[St. John's] The Official Project Thread

[SignalHillHiker]

Proposed Rezoning for Six (6) Lot Residential Subdivision
Quidi Vidi Village Road (former School House Hill Site) (Ward 2)
Applicant: Powder House Hill Investments

The Development Committee recommends that upon receipt of proposed building elevations from the applicant, staff be directed to schedule a public meeting, to be chaired by a member of Council, on the rezoning application and the proposed building elevations for this residential project.

Proposed Seniors’ Residential Condominium Building
Civic No. 50 Margaret’s Place (Ward 2)
Applicant: Belvedere Development Corporation

The Development Committee recommends that Council approve the attached terms of reference for the Land Use Assessment Report for the proposed four (4) storey seniors’ residential condominium building.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by christopher_chafe

Hey folks.......I wanna put out this question to all of you (It was part of a very heated argument at my work place today)

Realistically how long do each of you see the DT Core staying Heritage, especially with all the demand for Class A Office Space and with our future looking bright when it comes to OIL & Gas?

I don't want to start an argument over this, so please keep emotions out of the responses.

I will start off by saying a decade.

Indefinitely - especially regarding our heritage Water Street fascades and the rowhouse district centered around Gower Street. These won't be lost in our lifetimes, and their presence will continue to ensure we get appropriate modern buildings - like the new Star of the Sea Building, and MIX Condos, and the Marriott Hotel Expansion - that reflect our heritage even its refurbished and repurposed.

We'll change, of course, just like the great cities of Europe - but our downtown will always look and feel historic and old.

[christopher_chafe]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Indefinitely - especially regarding our heritage Water Street fascades and the rowhouse district centered around Gower Street. These won't be lost in our lifetimes, and their presence will continue to ensure we get appropriate modern buildings - like the new Star of the Sea Building, and MIX Condos, and the Marriott Hotel Expansion - that reflect our heritage even its refurbished and repurposed.

We'll change, of course, just like the great cities of Europe - but our downtown will always look and feel historic and old.

Thanks for that response however I was only referring to the commercial area of DT and not the residential.

[SignalHillHiker]

No problem. I covered that too.

[jeddy1989]

crazy the ambassador from russia sent DOC a letter:

f tfze IJ(ussian <Feaeration

Dear Mr. O'Keefe,
The success of the recent visit to St. John's of the tall-ship Kruzcnshtern has come to
my attention from various sides, and I take this opportunity to extend to you, on behalf of the
Russian Federation, my congratulations and gratitude for the generous hospitality which the
160 officers and crew of the vessel enjoyed in St. John's from October 15-19.
I understand that you personally helped to facilitate the success of this visit and worked
closed with our representatives to arrange various matters and aspects of the itinerary which
the cadets will no doubt remember for years to come. I was particularly pleased to learn of the
celebration arranged on board the ship on October 14 for the brave Canadian veterans, some of
whom served on the Murmansk convoy runs, which departed from St. John's during World
War II.
Such visits are of inestimable value to confirm past cooperation, as well as to construct
bridges leading to new cooperative initiatives in various spheres. Given the similarities and
challenges which St.John's and Newfoundland share with cities in northern Russia, Murmansk
for example, the importance of learning more about one another is both obvious and essential
to improve the lives of our citizens and to bring our cities closer together.
We thank you for your friendship and look forward to participating with you and the
City Council of St. John's on any initiatives to promote St. John's strong ties with Russia.

Sincerely, ~
~A./
Georgiy Mamedov
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps

http://stjohns.ca/sites/default/files/files/agenda/Regular%20Agenda%20January%207%202013.pdf

[SignalHillHiker]

I read it as well. I love when people are impressed with us.

And the Russians are fantastic guests as well. They wear their full uniforms while they go about town so it's very easy to recognize them - whereas sailors from other countries tend to dress casually and don't stand out.

I appreciate that as a sign of respect, for us, that they put so much effort into looking so professional even if they're just walking up to Fortis to use the payphones.

[J_Murphy]

Cool...thanks for sharing. Enjoyed reading that.

[Townie709]

Originally Posted by christopher_chafe

Hey folks.......I wanna put out this question to all of you (It was part of a very heated argument at my work place today)

Realistically how long do each of you see the DT Core staying Heritage, especially with all the demand for Class A Office Space and with our future looking bright when it comes to OIL & Gas?

I don't want to start an argument over this, so please keep emotions out of the responses.

I will start off by saying a decade.

I will agree with signal and say forever, or at least for all of our lifetimes. I don't know why we cannot have both. There is no need to tear down historic buildings just to put in generic condo developments or highrise office towers.

