The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[mylesmalley]

Province backs metro centre
Published Tuesday October 7th, 2008

Shawn Graham wants Metro Moncton to solidify role as entertainment hub of Atlantic Canada
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The provincial government is committed to helping Moncton build a new downtown metro centre that would serve as a multi-use entertainment facility, Premier Shawn Graham said yesterday.

"We want Moncton to become the entertainment capital for Atlantic Canada," Graham said in an editorial board meeting with the Times & Transcript yesterday. "I would much rather have people come to Moncton than go to Maine or Montreal or Toronto to see world class entertainment."

Graham pointed to the success of the outdoor Magnetic Hill concert site in staging shows by such international acts as the Rolling Stones and the Eagles in recent years, which have generated millions of dollars in economic spinoffs to hotels, restaurants, retail and other businesses. In preparation for the Eagles show two months ago, the province contributed more than $1 million to help the City of Moncton build permanent washrooms, backstage buildings and other infrastructure at the outdoor concert site.

Graham said these investments help stimulate the economy by creating jobs and drawing visitors to New Brunswick. They also help promoters draw bigger name acts to the city.

Graham said he has met with promoters who want to bring more international acts to Metro Moncton, but need a bigger, more modern facility. The Moncton Coliseum has a seating capacity of just over 7,000 for big concerts, which was proven last week by a sold-out crowd for music icon Elton John. The Elton John show sold out in less than an hour and brought in gross receipts of over $1 million. Many of those who attended the show came from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and other parts of New Brunswick.

A recent survey indicated that more than 80 per cent of Metro Moncton residents are in favour of a new downtown entertainment facility.

The City of Moncton will soon put out a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the design of a new downtown centre, which would likely include a hockey arena that would double as an entertainment complex and include some retail shops as well. Several downtown locations are being considered, including the current site of the Highfield Square shopping centre on Main Street near the Via Rail station.

Ian Fowler, the general manager of the city's recreation, parks, tourism and culture department, says a new downtown arena would be a community pride builder.

The idea of building a new downtown arena has been around for a while but is now getting serious attention. It is not intended to replace the Coliseum, which was built in the 1970s and seen many renovations and additions over the years. The Coliseum is seen as one of the best trade and convention show spaces in Atlantic Canada and is often filled to capacity with such annual events as the Speed Sport auto show.

If and when it is built, the new metro centre may or may not be connected with other projects, such as the downtown justice centre and long-awaited convention centre for the downtown.

[mylesmalley]

N.B. to begin twinning Hwy 11: Premier
Published Tuesday October 7th, 2008

Work under way on improvements to major link to northern N.B.
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The provincial government is close to starting work on twinning the embattled and sometimes treacherous Highway 11, Premier Shawn Graham said yesterday.

Highway 11 is the major link between Shediac and northern New Brunswick. It is a two-lane highway which rolls north from Highway 132 near Shediac through Bouctouche, Cocagne, Rexton, Richibucto and Miramichi to the Acadian Peninsula all the way through Dalhousie and Campbellton to the Quebec border. It is a major route used by trucks, commuters and tourists and has become increasingly busy in recent years as Metro Moncton has become more of a retail hub. Many people who live in Kent County and work in Metro Moncton use the highway each day. Drivers and commuters regularly complain that the two-lane road is dangerous, especially during the winter months. In some areas near the Miramichi and Kouchibouguac, there are large signs on the highway warning motorists to beware of moose crossing the road.

"Stay tuned for an announcement," Graham said in a meeting with the Times & Transcript editorial board yesterday. "When our government makes a commitment we will follow up on it."

Asked whether the province would require federal government assistance with the road, he replied that drivers and residents need to be patient. He wouldn't say when the project might begin, how long it would take or whether it would have to be done in stages.

He said government staff have already begun the process of studying how many overpasses, bridges and other structures would be needed, along with the costs of acquiring property to build a second lane to twin the highway.

Graham said it probably would have made sense to twin Highway 126 years ago because it followed the main rail line north, but it now makes more sense to twin Highway 11 because it links so many communities together.

Earlier this month, Transportation Minister Denis Landry said the province was spending more than $53 million on highway construction projects this year to help improve roadways in northeastern New Brunswick and to boost regional economic development. It's the largest investment on northern New Brunswick highways in at least 15 years.

Graham has said spending money on maintenance is just as important as new construction, both on main highways and the scenic back roads that connect New Brunswick's coastal rural communities and act as part of the province's draw for tourists.

