Official Fredericton, NB projects thread

[Taeolas]

It'll be interesting to see what they do with that corner. They have a lot of space there to work with.

I wonder if they'll go with a new building? They could build it in phases starting in the old Luna space and shift their tenants over to tear down the old.

[OliverD]

I'm not counting on it happening, but it would be nice to see main floor retail with residential units above on that space. It's a prime location for that kind of development.

[cl812]

Furniture store to open soon
Published Thursday June 16th, 2011
A4
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
[email protected]

Fredericton is getting a new furniture store business.

Surplus Furniture and Mattress Warehouse will be opening at 559 Wilsey Rd. within a few weeks.

Company spokesman Matthew Newton said the store will be the 20th in Canada for Surplus Freight of Canada.

Newton expects as many as 10 jobs will be created with the store opening, including a couple of warehouse positions, along with floor sales jobs.

The company has stores in Saint John, Moncton and Halifax.

[cl812]

Millions needed to upgrade Playhouse
Published Thursday June 16th, 2011
Upgrade or build new? | City-owned facility needs lots of improvements
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
[email protected]

The Playhouse needs $25 million in capital upgrades to refurbish the structure from top to bottom, but the city says it doesn't have that kind of money.


The Playhouse located in downtown Fredericton needs millions in upgrades, says a report.

Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside said he can't see a $25-million project being on city council's horizon.

"There's a Plan A and a Plan B. There's what you can do if money was no object and there's what is affordable, and I think right now we're at the affordable stage. We have to work with what we have and manage more effectively, which hopefully will be able to solve some of his problems," he said.

"A brand new building, which would amount to $25 million, isn't in the cards right now.''

Tim Yerxa, executive director of The Playhouse, said the future the 47-year-old structure is in the spotlight.

"We did have a study commissioned to review the state of The Playhouse infrastructure and the results of that study said that the building is structurally safe and operating fine,'' said Yerxa.

"(But) At 47 years old, it's coming to the end of its useful life and in order for the building to continue to be feasible, it would require a major refurbishment and it put a price tag on that at $25 million.''

He said it would be a renewal of the building to make it last another 50 years.

"It would be everything from replacing systems to upgrading accessibility, expanding some of the public areas.

"The building is a great building, but it has some deficiencies that need to be corrected to bring it up to a contemporary standard for a performing arts facility," Yerxa said.

One of the building deficiencies was dealt with when the city installed a new roof last year.

"What's driving the conversation and starting to make it a little bit more immediate is that we're starting to see the annual cost of maintenance starting to escalate. So, are we starting to throw good money after bad and what are the options?" Yerxa said.

The heating and ventilation system is aging, he said.

"So how much taxpayer money do we want to see spent on the building year after year when a major refurbishment or even replacing the building might be a better investment," he said.

"Replacing a building is definitely an option because when you're up into those kinds of dollars, you start thinking about well, if we replace the building, what kind of new opportunities does it create?"

Designing a new building could address new opportunities for theatre in the city.

"We could really plan for the long-term needs of the community, so that's the kind of discussion we're embarking on first with the city and then with the broader community about what does Fredericton need and want for the next 50 to 100 years.''

Yerxa declined to release the report publicly at this time because he said the board of directors hasn't handed its landlord - the city - a copy of the document.

That will be happening soon, he said.

[KnoxfordGuy]

I really really hope the Play House is not torn down. I would be devastated.

[cj6286]

That's all the city seems to do is to extend a structure's life "for another 50 years", just like the PM Bridge. For now, the Playhouse could use the upgrades, especially for accessibility. As for the PM Bridge, I think it would've been cheaper just to tear it down and build a new one. If we have another earthquake like we did in the 80's, I don't think it would be structurally safe.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by cj6286

That's all the city seems to do is to extend a structure's life "for another 50 years", just like the PM Bridge. For now, the Playhouse could use the upgrades, especially for accessibility. As for the PM Bridge, I think it would've been cheaper just to tear it down and build a new one. If we have another earthquake like we did in the 80's, I don't think it would be structurally safe.

The problem with rebuilding the PM bridge is that you would have to tear it down and rebuild. It would take at least three years. I don't think it is realistic to have Fredericton function with only one bridge for that long.

