The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[saintjohnirish☘]

Here we go folks, the city's moving out of Market Sqaure

http://www.saintjohn.ca/en/home/news/new...ld-atlantic-representing-city-of-sa.aspx

Personally I am hoping they do a number on the King Square court house and go for a King Square campus style city hall.

Offices in the court house, the city market tower and then a new build on the old Paramount theatre site would really be something else. And it would get them the needed sqft.
Not to mention the new Irving HQ



...Amalgamation came up on another thread.

Rough but ya get the idea, absorb populated areas, lose the sparse areas:

[Franco401]

re City Hall I have three very optimistic words:

Coast Guard Site.

The historic site has incredible potential. The waterfront development has been pushed back time and time again. I propose uniting the development with the new municipal offices.

The Market Square area includes a fascinating variety of architectural styles. It's time the 21st century had a stake.

My proposal involves creating a new pedestrian street stretching north to south called Peters Wharf, which, like Market Slip, can be opened to vehicles in certain situations. Municipal offices are located in two buildings across the street from each other, the three-storey Council Building and the eight-storey Service Centre, which is 2 storeys at its base and has 2 floors of commercial space facing Water St. To the southeast we have the core of the complex, a 10-storey mixed-use condo tower featuring 2 floors of commercial space. To the west, a six-storey condo tower and a separate stretch of smaller three-floor residential spaces with restaurants and businesses at boardwalk level.



I'll try some architectural drawings in the coming days, stay tuned!

[saintjohnirish☘]

V cool ^^

Interesting to think of the contrasts between south and north market wharfs if a development was ever done. They should focus there, rather than the seriously misguided renovation of the boardwalk area that Saint John Waterfront released last year. Was as if all good design prinicples went out the window.

[UptownJeff]

Personally, I really doubt the City will move entirely out of the current building - my prediction is that this exercise will result in a renovated and reduced footprint in the current location with supplemental space in the Market tower. I am 100% against building anything on the Paramount site or Coast Guard site that requires tax dollars. Hollowing out the current City Hall is not a good idea - all we're doing is moving pieces on a chess board - we need NEW net growth!

[saintjohnirish☘]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

Personally, I really doubt the City will move entirely out of the current building - my prediction is that this exercise will result in a renovated and reduced footprint in the current location with supplemental space in the Market tower. I am 100% against building anything on the Paramount site or Coast Guard site that requires tax dollars. Hollowing out the current City Hall is not a good idea - all we're doing is moving pieces on a chess board - we need NEW net growth!

Agreed with the actual growth part. But in no way is it okay for city hall to be paying a private company rent. That's just a waste of public funds. We need to own city hall. The court house and market tower seem to be the best options with this new legal findings about the obligation the city has to the court house. The province should give it up to the city for $1

[thefishingnut]

It would IMO frankly be a travesty for the City to build net new and add another 36,000 feet to an already sky high office space vacancy. The citizens don't distinguish levels of government, they look around and see a new courthouse, a new police station, a new municipal parking garage, and wonder why those supported by their tax dollars deserve new accommodations. No money for parks, so close them down. No money for arenas, so shut them down as they become condemned. Cut money for the zoo, it'll probably be gone soon. People living in squalor because of a lack of affordable acceptable housing. Another tax payer funded project for a new city hall would be spectacularly unpopular.

[UptownJeff]

Originally Posted by thefishingnut

It would IMO frankly be a travesty for the City to build net new and add another 36,000 feet to an already sky high office space vacancy. The citizens don't distinguish levels of government, they look around and see a new courthouse, a new police station, a new municipal parking garage, and wonder why those supported by their tax dollars deserve new accommodations. No money for parks, so close them down. No money for arenas, so shut them down as they become condemned. Cut money for the zoo, it'll probably be gone soon. People living in squalor because of a lack of affordable acceptable housing. Another tax payer funded project for a new city hall would be spectacularly unpopular.

Completely agree. There are many very good reasons for a city, especially this city, to rent space rather than own. I struggle with the prospect of renovating the old court house though. It's not like the argument for a private citizen to buy a house rather than rent an apartment.....the asset, for government, can never be turned into cash and the cost of maintaining the asset will likely far outstrip the benefits of renting. Like I said, this exercise will likely result in a better deal for tax payers as there is a dearth of office space in both city hall as well as the aliant tower.

[saintjohnirish☘]

It is not the City's job to subsidize landlords guys. The city owns buildings already— let's use them.

[UptownJeff]

Looks like the old jungle jims has been sold (or leased) and whatever it will be will stretch from Prince William down to water street. Rumour has it the Murphy Group is involved so I'm sure it will be good.

