The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by PersonPlaceorThing

The Telegraph Journal reported today that the Abbey St. Andrew development could be "shovel ready" by the end of the month.

There was also mention in the TJ that Alcool NB Liquor is still looking to open a new store Uptown but are having problems finding a location. This is good news, because the PES location is a POS.

Work on the expansion of Market Square has started, I walked by at lunch and there were crews working on the foundation and demolishing the existing structures built on top of the 'pad' where the expansion is going.

And finally, I just got this in my email:

CADILLAC FAIRVIEW ANNOUNCES

$12 MILLION RENOVATION AT McALLISTER PLACE

Exciting renovation focuses on customer experience and supporting local Saint John economy

Saint John (N.B.) April 3, 2009— Customers will enjoy an even greater shopping experience at McAllister Place with today’s announcement by Cadillac Fairview that a $12 million renovation is in the works at the regional shopping centre. Construction will begin in May 2009 and is scheduled for completion in early 2010.

“McAllister Place is responding to the positive growth that has occurred in the greater Saint John area,” said Brian MacMullin, General Manager of McAllister Place. “Once completed, the revitalized shopping centre will offer our customers exceptional shopping choices with many first-to-market retailers, a premier service commitment and an enhanced level of comfort for the entire family.” Construction will be phased over approximately eight months and will be carried out in stages to minimize shopper inconvenience.

Features of the new McAllister Place will include:

Internal physical upgrades including new flooring and ceiling treatments;
Increased ceiling height with new lighting and sky lights;
New and renovated entrances;
Renovated washroom facilities;
Renovated food court with new seating areas and 35 per cent more seating capacity; and
Warmly-lit soft seating areas.

“This investment by Cadillac Fairview proves that the retail sector in Saint John is growing and thriving! These renovations are more good news for our city” said Imelda Gilman, President of the Saint John Board of Trade. “As a Board of Trade we are actively working with our retail members (and other stakeholders/organizations) to promote Saint John as a shopping destination. Cadillac Fairview’s initiative shows their commitment to further strengthen the retail sector in Saint John. Our city is bucking the national trend in retail sales and this is exemplified in the renovations McAllister Place is about to undertake.”

[kwajo]

More information on the Princess Street streetscape renewal:

Three blocks of Princess Street will be getting a facelift this summer as crews work to remove unsightly power poles
and lines and move wiring underground. Work on the project is set to commence April 27th with the installation of
temporary water supply to properties along the street. Preliminary work could begin the week before if weather
conditions are favorable. The hours that the crews will be working are Monday – Saturdays 7 am – 9 pm. The
project will take place in two stages, with work being completed on the lower two blocks running from Germain to
Prince William Street by mid July and the Germain to Charlotte being completed by September. Ornamental lights
along the street will be coming down for repairs and painting, but temporary dawn to dusk lighting will be in place for
the safety of pedestrians for the duration of construction. Hydro poles will need to stay in place until the entire
project is completed. Thru traffic will not be allowed and flaggers will be used at intersections that cross Princess
Street to guide traffic. When the construction needs to cross an intersection the disturbance should be minimal.
Detour signs will be used to help guide for visitors unfamiliar with the city to alternate routes. Foot traffic will still be
allowed on the streets and full efforts will be made to guide pedestrians through the construction zone safely. On
days where there is a cruise ship in town and there is a higher level of foot traffic, Commissionaires will be stationed
to take pedestrians through the construction area. Measures will be taken to reduce dust during construction.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by thebrad

Naked drive-thru customer causes double-double take at Tim Hortons


The Canadian Press

Workers at a Tim Hortons in New Brunswick did a double-double take after a drive-thru customer placed an order in the nude Thursday morning.

Police officers were called to the coffee shop in Saint John's North End after getting reports of a naked driver.

The women working at the drive-thu window said they were not impressed.

What kind of society do we live in when you can't drive around nude? Geez, damn prudes!

[Helladog]

Good to see things heating up for this construction season; the McAllister Place renos have been a long time coming; I had a feeling they had something in the works to let it go as long as it did.

So, this Spring we have:

• Harbourside Residences
  Abbey St. Andrew
  Market Square
  Cosco
  McAllister Place
  Peel Plaza
  Princess Street
  Harbour Passage

...any others...