Right now we need to establish an area for modern, tall development. That area is the west end. There is enough unused land in that part of downtown to create a vibrant, modern, tall downtown. Just look at it in Google Maps sometime, it's the closest thing to a grid we've got. Here are some possible highrise sights I marked in a diagram a while ago in the west end.



See? we have tons of land left to expand into! Enough land to satisfy any possible highrise land needs in the future for a city of 200,000 or even 400,000.

As for developments on Water Street, Proposals with the taller portions facing Harbour Drive are completely acceptable and the idea may catch on with the public. But once the obvious sights that will not drastically impact the heritage feel of Water Street (Bowrings, Adding floors to AP, and the sights on either side of the Fortis Building) are gone, I feel that development will be forced out west. We can have the best of both worlds and Heritage is our identity. Honestly, I cannot see, nor would I want, the main theme of our downtown to change to modern anytime in the foreseeable future as both can be so well integrated with eachother.

The future is not one or the other. The future is a proper balance of both.

[MrChills]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Speaking of which - if ever a place in our city needed a parkade:

http://binged.it/Zlh8lg

Thanks for making me puke.

I had various Provincial Government based clients when I was last living in the city last, so I was over there at least once a week, and HATED going there. Just about every time I would pretty much end up parking in Kents Pond. Any time the weather was completely shit I would park right next to the entrance and just pay for the ticket, as not walking from Kent's Pond to the door in a suit and shoes in freezing rain was worth the $50 or whatever the hell they charge you there.

[SignalHillHiker]

Yeah, it looks bad. And so out of place for St. John's.

[SignalHillHiker]

January 5, 2013

The Bowring Downtown Centre, subject of our latest rumour:

[SignalHillHiker]

January 5, 2013

And the site of our other major rumour, the Groupe Germain hotel to be constructed atop the Atlantic Place Parkade:

A view toward the Mirador Building of the Henry-Bell Condo Complex with the Atlantic Place Parkade just beyond:



Views of the Atlantic Place Parkade from the backside of Duckworth Street:







I wish they could extend their hotel on top of all these Water Street buildings. Just imagine how beautiful it would look with all those fascades (and even the actual buildings) preserved just as they are but with a beautiful, modern, Groupe Germain hotel on top. I love it!

[SignalHillHiker]

January 5, 2013

The Henry-Bell Condo Complex.

The Marconi Building, with the Metro Park and Mirador Building under construction:



The MIX Building, the Marconi Building, the Metro Park, and the Mirador Building:

[Townie709]

Nice pictures this morning

Not much change in the Henry Bell development though.. They are going to have to get the lead out if they want to have that open by this fall!

[SignalHillHiker]

Yes - but I bet it's hard to find workers here. There is so much happening here that there are lots of local jobs for workers to take. And, on top of that, they can easily take their skills to the mainland and earn way more money.

My father, for example, had to install our neighbour's crown mouldings (moldings?). Buddy she called told her it'd be years before anyone could come do a job that small for her, ha!

[Townie709]

Haha I have no clue how we are ever going to get everything built! There's so many possible projects to be started this year and there is no way we have enough workers! theres deacon, Hilton, 351, Fortis, AP hotel, Fortis building II, Proposal 23, star of the sea, all buildings in the Henry Bell project, Saltview condos, Harbourside Condos, Steele Hotel and a whole lot more!

We're going to have to start shipping in workers

[SignalHillHiker]

Or offer very competitive wages in that industry, which could be a deal-breaker for some projects. Either way, it's going to be a bit rough getting everything built.

[AllBlack]

There's a definite shortage and commercial construction is bearing the brunt. Workers are heading to Alberta, Long Harbour, Bull Arm for higher wages and attractive subsistence packages, leaving the local workforce extremely short. Of the workers left around, many are good but unfortunately many others are either 1) unproductive or 2) not in Alberta, Long Harbour, Bull Arm because they cannot pass the mandatory drug and alcohol testing. So not just quantity, but the average quality of the local commercial tradesperson has been reduced as well.

Some local contractors have already taken the step of bringing in foreign workers. I know of one commercial project in the city with a good number of workers from Ireland.

[Townie709]

If the local workforce is not there and it is not feasible to offer attractive wages with mega-projects or Alberta, I am all for shipping foreign workers in . Not to be racist or disrespectful, but foreign seem to be much more productive. They do the better quality work and in a much shorter timeframe. For some of these projects workers will have to either be drawn home by attractive salaries or have workers shipped in, both of which I have no problem with.

[J_Murphy]

Hey guys, I don't recall seeing much discussion on here for this project. I drove by this site today (corner of Hamilton Ave. and Sudbury Street) and noticed that work is ongoing there.





I managed to find an old link from the telegram but not much else online or on the forums about this one.

Anybody have any further info?

http://thetelegram.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx