[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[Sandbagger]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

If Sobeys is considering markets as small as Moncton for this initiative, the Main/Vaughan Harvey Sobeys/ANBL would be Moncton's prime candidate. (I also think there's an excellent opportunity for this sort of mixed use redevelopment at Sobeys Lansdowne in SJ and the Regent Street Sobeys in Freddy)

Regis St in Dieppe would be prime as well.

[DTBourque]

I'd like to see this with Sobeys, but unfortunately I think it's unlikely in Moncton for the next few years.

I used to live by a location like this in Ottawa, which I assume is the model they're looking at for Halifax.

It was called Sobeys Urban Fresh (the location is now a Farm Boy, an Ottawa-based grocer also owned by Sobeys) and was at 179 Metcalfe Street.

If you look up the address in Google Images, you'll see that the grocery store is at the base of two huge condo towers (40 and 27 floors). It's also right downtown and close to where everybody works (the kind of neighbourhood where there's a coffee shop every block).

As far as I can tell, the business model for the grocery store is selling premade food to professionals who live and work nearby and who don't mind paying for convenience. It's also a full-fledged grocery store on a smaller footprint at higher prices - but it's in a neighborhood where going to a cheaper suburban Superstore would be at least 30 mins in traffic each way, if you even have a car.

I'm not sure Moncton has the property values, density, or concentration of wealth downtown to justify this yet - especially when either of these Sobeys locations is at most 10 minutes from the Superstore on Main.

[MonctonRad]

I see there is now some construction fencing up around the building on the NW corner of Main & King St. I wonder if this means there is soon going to be some progress on this conversion project?

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I see there is now some construction fencing up around the building on the NW corner of Main & King St. I wonder if this means there is soon going to be some progress on this conversion project?

I saw that this morning. Such a great location with potential for something nice. Too bad the lot next to Staples wouldn't get developed!!

[vincepower]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

Speaking of Crombie/Sobeys and development possibilities, I found this tweet from Halifax Retales last week to be interesting:


Source

If Sobeys is considering markets as small as Moncton for this initiative, the Main/Vaughan Harvey Sobeys/ANBL would be Moncton's prime candidate. (I also think there's an excellent opportunity for this sort of mixed use redevelopment at Sobeys Lansdowne in SJ and the Regent Street Sobeys in Freddy)

If you add in the Sobeys/ANBL property into the mix along with 1222/1234 Main and the land next to the Avenir Centre, it makes for a significant and potentially transformative development opportunity for that entire area.

I'd love to see this on the standalone store next to Champlain mall. It's a highly valuable area and another apartment building wouldn't stand out and would probably be approved easily.

(Edit: I see someone else already posted this store, guess I read the whole thread before replying... lol)

[BlackYear]

Just some pics I'm working on. Not yet perfected, but thought I would share none the less.

[L'homard]

You are very talented. I enjoy your photos very much.

[BlackYear]

Some Sunday after Rotary Ribfest photos.

[jonny golden]

Seeing the Blue Cross building in the picture makes me wonder what Slate will do about their parking issues. Will we see a parking structure built?

[MonctonRad]

Nice photos Budyser, really creative use of a telephoto lens (and framing) to maximize and deepen the Moncton skyline!

Moncton desperately needs at least one more high-rise (at least 15 storeys) between Assumption Place and the Blue Cross Centre (ideally on Downing Street) to give the downtown a critical mass to bolster the skyline and make it suitably impressive. I hope whatever future plans they have for phase two or phase three of Downing Street will demand this as a condition for development.

Just imagine if something along the lines of this conceptual plan did transpire along Downing..........

[DTBourque]

@jonny_golden

I haven’t heard anything.

If I were Slate, I’d be talking to the city about having them pitch in to get parking garages built on the Record Street lot *and* the City Hall parking lot, which is much closer. In exchange, let them have a percentage of profits. There's probably an arrangement that everybody can live with.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by DTBourque

@jonny_golden

I haven’t heard anything.

If I were Slate, I’d be talking to the city about having them pitch in to get parking garages built on the Record Street lot *and* the City Hall parking lot, which is much closer. In exchange, let them have a percentage of profits. There's probably an arrangement that everybody can live with.

Apparently they own the parking lot behind the Mariott which is packed during business hours. It's very close so it would be a logical spot for a multi level parking structure. Even the existing surface lot at the Blue Cross center should be multi level parking.
I agree that the City Hall lot would be an excellent location for a parking garage.
As for the Record Street lot It would be great to see it developed. I was thinking residential with underground/inside parking. Super location as it's walking distance to downtown, Avenir Center, riverfront...

[L'homard]

Originally Posted by DTBourque

@jonny_golden

I haven’t heard anything.

If I were Slate, I’d be talking to the city about having them pitch in to get parking garages built on the Record Street lot *and* the City Hall parking lot, which is much closer. In exchange, let them have a percentage of profits. There's probably an arrangement that everybody can live with.

There are no profits from parking garages in NB.

[jonny golden]

I was on Main Street and noticed those spray painted markings that designate where underground services are. All around 1222 Main Street, including along the side of the building. About a week ago I stopped to talk to a Crombie employee who was working out front. He told me that there had recently been Crombie people in to do an inspection on the building and that they were deciding on three different options for redevelopment. It would be great to finally see something happening here.

[BlackYear]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Moncton desperately needs at least one more high-rise (at least 15 storeys) between Assumption Place and the Blue Cross Centre (ideally on Downing Street) to give the downtown a critical mass to bolster the skyline and make it suitably impressive.

