Official Fredericton, NB projects thread - Page 178

Blue Blazer · #**3541** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 1:08 PM**

cj, I agree its been almost 3 years and no new development up.. I dont know what they are waiting for anyways.. Also I agree with the comment on how people rather watch a movie at home i do agree.. I do like being able to hit the pause button and go for a drink or a restroom break

Pugsley · #**3542** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 2:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Also...a Canada Day pic from Officers Square by me to add some colour to this site!

WOW, when the new hotel is finally built beside the CC this pic will have a nice URBAN look to it. Events in the square will have a nice background of taller buildings nestled around it! Very nice!

Pugsley · #**3543** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 2:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Also something cool. These two apartments are being built close to my place on Charlotte street! They are doing a great infill job because this was a empty lot, now there are two places built to go with the look of the century old buildings on Charlotte St! (The blue one on the right behind the huge tree and the one beside it)

WOW! These look great! It is nice to see that the developers are becomming more sensitive to the surrounding streetscapes when building in-fill projects. They remind me of the places you find in older US cities like Philadelphia or Boston...where NEW structures are designed to blend in seamlessly with the heritage stock! I hope these become the new benchmark for more projects in the downtown core as opposed to the suburban-style siding-clad boxes with cheap railings that have taken over spaces in the past!

OliverD · #**3544** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 2:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Blazer

cj, I agree its been almost 3 years and no new development up.. I dont know what they are waiting for anyways.. Also I agree with the comment on how people rather watch a movie at home i do agree.. I do like being able to hit the pause button and go for a drink or a restroom break

I don't think the demand for smaller retail stores is quite there yet. The 2NC Canadian Tire and Walmart never seem to be nearly as busy as their southside counterparts and I suspect opening other stores there could be quite risky.

Hopefully we will see the area grow organically over the next few years. It would be the perfect location for a TD branch since we don't have one on the northside, for example.

The population growth in Devon, Brookside West, West Hills, North Brook, etc, will also help.

Taeolas · #**3545** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 2:28 PM**

Bus service would help hugely there I think. Sure they "tried" running a route along there; but the route itself stopped running long before the stores closed, making it basically a peak hour only route and rough for bus riders to use to stop there after work for example. (I've constantly said that Freddy Transit's schedule makes no practical sense).

Getting the interchange built at 2NC so Brookside traffic can get into there easier will help as well. As is, people from the Brookside and the Eastern end of Freddy North almost have an easier time to get to the south side stores than to get to the 3 at 2NC.

A TD branch would be nice there, since there's no real banking options there. IIRC Northside doesn't have a Scotia Bank either so one going in there would work too.

Personally, I don't really think there's room for a proper cinema in front of those stores; especially with their listed pad-space plans. I wouldn't want to go under a 6 screen theatre, and 12 would be asking a lot but I'd rather shoot for the moon; or at least have the room to expand into it. That said, there's a road right beside Walmart that leads back a bit that would have lots of room for a big theatre and parking support for it.

OliverD · #**3546** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 4:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Personally, I don't really think there's room for a proper cinema in front of those stores; especially with their listed pad-space plans. I wouldn't want to go under a 6 screen theatre, and 12 would be asking a lot but I'd rather shoot for the moon; or at least have the room to expand into it. That said, there's a road right beside Walmart that leads back a bit that would have lots of room for a big theatre and parking support for it.

There's also ~185 acres of land for sale behind and beside Walmart, some of which is dirt cheap ($1000/acre). The rest is much more expensive ($23k/acre). Lots of room for development.

Blue Blazer · #**3547** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 4:43 PM**

Taeolas The northside does have a Scoitabank its in the Plaza on Main Street with Foodland

Taeolas · #**3548** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 4:59 PM**

Doh yes. I knew that. It seems to me there is another branch missing on the North Side but I can't remember which. Let's see..

RBC: Brookside Mall
Scotia: Foodland mall.
CIBC: Superstore Mall.
TD: Drive thru ATM outside shoppers.
BMO: on Main street.

