[Saint John] Uptown Thread

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by JakeNB

Weird that they would wait until August to open. Summer is more than half over by then. But then, given the glacial pace of work on the stage, maybe their timing will be right on.

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if the whole project (boardwalk patios and plaza area) wasn't completely finished just in time for winter.

[DyAm00394]

An update was given at last night’s council meeting about the redevelopment of Market Slip.

- The private development at Fundy Quay has begun construction on the first building. Concrete foundation pours are ongoing.

- The skating rink is fully commissioned, adding the last components to get the space ready.

- The stage is in final commissioning, we’ll see this week and next week the installation of monitors on the sides of the stage. Also installing some cameras and lighting in the final phase of the stage construction. The washrooms inside the stage building are complete.

- Seating has been installed all throughout the area.

- Loyalist Rock has found a new home, a prominent spot next to the Harbour Passage.

- Tidal Steps are complete.

- One portion of the dock has already been installed, the other portions will be when they get some of the guides installed. The last bit should be coming in next couple of weeks.

- The rock pool and fountain is complete. Just lighting for the rock pool and fountain is left to be commissioned.

- Harbour Passage path painting, (painting it the red colour), will be taking place on Cranberry Trail in the 3rd week of June which will wrap around the Fundy Quay site.

- The last portion left to be complete is the promenade to the Hilton Hotel, which we should see in the next couple weeks.

- Regarding the patios re-opening. They are still working with the provincial fire marshal office on a solution. But as of right now, the fire alarm system and the sprinklers are both now active. Now all that remains is just some signing off and testing and the integrated systems testing.

[DyAm00394]

Posted this over on the Saint John Retail Thread. A picture of Lawtons new store inside Brunswick Square uptown.

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Status update of the new Lawtons Drugs inside Brunswick Square. Moved up to the 2nd floor, directly above their current location. Will be opening on June 24th, 2024.



(Photo is from Retail Talk & Share NB Facebook group).

[DyAm00394]

Thought I share this update on this thread too:

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Big News! The development is finally moving forward with construction.

An update was provided at tonight’s council meeting. City staff spoke and said that they are excited to say the development is moving forward and site preparation for construction will be beginning in the coming weeks.

The city has just issued street occupancy permits for the development. Later this week they will issue street excavation permits. The developer in the coming weeks will be removing the existing foundation walls and will prepare the site for the construction of the building.

Graphics of historic buildings will be added to the plywood fencing along King Street to enhance the visual appeal during construction.

[nwalbert]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Thought I share this update on this thread too:

Wow! This really is BIG news. Very happy to see this development moving forward and I have no doubt it will be well worth the wait.

Between this and Funny Quay I am sure it will garner some attention in the development community and drive some additional projects to get kick started.

[sailor734]

Any further news on Brunswick Square? There was a rumour going around town a couple of weeks ago that it had been sold.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by nwalbert

Wow! This really is BIG news. Very happy to see this development moving forward and I have no doubt it will be well worth the wait.

Between this and Funny Quay I am sure it will garner some attention in the development community and drive some additional projects to get kick started.

Will it, or will these two larger project consume enough of the available skilled trades that smaller projects have labour issues?

Not suggesting that will be the case but wondering.......just an honest question.

[WagesNotPizzaParties]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Will it, or will these two larger project consume enough of the available skilled trades that smaller projects have labour issues?

Not suggesting that will be the case but wondering.......just an honest question.

There is definately no real "labour shortage" in Saint John. This is BS that owners can come up with so they can cheap out and not meet deadlines.

I deal directly with job placement of tradespeople in Saint John, there is absolutely no shortage of tradespeople here. Hundreds of graduates from NBCC alone of people who want to get into the trades, and hundreds of them who graduate and can't find fair paying work.

The real problem is a shortage of WAGES in this city. I don't blame the young generation when they go to school for a year or two, just to come out making $1/hr over minimum wage and have to do hard manual labour for that money. Costco pays near $25/hr now starting out, why would anyone beat up their body and get treated most times poorly for significantly less money.

Sorry for the rant, but if greedy owners were paying a livable and honest wage, they would have a much easier time filling the demand. People want to work, they just won't do it for nothing.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by WagesNotPizzaParties

There is definately no real "labour shortage" in Saint John. This is BS that owners can come up with so they can cheap out and not meet deadlines.

I deal directly with job placement of tradespeople in Saint John, there is absolutely no shortage of tradespeople here. Hundreds of graduates from NBCC alone of people who want to get into the trades, and hundreds of them who graduate and can't find fair paying work.

The real problem is a shortage of WAGES in this city. I don't blame the young generation when they go to school for a year or two, just to come out making $1/hr over minimum wage and have to do hard manual labour for that money. Costco pays near $25/hr now starting out, why would anyone beat up their body and get treated most times poorly for significantly less money.