[corda]

Originally Posted by OliverD

I'm not counting on it happening, but it would be nice to see main floor retail with residential units above on that space. It's a prime location for that kind of development.

I agree... great location for mixed use development. Fredericton needs to have more of it. If it doesn't occur in prime spots like this one I'm afraid it will be a long, long time for it to catch on here.... sprawl, there is little incentive for developers to stop it.

[cj6286]

Well, this is one way to get rid of one of the old clunkers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erld6dU5_gs

[Freddypop]

Published Saturday June 18th, 2011

D1 By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN

[email protected]

The mining company that's developing the Mount Pleasant zinc, indium and tin mine is moving its head office from Toronto to Fredericton.

The mine owned by Adex Mining Inc. is located 97 kilometres south of Fredericton and 83 kilometres from the U.S. border.

"It's quite exciting," said Linda Lam Kwan, interim CEO and president of Adex, in an interview Friday.

"Our project is here in New Brunswick and Fredericton is the capital of New Brunswick."

Kwan made the comments during a break in a shareholders' meeting in Fredericton.

The company's website states the Mount Pleasant site is the only mine in the world that contains indium, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and zinc in significant quantities.

Those metals are critical for the construction of everything from cars to television screens, computers and smartphones.

The mine site includes a 430-metre-deep mine and thousands of metres of underground development, according to the website.

Adex bought the property in 1995. Billington Canada mined tungsten at the site in the last century, but shut it down in 1985 when the price of the metal fell on world markets.

But metal prices have been bouncing back in recent years. Indium is selling for $850 US a kilogram.

Hong Kong-based Great Harvest Investment Co. Ltd. bought 40 million shares of Adex last month for $7.2 million and Kwan became the head of the company.

Great Harvest Investment owns 80 million shares of Adex, or 45.14 per cent of the outstanding shares.

"We want to bring this project to production so I think the big operations will be happening here," said Kwan.

"That is why it is our intention to move our head office to Fredericton.

"We can use the local expertise and the local employment and maximize our profits and the benefits to the shareholders.

"Of course, we would like to gather support from the local government, which was very positive from their side when we had the reception yesterday."

She said the move of the head office to Fredericton will be done before the end of the year, but couldn't say when.

She said the mine could employ up to 200 people.

Kwan said a feasibility study for the mine to reopen should be done by the middle of next year.

Adex hopes to produce 40 tonnes a year of indium, 4,000 tonnes a year of zinc and 1,500 tonnes a year of tin at the Mount Pleasant mine, according to a company press release dated March 7.

Kwan said the ore would be processed at the mine site.

"I am very positive," she said "We now have enough cash flow for moving this project forward. But we will be raising the funds for construction."

Earlier media reports stated it would cost $200 million to reopen and operate the mine.

Fredericton Coun. Stephen Chase, chairman of the capital's development committee, said he's delighted Adex was moving its head office to Fredericton, which is good for the capital and the province.

"I think that's a very positive indication of the attractiveness of Fredericton as a community for these corporate head offices," he said Friday.

"It would be really easy to retain the office in Toronto and deal with this as a sideshow.

"The fact that they're prepared to move their office here indicates Fredericton is a nice place to be, run a business and raise a family."

Chase said the city is looking forward to learning more about the company's plans and helping in any way it can to ensure Adex's success.

[Steeple Shanks]

Originally Posted by cl812

Riocan has updated the site plan for the Corbett Centre on their website. Some new stores are listed: Best Buy, Bouclair, GAP and Carters/Oshkosh.

I know some these were previously listed on the Trinity site, but were not listed at Riocan's.

http://www.riocan.com/Content/PDF/sitePlan/271A.pdf

Does anyone know when the third and final phase is suppose to begin?

[cj6286]

Does anyone know the company who owns the Brookside Mall? I heard RioCan, but I am not sure.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by cj6286

Does anyone know the company who owns the Brookside Mall? I heard RioCan, but I am not sure.

