The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[mylesmalley]

What was originally planned for Rt 1?

And why the hell would anyone suggest adding a 16 story tower to the hospital You'd spend more time switching floors than treating people.

And if it's any consolation, SJ isn't the only city in New Brunswick to have a small graveyard of awesome-yet-never-built proposals. The ten years of indecisiveness over a casino and what to do with the old Beaver Lumber property cost Moncton at least one 15 story tower, and a project as large as the coast guard site proposal. And at least one other hotel.

Then there was an 11 story tower proposed for the redeveloped Franklin Yard area which was scuttled because council thought it was 'too high density for the area'.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

What was originally planned for Rt 1?

And why the hell would anyone suggest adding a 16 story tower to the hospital You'd spend more time switching floors than treating people.

And if it's any consolation, SJ isn't the only city in New Brunswick to have a small graveyard of awesome-yet-never-built proposals. The ten years of indecisiveness over a casino and what to do with the old Beaver Lumber property cost Moncton at least one 15 story tower, and a project as large as the coast guard site proposal. And at least one other hotel.

Then there was an 11 story tower proposed for the redeveloped Franklin Yard area which was scuttled because council thought it was 'too high density for the area'.

Exactly! Developers in all cities propose projects, gauge interest and then make a decision.

Uptown Saint John is doing better than it has in my entire life time, I am in no way discouraged on the current situation.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

What was originally planned for Rt 1?

Route 1 was supposed to go through Millidgeville rather than through the Uptown, essentially. It made sense for the future large scale development of Millidgeville (instead, all those people are in the Valley), as well as direct exits for the University & Hospital. I personally love the highway going through the Uptown to be honest with you, but it wasn't the original plan. Had the original been chosen, perhaps we wouldn't have the large headache that is the Harbour Bridge.

As for the current highway, there was supposed to be a very large cloverleaf interchange at the end of McAllister drive, rather than the mess of the interchange that we have at the end of Rothesay Avenue, which is clearly not designed very well. With this, traffic from Foster Thurston can directly access Rothesay Avenue and the East Side.

[mylesmalley]

I'd never noticed that. It is a little silly having Foster Thurston and McAlister not connected...or McAlister not connected to Rt 1 at all.

[kwajo]

The airport arterial was also supposed to go through the East Side where much of the commercial development is now, linking in with the large 'cloverleaf' interchange that was mentioned as having been planned for the junction with McAllister.

Unlike Greg however, I am not a fan of the position the highway is now, it cuts off the Mount Pleasant area, including all those wonderful, densely populated streets of around Winter (and the other 3 seasons) St, Rockland Rd and Cranston, which are only a 10-15 minute walk from the Uptown core. Not that the railways didn't already cut things up, but the freeway is far more of an obstacle. It wouldn't be so bad if DoT would make the overpasses more pedestrian friendly (some don't even have crosswalks at lighted intersections).

[mylesmalley]

Where would the highway have crossed the river had the Milligeville alignment gone ahead?

[Ire Narissis]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Had the original been chosen, perhaps we wouldn't have the large headache that is the Harbour Bridge.

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Where would the highway have crossed the river had the Milligeville alignment gone ahead?

Exactly. We'd still have had a giant mess of a bridge one way or another. The only question was where.

As I understand it, the original proposal would have had a crossing further up the river leading directly to the Millidgeville area... which would still have required a substantial bridge project.

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Where would the highway have crossed the river had the Milligeville alignment gone ahead?

IIRC, there's a very old (ca. 1940s?) future land use map of SJ in a frame on the wall of the Planning Department: it shows what would have been Route 1 crossing the river by cutting across Green Head (Randolph) Island and intersecting with Millidge Avenue around where the Subway/electrical corridor is now.

[ErickMontreal]

The Paramount Proposal



http://country94news.blogspot.com/2011/11/fundraiser-for-paramount-theatre-goes.html

[flwright]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Where would the highway have crossed the river had the Milligeville alignment gone ahead?

My understanding was that it was supposed to cross at Milford, essentially at the ends of Milford Road and Spar Cove Road in Millidgeville, before the cliffs start further up the river.