Sorry for the rant, but if greedy owners were paying a livable and honest wage, they would have a much easier time filling the demand. People want to work, they just won't do it for nothing.

Yeah I doubt skilled tradesmen are making a buck more than minimum wage. That's nonsensical.

[WagesNotPizzaParties]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Yeah I doubt skilled tradesmen are making a buck more than minimum wage. That's nonsensical.

I could name more than a dozen companies that hire for ~$1-2/hr over minimum wage directly out of a one year pre-employment course. This means a skilled tradesperson who spends an entire year in school just to get out and make ~$16/hr. This is a true reality and is why there appears to be a "skilled trades shortage".

The money obviously increases incrementally with years of experience and going back to school to write block, etc. It is just not enough for many people to pay the bills after being in-school for a year. This is why they are struggling with retention and getting people working in the trades. There is no other reason. If you pay the people, they will come.

I work very directly in the construction manpower industry here in Saint John and speaks with these people daily. This is a very true reality.

There is not a shortage of labour in this city, there is shortage of wages.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by WagesNotPizzaParties

I could name more than a dozen companies that hire for ~$1-2/hr over minimum wage directly out of a one year pre-employment course. This means a skilled tradesperson who spends an entire year in school just to get out and make ~$16/hr. This is a true reality and is why there appears to be a "skilled trades shortage".

The money obviously increases incrementally with years of experience and going back to school to write block, etc. It is just not enough for many people to pay the bills after being in-school for a year. This is why they are struggling with retention and getting people working in the trades. There is no other reason. If you pay the people, they will come.

I work very directly in the construction manpower industry here in Saint John and speaks with these people daily. This is a very true reality.

There is not a shortage of labour in this city, there is shortage of wages.

A one-year course is not a red seal carpenter, and is not exactly skilled labour.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

A one-year course is not a red seal carpenter, and is not exactly skilled labour.

No, but it's not exactly a "would you like fries with that" part time high school job either.

What's the 'living wage" these days in SJ? (it was $21.60 back in 2022 and we've had significant inflation since then)

[WagesNotPizzaParties]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

A one-year course is not a red seal carpenter, and is not exactly skilled labour.

Wow, what an out-of-touch thing to say. How do you expect to get red seal carpenters if there is no intake of new apprentices? Do you understand how many red seal tradespeople are about to retire?

[JakeNB]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

An update was given at last night’s council meeting about the redevelopment of Market Slip…

- Harbour Passage path painting, (painting it the red colour), will be taking place on Cranberry Trail in the 3rd week of June which will wrap around the Fundy Quay site.

It’s now the last week in June. Did the trail get painted last week?

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by JakeNB

It’s now the last week in June. Did the trail get painted last week?

Not yet, but the whole thing looks very close so I'm not too concerned. They were doing sound testing on the new stage equipment this week [issued an advisory for people that it might be loud], so clearly things are going through commissioning to open soon.

[JakeNB]

I wonder why the CAO would be specific as to painting during the third week in June and it not happening. Doesn’t help his credibility

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by WagesNotPizzaParties

Wow, what an out-of-touch thing to say. How do you expect to get red seal carpenters if there is no intake of new apprentices? Do you understand how many red seal tradespeople are about to retire?

I deal with trades all the time and they command a significantly higher price than minimum wage. What you say makes no sense. Who are the construction companies willing to sit idle because they want to pay McDonald's wages? Why is this phenomenon local to SJ?

[DyAm00394]

The mayor posted on social media an status update picture of Steepleview Apartments on the corner of Cliff Street and Waterloo Street.



Update: I see they have a website online now: https://www.steepleview.ca/

[adamuptownsj]

Some small infill happening.

142 Mecklenburg seems to be a SFH-- when was the last time someone built a freestanding SFH uptown, 2017?-- or maybe a small apartment building. https://imgur.com/a/PS83mSn

More interestingly, kitty-corner from Queen Square, 180 Sydney has a more substantial structure going up wall-to-wall with 182-188. A large home? Six-unit? Who knows. https://imgur.com/a/ZHQIJeT and https://imgur.com/a/2UJ2RU2

[sailor734]

MonctonRad posted some office vacancy numbers in the statistics thread. SJ is at 35%!

I guess I shouldn't be that shocked. Was in the Market over the noon hour today...very quiet. Then drove down King and past Market Square. The outdoor section of the boardwalk patios looked to be less than 30-40% full and the newly completed version of Loyalist Plaza was completely empty. I literally didn't see a single person in that expanse of stone pavers. Nobody strolling, nobody sitting on a wall or bench eating their lunch or reading a book....nothing.

Reading that 35% statistic and then looking around the uptown at noon hour makes me realize how much things have changed in the past 4-5 years.