The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread - Page 237

kwajo · #**4721** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 4:10 PM**

It has been done a few times in Saint John before actually, most recently with the housing development on the block of Queen Street between Charlotte and Germain.

Helladog · #**4722** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 8:28 PM**

Maybe the meeting is due to changes that would see a 16-storey tower instead of two buildings, hence a necessary change in the layout of the condos.

kwajo · #**4723** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 8:58 PM**

^ If only we were that lucky!

Actually I was thinking something similar the other day when there was an article in the TJ about the site work on Long Wharf. I guess the footprint of the building is still somewhat in limbo because of possible port regulations/lease agreement details, and all that made me think was, "Please, please, please let them restrict the footprint so that we get back the 20+ storey building they originally planned!"

JHikka · #**4724** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 9:22 PM**

Would the height restrictions allow for a 15/20+ storey building on waterfront?

Joe · #**4725** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 9:38 PM**

Can you imagine the howls a 20 storey building on the waterfront would cause. It would block the view of the port.

Joe · #**4726** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 9:49 PM**

On another matter, I hope they don't designate Wellington row a heritage area, we already have a designated heritage area. I'd hate to see us in a situation like St.John's where buildings are limited to 5 stories or so in the downtown.

expofan · #**4727** Posted **Sep 24, 2009, 9:52 PM**

The last word I got as a purchaser of one of the units was that the 2nd building was being delayed until the 1st building was completely sold out. As for the delays, there were zoning problems with issues regarding buffer zones between the development and neighbouring properties, these issues push back the completion date into 2011, past the already delayed move in date of pre-christams 2010 that they previously were hoping for.
There are meetings scheduled mid Oct. with the purchasers to discuss the status of the devolpment.
I would not assume gloom and doom with the upcoming meeting. As construction potentially moves closer, the meetings may be to pick out our flooring and cabinet colours (the meeting is at B&N flooring).
We will have answers one way or the other in a couple of weeks.

kwajo · #**4728** Posted **Sep 25, 2009, 1:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe

Can you imagine the howls a 20 storey building on the waterfront would cause. It would block the view of the port.

I'm pretty sure the only people that would care would be the Longshoremen and maybe a few of the city's more vocal seniors.

PersonPlaceorThing · #**4729** Posted **Sep 26, 2009, 12:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwajo

It has been done a few times in Saint John before actually, most recently with the housing development on the block of Queen Street between Charlotte and Germain.

I have a post on my blog showing the completed project: http://urbanplans.blogspot.com/2009/07/queen-street-success.html

JHikka · #**4730** Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 3:52 PM**

Apparently there's a TD Canada Trust location going into East Point next to CostCo?

This would be huge, in my opinion. Because not only does East Point need a banking location but there are only two TD locations in town (Uptown and West).

michael_d40 · #**4731** Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Apparently there's a TD Canada Trust location going into East Point next to CostCo?

This would be huge, in my opinion. Because not only does East Point need a banking location but there are only two TD locations in town (Uptown and West).

Retail: East side shopping destination announces new bank building
APRIL ROBINSON
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

SAINT JOHN - A TD Canada Trust branch is the newest addition to the East Point Shopping development.

An artist’s rendering of the East Point Shopping development, facing north, shows the location of a new Costco and TD Canada Trust. Both stores are expected to open next spring.

Construction work has started on the building, which will house the first TD bank on the city's east side, said John Wheatley of East Point Inc.

"When people go out to do their shopping, they want a wide range of services, and banking is one of them," Wheatley said this week.

The bank will be located on Retail Drive, off Westmorland Road, next to a Costco store, which is also under construction.

The TD bank is expected to open in March of 2010, and the Costco should be complete sometime during the spring of next year, he said.

When both stores open, the East Point Shopping development will be about halfway complete, he said.

The stores join other outlets such as Indigo Books and Music, Starbucks, a variety of clothing stores and The Home Depot, which launched the development of East Point Shopping in 2006.

"This is not a typical big box store mall," Wheatley said. "This is adding an attraction to the city. It's a little upper-scale development that makes the city a more attractive place."

He said developers have been careful to maintain an architectural theme throughout the buildings. The site is carved out of a rocky hillside - mostly shale - and rock is a part of the design of each store, including the new bank.

The bank will be bordered with stone trim and a tower structure will sit on the corner of the building.

"The building they're putting up has the extra finishes and architecture that will complement the site," Wheatley said. "It's a quality company putting up a quality building."

He said getting quality businesses in the shopping centre is all part of East Point's strategy and part of Saint John's rebirth.

"It's about bringing Saint John into the 21st century," he said, adding it was part of developer Troy Northrup's original vision.

"We want to make Saint John a more attractive and modern place to either stay and shop or visit and shop."

He said the new Costco will be very visible from the province's busiest stretch of highway, enticing drivers to stop in the city.

"Retail is really growing," he said. "And the east has the largest single concentration of retail in Atlantic Canada."

Wheatley couldn't say what other retailers might be added to the East Point site, but said discussions are ongoing.

"Hopefully before too long, we'll have some more announcements to make," he said.

magee_b · #**4732** Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 6:17 PM**

The map of Mackay Highway upgrades has been updated to include the upgrades at the Rothesay/Route 111 interchange
http://www.gnb.ca/0113/route1/docs/MackayHwyPlan-Sept22-09.pdf

mylesmalley · #**4733** Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 8:41 PM**

I still don't really see what the province hopes to accomplish with this widening project. The real problem here looks to be access on and off the highway, not the road's actual capacity. Actual interchange improvements - not just straightening out or slightly widening some of the ramps seems like a more viable and inexpensive solution.

