Long Wharf proposal draws crowdPublished Tuesday August 5th, 2008
Civic affairs 30 groups and individuals want voices heard by council prior to Aug. 18 vote
C3John Mazerolle
SAINT JOHN - It appears likely that common council will spend more time hearing the upside of the proposed Long Wharf deal than the downside.
Fifteen of the groups or individuals that want to make presentations to council have already made their opinion on the land swap clear - 10 definitely say yes, two tentatively say yes, and three say no.
A total of 30 presenters will stand before council at its special meeting on Aug. 11, but only half have publicly stated their position, either in the media or in letters to council.
The presenters will be weighing in on the following question: "Should the municipality agree to sell the former Lantic Sugar site at fair market value, in order to facilitate a possible transaction between the Saint John Port Authority and Irving Oil Limited?"
The port authority and Irving Oil have signed a memorandum of understanding that the Irving company would build its new headquarters on port land at Long Wharf.
In return, Irving Oil would buy the former Lantic Sugar refinery site from the City of Saint John and hand it to the port.
Council will hear from the presenters at 5 p.m. on Aug. 11, then council members will debate the question themselves on Aug. 18.
Those who will speak in favour include Moosehead Breweries executive chairman Derek Oland, Fundy Engineering and Consulting Ltd., and uptown convenience store owner Terry Davies.
Davies wrote that he will speak in favour "because the sale of that land is key to maintaining jobs in the uptown and to the viability of my business.
"The sale will help build a better community, create enormous momentum for our entire region and help grow our economy."
In its letter to council, Fundy Engineering says waterfront development has helped with the "buoyant can-do attitude that is prevalent today in Saint John. We strongly recommend that this win/win proposal be accepted."
Tim Curry of the Atlantica Centre for Energy will also support the project, as will major economic development groups in the city - Uptown Saint John, Enterprise Saint John, the Saint John Board of Trade and the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership.
Curry says the investment in the waterfront will attract further investment in the burgeoning energy hub.
"Municipal support for the establishing of a signature head office building for an active regional energy organization in uptown Saint John would send a positive message to potential investors."
Two presenters who have expressed cautious optimism about the project, but who wanted the public outreach to happen first, are uptown shop owner Anne-Marie Mullin and Saint John MP Paul Zed.
Those who will speak against are Saint John Lancaster MLA Abel LeBlanc and the International Longshoremen's Association Local 273, the two most vocal opponents of the deal. They argue that the port should not be giving up any of its infrastructure.
The third presenter clearly against so far is citizen Linda Stoddard. She does not elaborate in her letter to council, although she has written letters to the Telegraph-Journal condemning the LNG tax concession and weighing in on other topics.
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/374682
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