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Posted May 12, 2008, 4:17 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Grand Bay-Westfield :: NB
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Downtown Moncton eyes next 'big project'
Convention centre pegged as top priority for city core
Published Monday May 12th, 2008
A1
By Nick Moore
Times & Transcript Staff
The executive director of Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. is looking for Main Street's next big project in the wake of last week's announcement that the province's casino will go to Magnetic Hill rather than the city core.
Daniel Allain admits losing the casino is a setback for planned downtown development but added there's plenty of possibilities left to work with.
The December 2007 opening of the new Sobeys grocery store, on the corner of Main Street and the new Vaughan Harvey Boulevard extension, planted the seeds for more retail opportunity in that section of the downtown.
A brand new 150-room, $15-million Marriott Residence Inn is expected to open next month, giving yet another option for downtown overnight accommodations.
Ground will broken later this summer for a new justice centre complex in the downtown. Expected to be completed as early as 2009, there's also been musing about a new police station to be created adjacent to the courthouse site.
As well, a study looking into the feasibility of a downtown convention centre is set to begin this summer, with a final report expected to be presented to city councillors later this fall.
And it's that idea of a downtown convention centre which Allain is focusing a lot of his thought and energy upon now.
"I think the convention centre is the number one priority we have to revisit," said Allain. "We have to work on that one big project."
The search for that next big project had Allain looking back on downtown development in the city over the last 30 or so years. He said development along Main Street began to pick up a bit in the early 80s when new sidewalks and lamp posts were installed in a then neglected and boarded up downtown stretch.
In 1988, the Blue Cross Building was constructed, followed by a brand new Moncton City Hall building in 1996 -- both were welcomed with much fanfare.
Allain said it's about time for the area's next big project to spring up and says he's putting his all into making sure it's a convention centre, especially after losing the chance to have a casino.
"We've been waiting about 10 years to see something happen on the Beaver Lumber land," he said referring to where a casino in the downtown was widely speculated to go.
In the meantime, Allain said his office will keep a close eye on where exactly in the downtown a new justice centre will be built. An announcement on that is expected this summer.
"Once we know that, it'll be a little bit easier for us to move forward and start implementing our vision to the downtown," he said. "We have a lot of land deemed to be redeveloped over the next couple of years. Now we have to see where we're going to go with that."
After the justice centre location is nailed down, Allain said he'll begin to lay down what he calls 'Operation Charm.'
"We'll go talk to developers and certainly explain to them what (the) opportunities (are) in downtown Moncton."
And even in the midst of his disappointment about losing the casino, Allain can find at least one positive from his perspective.
"The pro is that the land which was supposed to be developed there is still up for grabs, there are great opportunities there."
Even though the casino is going to be far away from the city's most urban core, Allain wants to ensure the 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 centre has a connection to the heart of downtown.
"We'll probably have a shuttle going from there (the casino) to downtown," he said. "We'll work on that I think."
Allain is also putting a lot of faith in today's municipal elections, and what a new mayor and council could do to put a new shot of energy into the arm of downtown development.
Both Moncton mayoral candidates in today's vote, George LeBlanc and Pierre Michaud, support construction of a new type of metro centre in the city and further business development in downtown Moncton as a whole.
LeBlanc said the casino decision gives city hall a stronger focus on the importance of having some sort of metro convention centre in the downtown core.
Michaud said he's always had a vision for a sports centre downtown which perhaps includes some sort of convention space. However, he said any decision on a convention centre needs to be coupled with a focus on expanding air transportation to the region.
"If we have 4,000 people coming into a convention for four days, there's no capacity (for the people) right now on these small planes," he said.
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Provincial funding creates new Moncton jobs
Moncton success story Al-Pack expands workforce, upgrades equipment
Published Monday May 12th, 2008
A1
By Mary Moszynski
Times & Transcript Staff
Provincial government officials will be in Metro Moncton today to announce funding for new jobs and assistance to purchase upgraded equipment for a local company that manufactures biodegradable garbage bags.
Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne will announce funding for the creation of 10 new jobs at Al-Pack. Government will also provide assistance to help with construction costs and new equipment purchases for the Moncton operation.
It's unknown how much government will be contributing or how much the jobs will pay.
Al-Pack currently employs 55 people.
"We're proud to focus with a New Brunswick green-focused manufacturer as it grows its operations," said a government source. "We will help in that success of the company. Al-Pack is a success story for the Moncton region and it's encouraging to see it investing in its future. We're ensuring that companies like Al-Pack can be successful and compete in the global marketplace."
Al-Pack Enterprises Ltd. produces and distributes packaging supplies, including recycling bags and biodegradable bags for compost programs. The company is also developing new starch-based, biodegradable materials to be used in shopping bags, compost bags and food packaging.
"One of this government's commitments to the manufacturing industry is to help them when they're helping themselves when they're willing to invest, they're willing to help," said the government source.
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New Mountain Road mall planned
Development expected to house five retailers, should open by September
Published Monday May 12th, 2008
A9
By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff
When it comes to the service sector, developers often can be heard to say that "location is everything."
Caption
A new retail development planned by A-Line Properties is expected to be fully open by September. The developer describes the 12,000 square foot complex as 'something akin to a stately townhouse.'
Sometimes timing plays a role as well, however, as seen in the new five-unit strip development being built at 1690 Mountain Road.
"We're pretty excited about it," a spokesman for developers A-Line Properties says.
Not only is the new building located in a much-coveted high-traffic area with booming residential growth, but it's also on the main conduit to the new casino that will be open in two years at Magnetic Hill, a project that was only announced Thursday.
Passersby have been wondering what this latest construction on Mountain Road is all about, and they'll have to wait a bit longer as A-Line is not prepared to release the names of its tenants.
However, they will say three of the five units have already been leased, another unit has been spoken for, which leaves only one unit remaining.
The building should be fully open by September.
The speed with which the building's space has been gobbled up is not only a testament to its location but to other factors as well. While precise leasing costs are not known, rents in the building have been set purposely lower than many other nearby retail properties despite the location boasting the high profile among shoppers that the upper Mountain Road-Trinity Drive retail area has enjoyed since it began booming a decade ago.
As well, the building is not your typical vinyl-clad structure but will be dressed in attractive stone and brick. It will not face directly onto Mountain Road but A-Line promises it will present an attractive view from busy Mountain Road. The building will bear a very "homey" look to it, A-Line says, somewhat akin to a stately townhouse.
Expect a 12,000-square-foot, single-storey structure when it is complete, which is approximately the same footprint as, for example, the Barnaby & Co. Furniture store on Mountain Road.
There is also room to expand the building at a later date.
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