The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread - Page 376

JHikka · #**7501** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 3:44 PM**

That whole intersection is getting upgraded? Glorious! That was my next question.

That's actually the second Timmie's that's been torn down on that corner in the past ~10 years. There used to be an actual location there before the express location was added.

CdnEh · #**7502** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 4:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Is that whole lot going to be taken up by the interchange? Will there be any land left over on that side of the railway tracks when it's finished?

The spot that will br left over (near the corner, closer to the superstore entrance) is heavily wooded and extremely swampy. I doubt anything will be going there.

Does anybody know what the most recent completion target is?

Joe · #**7503** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 5:48 PM**

I belive the competion target date is the fall of 2013.

CdnEh · #**7504** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 6:34 PM**

Potentially very stupid question:

A coworker seems to believe that the new interchange is going to be exclusively open to trucks destined for the industrial park, and not to the general public.

I know the whole reasoning behind building it is so trucks have easier access, but really? Did I miss that memo?

JHikka · #**7505** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 6:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CdnEh

Potentially very stupid question:

A coworker seems to believe that the new interchange is going to be exclusively open to trucks destined for the industrial park, and not to the general public.

I know the whole reasoning behind building it is so trucks have easier access, but really? Did I miss that memo?

I would find it very hard to imagine that the overpass/interchange wouldn't be made open to the public. Unless they plan on putting in a guard with a gate I can't imagine how they'd even enforce that if that were to even be the case.

It is a project for Irving so nothing would surprise me at this point but as far as I know it'll be a public interchange just like everything else.

CdnEh · #**7506** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

I would find it very hard to imagine that the overpass/interchange wouldn't be made open to the public. Unless they plan on putting in a guard with a gate I can't imagine how they'd even enforce that if that were to even be the case.

It is a project for Irving so nothing would surprise me at this point but as far as I know it'll be a public interchange just like everything else.

It's not an Irving funded project though, is it?

JHikka · #**7507** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 7:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CdnEh

It's not an Irving funded project though, is it?

Imagine!

http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/tran/2009e1290tr.htm

The Route 1 twinning is the same sort of deal.

kwajo · #**7508** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 7:42 PM**

I forget who asked it a while ago, but the new parking garage is being connected directly to the pedway according to the Peel Plaza site plan. The connection will be made just above the pedestrian walkway to Harbour Station, so I'm assuming it will be open for events just as any other parking facility would be.

flwright · #**7509** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwajo

I forget who asked it a while ago, but the new parking garage is being connected directly to the pedway according to the Peel Plaza site plan. The connection will be made just above the pedestrian walkway to Harbour Station, so I'm assuming it will be open for events just as any other parking facility would be.

Actually, no. The parking garage will only be connected to the pedway in as much as the doors open onto a sidewalk that also happens to lead to the existing door into the pedway at the top of Carleton Street. No direct connection, I'm afraid.

kwajo · #**7510** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 9:23 PM**

My apologies then, I must have an out-dated set of drawings.

JHikka · #**7511** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 9:32 PM**

The walk from the parking garage down Carleton to the top opening of the Pedway by Harbour Station is at most a block. It would have been nice to have the connection made underground or however but i'm alright with the money for such a short walkway not being spent.

Are they connecting the Fortress of Vengeance/Peel Plaza to the Pedway system? I can't imagine it'd be too difficult to run something off the Tile Mile up the hill.

flwright · #**7512** Posted **Oct 17, 2012, 11:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

Are they connecting the Fortress of Vengeance/Peel Plaza to the Pedway system? I can't imagine it'd be too difficult to run something off the Tile Mile up the hill.

Also, no. That was the plan early on, however, my understanding is that money and the separation of public & secure areas for both police & justice posed major concerns, therefore, the idea was quickly dropped. Sadly, it appears that the only pedways in the project are for prisoners and police cars.

CdnEh · #**7513** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 1:48 AM**

I was just browsing around the internet and found this interesting pic of uptown pre-Brunswick Square

Anybody know what was on the Brunswick Square site before? What's up with the lack of photos of the building under construction?

Also found these pictures, found them pretty neat... Planned "phase 2" expansion that would double the height:

JHikka · #**7514** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 2:18 AM**

That looks less like a photo and more like a painting

Although I couldn't name any of them i'm sure they were stores similar to what still exists on the opposite side of King Street. The doubled height of that building makes it look like something out of SimCity 2000.

What's really interesting is looking up old photos from what used to be on the site of the Aquatic Centre and Market Square, as well as Market Slip as a whole. The entire area was 2-4 story brick buildings. I think there are some period photos in the King St. Tim Hortons that shows them. It's amazing that all of those buildings are gone now, along with what used to be on Main Street, where the Viaduct currently sits now, and Long Wharf.

CdnEh · #**7515** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 3:25 AM**

If you look closely at the rendering on the sign, you can see that it is actually double the height that it turned out to be:

dhottawa729 · #**7516** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 4:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CdnEh

If you look closely at the rendering on the sign, you can see that it is actually double the height that it turned out to be:
[img]
[img]]

Source (me) for the modified cruise ship photo

I have always been curious about what kind of excitement was going on in the media when that 35-ish storey brunswick square was proposed. This would be BIG news even in Ottawa in 2012, let alone a city less than 1/10 its size 30 years ago. Someone should dig up some old articles in the archives such as when it first hit the headlines. I wish for an announcement as exciting as that in my generation.

Ire Narissis · #**7517** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 2:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

That looks less like a photo and more like a painting

Although I couldn't name any of them i'm sure they were stores similar to what still exists on the opposite side of King Street. The doubled height of that building makes it look like something out of SimCity 2000.

I liked seeing that view of the Aliant "tower" building (the brick one with the weird-looking communications tower on top) as it looked then. I once worked in there for six months as an operator.

It's still there, of course, and still housing the telco equipment hub for the uptown area, but now it's basically disappeared since three sides of it were blocked off by the Brunswick Square office tower, mall, and parking garage and the fourth side was cladded to match the rest of the complex (kind of ironic that it's being pushed back to brick on the King St. side).

As for the previous page's discussion about how un-Canadian it was to tear down a Tim's, let's not forget that it was replaced by the new one at the end of the causeway!

ErickMontreal · #**7518** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 3:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ire Narissis

As for the previous page's discussion about how un-Canadian it was to tear down a Tim's, let's not forget that it was replaced by the new one at the end of the causeway!

To be honest I would not mind to trade some Tim Hortons locations to get a Second Cup, a Timothy`s or more Java Moose for that matter. Saint John has enough Tim Horton's already.

For the record, Saint John is the only major city in the maritimes that does not have either a Second Cup or Timothy`s. No offense to Tim's but the time has come to bring in some more diversity !

Fischbob · #**7519** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 4:19 PM**

Probably the most prominent business formerly situated on the Brunswick Square site was the MRA department store, in its heyday occupying several buildings on that block and at Market Square. It's still quite common to hear people reminisce about it. There's some info about the store at these webpages.

JHikka · #**7520** Posted **Oct 18, 2012, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErickMontreal

To be honest I would not mind to trade some Tim Hortons locations to get a Second Cup, a Timothy`s or more Java Moose for that matter. Saint John has enough Tim Horton's already.

It would be nice if the Java Moose location on Prince William was open later than 5 or 6. I think it'd be nice to sit and relax there at 9 or 10. Java like sticking to malls and busy indoor areas (City Market, McAllister, UNBSJ). I can't imagine them opening their own standalone location anytime soon unless it's in a strip mall somewhere or they get an unbelievable bargain on a building.