Have you ever noticed the extra-wide bridge that goes over the tracks on Greenhead Road with one of the lanes eventually converted to a walking trail? It was built in advance of the proposed highway to accommodate the future traffic that never materialized.

[Wolkenkratzerliebhab]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

What was originally planned for Rt 1?

And why the hell would anyone suggest adding a 16 story tower to the hospital You'd spend more time switching floors than treating people.

.

Actually, it was a very beautiful design. It was very long building and would have stood besides the old General where the old five-story nurses residence once stood.

The plans were switched to the current site because of the hopes of someday accommodating a new medical school at the university.

Too bad I wasn't so lazy, I'd try and look up the photo from the paper at the library, as it really was a beautiful proposal.

[mylesmalley]

I'm sorry, I misunderstood. I thought that there was a 16 story addition proposed for the SJRH.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Wolkenkratzerliebhab

The plans were switched to the current site because of the hopes of someday accommodating a new medical school at the university.

Took a while. But it happened.

[Wrightguy0]

So Mayor Bishop is at it again, after caving to pressure over his decision to tear down apartments on Scott ave. for a new field house and promising to build it somewhere else he flipped on his statements and is now saying the buildings will be torn down within the next two years.

This is possibly the worst time for him to make this decision amid all the 99% protests around the world, i suggest that the residents of those apartments occupy the commons, it only makes sense since they won't have homes soon.

It Pisses me off to no end, every other municipality in the region is building new recreation centers without harming their residents, why is Rothesay so hell-bent on tearing down part of it's low income neighbourhoods all for a building that they can put somewhere else and without as much public backlash

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Wrightguy0

So Mayor Bishop is at it again, after caving to pressure over his decision to tear down apartments on Scott ave. for a new field house and promising to build it somewhere else he flipped on his statements and is now saying the buildings will be torn down within the next two years.

This is possibly the worst time for him to make this decision amid all the 99% protests around the world, i suggest that the residents of those apartments occupy the commons, it only makes sense since they won't have homes soon.

It Pisses me off to no end, every other municipality in the region is building new recreation centers without harming their residents, why is Rothesay so hell-bent on tearing down part of it's low income neighbourhoods all for a building that they can put somewhere else and without as much public backlash

It is what it is I guess.

[kwajo]

It's a silly move by Rothesay, but Saint John will happily take any displaced residents

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by kwajo

It's a silly move by Rothesay, but Saint John will happily take any displaced residents

We don't seem to have a problem taking any low-income residents, to be honest.

There was a story today about the Joshua Group moving to a building on Paradise Row, but Margaret-Ann Blaney came out and stated that they could not afford a "former provincial building". Which building are they speaking about, exactly?

[flwright]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

We don't seem to have a problem taking any low-income residents, to be honest.

There was a story today about the Joshua Group moving to a building on Paradise Row, but Margaret-Ann Blaney came out and stated that they could not afford a "former provincial building". Which building are they speaking about, exactly?

It's the big, drab grey one across the street from Brennan's on Paradise Row, it used to house a Pittsburg Paint Dealer for a while. It is currently up for sale by tender by the province with an estimated tender value of $300,000.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by flwright

It's the big, drab grey one across the street from Brennan's on Paradise Row, it used to house a Pittsburg Paint Dealer for a while. It is currently up for sale by tender by the province with an estimated tender value of $300,000.

Ahh understood. I was under the impression that Pittsburg was still the tenant.

[nwalbert]

From the Tekegraph Journal. It looks like there is some substantial development going in with the new YMCA. Great news for that neighborhood.

SAINT JOHN - A new $9-million mixed housing development will be constructed
in one of the city's poorest neighbourhoods, government officials announced Friday.

"This is just the beginning, as there is much more to come for Crescent Valley," she said at an announcement at the north end community police office.

The federal government is contributing $1.2-million toward the project, which will provide affordable housing for seniors, with the province giving $2.3-million in rent subsidies.

The rest of the project will be funded by Elias Management Group, a Rothesay-based company.