The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[Kablooie!!]

Originally Posted by Joe

Can't see how the falls can be a major tourist attraction with the pulp mill staring you in the face.

Yep, sad.

When is the print industry scheduled for implosion, anyway? We keep hearing of mills closing because of downward pressure caused by reduction in print sales.

[mylesmalley]

The pulp industry will go away as soon as we stop treating it like it's some kind of black hole that can only be plugged by massive piles of cash.

[JHikka]

From what i'm hearing there will be more Papa John's opening up around Saint John if the one on the west side does well enough. Apparently it can't deal with citywide deliveries and will try to open up in other areas.

[C_Boy]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

From what i'm hearing there will be more Papa John's opening up around Saint John if the one on the west side does well enough. Apparently it can't deal with citywide deliveries and will try to open up in other areas.

I would not be suprised one bit. Moncton is overpopulated with pizza joints...well you would sure thinks so anyway. We have 2 Papa Johns and I called the other day and wait time was 1.5 hrs!!!!! They were incredibly busy. People love Papa John's pizza so much they can't keep up.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by C_Boy

I would not be suprised one bit. Moncton is overpopulated with pizza joints...well you would sure thinks so anyway. We have 2 Papa Johns and I called the other day and wait time was 1.5 hrs!!!!! They were incredibly busy. People love Papa John's pizza so much they can't keep up.

I've heard good things from the location here so far. I'm not sure if Saint John is underserved or overserved with pizza places. Sometimes when i'm uptown I feel like there isn't anywhere to get good, cheap pizza (Pizza Hut is in Brunswick Square, but ever since King of Donair and Spago's closed, the only other place seems to be Sam's by Prince Edward Square). I'd love to see a Papa Johns uptown. Perhaps i'm wrong, but I think the west side is underserved in a ton of areas, and pizza places is certainly one of them.

[Joe]

Don' forget about Julius Pizza on Charlotte. I used to go often when I lived uptown. Especially after the bars closed.

[fundygal]

Since we're on Fast Food Wish Lists, after many, many, many nights of finding NO doughnuts etc. in the Rothesay Ave. Tim Hortons, I would REALLY like to see a ROBINS open on the East side, West side and KV.

[michael_d40]

Opening of Atlantic Canada's largest Costco on horizon
Published Monday January 25th, 2010
Development: Construction of the 142,000 square foot store is in the final stages



SAINT JOHN - Towering high over the city's east side, the largest Costco store in Atlantic Canada is set to open by late spring.


Peter Walsh/Telegraph-Journal
People driving through Saint John on the Throughway now have a clear view of the new Costco, which is scheduled to open in late spring.

Construction is in the final stages with most of the building complete, says Troy Northrup, the developer behind East Point Shopping.

"It's sort of the conclusion of an 11-year discussion from the first time we starting speaking to and pursuing Costco," Northrup said.

"It's certainly exciting, just as a citizen of Saint John, to see them come to the city."

Costco is a warehouse membership store that sells everything from food to appliances and electronics.

The 142,000-square-foot store off Retail Drive will be the latest addition to the East Point Shopping development, which includes an Indigo book store, a open-air mall of clothing stores, a Home Depot and a Montana's Restaurant. A new TD Bank is also under construction, set to open this spring.

The massive Costco will act as the centrepiece to Northrup's development, which started in 2006, carved out of the side of a rugged hill of shale and quartz. By the time the Costco is built, the development will be a little more than halfway complete.

The Saint John Costco location will be the second in New Brunswick, but 25,000 square feet bigger than the one in Moncton.

As motorists drive along Highway 1, they can see the sprawling warehouse, and Northrup hopes the store will attract more shoppers to stop and stay in Saint John.

"It's going to benefit all the stores in the east end," he said. "It will be a very large benefit for the stores at East Point but also a great benefit and draw for the entire community."

The store will likely attract shoppers from Charlotte County, Fredericton and Sussex, and maybe even Moncton if people want greater selection, Northrup said. Costco memberships can be used anywhere in the world.

"In the past, shopping has always been perceived as a luxury, but in today's world, it's really an essential service," he said.

While the Costco helps make Saint John a retail destination, Northrup said it will also help Saint Johners to shop where they live and work.

[cl812]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

The store will likely attract shoppers from Charlotte County, Fredericton and Sussex, and maybe even Moncton if people want greater selection, Northrup said. Costco memberships can be used anywhere in the world.