Yeah, we really need to get started on that. If not, Sackville will surpass us in the skyscraper department soon!

[MonctonRad]

I believe all the excavation work for the foundation and underground parking garage for the Hilton Garden Inn is now complete.

Of course, the hole is now filled with water from all our recent rain.

[flyer99]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I believe all the excavation work for the foundation and underground parking garage for the Hilton Garden Inn is now complete.

Of course, the hole is now filled with water from all our recent rain.

There certainly is lots of downtown construction activity in Moncton this summer. May I ask about a couple of things:

(1) With all of the discussion around the parking issue re Blue Cross, what will this eventually hold for parking for the Library. We don't even go there as we can never find parking. There was talk about moving it to the old Moncton High School but that idea never flew, I guess.

(2) Would anyone know if construction will begin this year on the proposed apartment complex at the corner of Victoria and Archibald (facing Victoria)? I live near there and have yet to see any activity. It's a shame that the developers didn't purchased the couple of houses on the corner. That would have made a very large lot with a nicer footprint for a building.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by flyer99

There certainly is lots of downtown construction activity in Moncton this summer. May I ask about a couple of things:

(1) With all of the discussion around the parking issue re Blue Cross, what will this eventually hold for parking for the Library. We don't even go there as we can never find parking. There was talk about moving it to the old Moncton High School but that idea never flew, I guess.

(2) Would anyone know if construction will begin this year on the proposed apartment complex at the corner of Victoria and Archibald (facing Victoria)? I live near there and have yet to see any activity. It's a shame that the developers didn't purchased the couple of houses on the corner. That would have made a very large lot with a nicer footprint for a building.

I recall ML Rentals saying they were going to start construction "in the summer." There was also an issue with contamination from a leaking oil tank in 2010 & CN asking the developer to provide a noise study. It is a great location and the product looks nice. Lets hope it gets done.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by flyer99

(1) With all of the discussion around the parking issue re Blue Cross, what will this eventually hold for parking for the Library. We don't even go there as we can never find parking. There was talk about moving it to the old Moncton High School but that idea never flew, I guess.

(2) Would anyone know if construction will begin this year on the proposed apartment complex at the corner of Victoria and Archibald (facing Victoria)? I live near there and have yet to see any activity. It's a shame that the developers didn't purchased the couple of houses on the corner. That would have made a very large lot with a nicer footprint for a building.

(1) - There was a lot of resistance on the part of library staff to the concept of moving the library to the old MHS. Some people also thought that the library belonged at the heart of the downtown core. These are the main reasons why this plan was kiboshed.

It is entirely possible that at some point, the library will still move out of the Blue Cross Centre. There is a lot of potential leasable space in the building where the library is currently located, and Slate could easily find an alternate use, especially an expansion of the Blue Cross offices (and I've heard that Blue Cross would like additional space).

What the city would like to see is a new building on the west side of Downing Street incorporating both a new city library, and a relocated farmers market. This would be part of a much larger (and expensive) project, including phase 2 of the Downing Street redevelopment, a parking structure and (hopefully) a high-rise apartment/condo structure. There are a lot of ducks to get in a row over this one, and I don't imagine seeing any activity regarding this for at least several years.

(2) - This project has received all city approvals AFAIK, and could proceed almost any time. jonny golden is quite right about the CNR request for a noise study. The possibility of oil contamination I have not heard of, but I will accept his word on it. Another issue might simply be that contractors and tradespeople might not be currently available given the amount of work going on around the city right now. There are other projects around town that have yet to break ground, like the IHOP and the rumoured Milestone's restaurant. I suppose high demand for tradespeople is a good problem to have (if true).

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

(1) - There was a lot of resistance on the part of library staff to the concept of moving the library to the old MHS. Some people also thought that the library belonged at the heart of the downtown core. These are the main reasons why this plan was kiboshed.

It is entirely possible that at some point, the library will still move out of the Blue Cross Centre. There is a lot of potential leasable space in the building where the library is currently located, and Slate could easily find an alternate use, especially an expansion of the Blue Cross offices (and I've heard that Blue Cross would like additional space).

What the city would like to see is a new building on the west side of Downing Street incorporating both a new city library, and a relocated farmers market. This would be part of a much larger (and expensive) project, including phase 2 of the Downing Street redevelopment, a parking structure and (hopefully) a high-rise apartment/condo structure. There are a lot of ducks to get in a row over this one, and I don't imagine seeing any activity regarding this for at least several years.

(2) - This project has received all city approvals AFAIK, and could proceed almost any time. jonny golden is quite right about the CNR request for a noise study. The possibility of oil contamination I have not heard of, but I will accept his word on it. Another issue might simply be that contractors and tradespeople might not be currently available given the amount of work going on around the city right now. There are other projects around town that have yet to break ground, like the IHOP and the rumoured Milestone's restaurant. I suppose high demand for tradespeople is a good problem to have (if true).

Quote from a January 2019 story:
"the two lots facing Victoria Street are flagged in the land gazette because they were contaminated by a leaking oil tank in 2010. While a Record of Site Condition confirms the contaminated soil and groundwater was remediated to appropriate and approved residential standards, the report noted that there could still be a chance that contamination can be encountered during excavation because some of it was under the concrete floor."

The most recent info I saw on this project is that the next thing required was to get the building permit. It would be great to see this project completed. ML Rentals Ltd. already has 100 rental units, so it should come together.