The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

I'd love to be able to get on a cruise ship in Saint John. Not need to go to New York or Miami. Maybe someday?

It might become a possibility. I know Halifax is looking at becoming a cruise ship boarding site.

[cdnguys]

The Load Star is reporting “significant leakage of business” to Saint John from Port of Halifax. This is in addition to the Melford International Container Terminal ($350,000,000) project expected to break ground on Canso Straight by October next year. I think it would have little impact on SJ because if Canso straight makes business sense you most likely going to go to Halifax anyhow. Four days ago an NBSR train left city with 410 TEUs on it - that’s a significant increase.

[Ottawa]

Here's 4 things that are making that happen:

200+ mile advantage to Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, and west over CPKC.

US Tier 1 railroad CSX direct interchange point at Mattawamkeag, ME. This is in the near future as the dilapidated and unused line since 2019 needs total refurb. CSX is working on it starting from Waterville, ME.

14,000 TEU capacity with current 300K TEU/yr capacity within days - maybe weeks at the outside.

800K TEU/yr capacity by end of 2024.

And here's two I can't stop wondering about:

Montreal has ~ 6000 TEU/vessel limit due to water depth

Has anybody else considered using NBSR to get those connections? It's only 150 km from Moncton to Saint John...

[adamuptownsj]

Council agenda from Monday mentions an NDA with commercial real estate company Brunswick Brokers.

[Ottawa]

Originally Posted by Ottawa

Here's 4 things that are making that happen:

200+ mile advantage to Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, and west over CPKC.

US Tier 1 railroad CSX direct interchange point at Mattawamkeag, ME. This is in the near future as the dilapidated and unused line since 2019 needs total refurb. CSX is working on it starting from Waterville, ME.

14,000 TEU capacity with current 300K TEU/yr capacity within days - maybe weeks at the outside.

800K TEU/yr capacity by end of 2024.

And here's two I can't stop wondering about:

Montreal has ~ 6000 TEU/vessel limit due to water depth

Has anybody else considered using NBSR to get those connections? It's only 150 km from Moncton to Saint John...

An update on CSX. They were delivering continuous welded rail to Mattawamkeag in January. They have moved that ahead significantly. That project might be complete and ready for single stack containers and assorted freight this summer.

For those who haven't seen this, here's a video of the actual train used to deliver approx 6 miles of CWR to Mattawamkeag. This train is moving at current track speed for the existing rail (approx. 10 mph)
https://youtu.be/qB8K8u3XbP0

[ColSJ]

Originally Posted by Ottawa

An update on CSX. They were delivering continuous welded rail to Mattawamkeag in January. They have moved that ahead significantly. That project might be complete and ready for single stack containers and assorted freight this summer.

For those who haven't seen this, here's a video of the actual train used to deliver approx 6 miles of CWR to Mattawamkeag. This train is moving at current track speed for the existing rail (approx. 10 mph)
https://youtu.be/qB8K8u3XbP0

Is there a map that shows where the lines run and who owns them?

[Ottawa]

Originally Posted by ColSJ

Is there a map that shows where the lines run and who owns them?

The best map I have found is the open railway map. It is open source so only contains what people have contributed, which is limited in some areas, but it is a little better than Google Earth Pro.

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/

I am pretty sure the orange line through Maine is the CSX mainline.

If somebody has something better, please add it.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by Ottawa

An update on CSX. They were delivering continuous welded rail to Mattawamkeag in January. They have moved that ahead significantly. That project might be complete and ready for single stack containers and assorted freight this summer.

For those who haven't seen this, here's a video of the actual train used to deliver approx 6 miles of CWR to Mattawamkeag. This train is moving at current track speed for the existing rail (approx. 10 mph)
https://youtu.be/qB8K8u3XbP0

Thank you for posting the rail videos . I came from a family of many railway employees and living on PEI THEthere are no rails. It was nce to see a train rolling down the track.

[Ottawa]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

Thank you for posting the rail videos . I came from a family of many railway employees and living on PEI THEthere are no rails. It was nce to see a train rolling down the track.

I think it would be great if they ran a train beside the car lanes on the Confederation Bridge. I don't even know if that's possible, but maybe someday.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by Ottawa

I think it would be great if they ran a train beside the car lanes on the Confederation Bridge. I don't even know if that's possible, but maybe someday.

All trcks from the Sackville area towards PEI have been removed. Only a walking trail, part of the Trans Canada trail remains.