[mylesmalley]

Metro Moncton's housing market remains stable
Published Tuesday October 7th, 2008

Diversified workforce helps prevent price fluctuations
A4
by dwayne tingley
times & transcript staff

Metro Moncton's housing market favours buyers as prices in recent months have dropped slightly, but remain stable, according to a survey released yesterday by Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

The house price survey shows the price of a detached bungalow in Metro Moncton decreased by 0.3 per cent to $156,500 while standard two-storey homes slipped by 2.6 per cent to $231,500 year-over-year.

"During the third quarter, Moncton's house prices dipped slightly from where they were last year," said Carla Bouchard, owner of Royal LePage Metro Moncton.

"However, the city's diversified workforce provided some insulations from acute price fluctuations experienced in other parts of the country and south of the border.

"Moncton was recently named the fifth best city in Canada to do business. People are realizing the benefit of our strategic location. We're in close proximity to many major cities in Atlantic Canada."

Most cities in Atlantic Canada saw house values soar during the third quarter of this year. The hottest market in the region was St. John's, N.L., which is also one of the hottest markets in the entire country.

The price of a detached bungalow in the Newfoundland and Labrador capital jumped 6.9 per cent to $211,667 while the average two-storey home rose by 7.1 per cent to $255,333.

The burgeoning oil industry has led the price increases in St. John's.

Meanwhile, consumer confidence is high in Saint John, where prices are also climbing, but a Royal Lepage spokesman said homes still remain affordable.

The price of a detached bungalow in Saint John increased by 54.4 per cent to $202,933 while the standard two-storey home jumped by 21.6 per cent to $291,788.

"We're becoming the anomaly of Canada's housing market with major developments going on in the oil, natural gas and nuclear sectors," said Kevin Butler, area manager for Royal LePage Atlantic Ltd.

In Fredericton, prices for bungalows rose by 4.5 per cent to $162,000 and two-storey homes saw their price tags increase by 6.6 per cent to $210,000.

Overall, prices across Canada have remained stable. The national average price for a detached bungalow was $240,000, the same as it was last year. Two-storey homes increased by 0.1 per cent to $408,927.

"From coast-to-coast, strong fundamentals such as favourable rates of employment, solid local economies and the continuing availability of affordable mortgage financing have positioned Canada's housing market to weather the storm south of the border and allow the country to chart its own course," the company said in a news release.

_______________________________________________
Note: It was just a few days ago that the metro housing
market was booming. I don't think a recession has hit us
yet, but this goes to show we're certainly not immune
from the global slowdown.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Province backs metro centre
Published Tuesday October 7th, 2008

Shawn Graham wants Metro Moncton to solidify role as entertainment hub of Atlantic Canada

The City of Moncton will soon put out a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the design of a new downtown centre, which would likely include a hockey arena that would double as an entertainment complex and include some retail shops as well. Several downtown locations are being considered, including the current site of the Highfield Square shopping centre on Main Street near the Via Rail station.

It's actually amazing how quickly the concept of a downtown Metro Centre has caught on with the political leadership in the area. The concept seemed to have started with Ian Fowler just generally throwing out ideas. The Mayor and city council have since adopted the project. The Premier is now on board. The federal liberals are in favour and have said they would help in funding the project (if elected - and that's a big if).

This project is developing momentum bigtime!

Another thing to note - the bias seems to be towards placing the metro centre at the Highfield Square site rather than behind Assumption Place. One has to wonder why this is. Have Sobey's approached the city and the province with a proposal? I wonder if this is the case. It is interesting that "people in the know" seem to be talking about some form of a "mixed use" project that would include street level retail and restaurant space in addition to the arena and a possible convention centre. This concept would seem to be tailored to a site fronting on Main Street.

To me, it would appear that something is going on behind the scenes. Perhaps this project is further along than people think.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

_______________________________________________
Note: It was just a few days ago that the metro housing
market was booming. I don't think a recession has hit us
yet, but this goes to show we're certainly not immune
from the global slowdown.

haha good point...the other article was talking mainly about new residential construction though, which hasn't really slowed much at all...in fact its picked up in Dieppe, while remaining stable (at a high level) in Moncton and Riverview.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It's actually amazing how quickly the concept of a downtown Metro Centre has caught on with the political leadership in the area. The concept seemed to have started with Ian Fowler just generally throwing out ideas. The Mayor and city council have since adopted the project. The Premier is now on board. The federal liberals are in favour and have said they would help in funding the project (if elected - and that's a big if).

