[Moncton] Downtown Developments - Page 66

MonctonRad · #**1301** Posted **Oct 10, 2014, 12:49 AM**

Navigator's cocktail bar on Main Street is apparently expanding into the vacant storefront next door (K&M), and may be rebranding itself as "The Third Glass".

MonctonRad · #**1302** Posted **Oct 10, 2014, 11:07 AM**

CBC:

Castle Manor will contain 14 high end condo units, starting at $275k (for the smallest units). Two are already spoken for.

The facade of the building will be maintained (and restored), they will try to save the chapel if any prospective condo owner is interested in keeping the space intact.

They plan on finishing renovations by next October. I imagine Castle Manor will be finished before 55 Queen (which still hasn't broken ground) I wonder what's up with that. If they want to get a head start on the winter weather, they had better start soon........

Mattyyy · #**1303** Posted **Oct 10, 2014, 11:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

CBC:

Castle Manor will contain 14 high end condo units, starting at $275k (for the smallest units). Two are already spoken for.

The facade of the building will be maintained (and restored), they will try to save the chapel if any prospective condo owner is interested in keeping the space intact.

They plan on finishing renovations by next October. I imagine Castle Manor will be finished before 55 Queen (which still hasn't broken ground) I wonder what's up with that. If they want to get a head start on the winter weather, they had better start soon........

I was curious about 55 Queen. Their website still states summer 2015 as move in date but I'm assuming that's impossible at this point.

Monctoncore · #**1304** Posted **Oct 10, 2014, 9:04 PM**

I was in contact with them recently for 55 and they mentioned that they had sold most of the places and that they would be breaking ground this fall.

Good2go · #**1305** Posted **Oct 11, 2014, 1:00 AM**

Kate Letterick's CBC TV story on Castle Manor: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunsw...converted-into-high-end-condos-1.2795332

Friggin' vandals

Walk then Run · #**1306** Posted **Oct 11, 2014, 11:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Castle Manor will contain 14 high end condo units, starting at $275k (for the smallest units). Two are already spoken for.

The facade of the building will be maintained (and restored), they will try to save the chapel if any prospective condo owner is interested in keeping the space intact

Then there may be hope for MHS undergoing the same

? Possible NY loft style apartments??

L'homard · #**1307** Posted **Oct 11, 2014, 12:41 PM**

I really doubt we'll see many condos (if any at all) at MHS.
Even the Castle developers said "there is no condo market in Moncton to speak of," and I believe that to be true.
Remember, the Castle is only 14 condos, and that's the maximum, it could be less. MHS would be many more than that. Good luck to anyone willing to bear the upfront cost of putting dozens of condos in HMS pending the return on their investment.

David_99 · #**1308** Posted **Oct 11, 2014, 1:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walk then Run

Then there may be hope for MHS undergoing the same

? Possible NY loft style apartments??

The difference between the two would be the restoration costs.

The estimated (maximum) costs of $1.5M vs $40M. Even at a bargain price tag of $699,900, Castle Manor, which made national news, took a while to sell.

The $40M for MHS may be inflated, and who knows how it would be divided if the building was sectioned off. The Government could agree to restore the Theatre while converting the Gym to a Community Centre. The other 3/4 of the building could be divided between commercial and residential. It's doable. How likely? As stated above, is there a market for it?

MonctonRad · #**1309** Posted **Oct 11, 2014, 1:57 PM**

Excellent points David. MHS is a large building, and developing dozens of condo units in the building could easily flood the market, especially with Castle Manor and 55 Queen coming on board. This could for example suppress demand to the point that it could affect development on Downing Street or around the events centre. Moncton may be growing, but there are limits to growth, and we don't want to test those limits too severely.

The best future for MHS would be as a mixed used development of some form. I imaging the auditorium will be repurposed as a performance space and (with Theatre l'Escaouette across the street and the Capitol/Empress a few blocks away), we could have a mini theatre district in the core. Saving the gymnasium as a community space is a good idea as well. I think any condo conversions should be limited, and only be located on the second floor. The first floor of the building should be for commercial/retail development. As someone else noted, with the central courtyard, the ground floor could be attractive for restaurants or coffee shops.

Mixed use is the way to go, and if done correctly, the east end of Mountain Road could become another node for growth in the city. There is lot's of potential in the area (Moncton Museum, Dumont Hospital, Gulf Fisheries Centre etc).

JasonL-Moncton · #**1310** Posted **Oct 12, 2014, 2:32 PM**

With Zio's major construction across the street this will become an attractive corner, if MHS can be developed in a way that brings people to that area in a mixed use manner, this could be a very bustling area in the near future.

David_99 · #**1311** Posted **Oct 15, 2014, 12:58 AM**

I just noticed a new restaurant called Mānuka has opened up at the old Malstrom's location, between Aberdeen and Theatre L'Escaouette.

