make him any money.

But some residents of Day Drive were more concerned with the money they stand to lose in the value of their homes than Wilcox's profit.

Residents said they purchased their homes based on the original plan Wilcox had presented them, and were not happy with the new increased density of the garden homes because the homes will block their views, increase traffic and decrease their property values.

They said the street is in bad condition and they aren't happy with the construction materials lying around vacant lots and the heavy machinery travelling past their homes.

Mike O'Brien, who lives at 31 Day Dr., said he wouldn't have bought his home if he had of known what would happen.

"The bottom line is the original garden homes on the website are not the same ones that are being proposed," said O'Brien. "All we want to do is protect our investment."

Council stood in the middle of the argument and tried to find a middle ground.

Coun. Ivan Court pointed out that while more homes would mean a greater tax base for the city, it is unfair and bad for Wilcox's reputation to make his current residents unhappy and lose property value.

Wilcox said he would be willing to make changes to the plan in order to accommodate the residents that he had sold lots and homes to. He said by building the garden homes straight instead of at an angle, they would be less attractive to look at but farther away from the Day Drive residential homes. He said he would be willing to compromise and agreed to clean the neighbourhood.

Wilcox said starting out as a small company and trying to develop the West Side was harder than he expected, he has had more delays than he thought and a harder time selling properties than he had planned on.

"The West Side tends to grow a lot slower than other areas," said Wilcox. "But I think the market is going to go on fire because of the activity in Saint John, I'm on the leading edge of it."

He hopes to have four residential homes and six garden homes built and sold this summer.

Council agreed to pass first and second readings despite a recommendation from the Planning Advisory Committee to turn the proposal down.

A passing of third reading will depend on whether the developer can find a compromise that accommodates the residents of Day Drive.

[SJTOKO]

I wish this guy all the best... I'd be all over those Japanese Noodles...


New sushi restaurant rolls out in Saint John
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPErin Dwyer
Developments
Published Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Appeared on page C5
Chong Yoon opened his new restaurant in Saint John with some trepidation.

He wasn't sure whether its residents would be open to traditional Japanese food. But the chef, who studied at the Tokyo culinary institute before working in more than 20 Japanese restaurants and operating his own in Tokyo for 10 years, needn't have been concerned.

Last month, he opened A Sense of Tokyo at 13 Waterloo St.

"I worried about the people in Saint John don't like fish and sushi. But many people are enjoying my dishes. So I'm happy about that."

Yoon moved to Saint John from Tokyo almost a year ago with his wife Soo-Young Joo and their two daughters. He worked as a chef at the Hilton Hotel for several months before deciding to open his own restaurant.

It took him three months to set up the business in the city centre, which opened March 13. The full-course menu serves traditional Japanese food such as sushi, traditional deep-fried vegetables and seafood called tempura and noodles. It also offers appetizers and desserts. Lunch items range from $7 to $11, while customers can choose dinner combinations in the $15, $20 or $25 categories.

As customers dine, they can watch as Yoon prepares and rolls sushi on a counter top in front of the tables.

"We're trying to introduce customers little by little various different things. I try to give them new tastes - sometimes it's a fusion style and sometimes it's traditional Japanese cuisine."

As a way of introduction, Yoon began offering some samples of Japanese cuisine during the City Market's International Food Fair on Saturday.

"People in Saint John, some are conservative and some don't like to try new food," he said. "But if I serve food in the Saint John City Market, I can give them a chance to try. Then they will come to have a meal in my restaurant."

His only problem is trying to find local cooks to help in the kitchen alongside his wife.

"I can't do it by myself," he said. "But it's very difficult to find the right cook in Saint John. When I worked for the Hilton, we had the same experience. But I think we can solve the problem and we'll handle it little by little."

[SJTOKO]

I hope that this project is a success......

Project hopes to breathe new life into Old North End
Print this ArticleEmail this ArticleMagnify TextBookmark this ArticleShare on FacebookDigg this ArticleBookmark with del.icio.usLive BookmarkAdd to TechnoratiTOOL HELPCANDICE MAC LEAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Appeared on page C1Just like its inspiration ONE Change, ONE HOME plans to infuse the city's Old North End with new life.

ONE HOME (Home Ownership Made Easy) is a pilot project created to increase the number of North End citizens who own their homes.

The site where a quartet of town house-like homes may be built hasn't been confirmed yet, but Kit Hickey, executive director of Housing Alternatives, said a lot on Victoria Street is the most probable location.

Hickey repeatedly stated the preliminary nature of the project, but said the plan is to have four North End families move into the homes, and pay in a rent-to-own fashion. Though she said the details are not worked out, she described the ideal families for ONE HOME as the "working poor," and said they'd be looking at an income of $30,000 per year.