Likely not very long attracting shoppers from Fredericton, the Costco here will be open by late summer (construction to start in Early Feb) and will be of similar size (~140,000 sq ft). However, I for one do plan to come down and check out the store when it opens (in SJ).

does anyone know if the store in Saint John have a gas bar as well? I would be curious to see what the prices will be like. I've heard that fuel prices at costco are substantially lower than elsewhere, but I dont know if that was just in states or not.

[MonctonRad]

The Saint John and Fredericton Costco's will be only be 20% larger than the Moncton one...............I doubt that will cause too much intercity traffic aside from natural curiosity.

Congrats on your new store BTW

[cl812]

Yeah, I wouldnt think the product selection would vary much between either of the three stores.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I doubt that will cause too much intercity traffic aside from natural curiosity.

Its enough for Moncton to lose a pile of money from Saint Johners

[mylesmalley]

What difference? It all goes to the same provincial government.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

What difference? It all goes to the same provincial government.

Difference being Moncton likes to encompass towns/cities so far out to attract a new store or anything for that matter. The phrase "New Brunswick's only Costco" many new retailers because you always based your "Potential" demographics on Saint John, Fredericton and everything else in between. It's actually going to be a nice change not hearing Moncton's excessive noise making moving forward.

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

Difference being Moncton likes to encompass towns/cities so far out to attract a new store or anything for that matter. The phrase "New Brunswick's only Costco" many new retailers because you always based your "Potential" demographics on Saint John, Fredericton and everything else in between. It's actually going to be a nice change not hearing Moncton's excessive noise making moving forward.

Come on, let's be honest, this store opening isn't going to change much of anything, other than a few Saint Johners not having the drive to Moncton to shop every couple weeks. It's hardly going to make or break anything or anyone.

[ErickMontreal]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

Difference being Moncton likes to encompass towns/cities so far out to attract a new store or anything for that matter. The phrase "New Brunswick's only Costco" many new retailers because you always based your "Potential" demographics on Saint John, Fredericton and everything else in between. It's actually going to be a nice change not hearing Moncton's excessive noise making moving forward.

I concure with Kwajo.

The retailers used to choose Moncton over Saint-John for few simple reasons: better location (catch-up), positive demographic trend and higher personal income as well.

Don't ask yourself why Tommy, Mexx, Bikini Village, Costa Blanca, Jacob, H&M ect, have set up shop in Moncton instead of elsewhere in New-Brunswick.

[mylesmalley]

I will say though...that is a pretty f***ing big warehouse.

[nwalbert]

A Costco opening in both Saint John and Fredericton will certainly affect the Moncton retail market. Substantially? Only at the Costco itself although others stores will notice a slight difference.

Moncton has some stores which other NB cities do not, the same as Saint John has things that Moncton does not, however Costco was the only retail location which could draw people from other markets and Moncton did a very good job of benefiting from this. There will be less tourist $$ for meals, etc.. in Moncton as a result.

As Kwajo said, its certainly not catastrophic, but it will be noticeable. Now if only BMW would open a service center in Saint John I could really cut down on my trips to Moncton.

As an aside, the Moncton dealerships has stopped Saturday service as a result of "drastically diminished" service. I know they were hot when it first opened, hopefully sales are still good.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

I might sound like a fool for thinking I can make a difference, but I plan on commenting to those working on the municipal plan about the need for better internal streets and pedestrian routes in future retail development. The costco talk reminded me of how messed up access is in the current retail set up.

[JHikka]

Just a few things on my mind:

1) I heard that there were old (very old?) plans of having an IMAX theatre put into the building where the Bargain Shop is now uptown beside King's Square. Apparently it didn't go through because the church (?) owned it and refused to sell it for that purpose. I was walking around the area last night and was trying to imagine how much better King Street and the City Market area would be if that Bargain Shop was replaced by something, you know, better.

2) When you're driving into Saint John from Rothesay and you come around through the rock-walls and are shown a wonderful skyline view of the city as you're emerging from the rock walls. This is especially spectacular at night with all of the lights and everything. My question is, if One Mile interchange is going to have a rather large ramp looping around and new infrastructure going in every which way, wouldn't this obstruct the view of the city and buildings uptown during entry on the throughway? I think it would be a shame to have a huge ramp blocking an otherwise excellent view of the city.