Damn, I must have had a constant brain fart and never 'saw' the Scotiabank at Foodland even though I knew it was there.

OK Put a full TD branch at 2NC and we're all set.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OliverD

There's also ~185 acres of land for sale behind and beside Walmart, some of which is dirt cheap ($1000/acre). The rest is much more expensive ($23k/acre). Lots of room for development.

I think we're talking the same general area. And yes, tonnes of room for development there.

Blue Blazer · #**3549** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 6:00 PM**

Also a Credit Union on Hughes Street.

Yeah I didnt know there was a Foodland, last time i was there it was Price Chopper, I think ive only been on that grocery store 5 times.. Not a big fan of the smell in there

Taeolas · #**3550** Posted **Jul 27, 2012, 6:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Blazer

Also a Credit Union on Hughes Street.

Yeah I didnt know there was a Foodland, last time i was there it was Price Chopper, I think ive only been on that grocery store 5 times.. Not a big fan of the smell in there

Sobey's has been busy consolidating their sisterbrands lately. Which included rebranding Price Chopper to Foodland and similar changes. The changeover here only happened within the last year or so. (Google Street View still shows it as a Price Chopper). As for the store itself, it isn't too bad, but it's in desperate need of a gut and cleaning. An expansion is out given its target market, but strip it down to the rafters, give it a thorough cleaning and painting and tiling and it would be a really nice little store.

KnoxfordGuy · #**3551** Posted **Jul 28, 2012, 3:54 PM**

Does anyone know what the building going up at the hospital is?

Justin6463 · #**3552** Posted **Jul 28, 2012, 8:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Does anyone know what the building going up at the hospital is?

It's going to be apartments for families from out of town to stay in while somebody is admitted long term. Like a Ronald McDonald house.

Justin6463 · #**3553** Posted **Jul 28, 2012, 8:29 PM**

Speaking of Priestman St. Does anybody know what's going on by the apartments across from the school? Too small to be a apartment itself. Also no basement, I'm thinking drive through of some kind?

KnoxfordGuy · #**3554** Posted **Jul 30, 2012, 2:42 AM**

Any news on the historic building across from the Playhouse? Was it sold? Oh god, I hope it isn't taken down

What do you guys think it would be good for? I have no idea at this point lol

OliverD · #**3555** Posted **Jul 30, 2012, 3:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Any news on the historic building across from the Playhouse? Was it sold? Oh god, I hope it isn't taken down

What do you guys think it would be good for? I have no idea at this point lol

What are you talking about?

KnoxfordGuy · #**3556** Posted **Jul 30, 2012, 3:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OliverD

What are you talking about?

The brick building built in 1855. A court house wasnt it?

Taeolas · #**3557** Posted **Jul 30, 2012, 10:38 AM**

Still not understanding what building you're talking about. Around the Playhouse is the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, the Provincial Legislative Buildings and BiCentennial Place. None of them are likely to be taken down any time soon.

Oh wait, I see a small building next to the hotel. From Google Streetview you can see a NB Gov sign on it with "Public Safety" on it.

Freddypop · #**3558** Posted **Jul 30, 2012, 12:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

Any news on the historic building across from the Playhouse? Was it sold? Oh god, I hope it isn't taken down

What do you guys think it would be good for? I have no idea at this point lol

Haven't heard anything. It was up for an RFP and or similar earlier this year. Playhouse had expressed some public interest for future purposes but nothing ever happened. Would have thought the Crowne Plaza would have jumped at the prospect of adding adjacent land

Blue Blazer · #**3559** Posted **Jul 30, 2012, 4:24 PM**

any word when they are going to start digging for the Hampton inn. it says 2013 on the sign from the highway .. you would think they would want to get started on that right now, while the weather is nice

cj6286 · #**3560** Posted **Jul 31, 2012, 1:18 AM**

I checked out the Ashley Crescent development, and it's finally been paved. I wouldn't be surprised to see some more houses pop up before the first snowfall.