[Ire Narissis]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

Looks like the old jungle jims has been sold (or leased) and whatever it will be will stretch from Prince William down to water street. Rumour has it the Murphy Group is involved so I'm sure it will be good.

Now if only the new Jungle Jim's would actually get built and open. I miss the wing night.

[saintjohnirish☘]

I remember hearing plans as well that Murphy's was going to develop along Pugsly Wharf something similar to the Halifax waterfront..?

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

Looks like the old jungle jims has been sold (or leased) and whatever it will be will stretch from Prince William down to water street. Rumour has it the Murphy Group is involved so I'm sure it will be good.

Hearing that it will be a Gahan brewpub. That will be a great addition for Saint John.

[RaginRonic]

From CBC New Brunswick...something a long time coming, IMHO.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/premier-holiday-new-brunswick-1.4086141

New Brunswick announces new stat holiday: Family Day coming next February

Long after statutory holiday in February was first proposed, New Brunswick will get one in 2018


New Brunswick is getting a statutory holiday in February, Premier Brian Gallant announced Wednesday.

Starting next year, the paid public holiday to be known as Family Day will take place on the third Monday in February.

Eight other Canadian jurisdictions already have a paid holiday in February. Family Day will bring New Brunswick up to the national average of eight paid public holidays a year.

"We are focused on growing the economy and providing good quality of life for New Brunswickers," Gallant said in a news release.

"This holiday will help families and communities come together and strike a good work-life balance during our often too long winter season. Having a good work-life balance helps increase productivity for our businesses and economy."

Last year, the New Brunswick government said it was exploring the idea of adding a statutory holiday in February.

The province said several departments worked on the proposal for a mid-winter holiday on the third Monday in February.

Part of the review, according to the provincial government, looked at whether the holiday should be a paid public holiday and how it would affect employers and other New Brunswickers.


Not a new concept


The idea of a February holiday isn't new in the province.

Former premier Shawn Graham promised a holiday during his election campaign in 2010.

After losing the election, the Liberals continued to call for the creation of the February holiday while David Alward's Progressive Conservatives were in government.

This means that the date for the 1st ever N.B. Family Day will be Feb. 19, 2018, the same day as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island(actual names vary, but the concept is pretty well the same).

British Columbia has a Family Day, but it's a week earlier than the other provinces.

This also means that the last 2 provinces to get a mid-winter holiday, under the Family Day concept, are Quebec and Newfoundland+Labrador.

To me, it's nice that those in N.B. will come up for air between New Year's Day and Good Friday next year, and all years beyond. =)

[magee_b]

Originally Posted by OliverD

Hearing that it will be a Gahan brewpub. That will be a great addition for Saint John.

The Murphy Group confirmed this yesterday.

The Gahan House Restaurant and Brewery is set to open in September of this year on Prince William Street. It will feature a 120 seat dining room, 30 seat seasonal outdoor patio and 7 barrel DME brewing system. The restaurant will also feature an oyster bar with a variety of fresh, local oysters, and a retail shop.

Source: The Murphy Group

[RaginRonic]

Well, here's a bit of a whopper.

I just found out, from a July 2016 T-J article, that the Fundy Line Motel on Rothesay Ave. was really closed due to a family dispute that wormed it's way into the business, and that the involved family was the Galbraiths, of Galbraith Construction.

Apparently, Lloyd Galbraith had withdrawn money from the Fundy Line account, and tried to offload the motel without permission from the president of Fundy Line Motels Inc., who was also his former common law spouse.

The money taken out amounted to $740,000, which happened after he and that C-L spouse broke up.

In a settlement, he coughed up $450,000 of that.

Yikes.

O.O

[Whaler]

Jungle Jim's is opening up on the West side. The old Liquor store/ Blockbusters location.
Good move for most.
The Murphy group will be opening the Gahan House in the old JJ location. They do a decent job in Halifax and should raise the bar here in Saint John!

[Ire Narissis]

Originally Posted by Whaler

Jungle Jim's is opening up on the West side. The old Liquor store/ Blockbusters location.

Eventually. :/

They were supposed to be open by now, but according to their Facebook page, ran into some planning-related delays. The latest post (from yesterday) says that construction is about to get underway and has a hiring announcement/application link, so... finally picking up steam, I suppose.

I did see what looked like a contractor's pickup in front of the place last week.

I miss wing night.

[Scarface]

for anyone who is interested http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1114043

I will say one company there using is causing there to be less housing by turning multi unit dwellings that look to have been purpose built to single family homes. But at least the vacant properties will be turned over to a new life.

[saintjohnirish☘]

Has there been any renderings of the public housing being built on the Jelly Bean site?

[josh_cat_eyes]

I noticed there is some new Saint John Threads. I'm going to make some threads for KV and the West side/Lancaster/Grand Bay?