The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[random11]

JOHN MAZEROLLE
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday April 12th, 2008
Appeared on page B1
SAINT JOHN - The city needs more specific goals as it builds a number of large projects and prepares for its economic boom, says a professor at the local university.

Dan Doiron, who teaches competitive business strategy and managing innovation at the University of New Brunswick's Tucker Park campus, says the number of large projects the city is dealing with is positive, but that specific benchmarks would be useful. As an example, he said someone might come forward with a 10-year plan to get the municipal tax rate down to $1.45 per $100 of assessment.

Right now, it's parked at $1.795, the highest rate in the province and the second worst in Atlantic Canada.

The city has a vision statement that it worked out with the help of the public in 2007, as well as a series of 20-year community goals. But Doiron says the city should come up with a strategic plan based on the here and now. A new study predicts a southern New Brunswick energy boom will create 33,000 jobs and inject more than $44 billion into the province's economy. Meanwhile, the city is working toward a large number of public projects, including a police station, transit headquarters and new water filtration plants.

Doiron said the city's vision statement is "a great vision statement but it could apply to anyone."

Better to come up with very specific benchmarks and try to hit them, he said. The key will be to take a global view of all the projects on the go so that they can be considered in the context of a strategic plan, he said.

"They have a whole bunch of projects but they don't have context," he said.

Doiron said the so-called Benefits Blueprint is a good place for the city to start - both as a way to learn about the city's situation, and as an example of a plan with specific goals.

David Hardy, president of the Toronto-based Hardy Stevenson and Associates, was brought in last year to devise a plan to avoid some of the economic and social pitfalls that have tripped up other jurisdictions undergoing rapid development. The plan also includes 16 specific recommendations. Doiron calls it a "fabulous document."

Without a strategic plan, organizations end up fighting over which project is best, Doiron said. "My building is better than your building."

Using a system from the book Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap... and others don't by Jim Collins, he said the plan should be a very simple one with clearly defined purposes. The book suggests deciding what you want to be best in the world at, what you want to be the single factor that leads to economic success, and what you are passionate about.

The city's plan should also include preparation for what will happen when the energy projects are finished and the population begins to decline again, Doiron said.

Setting clear, specific goals will be good for everybody in the city, he said.

[GUB]

IS the Ellerdale investment site the site of the Rocca condo?
I think it would be neat to have something really contemporary there, and not some sad attempt to mimic the past. It is a great site.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by GUB

IS the Ellerdale investment site the site of the Rocca condo?
I think it would be neat to have something really contemporary there, and not some sad attempt to mimic the past. It is a great site.

Yep, same thing. It's a Rocca company.

[kwajo]

Wind farms could power water filtration
JOHN MAZEROLLE
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Monday April 14th, 2008
Appeared on page C2
SAINT JOHN - The city wants the wind to power the water.

In a report scheduled to be presented to common council tonight, staff recommend that the city study whether two needed filtration plants could be powered by wind.

"The primary goal is to secure a long-term supply of green energy at a lower rate than would be available elsewhere," the report signed by Saint John Water head Paul Groody says. "The secondary goal is to have power generation on Saint John Water lands that would earn money for the utility and, in return, result in lower rates for all utility customers."

The two plants, one on the east side and one west, are needed for Saint John to reach Canadian drinking water standards. They were last estimated at $135.8 million.

"If wind power is found to be feasible at any of the sites, we would envision that a long-term contract would be struck with a private wind-farm operator to design, build and operate the wind farms," the report reads. "Excess energy would be sold back into the local power grid. Environmentally friendly energy may become more valuable in the near future."

The report says that the land around the watersheds has few development options and the area appears to be very windy.

The study will be done in stages.

Early work would include a 'pre-feasibility study' that would include site visits and identification, meetings with stakeholders, and looking at existing wind data and regulations.

If the early work is promising, it would eventually lead to environmental assessments, public consultations, electrical grid evaluations and other analysis.

"If all indications point to wind power being feasible on Saint John Water lands, a call for proposals could be issued to select a private wind developer to carry out the project(s)," the report says.

Groody and city manager Terry Totten are recommending that council approve $190,000 for the early phases of the study.

Open session of council begins at 6:15 p.m.

Love the idea, but in the end I have a hard time believing that Saint John would end up choosing this course of action.

[kwajo]

Did anybody see this image in the Telegraph this morning? While it isn't my favourite design (can we do something that isn't a tacky sailboat ripoff?), I do think it's great that people are actively thinking about innovative architecture for the Uptown and the waterfront. Hopefully this means that the standards of development in Saint John are finally improving, and we might see an end to generic boxes and cheap materials in the foreseeable future.