"There's a disproportionate number of people that are renting in the North End," Hickey said, noting that just 10 to 15 per cent of North End residents own their homes. "We know that for a healthy community that a mix is absolutely essential. Mixed income, mixed forms of housing tenure, home ownership or rental "... all of that is very important to a healthy community along with ownership. It's that sense of ownership that instills the pride back into the community."

Saint John's Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation representative Don Connolly is also a key player in the ONE HOME project, and said if all goes well, on-site construction will begin in October.

He said the idea for a home ownership initiative began in November 2005, when his company headed an intense five-day meeting, called a 'charette', in the North End, looking at how to revitalize the area.

"It was clear in the charette results. When there's home ownership in a community, it leads to community pride," Connolly said.

"(When) people own their properties, the theory is they will look after them and it will lead to other people wanting to buy and it will just become a domino effect in terms of improving the community."

Connolly said construction cost, rent charge per month and down payment prices have not been determined yet, as the plan is only just being developed. He did explain that the program might work like a similar initiative happening in Saskatoon, Sask.

"They do a home ownership type of arrangement called Quint Development and Quint actually uses a model where they screen families and families go into the unit on a rent-to-own or co-op type of tenure and have options in a five-year time period," he said.

"Once they feel they're comfortable in taking on responsibilities, they can take on home ownership. It's a transitional thing and that's probably the way we'll go."

Families who fit the criteria for the program will be taught home ownership literacy, Connolly said. For example, they would learn how to handle situations in their home they may not be used to after having a landlord for most of their lives.

"There's a lot to this," Connolly said. "Four units doesn't sound like a lot of units but there's a lot of infrastructure to be planned around this so it can become something that will be sustainable."

A community meeting to discuss ONE HOME will be held at 6:30 Thursday at the Main St. Baptist Church in the North End.

At a town hall meeting hosted by Liberal MP Paul Zed in the North End, Coun. Ivan Court voiced his opinion on the ONE HOME initiative.

"Regardless of what you make, you're a human being," Court said. "People will take pride if they have the concept that someday, I'm going to own the mortgage on this property. We struggle to that end - to get the mortgage paid off so we can burn the mortgage and say 'this is my piece of land and this is my property,' but everyone should have that opportunity."

There are more than 10 partners or potential partners involved with the project, Connolly said. Hickey said she, Connolly and Gary Sullivan, ONE Change president, are heading the initiative.

The use of ONE in the project names is an acronym for Old North End, which encompasses Adelaide Street to the St. John River and Main Street to Shamrock Park.

[Seely32]

Having tried most of the sushi in this town. I had just eaten at sense of tokyo for the second time last week easily the best sushi in town. Good atmosphere comes off like it might not be that great but the inside is nice the food is good and they actually having a philly roll which makes me pretty happy. If you havent tried it yet give it a shot.

[Ottawa]

April 9, 2007

Riding a wave of optimism

Peter Walsh/Telegraph-Journal

Developer Peter Gaulton and his Bentley Crossing partners are so optimistic they are eager to begin the second phase of their Chesley Drive development.

Dave MacLean
Telegraph-Journal

Appeared on page C1

Peter Gaulton and his partners have a great deal of faith in the Greater Saint John area and its future.

They felt positive enough about the economy and the quality of life in the area that they made a significant investment in a waterfront housing development and their faith in the local market has been rewarded.

The partners have sold 10 of the 14 condominium units built along Chesley Drive - nine are already occupied and another will be at month's end - and they're already looking ahead to the second phase of their development, known as Bentley Crossing.

Based on the results of City Think 2007, an Omnifacts Bristol survey commissioned by the Telegraph-Journal, the housing market should continue to be busy in the coming months since almost half of respondents expect to either buy a home or renovate their current residence. The survey of more than 500 adults revealed that seven per cent expect to purchase a home in the next 12 months, while a further 39 per cent expect to begin a renovation project.

That's good news for developers and contractors in the area and just the kind of news Gaulton and his partners like to hear as they prepare to add another seven units to their development.

There's a buzz sweeping over the city that happy days will soon be here again. And it's contagious.

The survey also shows that nine out of 10 area residents rate their quality of life as good or excellent.

The optimism is prompting people to open their wallets and increase their spending habits.

"I hear it from my business contacts," said Gaulton. "People are very positive about where things are going in Saint John. It's not only the (possibility of a second Irving Oil) refinery - there's the refurbishment at Point Lepreau and the possibility of a second (reactor), but you've also got a police station, a justice complex and a cruise-ship terminal on the way, as well as the East Point Shopping complex. The list goes on and on and on.

"It's like we were a well-kept secret for a long time and all of a sudden we've awoken and we realize we have something to offer here. Let's offer it to the world. It's a really good feeling."