This project is developing momentum bigtime!

Another thing to note - the bias seems to be towards placing the metro centre at the Highfield Square site rather than behind Assumption Place. One has to wonder why this is. Have Sobey's approached the city and the province with a proposal? I wonder if this is the case. It is interesting that "people in the know" seem to be talking about some form of a "mixed use" project that would include street level retail and restaurant space in addition to the arena and a possible convention centre. This concept would seem to be tailored to a site fronting on Main Street.

To me, it would appear that something is going on behind the scenes. Perhaps this project is further along than people think.

You're right...I remember the metro center was like just a small mention one day and then a few weeks later it everyone was talking about it haha. I'm not complaining though, its a great project and will add a lot to downtown.

[mmmatt]

Couple of pics from my car taken today

Boston Pizza renovation


Brick strip mall on Mountain


Motel 6 (sorry for cruddy angle, but I was tring to drive 80 in traffic and take the pics at the same time haha)


Casino NB (cant really see much from these pics but the land is cleared WAY back from the street)




Sign for potential apartment development



Also of note the former True Value hardware store which moved away from mountain road recently has a "SOLD" sign on it now

[mylesmalley]

Where's that appartment on Mountain supposed to go? I'm guessing in the King St area?

It'd look a little silly on Burger Row...

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Where's that appartment on Mountain supposed to go? I'm guessing in the King St area?

It'd look a little silly on Burger Row...

haha yeah...I made a little map:



Red: Motel 6
Blue: Casino NB
Green: Apartments

[mylesmalley]

I wonder how long before that area in the middle of your map gets subdivided.
Nice job, BTW

[mmmatt]

New hospital wing to open before Christmas

Health authority to ensure everything working fine before taking possession

BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Published Wednesday October 8th, 2008

The new $47-million ambulatory care centre at The Moncton Hospital should be open by Christmas but officials with the hospital want to make sure it is completely ready before they take it over from the province and the construction company.

"We don't want to be too quick to cut the ribbon on this because it needs to be ready and safe when we start operations," said Jeff Carter, vice-president of support services for the Regional Health Authority B.

Construction of the new wing at the hospital has been going on for a couple of years and is now to the stage where electrical, mechanical and emergency systems are being checked. The building is being built by Maxim Construction under the provincial Department of Supply and Services. Carter said the health authority is the client and won't actually take possession of the building until everything is completed. The health-care authority has been following the process and has a seat at planning and progress meetings to make sure all its concerns are met.

He said there have been a number of delays in the process but the atmosphere remains positive with an eye toward opening it "at some point between now and Christmas."

Officials had said earlier the building would open sometime in September. Alan Mongraw, vice-president of operations for the health-care authority recently retired, placing responsibility for the project into the hands of other officials with the authority.

Carter said the work of checking systems will continue over the next four to six weeks. He said there were many similar delays during construction of the new $110-million Miramichi Regional Hospital a few years ago. He said the authority won't sign off on the project until everything is done according to its specifications.

The new ambulatory care unit is a massive structure attached to The Moncton Hospital with a long glass-enclosed entryway and parking garage.

It will have six major clinics, laboratories, diagnostic centres and treatment centres, including a cardiac assessment clinic. One of the goals of the centre is to allow day surgeries to be done in a different area so they can free up the major operating rooms.

"We want to make sure we do it right," Carter said.

[mmmatt]

Curling will bring the world to Metro

Province contributes $200,000 toward 2009 Ford world men's championship, set for April 4-12

by dwayne tingley
times & transcript staff
Published Wednesday October 8th, 2008


Chairman of the 2009 Ford World Curling Championships, Jim Lockyer, is all smiles as he reported yeaterday that the event is shaping up to be the best ever world event. MLA Michael Murphy announced that the Province of New Brunswick is contributing $200,000 towards the event.

Les Harrison has attended 14 world curling championships on three continents, but the next one will be the most special of all.

The 2009 Ford world men's curling championship will be played April 4-12 in Harrison's hometown, at the Moncton Coliseum and the president of the World Curling Federation is promising an event that will be special for everyone.

"It's going to be electric," Harrison said yesterday as the New Brunswick government announced a $200,000 grant toward the event. "The city is going to be filled with international visitors and they are going to create an electric atmosphere.

"The volunteers have been working hard and they're starting to get excited because the event is just six months away. It's a great event for the Moncton area because it's the 50th anniversary of the championship and the World Curling Federation is going to have its annual meeting here to bring in representatives from 46 countries and the International Olympic Association."

