What will new Metro justice centre look like?
Mayor says city has little say in final look of provincial project
BY ALAN COCHRANE
Published Wednesday October 29th, 2008
LEFT: This is the artist’s concept for the justice centre in downtown Moncton, planned by the former Conservative government, and released in June 2005. RIGHT: This is the new concept for the justice centre, released this week.
After all this fuss and changes in design, will downtown Moncton's new Justice Centre look like a big brick with windows?
The province is preparing to spend upwards of $50 million on the new justice centre, but an artist's rendering of the proposed building released yesterday by the Department of Supply and Services appears to depict a building that doesn't quite live up to expectations -- and certainly is not as flashy as the drawings released back in 2005 when Tory Premier Bernard Lord put a shovel in the ground to start a project that has seen many delays. The only drawing of the proposed centre so far available is a side-on, two-dimensional rendering showing the five-storey building.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Supply and Services said yesterday the drawings from 2005 were "very early conceptual drawings," and the only major change in the basic layout from three years ago is the addition of two more courtrooms to accommodate the eventual closure of satellite court facilities in the region.
"That drawing doesn't ooze confidence and it doesn't seem blend to the look of our downtown," Daniel Allain, executive-director of Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville said yesterday. "I think we're looking for something more architecturally and esthetically pleasing, and I hope we can discuss the design with the developer before it is finalized."
Since he has only seen one drawing, Allain said he would give developers the benefit of the doubt for now, but board members are already starting to question the design.
Last week, Allain said several owners have been putting off expansion and renovation plans while waiting for the building boom and changes to the landscape.
He said he wanted DMCI to be part of the process to make sure the courthouse is something the city can be proud of.
Downtown Moncton fought for a say in the design of the Gunningsville Bridge several years ago. When the first design came down, it was quite plain and included only a narrow sidewalk. Downtown Moncton, under former executive-director Ken Kelly, lobbied for a more esthetically pleasing bridge with a wider sidewalk that would double as a bicycle lane. In the end, the province spent the extra money on a much nicer bridge.
Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said yesterday he has not seen any drawings or plans of the new building.
"Since it's a provincial project, the city does not have much say in how it's going to look," LeBlanc said yesterday. All we can do is put our faith in the team and hope they come up with something attractive."
LeBlanc said the justice building in Fredericton is an iconic and beautiful building that stands as a landmark in the capital city's downtown. LeBlanc, a lawyer, also appreciates the beauty of older courthouses with their ornate woodwork and architectural details. He believes a new justice centre should be a modern building that captures the elegance and symbolizes the traditions of law in our society.
A spokesman for the city's building inspection department said the builder has not yet submitted plans for approval and building permits have not yet been issued for the justice centre.
Ben Champoux, the city's economic development specialist, also said yesterday he hasn't seen finalized plans of the new building. However, he said he believes the design has changed drastically -- hopefully for the better, since the price of it has gone from $25 million to $50 million. He believes it will be a top-notch project.
The new justice centre is a project of the provincial government and is expected to be the catalyst that sparks other development in Downtown Moncton. The new building will cost approximately $50 million and be constructed on the former Beaver Lumber property behind the Assumption Building. The 1,970-square-metre (133,000 square foot) courthouse will house 15 courtrooms and court staff as well as sheriff services; victim services; probation services; family support services including mediation; Crown prosecutors; and a law library. There will be 188 parking spaces on site, including 84 in an underground parking garage. It is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2010.
The building is being constructed by CitiGroup of Dartmouth. The architect is Prodel Design Inc., of Moncton. Michel Gallant, president of Prodel Design, said the design is complete but could not comment under the terms of his contract with the developer. Prodel's other projects include the new YMCA building off Vaughan Harvey Boulevard, the Kay Arena and Community Centre in Lewisville and l'Odysée school.
The justice centre project has been bouncing around for several years. The Lord government actually held a sod-turning ceremony in 2005 at the Beaver Lumber property. At that time, the price of the project was an estimated $28 million and was supposed to be open for business by 2008. Under the private-public partnership, the developer will construct the building and then lease it back to the province.
One of the reasons for the delay with the Beaver Lumber site was the availability of parking and the suitability of the site itself.
When he announced the project last week, Supply and Services Minister Jack Kier said he was confident that any and all concerns have been addressed through a very specific and time-intensive tendering process.
"It is going to be a building that I am sure Moncton will be very proud of," he said.
CitiGroup beat out three other bidders, including Ashford Investments Inc. of Moncton, Bore Park Place Inc. of Moncton, and Huntingdon Real Estate Investment of Winnipeg, Man.
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and the Moncton area as well, more business students=more business people=more businesses etc 
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