The Bentley Crossing project was the brainchild of Saint John lawyer Frank Hamm. He wanted to buy a home on the waterfront and couldn't find what he was looking for. So he decided to build one.

"Frank was looking for a place to live that overlooked the harbour," Gaulton said. "That's the joke among the group. He had to build a whole development to get what he wanted."

Gaulton, a chartered accountant, said Hamm recruited three partners - the other two are Walter Derksen and Gary Kilpatrick - to help design and finance the project.

"We're not typically what you would call risk-takers," said Gaulton. "But I didn't look at it as a risk - or I didn't see it as being as great a risk as some other things, because I really liked the vision that Frank had and I liked the design when I saw it. We felt that because of the location and the high-profile nature of the development that it would get plenty of exposure - and it did.

"From our perspective, we felt confident enough in the location and in the city and what's happening here that we built 14 homes and at this point in time we have 10 of those signed, sealed and delivered."

Gaulton said his group was attracted to the site by the development of Harbour Passage and they were encouraged by the support they received from local officials.

"We would not have gone forward with the project if Harbour Passage hadn't been there," said Gaulton. "The people at the city were very encouraging and if I remember correctly, we had 100 per cent support from common council when the rezoning went through. It's positive attitudes like that that encourage you to keep going."

Furniture and electronics retailers and car dealerships can also expect to be busy over the next year, according to the CityThink survey.

A total of 14 per cent plan on buying or leasing a new car, while 41 per cent will be purchasing new furniture and 27 per cent are expecting to purchase a new piece of technology that costs more than $1,000.

That's music to the ears of Jon Duplessis, who works in sales at Wacky Wheatley's in Saint John.

"It seems like every time someone remodels their home or buys a new home, they're looking to buy a new flat-screen TV," said Duplessis, noting that consumers are more likely to buy luxury items when the economy is good. "Obviously, a television isn't a 'need' product, it's a 'want' product. People probably have a TV at home that works fine, they just want to replace it with some newer technology that's cooler."

A very palpable wave of optimism has hit Greater Saint John.

"It's just very positive right now," said Gaulton. "I've always been very big on Saint John. I've noticed recently that we're not hearing very much from the naysayers. They're very quiet; they're saying very little these days. And that's a good thing."

[Ottawa]

April 16, 2007

One Mile House: Make it happen

Appeared on page A4

Saint John's proposed One-Mile House Interchange is the lynchpin of the city's economic development - the municipal equivalent of a coronary bypass. But until recently, the seriousness and urgency of the operation has largely escaped government's attention.

That seems to be changing, thanks to the Saint John Board of Trade, local developers, the Telegraph-Journal's reporting, and Premier Shawn Graham.

The proposed interchange has been part of the city's long-term planning for decades; its purpose is to route heavy traffic from the provincial highway system out of the city core. But it was not undertaken when the Saint John throughway was constructed. As the possibility of harbourfront development and industrial growth has increased in recent years, so has interest in completing the interchange; but Saint Johners have found it difficult to get government's attention. The provincial government under Bernard Lord, in particular, was slow to react to the threat of impending gridlock, though it always maintained the interchange was somewhere on the province's agenda.

Premier Shawn Graham has taken a different and altogether more satisfying approach. The One-Mile House Interchange is one of a number of highway projects the government is giving first priority to in negotiations with federal government. The turning point for his government seems to have been realizing the interchange's value to the growth of the provincial economy.

With an LNG terminal in the works and a new justice centre, waterfront complex and second oil refinery on the planning board, Saint John is soon going to see a massive increase in industrial traffic as construction begins in the central and eastern sectors of the city. The interchange is necessary to speed that development along, and to ensure it proceeds with the least negative impact on the rest of the city.

Looking at the interchange's impact on the refinery proposal alone is an eye-opener. Saint John Board of Trade Chairman Bob Manning says, "the cost of building the interchange is leveraging $7 billion in investment in the new refinery. Spinoffs will be 1.5 to two times the ($7 billion) investment."

It is, as Manning claims, "a strategic piece of infrastructure. Nowhere in the province is the investment going to bring that much leverage to the economy."

But industrial growth is not the only force that is driving the Graham government to make the interchange a priority. Routing traffic away from Water Street, on the eastern side of the city harbour, is the next logical step in waterfront development. The city has invested in Harbour Passage, a waterside, multi-use trail system. It will invest tens of millions in removing sewage from the city harbour. With the interchange in place, it will be able to concentrate on redeveloping Water Street as the heart of the waterfront district - and uptown visitors and residents will no longer need to dodge between speeding cars and heavy trucks.

Premier Graham and the provincial Transportation Minister are to be congratulated for seeing what the previous government did not - that the One-Mile House Interchange will make Saint John a healthier and wealthier place to live, and a more prosperous contributor to the province as a whole.