Official Fredericton, NB projects thread

[Blue Blazer]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Yeah I knew Brookside was closing. They're closed a week from today last I heard (14th).

I had thought they might keep Uptown open during the renos, but it looks like it'll be a clean break. Makes sense since they're not keeping the staff on (or at least that's what I heard when the deal was announced).

Personally, I'm hoping they'll reorient the entrance of the store and have it face FutureShop. They'd have more 'storefront' parking that way IMO which they'll probably need.

The only thing they wont have much of is parking at the new Target location. Parking will be super scarce

[Twinkies]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Yeah I knew Brookside was closing. They're closed a week from today last I heard (14th).

I had thought they might keep Uptown open during the renos, but it looks like it'll be a clean break. Makes sense since they're not keeping the staff on (or at least that's what I heard when the deal was announced).

Personally, I'm hoping they'll reorient the entrance of the store and have it face FutureShop. They'd have more 'storefront' parking that way IMO which they'll probably need.

They wont have more store front parking if the store front is on the side. Im sure the Royal bank or Rogers would never allow them to use there parking spots.

[Taeolas]

Where does Uptown Centre space end and Rogers/RBC space begin? Do they own that space outright or is it still the mall property. If it's mall property, Rogers/RBC may not have much say in the matter beyond maybe the immediate spots.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Where does Uptown Centre space end and Rogers/RBC space begin? Do they own that space outright or is it still the mall property. If it's mall property, Rogers/RBC may not have much say in the matter beyond maybe the immediate spots.

According to GeoNB it's all one property. But it looks like there are less spots in front of Roger/RBC and beside BP than there are in front of Zellers. Besides, having an entrance on that end of the building wouldn't make much sense anyways due to the traffic that goes by there to DQ/FS/BP/RBC/Rogers.

[KnoxfordGuy]

It's all part of the uptown center. From DQ to Sobey's.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Where does Uptown Centre space end and Rogers/RBC space begin? Do they own that space outright or is it still the mall property. If it's mall property, Rogers/RBC may not have much say in the matter beyond maybe the immediate spots.

It is all Uptown Centre...both mall and freestanding. Crombie (aka Sobey's) also owns the adjacent Propsect St Plaza (Shopper's/Rent-A-Center) as well

http://www.crombiereit.ca/PDF/factsheet_44.pdf

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by OliverD

According to GeoNB it's all one property. But it looks like there are less spots in front of Roger/RBC and beside BP than there are in front of Zellers. Besides, having an entrance on that end of the building wouldn't make much sense anyways due to the traffic that goes by there to DQ/FS/BP/RBC/Rogers.

I guess it just feels like there's more space between Zellers/BP and Rogers, (even accounting for BP/Rogers/RBC use), than there is between Zellers and Prospect Street. Or it just feels better organized, leading me to wish for the store face to be turned.

Now that I look at it, I guess it's just an illusion. Looking on Google Maps, There are roughly 250 slots across the front of Zellers currently, 200ish if you removed the ones closest to the road so you could have proper flow, while in the BP/RBC/Rogers lot, there are only 120ish at best, but possibly room for more with some reorganization.

Plus the loading docks are on that far corner. For some reason I never noticed them there; I thought they were back by the Good Life Fitness corner. Guess that will probably nix my idea unless they do a full building teardown and rebuild.

That all said though, moving the entrance wouldn't be that strange if they did do it; I've seen other Targets that don't directly face their main street, or are facing sideways (Look at the Target in Las Vegas at the South Maryland Parkway for example). And even here Future Shop was built sideways (out of necessity granted)

[Tridus]

Heard on CBC this morning that they're looking for new ownership for Knowledge Park. It's currently owned by Enterprise Fredericton, but that agency is being shut down due to federal & provincial funding cuts.

edit - Here's an article. Apparently Knowledge Park has $35 million in assets and $18 million in debts, and is profitable.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

I guess it just feels like there's more space between Zellers/BP and Rogers, (even accounting for BP/Rogers/RBC use), than there is between Zellers and Prospect Street. Or it just feels better organized, leading me to wish for the store face to be turned.

Now that I look at it, I guess it's just an illusion. Looking on Google Maps, There are roughly 250 slots across the front of Zellers currently, 200ish if you removed the ones closest to the road so you could have proper flow, while in the BP/RBC/Rogers lot, there are only 120ish at best, but possibly room for more with some reorganization.

Plus the loading docks are on that far corner. For some reason I never noticed them there; I thought they were back by the Good Life Fitness corner. Guess that will probably nix my idea unless they do a full building teardown and rebuild.

That all said though, moving the entrance wouldn't be that strange if they did do it; I've seen other Targets that don't directly face their main street, or are facing sideways (Look at the Target in Las Vegas at the South Maryland Parkway for example). And even here Future Shop was built sideways (out of necessity granted)

There will be renovations to the store but not sure to what extent. Every store due for conversion is different. For example several months ago I was at the airport. The Target people where there on their way to St John's. They had some blueprints out and where discussing the layout of the Corner Brook store. Heard them mention that the only real change to that store, other than cosmetic, was that the loading dock would have to be relocated. Who knows what they have in mind for the Uptown Centre location.