[Seely32]

Originally Posted by kwajo

Did anybody see this image in the Telegraph this morning? While it isn't my favourite design (can we do something that isn't a tacky sailboat ripoff?), I do think it's great that people are actively thinking about innovative architecture for the Uptown and the waterfront. Hopefully this means that the standards of development in Saint John are finally improving, and we might see an end to generic boxes and cheap materials in the foreseeable future.

Saint John should make a landmark decision



JOHN CHILIBECK
PUBLIC EYE
Published Monday April 14th, 2008
Appeared on page C1

Graphic designer Mark Stephens was so fired up by an article in the Telegraph-Journal last week, he quickly sat down at his computer and started doodling.

He came up with a large building that looks something like a giant sail, which he readily admits owes a lot to the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel tower in the ultra-rich emirate of Dubai.

In this case, he thinks something like his faux tall ship with tensile fabric and backdrop lighting could go up at the old sugar refinery site in the south end, which sadly still sits vacant, a prime piece of waterfront that looks like a post-apocalyptic parking lot.

"Let's do something a little different," he implored in an interview, frustrated by some of the recent architectural contributions to Saint John's landscape. "No city on the globe has land like that on its waterfront. Let's not put up boxes or a freakin' village. Let's put up something impressive."

Stephens was reacting to a story about the Benefits Blueprint report, a study commissioned by Ottawa, the province and Irving Oil Limited on how to harness the most out of the region's coming economic boom.

A first step would be luring skilled workers for the big energy projects that are planned. One way to do that, say the report's consultants, is to create a cultural landmark, preferably one that would be a "signature maritime destination" capitalizing on the region's seafaring legacy.

A federal-provincial landmark would, according to consultant Dave Hardy of Hardy Stevenson and Associates, attract and retain executives, increase tourism and help celebrate local heritage.

Stephens, a come-from-away who lived a short time in Vancouver and grew up in Ottawa, buys into all that. His previous two cities have Canada Place and the Peace Tower, probably among the nation's most recognizable cultural landmarks. They bring in big bucks and give locals something to warble about.

Saint John, by comparison, has no such attraction that the average Canadian could identify.

Now a freelancer after working for 10 years as manager of multimedia services at the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation, Stephens believes Saint John could have a cultural landmark just as postcard pretty.

He sees a city of tremendous potential and has grown tired of watching interns and professionals take off after a few years' stay. He's also fed up with locals who keep dumping on their gritty surroundings.

"Industry is great, and it'll always be here. But let's balance it off with something cultural. Let's see some pride, let's get something out that says we're not just a working town."

Historically, Saint John hasn't respected some of its important landmarks. Union Station, the General Hospital and the old federal Customs building are just some of the grand edifices that have been knocked down. Preservationists look at old photos and weep at what's been lost.

Saint John High School teacher Barry Ogden devoted years convincing people to rebuild the Marco Polo, a giant sailing ship constructed in Saint John in the 19th century that held the world speed record for a time. His life's project is now a scaled-down version, with volunteers working to create a smaller replica of the vessel. It will attract tourists, no doubt, but it won't have the largesse of the Sydney Opera House or Eiffel Tower that the consultants were banking on.

Stephens' quick drawing shows there's enough talent in the city to get a project of a grand scale underway. What's really needed are people who can lead the charge for a classy project, the same way community leaders championed Harbour Passage, the picturesque walkway that's become an astounding success.

No one wants another drab shoebox building or tacky Loyalist Man cutout on the waterfront. It's time to make people from around the world sit up and take notice of Saint John.

John Chilibeck is a Telegraph-Journal reporter. He writes about issues that affect the Saint John region. He can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 645-3267. His column appears on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

[Seely32]

MIKE MULLEN
TELEGRAPH-J0URNAL
Published Monday April 14th, 2008
Appeared on page C1

SAINT JOHN - Just one week into his new job as president and CEO of the Saint John Airport, Bernard LeBlanc says he's ready to take up the challenge of finding a direct flight to the United States.

"I think everybody is interested and everyone is working on it," he said in a Saturday interview. "What I have to do is co-ordinate that and make sure we are headed in one direction to make it happen.

"After the first week, I can't tell you what the best airline to go after is or the best option," he added. "(But) I do know we have to make sure it's the kind of connection we want because if we don't support it, it will go away."

He said he doesn't want to see that happen.

LeBlanc, 47, said things to be considered include the fare structure, type of plane and frequency of service an airline is prepared to offer.

He said it might be easier to attract an 18-seater than a bigger plane, "But will people use it?" he asked.

"This is an area that has been worked on for quite a while," he said. "We just have to find how we can get that and what makes sense."

He said there several different approaches to be considered, as well, including piggybacking with Halifax or Charlottetown in order to help fill planes.

Another obstacle in attracting U.S. carriers to fly in and out of Saint John, he said, is the state of the U.S. industry.

"American Airlines cancelled 3,000 flights (due to safety concerns) alone this week," he said. "I believe right now in New York they are auctioning slots as to when a plane can go in. So, there is a lot of challenges."