JHikka · #**4734** Posted **Sep 29, 2009, 2:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I still don't really see what the province hopes to accomplish with this widening project. The real problem here looks to be access on and off the highway, not the road's actual capacity. Actual interchange improvements - not just straightening out or slightly widening some of the ramps seems like a more viable and inexpensive solution.

There were originally plans to have a cloverleaf for the east side shopping area but the City (And Irving's) weren't interested in that. That was supposed to be the intersection where the Musicstop is now. Instead, we built a curving bridge, which, if you ask any engineer, is laughable.

mylesmalley · #**4735** Posted **Sep 29, 2009, 9:24 PM**

What about the impact of the 1 Mile House project? I can't say I know a lot about the traffic patterns in SJ, but it seems logical that adding that interchange would take a lot of the pressure off the one at Rothesay Avenue, even without widening.

JHikka · #**4736** Posted **Sep 29, 2009, 9:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

What about the impact of the 1 Mile House project? I can't say I know a lot about the traffic patterns in SJ, but it seems logical that adding that interchange would take a lot of the pressure off the one at Rothesay Avenue, even without widening.

That entire off/on-ramp is just being constructed (After it was asked for) by the Irving's. Essentially this just feeds all of the trucks from the Oil Refinery and whatever else over there onto the highway. Consider this an "Irving On-Ramp", if you will. It will certainly help with traffic, but it's just another example of Irvin'g power over the city as a whole.

Again, this wouldn't be needed if the cloverleaf had been in place at McAllister & Rothesay.

Joe · #**4737** Posted **Sep 29, 2009, 10:22 PM**

One mile interchange has been on the books forever, I'm glad it's finally being built. Here's a link to the project.
http://www.gnb.ca/0113/Projects/images/May2008-plan-and-survey-opt.pdf

Joe · #**4738** Posted **Sep 30, 2009, 4:00 PM**

Saint John investors upset over condo delays
Last Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | 10:21 AM AT Comments3Recommend7CBC News
A developer's illustration shows the future Harbourfront Residences at Three Sisters in Saint John, N.B. (Courtesy of Harbourfront Residences)Delays at a luxury condominium complex overlooking Saint John harbour have some investors frustrated and trying to pull their money out of the project.

Saint John council approved the 125-suite Harbourfront Residences at Three Sisters complex a year ago but ground has still not been broken on the project.

The luxury condo complex was heavily advertised last year but construction has been delayed three times and the finish date has been pushed back a year to 2011.

Cathy and Ian Cooper have almost $40,000 tied up in the condo project and they say at least five others want out of the project that they were once so excited to invest in.

"That was a wonderful, exciting time for us," Cathy Cooper said.

"But it went from that to frustration and now regretting getting involved in this project at all."

Ian Cooper said their faith has been shaken in the project and its timeline is not compatible with their moving plans.

"If it's ready by January or February, good. But they haven't even started yet," Cooper said.

"They haven't even put a shovel in the ground! It's crazy."

Developer calling meeting
John Rocca, the project's developer, said in an email to CBC News that the setbacks have been spurred on by unexpected site problems and he has hit last-minute permit snags.

Rocca said all projects of this size face unexpected delays and he said most investors are satisfied.

The developer has called a meeting with investors next month to update them on the project's delays.

Mary Dobson has invested $27,000 in a condo and she was expecting to sell her house and move into the luxury suite next spring.

Dobson said she's not happy with Rocca's handling of the development project.

"He should have all his ducks in order before he started to sell this project," Dobson said.

"There's a lot of money on the line. He has a lot of people's money."

thebrad · #**4739** Posted **Sep 30, 2009, 4:04 PM**

The Canadian Football League is bringing a long-awaited regular season game to Moncton, N.B., in 2010, according to a city MLA.

Moncton East Liberal MLA Chris Collins said in an interview on Wednesday that the contract to host the game at the University of Moncton's new track stadium was signed between the league and the city last week.

Collins has been pushing for the game for several years and he said both the city and the province are emerging as winners by luring the CFL to Moncton.

"The city certainly wins and the province wins because it establishes Moncton as no doubt the entertainment capital of Atlantic Canada. We have hit that," Collins said on Wednesday.

"This is kind of an award to us for all of the previous work that has been done to establish the city as that."

No details have been announced about the date for the game or which of the league's eight teams will be playing in Moncton.

Earlier in September, Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc said the city was negotiating a five-year contract to bring annual regular-season CFL games to the southeastern New Brunswick city.

The idea of Moncton hosting an annual football game started gaining momentum last November when Mark Cohon, the commissioner of the CFL, raised the idea during his annual state-of-the-league address in Montreal.

Cohon said in that speech that the main obstacle to Maritime expansion is the lack of a stadium with a minimum seating capacity of 20,000.

However, Cohon said the CFL will look into staging 2010 regular-season games in Moncton at the university's new stadium that could see its seating expanded up to 20,000.

Halifax Hillbilly · #**4740** Posted **Oct 1, 2009, 9:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I still don't really see what the province hopes to accomplish with this widening project. The real problem here looks to be access on and off the highway, not the road's actual capacity. Actual interchange improvements - not just straightening out or slightly widening some of the ramps seems like a more viable and inexpensive solution.

I agree completely. I don't usually use this road during rush-hour but everytime I've had traffic is moving above 100 km/hour. Heavy traffic, yes; congested, no, unless there's construction or an accident.

For a province that is so heavily indebted and currently running a deep deficit, adding un-needed road infrastructure seems like a very poor strategy long-term. Isn't there already enough crumbling infrastructure in and around Saint John that we can't afford to maintain? That problem isn't going to go away, in fact it will get worse.