Harrison made his comments at a news conference that featured the funding announcement by Health Minister Mike Murphy, whose Moncton North riding includes the Coliseum. The province is contributing $200,000 toward the world championship that will run a $3-million operating budget.

Murphy said the money is part of the province's on-going commitment to solidifying Metro Moncton's role as the entertainment capital of the Atlantic provinces, citing the examples of the Magnetic Hill concert site and construction of the track and field stadium at the Université de Moncton, as well as supporting the building of a new metro centre in the city.

Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said the world curling championship is "yet another glowing example of how Moncton is being put on the world map as a city capable of hosting world-class sporting events."

Organizing committee chairman Jim Lockyer said curling has been good for Moncton and Moncton has been good for curling over the years.

Only three Briers (Canadian men's championship) have been decided in extra ends and two of them, in 1956 and 1985, have been played in Moncton. The 1985 Brier featured a nearly impossible double takeout by Northern Ontario's Al Hackner, often regarded as the greatest shot in curling history.

The 1980 world men's championship in Moncton, known then as the Silver Broom, was won by Canada's Rick Folk and it ended the Labonte curse. Canada had lost eight straight worlds until Folk's heroics at the Coliseum.

In 1990, the Colseum hosted the Moncton 100 cashspiel, which saw the debut of the four-rock rule, known as the Moncton Rule, designed by former world champ and Moncton resident Russ Howard. who wanted more offence added to the game. The rule remains an integral part of the modern game.

"As you can see," Lockyer said, "Moncton has a rich curling history and now I promise you the 2009 championships, just six months away, are going to be the best organized world curling championships ever played."

Lockyer said the $200,000 from the province will be used for the construction of some temporary structures, including press facilities for reporters coming to Moncton from around the world.

Some of the money will be used to acquire machines that control the level of humidity in the Coliseum, which is necessary for the players.

"The ice has to be the same temperature all of the time, whether the Coliseum is empty or we have the heat of 7,000 people in the building," he explained.

The nine-day championship is expected to create $12-$18 million in economic spinoffs for southeastern New Brunswick.

Twelve teams will compete in a round-robin format with the top four advancing to a playoff round. The championship is also the last major qualifying competition before the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver, where only 10 teams will compete.

Canada will serve as the host team, but one more rink from the Americas will have to earn their ticket to Moncton. Teams from the United States and Brazil will play a best-of-five series to determine the second representative.

"Actually, the team from Brazil is comprised of students who are going to Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Que.," Harrison said. "They've been working hard and preparing to take on the Americans because they want to get to the worlds in Moncton.

"There is a winter sports federation and there is some pressure in Brazil to build a curling rink. Now, they are curling in a regular arena. There is also some pressure to build winter sports venues in Venezuela, too, so the sport is becoming more global."

Lockyer said the Moncton organizing committee has already signed up 450 volunteers and more are on a waiting list.

"We know the world is ready and the volunteers are ready," Harrison said. "We're confident the general public will now step forward and be part of the excitement. You can feel it building up to something very exciting for our area."

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I wonder how long before that area in the middle of your map gets subdivided.
Nice job, BTW

That satellite photo actually must be a little old. There is some roadwork going on behind Glad Tidings Tabernacle right now. The area is being subdivided as we speak.

[SJNB]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Province backs metro centre
Published Tuesday October 7th, 2008

Shawn Graham wants Metro Moncton to solidify role as entertainment hub of Atlantic Canada
A1
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

The provincial government is committed to helping Moncton build a new downtown metro centre that would serve as a multi-use entertainment facility, Premier Shawn Graham said yesterday.

"We want Moncton to become the entertainment capital for Atlantic Canada," Graham said in an editorial board meeting with the Times & Transcript yesterday. "I would much rather have people come to Moncton than go to Maine or Montreal or Toronto to see world class entertainment."

Graham pointed to the success of the outdoor Magnetic Hill concert site in staging shows by such international acts as the Rolling Stones and the Eagles in recent years, which have generated millions of dollars in economic spinoffs to hotels, restaurants, retail and other businesses. In preparation for the Eagles show two months ago, the province contributed more than $1 million to help the City of Moncton build permanent washrooms, backstage buildings and other infrastructure at the outdoor concert site.

Graham said these investments help stimulate the economy by creating jobs and drawing visitors to New Brunswick. They also help promoters draw bigger name acts to the city.

