The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[Freddypop]

Looks like Saint John will now get its second Walmart. Zellers lease sold to Walmart by Target. See here:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2011/23/c5977.html

[Freddypop]

Final list of Target stores....including sites in Fredericton and Moncton. Note that the Lancaster site lease was actually sold by Target to Walmart and will become Saint John's 2nd Walmart

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/09/23/is-a-target-coming-to-a-mall-near-you/

[philster]

Well this is interesting and thank you for the additional links, as Target Press It really did not specify

http://pressroom.target.com/pr/news/target-finalizes-real-estate-transaction-215949.aspx

[Helladog]

Those appear to be additional confirmed stores. Target will still be at McAlly.

[Ire Narissis]

Hey all; somewhat long-time lurker here and I registered just to post this question because I figured somebody here might know.

I work at T4G (across from Olsen's on the west side) and last week I saw a truck go by with a police escort, carrying a massive steel monstrosity that somewhat reminded me of a section for a roller coaster; it was a gently curving structure with some sort of rails, like the peak of a hill or somesuch.

My father thought it might be a piece for the new industrial tenants setting up around the west side port, but the truck was heading toward Simms corner which seems to me to be leaving the port.

Just wondering if anyone has any idea what that might have been, where it might have been coming from, and where it might be going. :O

[ErickMontreal]

:: COBALT PROPERTIES - MCALLISTER DRIVE DEVELOPMENT ::

http://www.cobaltproperties.ca/files/Plan140McAllister.pdf

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by ErickMontreal

:: COBALT PROPERTIES - MCALLISTER DRIVE DEVELOPMENT ::

Definitely looks like a stop-and-go development. Most of the stores there will have drive-thrus. This project is some much needed infill for that corner.

[flwright]

Originally Posted by ErickMontreal

:: COBALT PROPERTIES - MCALLISTER DRIVE DEVELOPMENT ::

http://www.cobaltproperties.ca/files/Plan140McAllister.pdf

So much asphalt and so little else of substance...

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by flwright

So much asphalt and so little else of substance...

So instead of receiving more much needed property tax from that corner, we should leave it vacant instead?

No wait... Let's build an upscale house there!!... I'm sure it would sell quickly. Not.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

So instead of receiving more much needed property tax from that corner, we should leave it vacant instead?

No wait... Let's build an upscale house there!!... I'm sure it would sell quickly. Not.

Agree with you Michael! This is retail being built in our retail district. Hard to see what you could possibly complain about with this one.

[nwalbert]

The new cake store on Prince William is now open and doing a wonderful business. My wife has already made a few purchases and she tells me they have close early twice already as they completely ran out of inventory.

As others have mentioned, the storefront is extremely creative and this is another really nice addition to the uptown which has really added a lot of new restaurants and shops this year.

[MonctonRad]

I'm really pleased to see the rejuvenation happening in the uptown area.

I wonder how much of this is due to the cruise ship industry?

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I'm really pleased to see the rejuvenation happening in the uptown area.

I wonder how much of this is due to the cruise ship industry?

Although I don't have any facts to back it up, my instincts would be that the cruise ship industry has a lot to do with this. The cruise ships passengers have certainly transformed the feel of uptown during the summer and made it a much more desirable location.

[KnoxfordGuy]

The cruise ship industry is fantastic right now in Saint John. It makes me want to go there just to see the ships coming in! I'm so happy for Saint John’s growing tourism industry!

[KnoxfordGuy]

Saint John mayor supports vacant lot development
Saint John's new municipal plan includes growing core parts of the city
CBC News
Posted: Sep 28, 2011 1:12 PM AT
Last Updated: Sep 28, 2011 1:19 PM AT

Saint John municipal plan

Saint John Mayor Ivan Court said he supports the idea of developers gaining access to vacant lots in the core areas of the city.Saint John Mayor Ivan Court said he supports the idea of developers gaining access to vacant lots in the core areas of the city. CBC

Saint John should give free property to people who want to build on vacant land in core parts of the city, according to a local developer.

Gerry Lowe is proposing the plan but it's an idea that is getting some support from Saint John Mayor Ivan Court.

Lowe is one of a handful of developers who has specialized in building in older areas of the city, such as Fort Howe.

He said Saint John has to make the area more inviting and one way to do that is to turn over vacant lots the city has accumulated over the years.

"It's gaining nothing,” said Lowe.

“Why not let somebody build on it?"

Growing the core parts of the city is a central theme of Saint John's new municipal plan, which was presented to council on Monday.

Lowe said it’s time to get that moving on some of these plans.

"I know there's cities in North America where the cities just give the land to developers and say ‘build on it. If there isn't a house there in two years collecting taxes somehow we'll take it back,'" said Lowe.

The city's mayor does not need any convincing about the merits of the proposal.

"I agree with that 100 per cent," said Court.

The mayor said he’s willing to go even further to consider a tax holiday for in-fill builders.

"Whether it's providing a lot for someone to put a home on and so on, you'll get that back within a three-year period,” said Court.

Court said he'd like to meet with developers in the near future to hear their ideas.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunsw...saint-john-mayor-supports-developer.html

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Saint John mayor supports vacant lot development

Ugh. Municipal Elections can't come soon enough.

