[Moncton] Downtown Developments - Page 235

jonny golden · #**4681** Posted **Apr 28, 2020, 1:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonDowntown

This made me ecstatic as well!!!

I drove downtown to see it first hand last night. Looks like high-quality glazing with a style fitting for this heritage property.

Have they stopped the window installation on this building? I haven't seen any activity lately.

MonctonRad · #**4682** Posted **Apr 28, 2020, 2:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny golden

Have they stopped the window installation on this building? I haven't seen any activity lately.

I've noticed this too. Things may have slowed down. I know for a fact that each window size is unique (due to the age of the building), and this would complicate installation. Maybe there is a delay in custom construction and/or delivery.

jonny golden · #**4683** Posted **Apr 28, 2020, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I've noticed this too. Things may have slowed down. I know for a fact that each window size is unique (due to the age of the building), and this would complicate installation. Maybe there is a delay in custom construction and/or delivery.

I did read where the window sizes weren't uniform. I'm sure they'll get back to it when they can. In the big picture, it'll be great when these upper floors are occupied. Be it residential or commercial, overall it will be a big help to the downtown. I'm glad somebody has finally decided to develop the building.

Photo1 · #**4684** Posted **Apr 28, 2020, 8:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackYear

Westmorland Street

Holy cow...worked in that building a long time ago (not at that dive Cosmo)...weird to see it gone. Drove by the other day very strange.

Surprised they didn't take the front of the building too, anyone know the reasoning behind that?

David_99 · #**4685** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 12:05 PM**

New Codiac RCMP building opening pushed to 2023

Initial work at the site of a new multimillion dollar RCMP station in Moncton will start this spring, although the expected opening of the building has been pushed back a number of months, into 2023.

Previous estimates pegged the cost at about $46 million, making it one of the region's largest publicly funded construction projects since the Avenir Centre.

Now, construction is expected to wrap up by the end of 2022 with police fully occupying the building in early spring 2023.

Source: CBC News

mylesmalley · #**4686** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 1:26 PM**

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that that is a bold and inspiring design and certainly good value for $46 million.

MonctonRad · #**4687** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 1:42 PM**

I agree. A fine looking building. My only quibble is that in some ways I wish it had been placed more to the back end of the lot, overlooking Vaughan Harvey Blvd. This would have increased the visibility of this building to passing traffic. As it stands now, with that portion of Vaughan Harvey still in an excavated "trench" after it passes under the CNR right-of-way, I imagine this building will be completely invisible.

On a side note, looking at the site plan, it appears they are planning a walkway connecting the parking lot with the sidewalk on Vaughan Harvey. I'm surprised about this. I would have thought the parking lot would have been secured behind a fence of some form.

MonctonRad · #**4688** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:01 PM**

Here's another perspective from that CBC article:

The article refers to this building being two storey, but there is obviously a three storey atrium in the main entrance lobby.

The work being done on the site this year will be limited to site preparation (including foundation removal) and soil remediation. Actual construction will begin in 2021.

Photo1 · #**4689** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Here's another perspective from that CBC article:

The article refers to this building being two storey, but there is obviously a three storey atrium in the main entrance lobby.

The work being done on the site this year will be limited to site preparation (including foundation removal) and soil remediation. Actual construction will begin in 2021.

I honestly think it's ugly...

MonctonRad · #**4690** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photo1

I honestly think it's ugly...

It's modernist, functional and austere. Given the fact that it is an RCMP building, I imagine it was meant to be austere. We don't yet know what the type of cladding will be, or the colour. The end product might be more to your taste,

Photo1 · #**4691** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

It's modernist, functional and austere. Given the fact that it is an RCMP building, I imagine it was meant to be austere. We don't yet know what the type of cladding will be, or the colour. The end product might be more to your taste,

Perhaps, most modern architecture doesn't appeal to me. Let's build a box, slap a few doors and windows on it and be done.

We'll see, but even the old building had more character.

NBNYer · #**4692** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that that is a bold and inspiring design and certainly good value for $46 million.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I agree. A fine looking building.

I get the impression that Myles was being facetious. How does this extremely bland, 2-story box cost $46M?

Yet another suburban building, literally surrounded by surface parking, within our downtown. A bit disappointing.

I still think the best location would have been at the corner of King and Main with underground parking and some surface parking behind the building.

Photo1 · #**4693** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 2:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBNYer

I get the impression that Myles was being facetious. How does this extremely bland, 2-story box cost $46M?

Agreed...shoe box with windows...

MonctonRad · #**4694** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 3:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBNYer

I get the impression that Myles was being facetious. How does this extremely bland, 2-story box cost $46M?

I must admit that after I typed my response, I started to have second thoughts, and, in retrospect, I think that Myles might have been being facetious too, but it can be so hard to tell on a text driven medium like the SSP forum. maybe he could clarify for us.........

If you look on the website of the architect (https://www.rebanks.ca), you can see that this is pretty par for the course. Their specialty is police architecture, and as I said in my initial response, what they are aiming for is "austere functionality". This is after all a police headquarters building. Functionality trumps everything else. The building has to be secure (hence relatively windowless and with only a few tightly controlled entrances), and certain of it's functions (like a secure garage for prisoner transport, police holding cells, interrogation rooms etc) probably drives what the final design will look like.

Tweaks of course could be made, and as I mentioned, I am disappointed by the siting of the building on the lot, but as an example of "police architecture", I don't think its too bad..........

jonny golden · #**4695** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 3:48 PM**

I'm not sure if it's possible, but I wonder if they could have positioned the building closer to Vaughan Harvey with a north/south orientation. Then have the fenced in parking lot at the back. Not sure if this would work given the lot measurements, but I think it would be a better looking addition to the area. Which I'm sure wasn't a priority when the planned the building!!

mylesmalley · #**4696** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 4:03 PM**

If it had a softball field, you could easily mistake it for an elementary school. I guess I was just hoping for something a little more distinctive given the price tag. I'm also a little let down that it's located on the back of the lot relative to Vaughan Harvey, which seems like a waste given that location's prominence when coming across the bridge. Maybe I'm way off here, but it doesn't seem massively bigger than the existing building, which I thought was the whole reason for this project?

I don't pretend to know a thing about police logistics, or police stations for that matter. Could they not build on their current location?

MonctonRad · #**4697** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 4:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

If it had a softball field, you could easily mistake it for an elementary school.

I agree. It particularly reminds me of the architecture used by the francophone school district around the city. It also reminds me of the two YMCA buildings in the city too.

I think functionality breeds (or dictates) form. This limits what the architect can do..........

Taeolas · #**4698** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 5:22 PM**

Aesthetics aside, I wonder if the building location on the lot may be for security reasons. Both to make the building easier to secure, and to give them more of their own territory to control for prisoner and witness handling and what not.

mylesmalley · #**4699** Posted **Apr 29, 2020, 6:09 PM**

A shame to see even more community presence lost.

Photo1 · #**4700** Posted **Apr 30, 2020, 5:53 PM**

I understand the need for security and such with the station however adding yet another 'shoe box' with windows in a prime piece of real estate downtown is horrid planning on the city's part. Especially with the planned growth in that corridor in the near future.

I've said all along it should have been connected directly to the courthouse in the location of the old jail and went "up" instead of "out" in its design.

With a $46M price tag I was hoping for a structure with far more character in such a visible location.