Graham said he has met with promoters who want to bring more international acts to Metro Moncton, but need a bigger, more modern facility. The Moncton Coliseum has a seating capacity of just over 7,000 for big concerts, which was proven last week by a sold-out crowd for music icon Elton John. The Elton John show sold out in less than an hour and brought in gross receipts of over $1 million. Many of those who attended the show came from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and other parts of New Brunswick.

A recent survey indicated that more than 80 per cent of Metro Moncton residents are in favour of a new downtown entertainment facility.

The City of Moncton will soon put out a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the design of a new downtown centre, which would likely include a hockey arena that would double as an entertainment complex and include some retail shops as well. Several downtown locations are being considered, including the current site of the Highfield Square shopping centre on Main Street near the Via Rail station.

Ian Fowler, the general manager of the city's recreation, parks, tourism and culture department, says a new downtown arena would be a community pride builder.

The idea of building a new downtown arena has been around for a while but is now getting serious attention. It is not intended to replace the Coliseum, which was built in the 1970s and seen many renovations and additions over the years. The Coliseum is seen as one of the best trade and convention show spaces in Atlantic Canada and is often filled to capacity with such annual events as the Speed Sport auto show.

If and when it is built, the new metro centre may or may not be connected with other projects, such as the downtown justice centre and long-awaited convention centre for the downtown.

Not trying to be a downer on the project, but I don't think a new 12,000 seat arena would be very profitable. The Wildcats over the last 5 years have averaged under 5000 people a game, meaning the arena would be under 50% full the majority of the year. The music industry only has so many touring acts that sell 12-15000 seats, and they do not tour on a yearly basis...this is mearly my opinion..what are other people thoughts?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by SJNB

Not trying to be a downer on the project, but I don't think a new 12,000 seat arena would be very profitable. The Wildcats over the last 5 years have averaged under 5000 people a game, meaning the arena would be under 50% full the majority of the year. The music industry only has so many touring acts that sell 12-15000 seats, and they do not tour on a yearly basis...this is mearly my opinion..what are other people thoughts?

Your points are quite valid.

I don't imagine the Wildcats would draw more than the 4500-5000 average for regular season games that they are getting now. There are 34 home games per year. There can easily be more fans than this however for playoff games and for special events (like the Memorial Cup a few years ago). We have also been quite busy with concerts this year; probably 15-20 major events. A number of these have been sellouts.

There are probably not many major stadia which are actually money makers in themselves. They are frequently seen as catalysts for the economy in general.

The major impetus for this project would be to serve as a catalyst for downtown development. In addition, the present coliseum is beginning to show its age and has several major structural issues (low ceiling, poor acoustics, lack of dehumidification, no air conditioning, no corporate boxes). We have missed out on a number of major touring events (eg Cirque de Soleil) because of these issues. They can only be addressed with a new facility.

It makes sense to locate a new "Metro Centre" downtown. In terms of the size of the facility (12-15,000), I admit that this does seem very ambitious but it should be remembered that when the Coliseum was built 30 years ago, seating of 7,000 was felt to be more than enough too.

The new Metro Centre will not only be built for the present needs of the city but also with an eye to the future as well. If the facility is "underbuilt", we might be kicking ourselves in 50 years time.

[mylesmalley]

Stadia or stadiums?

or both?

[mylesmalley]

More construction on the way
Published Thursday October 9th, 2008

Moncton approves tentative plans for several subdivision expansions
A4
Times & Transcript Staff

The City of Moncton continues to grow, as evidenced this week when Moncton City Council approved a number of new tentative subdivision plans for the city.

The Mapleton Heights subdivision, located off Mapleton Road, is about to expand.

Unit four includes about 160 lots and will require the creation of five new streets: Amity, Monique, Reginald, and Cumberland, plus a future street, yet to be named.

Council also accepted some land for public purposes as well as some cash in lieu of land for public purposes. The piece of land offered by the developer was not large enough to satisfy the requirement of dedicating 10 per cent of the land for public purposes, so the city voted to accept $5,801 to make up the difference.

The walkway proposed by the developer will link the subdivision to an existing playground and tennis courts.

Council also approved a tentative plan for unit 11 of Grove Hamlet subdivision off Shediac Road.

The 14-lot expansion will be located at the end of existing Erinvale Drive and will require the extension of Erinvale, Melba Street, and Ripplewood Road.

Council accepted $6,000 cash in lieu of land for public purposes from the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 25 Hildegarde Dr., which is subdividing its lots to accommodate the construction of a new private school.