Anyone know the scoop on the land xfer for the Coast Guard landÉ

[random11]

I checked the Hardman website tonight to see if I could dig up anything new on the Coast Guard site. The last "update" was December 5, 2005!! Lol. They do keep the site current however, as on-going projects materialize. For example, they have a link to the Market Square expansion but unfortunately, the link to the "expansion photo" (their name, not mine) is broke. I think it's still going to be a bit before we see movement on this. I was hoping with Weston as our MP and Harper in office it might move a little quicker but I guess Harper has other things on his mind these days

[random11]

I am wondering if anybody can take a pic of the new Saint John Transit Facility. It's coming along nicely these days and really beginning to take shape. Some new photos would be nice!

[random11]

Originally Posted by Helladog

Good to see things heating up for this construction season; the McAllister Place renos have been a long time coming; I had a feeling they had something in the works to let it go as long as it did.

So, this Spring we have:

• Harbourside Residences
  Abbey St. Andrew
  Market Square
  Cosco
  McAllister Place
  Peel Plaza
  Princess Street
  Harbour Passage

...any others...

Anyone know the scoop on the land xfer for the Coast Guard landÉ

We should add Chateau Saint John to this list as it is well underway (although it certainly didn't start this spring, haha). And maybe add the One Mile Interchange as well .. big project there just starting.

[random11]

SAINT JOHN - The church behind a mixed-income housing development in the south end hopes to break ground by the end of the month.

Backers hope to open the doors of the development in August. 2010. The Church of St. Andrew and St. David has been planning to build affordable housing units in the area for years and is now taking some final steps before it plunges shovels into the earth.

The Abbey St. Andrew is expected to provide 87 subsidized and market-based apartments and 10 townhouses on the corner of Charlotte and Duke streets.

The estimated $14-million development is anticipated to open its doors in August 2010.

"It's been a long and difficult journey, but we have persisted and have worked our way through the challenges and issues that have come before us, so it's quite incredible now that we can pull it off," said Peter Jollymore, chairman of Abbey St. Andrew.

"The prospect of getting a substantial, good-quality development in that part of the city is going to have a tremendously positive impact and we're quite cranked about it. It makes all that time, effort and frustration seem worthwhile."

The church has secured land-use approvals from the city, including an OK for about 60 parking spaces in an underground garage.

Still, project organizers have to cross several remaining hurdles before construction crews get to work - and they all revolve around money.

The church encountered some financial troubles in January when its lender, the TD Bank, could not guarantee an affordable interest rate on a mortgage beginning in the summer of 2010, the expected completion date of construction.

The church then went back to the drawing board and decided to increase the number of affordable units to 65 from 55. The move would decrease overall projects costs by about $300,000, because government provides a $30,000 grant for every subsidized unit, Jollymore said.

Project organizers are now waiting for NB Housing to approve the additional 10 units, the first major hurdle facing the development.

Organizers are also waiting for bids from private contractors to firm up final project costs. The church will take those costs to its bank to finalize terms and conditions of the loan, the final move before it can signal to construction crews they should get their shovels ready.

Jollymore said he hopes to have all this work complete by the third week of April.
"It's been a long struggle and it's taken a lot of work by a lot of different people, and it's going to be great when it starts to take on a physical reality," Jollymore said.

The church has asked common council to waive permit fees and fund the reconstruction of sidewalks adjacent to the project, moves Jollymore that said would demonstrate the city's commitment to affordable housing.

The church, he said, may have to increase rents, should the city not fulfill these two requests.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

I think the Google Street View car may be in town. I saw a car with what looked like their camera equipment travelling east on Union.

[kwajo]

Ugh I hope not, I mean could they have picked an uglier, dirtier time of year to photograph our city?

[Joe]

It was the google street view car, I was walking up King St. around 10 this morning. Not only a dirty time of year but not many people around either. To bad they couldn't of done it at noon.

[kirjtc2]

I want to see Google Street View in NB as much as anyone...but could they at least have waited a month?

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Originally Posted by Joe

It was the google street view car, I was walking up King St. around 10 this morning. Not only a dirty time of year but not many people around either. To bad they couldn't of done it at noon.

Hopefully the naked Tim Horton's guy doesn't get in the lane behind the car.

Too bad they didn't do this in a month or two when a few more things would be under construction. I wonder how much of the city will be included.

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by PersonPlaceorThing

Hopefully the naked Tim Horton's guy doesn't get in the lane behind the car.

[fundygal]

I wonder how much of the city will be included.

I have spent a lot of time playing with Google Earth- Street Level, mainly in New Zealand and the USA. Generally they do all main streets/roads and draw the line at country lanes and sub-divisions. This being said, I would expect that they will do all the uptown streets, but, for example, would do the Loch Lomond Rd. but maybe not the side streets. However I was able to find my uncle's home on a small side street in New Zealand, so it will be interesting to see what detail we get.