He said he, his board and a small airport staff have the "benefit of having the whole community on board" when it comes to trying to find a U.S. connection, including Enterprise Saint John, the Saint John Board of Trade, the mayor's office, MP Paul Zed and local MLAs.

Asked if he could guarantee a U.S. flight by year's end, he said, "All I can say is it's definitely one of the priority objectives to work on. But will it happen this year? Maybe we should talk at the end of the year and see if it has."

LeBlanc, who replaced John Buchanan, said he's thrilled to be coming on board at a time when other past initiatives to grow the airport seem to be paying off.

A first-quarter passenger increase of 13 per cent for 2008 bodes well, he said, especially with all the energy projects planned for the Sussex to St. Stephen corridor. That's on top of a 25 per cent growth in 2007, when the local airport ranked second in the country for domestic passenger growth behind only the boom town of Fort McMurray, Alta.

He attributes the increases to the use of bigger planes by Air Canada on two of its three daily Montreal flights and the addition of same-plane service to Ottawa; the introduction last year of daily summer service by WestJet, which decided to stay on through the winter months with a reduced schedule; and a second spring season of SunWing Airlines' service to Cancun and the Dominican Republic.

Now, he wants to move things to a higher level.

"The key objective, in the first few weeks, is to speak to all the local stakeholders and users, including the business community, to find out what's missing, what's needed and what they would like to see," he said. "So, I have to try and factor that into our strategic plan to make sure that the direction we're planning to head in is something that the community wants and something the community supports."

Based on anticipated growth over the next three years, he said two of the three components the airport needs to look at right away is whether the terminal building and airport need to be expanded to handle that growth.

"The other component would be in terms of flight destinations, flight times, plane sizes," LeBlanc said. "Anyone who has flown out of the Saint John Airport probably prefers flying out on a comfortable 50- or 70-seater plane rather than an 18-seater. That is one objective, to get the level of planes that will allow the capacity we need, plus a bit more comfort for users."

He said more reasonable morning departures and late-night arrivals is another matter he wants to address.

LeBlanc said he wants to sustain the service that's in place while positioning the airport to take full advantage of any coming boom.

"There's no sense reacting to it when it is too late," he said. "We want to be ready."

This is the fourth career change for the fluently bilingual LeBlanc, a native of Edmundston, since he earned his engineering degree from McGill University in Montreal (1983) and his master of business administration degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax (1985).

He came to the job with 20 years of senior management experience in generating profitable growth and customer satisfaction in a variety of technical industries, most recently as general manager of Saint John-based Petroservice.

Let's see one by the end of the year

[Helladog]

Here's a bigger picture....



It's not a bad idea; it would have a hard time blending in with SJ architecture plus it needs more windows worked in to the design. This would have worked out better as part of the welcome centre.

About the airport article...why do they report the personal info at the end; if it were me, I wouldn't let them put that crap in there for privacy.

[Wrightguy0]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I don't like it. It looks like a crap ripoff of the Burj Al Arab

[nwalbert]

It is great seeing that the airport is going to be adding new routes. In the past I used the Delta link to the US via Fredericton on a bi-weekly basis. Since moving back to Saint John, it is has been more difficult as all the flights in/out of SJ seemed to booked solid.

There is no question we need more flights, and this need will only continue to grow as the boom begins.

[Helladog]

ELLERDALE STREET



CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL / WELCOME CENTRE



ROCCA CONDOS
The parking lot has been vacated and this huge crane is waiting to go...

[Smevo]

Originally Posted by Helladog

About the airport article...why do they report the personal info at the end; if it were me, I wouldn't let them put that crap in there for privacy.

Apparently being married with children means you can do your job better, just ask the politicians.

I know I wouldn't let them add any of that either.

[Seely32]

I am afraid of rocca's development on prince william. The rest of his developments seem uninspired and not well drawn up. I really hope this is not an eyesore on our city for years to come. If there is Vinyl siding with little glass or all cheap material I will and I hope the rest of the city will be pissed, let's hope it turns out well or it could send us backwards. leinster ct. moved us forward lets not take another leap back.

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by Smevo

Apparently being married with children means you can do your job better, just ask the politicians.

I know I wouldn't let them add any of that either.

Holy crap! I just skimmed the top half of the article when I first read that...
The writer probably had an extra inch or two of column space that needed filling. Or are they still paid by the word?

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Helladog

ELLERDALE STREET



CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL / WELCOME CENTRE



ROCCA CONDOS
The parking lot has been vacated and this huge crane is waiting to go...

Cant wait to see construction start asap on those condos on water st

[nwalbert]

I found this article over on the Fredericton forum. It looks as though SJ and Fredericton are continuing to grow at a pretty good pace. I have some good friends in Fredericton and apparently it is very difficult to get a contractor in Fredericton as they are all working in SJ these days.