Saint John is in a major deficit, with extremely high property taxes, and the mayor's idea to resolving this is to give vacant lots away for free?

Lower taxes and maybe that'll drive further development.

[flwright]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

So instead of receiving more much needed property tax from that corner, we should leave it vacant instead?

No wait... Let's build an upscale house there!!... I'm sure it would sell quickly. Not.

Whoa, whoa whoa -- who said anything about it being left vacant or that upscale houses should be built there?! I'm all for increasing revenue for the City of Saint John.

The only point I was trying to make from my original comment is that we can do better than vast seas of parking lots and auto-dependent developments. You know, more in line with the vision for Saint John that residents painstakingly developed and illustrated in 2-year, public-consultation-heavy, citizen-led, PlanSJ process which promotes creating streetscapes and pedestrian friendly developments. This development does neither of those things.

And further to my point, many of these things don't have to cost any money. For example, the simple placement of the buildings to line the street and shield the parking area creates a more interesting streetscape, promotes walking and gives the tenants more direct visibility. This also reduces the need for internal sidewalks, curbing, etc. and that money could be redirected to other features such as improved building materials and design or a simple walking trail along the brook at the back of the property. Installing ponds and berms rather than culverts and catch basins for on-site storm water retention could also be a fantastic compliment to the brook and create much-needed green space within our primary retail district. All at little to no cost.

Beyond the issue of taxation, for each development we must ask the question "does this development improve my quality of life and make my city a better place to live?" Its going to be there for the next 50+ years, so we'd better hope so! Development for the sake of development is rarely a successful strategy and, beyond that, we shouldn't be afraid to ask for better than average and better than average doesn't necessarily have to cost any more. Can't we have both a tax-generating development AND a development that is in line with our community aspirations? As the saying goes, "Perfection is expected, excellence will be tolerated." This is how we build a city that people want to live in and be proud of.

[thefishingnut]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Ugh. Municipal Elections can't come soon enough.

Saint John is in a major deficit, with extremely high property taxes, and the mayor's idea to resolving this is to give vacant lots away for free?

Lower taxes and maybe that'll drive further development.

I don`t think giving away property is necessarily the right thing to do, but somehow there needs to be a creative way found to deal with the fill-in and generate taxes. I think where Court goes wrong is with the idea of a tax holiday, because more burden on existing taxpayers for no service (to them) is just inherently wrong. I almost wonder if the City should be putting out for tender housing and retail development for the in-fill properties it owns, and then sell or lease the results. Maybe they could even work with someone like Habitat for Humanity, and donate or sell the in-fill land at a discount on the proviso that particular appearances be applied to the fill-in. But the key is to get development on the vacant lots that developers don`t currently feel is worth their while, and the vitality of the downtown core and the build-up of the tax base needs this to happen.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by Ire Narissis

Hey all; somewhat long-time lurker here and I registered just to post this question because I figured somebody here might know.

I work at T4G (across from Olsen's on the west side) and last week I saw a truck go by with a police escort, carrying a massive steel monstrosity that somewhat reminded me of a section for a roller coaster; it was a gently curving structure with some sort of rails, like the peak of a hill or somesuch.

My father thought it might be a piece for the new industrial tenants setting up around the west side port, but the truck was heading toward Simms corner which seems to me to be leaving the port.

Just wondering if anyone has any idea what that might have been, where it might have been coming from, and where it might be going. :O

I saw this too...If it was the same thing, it was probably around 7 pm. I was stuck behind it as it made it's way down Church Ave. Not sure what it was for though. It kind of reminded me of the top of the Trillium in Halifax.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by flwright

Whoa, whoa whoa -- who said anything about it being left vacant or that upscale houses should be built there?! I'm all for increasing revenue for the City of Saint John.

The only point I was trying to make from my original comment is that we can do better than vast seas of parking lots and auto-dependent developments. You know, more in line with the vision for Saint John that residents painstakingly developed and illustrated in 2-year, public-consultation-heavy, citizen-led, PlanSJ process which promotes creating streetscapes and pedestrian friendly developments. This development does neither of those things.

And further to my point, many of these things don't have to cost any money. For example, the simple placement of the buildings to line the street and shield the parking area creates a more interesting streetscape, promotes walking and gives the tenants more direct visibility. This also reduces the need for internal sidewalks, curbing, etc. and that money could be redirected to other features such as improved building materials and design or a simple walking trail along the brook at the back of the property. Installing ponds and berms rather than culverts and catch basins for on-site storm water retention could also be a fantastic compliment to the brook and create much-needed green space within our primary retail district. All at little to no cost.

Beyond the issue of taxation, for each development we must ask the question "does this development improve my quality of life and make my city a better place to live?" Its going to be there for the next 50+ years, so we'd better hope so! Development for the sake of development is rarely a successful strategy and, beyond that, we shouldn't be afraid to ask for better than average and better than average doesn't necessarily have to cost any more. Can't we have both a tax-generating development AND a development that is in line with our community aspirations? As the saying goes, "Perfection is expected, excellence will be tolerated." This is how we build a city that people want to live in and be proud of.

While I agree that lining stores closer to the road looks better, this is after all a car dependent retail area. In order to create what you are talking about, you'd have to tear up the whole east side retail, and rebuild it. Trying to create a more pedestrian friendly environment there would be useless for just a handfull of stores.