Just as a tip when navigating from one little gold camera icon to the next, give it time to load or you will get an error and shut down message. Hopefully by the time they bring Canada on-line, they will have that glitch repaired.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

A new restaurant is opening soon on Princess Street. The food is supposed to be local and organic. The TJ did an article yesterday: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/627718

Hopefully does well, but I'm concerned when I hear of first time restaurateurs starting up establishments - it's a tough business for even veterans.

[kirjtc2]

Originally Posted by fundygal

I have spent a lot of time playing with Google Earth- Street Level, mainly in New Zealand and the USA. Generally they do all main streets/roads and draw the line at country lanes and sub-divisions. This being said, I would expect that they will do all the uptown streets, but, for example, would do the Loch Lomond Rd. but maybe not the side streets. However I was able to find my uncle's home on a small side street in New Zealand, so it will be interesting to see what detail we get.

Usually they start with the main and inner-city streets and come back to get the rest later. If you want to see how extensive it's going to end up, look at Maine...they have all the streets in places like Bangor and Portland, but also all the main rural roads elsewhere.

And I'm willing to bet that once they get Saint John and Halifax finished, Fredericton and Moncton shouldn't be too far behind.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

Usually they start with the main and inner-city streets and come back to get the rest later. If you want to see how extensive it's going to end up, look at Maine...they have all the streets in places like Bangor and Portland, but also all the main rural roads elsewhere.

And I'm willing to bet that once they get Saint John and Halifax finished, Fredericton and Moncton shouldn't be too far behind.

If you want to know a piece of work, the entire city of Tokyo is mapped as well. I cant even imagine what that took to do

[thebrad]

Ottawa OKs Long Wharf deal
Published Friday April 10th, 2009


Development Government gives Irving Oil approval for 99-year lease
C1
SANDRA DAVIS
Telegraph-Journal


SAINT JOHN - A 99-year lease of Long Wharf to Irving Oil Ltd. has been approved by the federal government, paving the way for the company to build its $30-million world headquarters on the waterfront.

ENLARGE PHOTO


Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal
Saint John MP Rodney Weston says the approval for Irving Oil Ltd. to lease Long Wharf for 99 years means ‘it’s one step closer to ensuring there will be a $30-million investment in this community.’
Saint John MP Rodney Weston received word from Transport and Infrastructure Minister John Baird on Thursday.

"We've got it," Weston said Thursday afternoon.

"The federal approvals are in place for the Long Wharf project to proceed. This is huge. It's one step closer to ensuring there will be a $30-million investment in this community."

Securing the Long Wharf leasing deal was one of four election promises Weston made.

"I'm excited. This one's done," he said.

"I was pleased to be able to call the Irvings and tell them and I was pleased to be able to let (port board chairman) Stephen Campbell know."

The leasing arrangement is a crucial step in developing Long Wharf.

"This has been a hurdle," he said. "If anybody wanders through the bureaucracy, they know it's no small feat."

The deal would also see Irving Oil hand over the former Lantic Sugar site, which it has a tentative deal to buy from the city for $1.2 million, for a section of Long Wharf where its new headquarters would be built, while it leases the rest of the wharf for 99 years.

Weston declined to divulge any other lease details.

The MP said his pitch to the federal minister hinged on the fact that no federal dollars were needed.

"We have a private company looking to invest $30 million in our community and all we needed was to receive the federal approvals to proceed. It's an opportunity to put dollars into the economy that aren't generated by the government."

Weston said he was not provided with a project timeline but added that the Irvings are "anxious" to get going.

"From the federal end of it, this is us doing our part to make sure this project moves," Weston said.

"I said I was going to do something and I've been able to deliver on it."

Irving Oil has outgrown its office space on Union Street and wants to construct a new building to bring together about 1,000 employees in the uptown. At an open house in January the company announced it is looking at a phased development of the Long Wharf site, based on needs.

Plans revealed at that time showed a low-rise structure about four storeys high. If the business needs more space in the future, there is room on the Long Wharf site to put up another low rise beside it.

Phase one of the project would also include the development of a secondary cruise ship berth and infrastructure to support Saint John's cruise ship industry, such as a welcome area for passengers, bus parking and vendor space. There would also be new public spaces such as walkways, trails, green space and park bench areas.

The building has been designed with the natural landscape of Saint John in mind.

The proposal includes disguising the flatness of the wharf by bringing in enough earth to create some contour to the land and provide the ability to section off the wharf front for security reasons when it is used by cruise ships.

[Helladog]

Cindy Wilson / Telegraph Journal

In at least another month, the streets will be much cleaner and greener. Hopefully next time around, they wait until July.