It also approved a zoning amendment to allow the tenants at 210 John St. to create more parking. The strip of land in question is located behind the former Moncton Headstart building, now home to offices, and was zoned government use. It has been rezoned to secondary business district to match the zoning of the main property.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Stadia or stadiums?

or both?

Sorry, I have studied Latin.

[MonctonRad]

Heritage supporters concerned about fate of Higgins Block
Published Thursday October 9th, 2008

Boarded-up windows, worries about water damage cause heritage board to appeal to city for help
By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff

Heritage supporters in Moncton are hoping the city may be able to do something to improve the lot of the Higgins Block.

While the first floor of the building is in good repair, the upper floors are boarded up and in need of much work.

Moncton City Councillor Paulette Thériault says it is an eyesore at a very visible corner and hopes something can be done to restore what she calls a "beautiful building."

The Higgins Block is located at the northwest corner of Main and Botsford Streets and currently houses Mexicali Rosa's and Terra Verde on the ground level.

Built in 1901, it was originally home to Lester H. Higgins' shoe and boot business, but has also housed the Moncton Public Library, the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and Metropolitan Life Insurance.

It is considered Main Street's best example of commercial Italianate architecture from the early 20th century.

Thériault was concerned enough about the state of the building to bring it up during the councillor's remarks portion of Monday's city council meeting.

"My understanding is this has been an issue for some time," she says. "The problem is that the building is apparently not properly maintained."

Concerns about the building were brought to Thériault by the Moncton Heritage Preservation Review Board.

Chairwoman Beverly Barrett says the appearance of the heritage building is one problem, particularly given its location at a highly visible corner of Main Street.

"But as a heritage property, if it is not maintained and kept sealed on the upper levels and it starts to deteriorate and pigeons begin to worm their way in, then the weather can get it," Barrett says. "I don't know if anyone is checking, but if the weather gets in then it could cause mould and mildew and that can quickly ruin the air quality of a building."

Barrett says mildew may also mean the entire interior would have to be gutted, thus losing any interior heritage value.

If the upper floors continue to deteriorate, Thériault also worries it might eventually impact the first-floor tenants.

"We have some excellent people on the first floor, it looks good, they are maintaining the first floor," she says.

Barrett says the Higgins Block's state of disrepair is beginning to stand out even more, given that other nearby buildings have been or are soon to be renovated.

The McSweeney Building across the street has just undergone major work and the Provincial Bank Building next door to McSweeney's, which used to house a Burger King, has been purchased and plans are in the works to renovate it as well.

Brenda Orr, senior heritage officer with the City of Moncton, says the city's heritage bylaw only deals with a building's exterior and does not protect either the interior or the overall condition of the building.

"Everybody would like to see a building restored and maintained for whatever purpose and because that particular building is at such a key focal point of the downtown and where so many other properties have recently been restored and improved," she says. "Because heritage is important to the city, we would like to see something done with that building, but ultimately it is in the hands of the property owner."

Orr says the city put a grant program in place two years ago to provide property owners with funding to help cover the cost of restoring heritage properties.

The aim of the program is to provide the incentive to undertake the sometimes costly repairs needed to maintain an older building.

Barrett is hoping the city can help persuade the owner, who lives in Halifax, to do some work on Higgins Block.

"We brought it to the attention of city council. We do have an unsightly (premises) bylaw that the city can enforce. We thought maybe if we stir up a little bit of awareness, maybe the city will contact (the owner) and say you have to seal the building better and if he doesn't comply, the city can do the work and bill the owner," she says.

Thériault also brought the building to the attention of city staff to see if there is anything the city can do.

"Hopefully we can sit down with the owner as well and come up with something that would be a win-win for all concerned," she says. "It is a very beautiful building."

She says the space's prime location would lend itself well to condos or offices or as a home for some sort of institution or organization.


I hope that they do do something about the Higgins Block. It is on a very prominent corner downtown, across the street from city hall. The building facade seems to be in good shape but the boarded up upper windows on the third floor are hideous. The building should be preserved. It is interesting that the landowner is a non resident from Halifax. As such, he probably would not be as concerned about the aesthetics of the property as would a native Monctonian. He probably will require a firm nudge from the civic administration to get anything done!

[JasonL-Moncton]

I worked in that building back in 93-94 when "Spanky's" was still there and the second and third floors were run down then, and the roof was sagging in the middle.

It would be a shame to see this 107 year old building become condemned and have to be torn down. Maybe it needs to be purchased by a Monctonian.

JL