[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[MonctonRad]

Rendering of what the new Starbucks in the old CIBC building at Church & Main will look like:



Note that they are splitting the storefront of the building, with the largest component being occupied by Starbucks. There will be a second smaller retail space between Starbucks and the Old Triangle.

This is what the building currently looks like:



Starbucks is slated to open in August.

[MonctonRad]

Current status of the renovations to the Terminal Plaza Building on Main Street:

[MonctonRad]

This three storey mixed use development is planned for the corner of Botsford and Victoria Streets. There will be street front commercial on the ground floor and apartments above.



A modernist appearing building. It is interesting to note that this will be only a block from the extremely avant garde project planned for 55 Queen Street behind city hall.

The east end is developing some depth and seems to be becoming a breeding ground for modernist architecture.

[mylesmalley]

Wasn't that announced last year?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Wasn't that announced last year?

I don't know. At least, not as far as I know.

In any event, this project is up for rezoning before the Moncton PAC during this month's meeting.

[NBNYer]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Wasn't that announced last year?

There was a similar looking building proposed last year, also on Victoria street but across from the cathedral. Maybe that's the one you're thinking of.

[Monctoncore]

Does it say which street its facing, is it going to be street front on Botsford or Victoria?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

Does it say which street its facing, is it going to be street front on Botsford or Victoria?

Victoria

[MonctonRad]

They are beginning to install the glass curtain wall cladding on the back end of the Terminal Plaza Building.

It is a lot lighter blue than I was expecting. It will really change the appearance of this building!

I will try to grab an updated picture in the next few days....

[MonctonRad]

Prep work has begun for the new five point roundabout at Killam/Collishaw. They are working on the Russ Howard Drive extension right now.....

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

They are beginning to install the glass curtain wall cladding on the back end of the Terminal Plaza Building.

It is a lot lighter blue than I was expecting. It will really change the appearance of this building!

I will try to grab an updated picture in the next few days....

Here is the picture that I promised:



As I mentioned, the new glass curtain wall is a very light sky blue colour, and is much more transparent that the old glass cladding was. It will be very interesting to see what the Terminal Plaza Building looks like at night. I dare say that it will be visually much more attractive and eye catching!

[NBNYer]

It's been nearly a year since this project was announced, I wonder what the status is.

Did anyone notice any activity at the site?

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Moncton wants upscale downtown developments
Friday, June 01, 2012
Times & Transcript
By: Brent Mazerolle

The city wants more than vinyl and vast asphalt lots in downtown these days, and a new generation of developers are answering the call

Today, two crumbling old homes, one of them gutted by fire, stand empty on Victoria Street between Lutz and Archibald in downtown Moncton.

Soon though, the long narrow lot will house an apartment building that uses every available inch of the space on the long narrow lot, using design elements that drive home the fact the city is no longer willing to settle for vinyl siding and other lowest common denominators in its downtown.

[MonctonRad]

I haven't driven by there recently, but I would not be surprised if there has been no movement on this project.

I don't keep that close an eye on what is going on at city hall, but I am not aware of anything in the way of applications regarding this project. The developer is young, and securing financing may be an issue, I don't know.

In any event, we are all aware of proposals (some of them substantial) that never see the light of day - just look at Valmond's East Main Street proposal. I am beginning to seriously doubt that it will ever happen. It certainly has been on a death spiral of diminishing expectations over the last couple of years.

As Myles said recently regarding a different topic, sometimes we shouldn't believe these things until we see shovels in the ground....

[mylesmalley]

That was the 'other' project on Victoria Street that I was referring to a few posts back.

It's not that I'm skeptical of developers' intentions. I think it's just important to have an appreciation for the fact that things take time - even if you're really determined to make something happen. Actually putting a big building up is waaay down the list of things you need to do...assemble land, get permits, secure financing, justify it with a business plan, negotiate with architects and contractors, schedule with contractors etc.

If you're trying to build something, it doesn't help that you theoretically could have a nice architectural rendering done to start promoting it, but nothing else accomplished. When you see a picture, I think we all tend to think things are a little more 'real' than they actually may be.

I think it's important to keep in mind though that the city's proposal-to-build ratio does seem to be pretty good. It might take a few years, but most (at least credible) proposals have been built in one way or another.

[MonctonRad]

I was out and about today, and decided to drive up Victoria Street to see what was going on......

It would appear that this little project we have been talking about may not be quite dead yet. This sign was up on the property......



As you can see, they have hired Roger LeBlanc to sell condo units in the project. Perhaps they might proceed once they have enough units sold......

Victoria Street has great potential to be a very interesting downtown residential neighbourhood. It already has a certain degree of density, especially over by the cathedral, and with another half dozen or so small condo projects like this one, and the one over by Botsford, it would have the character to draw in lots of upscale residents to the downtown core.

[MonctonRad]

I drove down Mountain Road this morning and it was interesting to see the progress on the Transportation Discovery Centre project at the Moncton Museum. The wraps have come off the addition, except for a tarp over the large cowcatcher window feature on the front. It will be a very interesting building when complete. If it had not been so wet out today, I would have snapped a picture.

It was interesting to note too that they are refurbishing the Free Meeting House next door as well. There was construction fencing surrounding this nearly 200 year old building, and it looked like the roof was being replaced......

[Good2go]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It was on CBC radio this morning that Castle Manor is going up for mortgage sale next month.....

Karin Reid-LeBlanc ‏@ReidLeBlancCBC
No one showed up to buy Castle Manor at public auction today. It goes back to the company handling the financing.

https://twitter.com/ReidLeBlancCBC/status/339753420703535104/photo/1

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by Good2go

Karin Reid-LeBlanc ‏@ReidLeBlancCBC
No one showed up to buy Castle Manor at public auction today. It goes back to the company handling the financing.

https://twitter.com/ReidLeBlancCBC/status/339753420703535104/photo/1

Too bad...I should have gone in and bid 10$

[mylesmalley]

That happened in Detroit a few years ago. A huge stadium (like, 50,000 seater huge) was put up for auction. Some guy from Toronto put in an offer for $750k more or less as a joke, and he ended up being the only bidder. Sounds like a hell of a deal until you see the property tax and maintenance bills!

[MonctonRad]

I am not very encouraged by the lack of interest in Castle Manor.

As I said before, all three examples of early 20th century gothic revival architecture in the city (Moncton High, Assumption Cathedral, Castle Manor) are in grave danger of being lost. What a sad situation this is for Moncton.