[darkharbour]

Got this email in the UNB alumni news:

"Great momentum is building in our movement toward the Integrated Health Initiative, with a government commitment totalling $27.2 million toward the Health and Social Innovation Centre (HSIC). UNB’s Board of Governors has officially approved the building’s construction, and the project is currently out for tender. We are excited to see construction get underway, with the demolition of the Ward Chipman Library beginning in April."

https://unb.ca/integrated-health/building.html

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by Ottawa

I think it would be great if they ran a train beside the car lanes on the Confederation Bridge. I don't even know if that's possible, but maybe someday.

I am no engineer, at least not a civil one, but unfortunately I cannot imagine that this would be feasible.

[DyAm00394]

There is listing on the ConstructConnect upcoming project database that has been updated today, (April 4th 2023).

An addtion/alteration for a "Retail Stores, Condominiums" project valued at $48-million. Start date is October 2023.

"Retail Stores, Condominiums
Saint John, Saint John County, New Brunswick
ConstructConnect Project ID: 1004721772

Project Particulars
Stage: Design Development
Start Date: Oct 2023
Funding: Private
Value: $48,000,000
Work Type: Addition/Alteration
Building Type: RESIDENTIAL"

Source: https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/...ada/26234510-1665-4B6C-AB86-319CA0E60258

[DyAm00394]

The NB Museum has selected the architects for the new museum here in the city. Diamond Schmitt Architects will be designing and building the new facility. They are a firm headquartered in Toronto, that has a pretty impressive portfolio. https://dsai.ca/projects

"The Board of Directors of the New Brunswick Museum (NBM-MNB) is pleased to announce that we have selected Diamond Schmitt Architects to plan and design a New Brunswick Museum facility in Saint John, following a rigorous Request for Proposal process run by Colliers Project Leaders. The renowned Canadian architectural firm has been the recipient of numerous notable national and international awards for planning and design.

“We are very pleased to work with Diamond Schmitt towards the building of a revitalized New Brunswick Museum that brings 21st-century standards and quality to one of New Brunswick’s premier cultural institutions. We look forward to a time when the NBM can reach well beyond its Saint John home to support New Brunswick’s heritage everywhere in the province and well beyond,” said NBM Board chair Kathryn Hamer.

“This is a very important step in the quest to have a permanent new home for the New Brunswick Museum. I hope everyone will join me in congratulating the Board of the New Brunswick Museum on this important milestone. We look forward to many more important announcements in the months to come as the Board works towards a new provincial museum,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace.

“It is wonderful to see the NB Museum take another positive step forward towards its new home. Congratulations to the museum board, and all involved in the process in ensuring the future home of the NB Museum continues to take positive steps forward,” says Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long. As the MP, this proposal is, and will continue to be a high priority for my office,” adds MP Long.

The hiring of a design consultant is a key first step in seeing a revitalized New Brunswick Museum reopened to the public. The Board, staff, and the prime design consultant will now begin the initial work of site selection and preliminary design.

Finally, the Board of the New Brunswick Museum would like to extend its appreciation to staff and leadership from the Regional Development Corporation for their support throughout this process".

https://www.nbm-mnb.ca/the-new-brunswick...s-for-the-museums-revitalization-project

[darkharbour]

Great step, but I love how we’re celebrating the selection of an architect as some kind of amazing milestone when the new museum is probably 4-6 years away from opening even if everything goes smoothly.

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

There is listing on the ConstructConnect upcoming project database that has been updated today, (April 4th 2023).

An addtion/alteration for a "Retail Stores, Condominiums" project valued at $48-million. Start date is October 2023.



Source: https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/...ada/26234510-1665-4B6C-AB86-319CA0E60258

Addition/alteration is an intriguing part of this, at first I thought it was the East Point housing buildings, but those would be new builds not alterations. Am I forgetting something obvious with this one?

[britsy]

Really hope the new museum gets built uptown.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by britsy

Really hope the new museum gets built uptown.

It's likely going to be Douglas Avenue, incorporating the existing archive building.

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Addition/alteration is an intriguing part of this, at first I thought it was the East Point housing buildings, but those would be new builds not alterations. Am I forgetting something obvious with this one?

Could this potentially be the long awaited phase 2 of Harbourfront Condos on Water? Perhaps the rumored Brunswick Square conversion?

[ColSJ]

A small but significant update in its own way...

The first trucks have begun dumping fill into the second slip at the container terminal.