Lots of construction in Fredericton, but try to find a contractor - O'Brien
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
[email protected]
Published Wednesday April 9th, 2008
Appeared on page A4

New Brunswick's construction sector is booming, says the chairman of the city's development committee.

Coun. Mike O'Brien said the total value of construction in the first quarter of 2008 in Fredericton was worth $22.9 million, compared to $14.1 million last year for the same period.

The figure doesn't include the $35-million health and wellness centre at the University of New Brunswick, which is scheduled to begin this year, he said.

The new, single-family homes category is up $800,000, apartments are up almost $900,000 and home renovations are up $120,000, he said.

"There is a strong market," said O'Brien. "The developers don't build a lot of these things on spec.

"It shows the city is still growing. It is shaping up to be a good year."

That's the good news, he said. The bad news is that people are having a hard time finding anyone to work on their homes, he said.

"Try to get a contractor in this city," said O'Brien. "That is good and bad. The good part is they are all busy."

The remaining value of building permits is commercial and industrial.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.'s report on residential construction in New Brunswick released Tuesday, Fredericton had 55 new residential housing units in the first quarter of this year, compared to 38 in 2007.

That's an increase of 44.7 per cent.

There were four new multiple units, compared to two last year.

There were 59 new residential projects, compared to 40 last year for an increase of 47.5 per cent.

Claude Gautreau, senior market analyst for New Brunswick for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., said there has been a significant increase in two of the province's three major communities.

Residential construction in Moncton is down 32.5 per cent, he said.

"The first quarter increase in single starts has been the result of increased activity in Saint John and Fredericton," said Gautreau.

O'Brien said Saint John is having a good year because of the big energy projects planned for the city.

"Good for them and it bodes well for our city as well because of the research and engineering types of work associated with that kind of work," he said.

It's rare for a development committee chairman to worry about too much development. But O'Brien said there can be too much of a good thing.

If a city expands too quickly, then its council could have trouble paying for important services, he said.

"It is a great challenge to have," said O'Brien.

That hasn't happened to Fredericton, he said.

"The fortune we have had is it has not been a boom and bust cycle," said O'Brien. "The growth has been slow enough to manage.

"It has been nice, steady growth."

[Helladog]

Work to begin on One-Mile Interchange

April 15, 2008 - 4:41 am
By: Jeff Lansing-News 88-9 staff

Saint John- Work on the One-Mile Interchange will get underway this year.
Staff gave council an update during last nights council meeting.
The Department of Transportation will begin preliminary ramp work off the highway and relocate underground infrastructure.
Councillor Bill Farren stresses the project can't be done soon enough.
" This is a benefit we have to keep on top of and speed up as much as we can" said Farren.
The D-O-T is redesigning where the off ramp will connect with Russell street. It was originally supposed to go between the Superstore and Staples.
The 40-million dollar super-structure is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The 9 story hotel for the old St. Pauls site passed council last night....should be starting soon...

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by Helladog

Work to begin on One-Mile Interchange

April 15, 2008 - 4:41 am
By: Jeff Lansing-News 88-9 staff

Saint John- Work on the One-Mile Interchange will get underway this year.
Staff gave council an update during last nights council meeting.
The Department of Transportation will begin preliminary ramp work off the highway and relocate underground infrastructure.
Councillor Bill Farren stresses the project can't be done soon enough.
" This is a benefit we have to keep on top of and speed up as much as we can" said Farren.
The D-O-T is redesigning where the off ramp will connect with Russell street. It was originally supposed to go between the Superstore and Staples.
The 40-million dollar super-structure is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The 9 story hotel for the old St. Pauls site passed council last night....should be starting soon...

I'm excited/curious to see how they get the One-Mile Interchange across the rail yard AND Marsh Creek. Obviously it will go over it all, so it will either have to be one really long span, or they'll have to be creative as to where the footings go (pretty lame thing to be excited about, but I'm weird).



That's quite a distance between Russell St. and the Highway. I know it will probably just be some generic concrete over-pass, but I'm hoping for something at least moderately interesting here.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I'm excited/curious to see how they get the One-Mile Interchange across the rail yard AND Marsh Creek. Obviously it will go over it all, so it will either have to be one really long span, or they'll have to be creative as to where the footings go (pretty lame thing to be excited about, but I'm weird).



That's quite a distance between Russell St. and the Highway. I know it will probably just be some generic concrete over-pass, but I'm hoping for something at least moderately interesting here.

Well it is supposed to be the largest interchange project in the province's history. It makes me wonder why they're all of a sudden reconfiguring it- like oops, we ran out of money or hey, here's a better idea...

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Helladog

Well it is supposed to be the largest interchange project in the province's history. It makes me wonder why they're all of a sudden reconfiguring it- like oops, we ran out of money or hey, here's a better idea...

Suspicious much? lol