MonctonRad · #**1312** Posted **Oct 16, 2014, 8:19 PM**

from the city of Moncton website:

Unveiling of “Tidal Bore”, public art piece by André Lapointe at Resurgo Place
October 16, 2014

MONCTON – Moncton City Council and the Cultural Board invite the public to the unveiling of “The Tidal Bore”, a public art piece created by André Lapointe on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 5 p.m. at Resurgo Place, located at 20 Mountain Road. The artist will be present for the unveiling.

The artwork, a granite sculpture representing the Tidal Bore, was funded through the City’s Percent for Public Art Policy. The artist was selected in December 2013 as a result of an open call. André Lapointe describes the choice of subject and material: “The choice of Nara brown granite for the sculpture and Baja red pigment for the base evokes both the colour of the Petitcodiac River and the colour palette of the Resurgo (Place) building. It is through manipulating the polished icy and fossilized stone that I obtained the texture of icy water and the breaking wave."

Mr. Lapointe, a local artist and sculpture professor at the Université de Moncton, also has produced many public art pieces on display throughout the province.

“This is yet another way that Moncton contributes to the City’s quality of life and cultural identity”, explains Mayor George LeBlanc. “We’re excited about this project. We feel it will add a lot of cultural flare to our cityscape. The City continues to lead in supporting the arts while making Moncton unique and an interesting place to live.”

For more information, please contact Resurgo Place, home of the Moncton Museum and the Transportation Discovery Centre, at 506-856-4383.

personal note - This will be Moncton's very own "wave" monument, a little like the "Wave" on the Halifax waterfront next to the Maritime Museum, only browner and shorter,

MonctonRad · #**1313** Posted **Oct 18, 2014, 2:38 AM**

The owners of the Mongolian Red Pepper restaurant on Robinson Street have closed that business (a franchise), and will soon be reopening (in the same location) as a new independent Malaysian restaurant to be called Cinta Ria.

The theme of the new restaurant will be southeast Asian fusion, specializing in Indian, Malaysian and Chinese dishes. It sounds interesting.

The breadth and variety of cuisine available in downtown Moncton has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years.

Steelcowboy · #**1314** Posted **Oct 19, 2014, 1:28 PM**

AWW man! I liked the concept of the Mongolian grill, I guess I can only hope for one of the chain "Mongolian Grills" to come to Moncton.

MonctonRad · #**1315** Posted **Oct 21, 2014, 10:21 PM**

from CBC

Tidal Bore sculpture unveiled in Moncton
City commissioned the $60K granite sculpture by André Lapointe
CBC News Posted: Oct 21, 2014 6:58 PM AT
Last Updated: Oct 21, 2014 6:58 PM AT

A piece of public art has been unveiled in Moncton.

The granite sculpture called Le Mascaret represents the Tidal Bore.

It was revealed in front of the new transportation museum, at Resurgo Place, by members of city council and the cultural board on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

The City of Moncton commissioned the $60,000 sculpture by André Lapointe through its public art policy.

"The choice of Nara brown granite for the sculpture and Baja red pigment for the base evokes both the colour of the Petitcodiac River and the colour palette of the Resurgo (Place) building," Lapointe said in a statement.

"It is through manipulating the polished icy and fossilized stone that I obtained the texture of icy water and the breaking wave," he said.

One per cent of the cost of any new public building in Moncton goes towards public art — up to $200,000.

Some people have argued the money could be better spent.

Lapointe was selected as the artist in December 2013 as a result of an open call.

Moncton Wave:

Halifax Wave:

Which one do you prefer???

Walk then Run · #**1316** Posted **Oct 21, 2014, 10:48 PM**

I'm not impressed

! Maybe the picture is not justifying the sculpture, however a good point is you won't have to worry about your kids falling off and hurting oneself

MonctonRad · #**1317** Posted **Oct 21, 2014, 11:05 PM**

Well, we have our first vote - nay....

The current score is:
- small, understated and brown (Moncton) - 0
- large, overbearing and blue (Halifax) - 1

Monctoncore · #**1318** Posted **Oct 21, 2014, 11:05 PM**

That is like comparing Gene Simmons tongue to one of a child! One is bigger and longer than the other...

I haven't seen it in person, but I think one thing Moncton needs to consider is going a bit grander in size for their art. I understand cost and such, but we need something that will catch the eye of people and so far we lack that.

Walk then Run · #**1319** Posted **Oct 22, 2014, 8:43 PM**

I do have some follow up questions...was Mr. Lapointe sculpting the tidal bore wave pre or post causeway? and I would love to know how much it cost Halifax to mold Mr. Simmons tongue into a tsunami wave? I would be shocked if Haligonians paid more than $25,000!!

tmacdougall · #**1320** Posted **Oct 23, 2014, 11:50 PM**

In a recent Facebook post, Moncton city counselor Dawn Arnold has been quoted as saying, "This centre will completely revitalize the west end of our downtown. There are many developers in that area simply waiting to see what is going to happen…sometimes a City has to take the first step to get things going."

In your opinion, what developers are simply waiting and what are the projects do think could move ahead after the development of the downtown multifunctional centre?