RioCan

See here.....http://www.riocan.com/Content/PDF/sitePlan/18A.pdf

[Steeple Shanks]

Noticed that Boston Pizza has been closed down for renovation.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by Steeple Shanks

Noticed that Boston Pizza has been closed down for renovation.

Yep...They have been advertising in the Gleaner for staff to fit their new post renovation format

[cl812]

Library expansion gets closer
Published Tuesday June 21st, 2011
Next chapter | City's public library needs more room
A1
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
[email protected]

The long-delayed $1.3-million expansion and renovation of the Fredericton Public Library looks like it's finally moving ahead.

Cathy MacLaggan, chairwoman of the Fredericton Public Library, told council-in-committee Monday night that the provincial government has tendered for additional space for the York Regional Library.

It occupies 30 per cent of the building on Carleton Street.

When the York Regional Library moves out in December, it will free up 900 square metres (10,000 square feet) of additional space for the Fredericton Public Library.

"We are so truly looking forward to moving into the new space," she said. "This is part of a phased-in plan that will truly transform the downtown public library in a serious way.

"It will be the biggest library improvement in over 15 years."

Council approved the expansion plan in 2008, but it was delayed by funding problems and then the York Regional Library needed an extra year to find new space.

"There has been a delay and we have been working very hard for a number of years," said MacLaggan.

Some minor renovation work has already been done, including upgraded furniture and a larger elevator that can accommodate motorized wheelchairs.

The first phase of the renovations will cost $550,000 and has already been budgeted for by council.

MacLaggan said work on the ground floor will be done in 2012.

It will include doubling the space for the children's collection and a new public meeting space and public washrooms in the area that now houses the bay for the bookmobile.

"We're very excited about that and very much looking forward to that," she said.

Phase 2 will cost $225,000 and is planned for 2013. It will add a new reading lounge and a café. It will also relocate staff operations from the second floor to the first floor.

Phase 3 in 2014 will cost $500,000 and will include a dedicated teen space on the second floor and increase the size of the teen and adult book collection.

MacLaggan said the library has been working hard in recent years to attract more teens and teen book circulation was up 21 per cent last year.

"The city has committed to the (expansion) concept and adopted it as a pay-as-you-go plan," she said.

"They have agreed in principle to going ahead with that."

She said even if the province isn't out of the building by December, the renovation and expansion will go ahead as soon as the space is available.

"We support you and we will continue to do so," said Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside.

MacLaggan also told council that 2010 was a good year for the library, with a record 418,000 items circulated.

More than 1,000 people visited the downtown and Nashwaaksis library locations every day and the collection at both libraries now exceeds 180,000 books, magazines, DVDs, videos, CDs and other formats, she said.

Participation in the library program was up, with 17,000 participating in 641 program sessions, and DVD circulation increased by 37 per cent, said MacLaggan.

More than 10,000 young people took part in the summer reading program, she said.

The downtown library also has a recycling depot for old cellphones and printer cartridges and, in partnership with NB Power, loans out meters to measure energy use of individual home appliances.

http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1416903

[cl812]

Plenty of options when it comes to downtown development
Published Tuesday June 21st, 2011
C1

Over the past few months there have been a number of discussions around development options for Fredericton's downtown.

The westend application for a 32-unit apartment building, the Centennial building's future, the city-hosted riverfront development consultation and potential uses for York House have all been topics of debate recently. Perhaps a community conversation about what we need and want from our downtown is due.

There are many different points of view about development in Fredericton. Should our riverfront include commercial ventures such as a coffee kiosk, water's edge restaurant, tour companies or others? Should more of our downtown be converted to pedestrian-only access, with additional green space created and fewer parking structures and spaces? How much residential space is ideal and what kind of transit strategy is needed to support greater urban density?

While the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce isn't an expert on any of these questions, we do represent more than 900 organizations that care about the vibrancy of our city and its attractiveness to existing and potential residents. We believe that our downtown and northside business districts should prioritize diversity, the same approach we encourage in our employers and our consumers.

Gone are the post-war days of single-use zoning that segregated homes from shops, offices and institutions. Mixed-use development has emerged in the last decade as the preferred approach for most urban centre renewal. Mixed-use principles embrace diversity by integrating multiple development components to create liveable, walk-able areas with a strong sense of place.