[Twinkies]

Originally Posted by Freddypop

There will be renovations to the store but not sure to what extent. Every store due for conversion is different. For example several months ago I was at the airport. The Target people where there on their way to St John's. They had some blueprints out and where discussing the layout of the Corner Brook store. Heard them mention that the only real change to that store, other than cosmetic, was that the loading dock would have to be relocated. Who knows what they have in mind for the Uptown Centre location.

That sounds like James Bond type stuff. Good work 00freddy!

[cl812]

Originally Posted by Freddypop

There will be renovations to the store but not sure to what extent. Every store due for conversion is different. For example several months ago I was at the airport. The Target people where there on their way to St John's. They had some blueprints out and where discussing the layout of the Corner Brook store. Heard them mention that the only real change to that store, other than cosmetic, was that the loading dock would have to be relocated. Who knows what they have in mind for the Uptown Centre location.

Iam assuming that there wont be much in terms of major renovations given the limitations of the current location, i.e., no room to expand and the limited parking issue. I would expect that a new store will be built in the relatively near future elsewhere.

[Blue Blazer]

Originally Posted by cl812

Iam assuming that there wont be much in terms of major renovations given the limitations of the current location, i.e., no room to expand and the limited parking issue. I would expect that a new store will be built in the relatively near future elsewhere.

A perfect place for it would be right by costco by the wetlands. If they beat Walmart to it that will be a win for Target

[Taeolas]

Smythe Street at old TCH Roundabout in the works.

A Fredericton councillor says the city is tired of waiting for the province to do something to alleviate the traffic pressure at the intersection of Prospect and Regent Streets, and is now ready to act on its own. Bruce Grandy says the city is planning a two-lane roundabout at the top of Smythe Street were it meets the old highway. He says they've been asking for an overpass, but decided to draw up plans for a two-lane roundabout instead.

That would certainly help to ease traffic; we need some connection between Bishop and Smythe ASAP. Not sure if a Roundabout will work, but if it will, all the better; probably cheaper to maintain than a bridge and cheaper to build.

If the Woodstock Road/Smythe Roundabout is built too, then both ends of Smythe will be Rounded.

[mylesmalley]

How can the city do that? Route 7 is a provincial highway...?

[Tridus]

" Grandy says provincial approval is need for the project."

Most likely they'll draw up plans, then go to the province and say "either do something or get out of the way."

[OliverD]

$2M for a roundabout seems high. I wonder what the cost of an overpass would be. They could even make it a simple one and get rid of the on ramp/off ramp for west bound traffic.

[OliverD]

The new Gibson-Neill school opened yesterday. Here's the CBC article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...opens-255.html

That's a great addition to the area.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by OliverD

$2M for a roundabout seems high. I wonder what the cost of an overpass would be. They could even make it a simple one and get rid of the on ramp/off ramp for west bound traffic.

I may be wrong, but I would expect a bridge would be more expensive both to build and to maintain. A roundabout is basically just road and curbs, so its maintenance and construction isn't really much different from any other road. But a bridge you have a lot more structural work and other factors involved to maintain it. Plus we'd need to raise Smythe street on either side of the bridge to get it over the highway. (Or lower the highway or Lower Smythe to go under the highway; in any case there will need to be a grade change made for a bridge which adds to the costs) But I'm sure there are actual experts around who know the breakdown better than I.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

I may be wrong, but I would expect a bridge would be more expensive both to build and to maintain. A roundabout is basically just road and curbs, so its maintenance and construction isn't really much different from any other road. But a bridge you have a lot more structural work and other factors involved to maintain it. Plus we'd need to raise Smythe street on either side of the bridge to get it over the highway. (Or lower the highway or Lower Smythe to go under the highway; in any case there will need to be a grade change made for a bridge which adds to the costs) But I'm sure there are actual experts around who know the breakdown better than I.

Yeah a bridge would undoubtedly be more expensive but I'm curious as to what the actual delta would be. A roundabout is not the best solution for that place. Route 8 is still fairly busy and most traffic moves at well above the 90 km/h limit. Fredericton already has so few fast-moving arterial routes and I'm not keen on having another one of them compromised by an intersection.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by OliverD

Yeah a bridge would undoubtedly be more expensive but I'm curious as to what the actual delta would be. A roundabout is not the best solution for that place. Route 8 is still fairly busy and most traffic moves at well above the 90 km/h limit. Fredericton already has so few fast-moving arterial routes and I'm not keen on having another one of them compromised by an intersection.

Maybe the city is giving the province an ultimatum basically?

"Put up a bridge or we're gonna f-up a 110kph highway."

*Edit to add*

I wonder now how long before someone decides that RingRoad @ 2NC is going to need a Roundabout too? They're already considering RingRoad @ Brookside. Hell, toss one in at RingRoad @ St Mary's too for good measure.