Many of our downtown fixtures are mixed-use developments. Kings Place contains retail and office spaces, integrated with parking and transit components. Buildings along Queen and King Streets have apartments above storefronts. This integration helps promote the neighbourhood feeling that Frederictonians appreciate.

In principle, residential developments such as the westend building are appealing to our members, as they increase Fredericton's urban density and bring additional patrons to our Main Street and Queen Street businesses, typically in a low-emission way. Higher densities also support city council's objectives of keeping service delivery costs manageable and tax rates stable.

But many residents alone do not a successful downtown make. Those new inhabitants will want green spaces in which to relax and recreate, and amenities such as food markets and other shops to support their material needs. What do you think is the right balance?

While the Fredericton Chamber exists to support our local businesses, we won't push exclusively for York House to be converted for commercial use, for the westend apartment building to have ground floor retail units, for the Centennial building be renovated for office space and for the riverfront to be opened to new business developments.

We recognize the importance of cultural spaces, heritage preservation and balance in our urban centres. These opportunities should be considered with the big picture in mind, and a balance struck among the types of development pursued. We want to see a downtown full of diverse uses and spaces that will continue to attract tomorrow's workforce to our capital.

Given our municipal and provincial governments openness to public input, and the City of Fredericton's invitation to residents to provide suggestions into both the riverfront development and the future of York House, we encourage our members and the people of Fredericton to join the conversation.

Let's imagine what the ideal downtown could be and help our elected officials, business people and developers bring that vision to life.

Susan Holt is the CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. She'd love to hear from you by email at [email protected], phone 451-9744 or Twitter @susanholt.

http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/gleaner/article/1416924

[cj6286]

I was looking at the Brookside West Phases VI & VII, and by the looks of it, they are not extending James Street due to the creek. I looked around the end of Peters Drive, and it does look like a wet land. Here's a map I drew up to get the main idea. I guess it looks like Heron Drive is going to be a through-fare? In the satellite view, you can see where they have cut the trees where the new streets are going to go. http://goo.gl/maps/ELYO

I got a note on my door, saying that there is going to be a meeting tomorrow(22nd) at 6:30, at the end of Heron Drive about a new park. There aren't any parks with playgrounds in the area, which will great for young families.

[corda]

Originally Posted by cj6286

I was looking at the Brookside West Phases VI & VII, and by the looks of it, they are not extending James Street due to the creek. I looked around the end of Peters Drive, and it does look like a wet land. Here's a map I drew up to get the main idea. I guess it looks like Heron Drive is going to be a through-fare? In the satellite view, you can see where they have cut the trees where the new streets are going to go. http://goo.gl/maps/ELYO

I got a note on my door, saying that there is going to be a meeting tomorrow(22nd) at 6:30, at the end of Heron Drive about a new park. There aren't any parks with playgrounds in the area, which will great for young families.

Well that's too bad not extending James street. It would have been a good fit to make these two developments feel somewhat connected..... then you could walk down to the playground on Randolph street

Has there at least been a mention of connecting it with a trail? In the satelite view that almost looks like a trail parallel to Savannah Crt.

Do you know what the the owners of the farm/ horse stables or whatever that is think of being surrounded or are they the one's that sold the land and seeing dollar signs?

[cj6286]

Originally Posted by corda

Well that's too bad not extending James street. It would have been a good fit to make these two developments feel somewhat connected..... then you could walk down to the playground on Randolph street

Has there at least been a mention of connecting it with a trail? In the satelite view that almost looks like a trail parallel to Savannah Crt.

Do you know what the the owners of the farm/ horse stables or whatever that is think of being surrounded or are they the one's that sold the land and seeing dollar signs?

It would make a lot of sense to connect the sub divisions, but I can see it maybe in a two or three year plan.
I haven't heard anything of a trail- it would make a lot of sense in the short term phases. Judging from the photos from the company website, there will be a trail through the middle of Court A and parallel to Savannah Court as you can see that section on the satellite view.
As for the farm, I have no idea if they have sold, planning on selling or working into the community. Maybe there will be some info at the Park meeting tonight.

http://www.chippins.com/bw67.jpg