The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[Helladog]

There's a new subdivision off of a short street connected to near the end Woodhaven Drive in Millidgeville. Not to be confused with the new townhouses as seen from the playground at the end. The have a sign up and work is going on...on what seems to be semi-detached homes.

About the North End development from kwajo...was that the Dean's Hill project?

[michael_d40]

A group that i started on facebook Re: Restored train service in Saint John
Feel free to join

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=194383015704&ref=mf#/group.php?gid=194383015704&ref=mf

[SJNB]

Saw yesterday on the corner of Catherwood & Fairvale next to Burger King a sign for Motel 6. It seems they are looking for someone to purchase a franchise.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by SJNB

Saw yesterday on the corner of Catherwood & Fairvale next to Burger King a sign for Motel 6. It seems they are looking for someone to purchase a franchise.

Not Motel 6.... Studio 6... An extended stay hotel.

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

A group that i started on facebook Re: Restored train service in Saint John
Feel free to join

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=194383015704&ref=mf#/group.php?gid=194383015704&ref=mf

I was at the Faces of Fusion dinner last night and the speaker (William Draves) talked about how we could tie into the high speed train line proposed for the east coast of the states that is planned to stop in Portland but could be extended with the right efforts.

[Ottawa]

Originally Posted by PersonPlaceorThing

I was at the Faces of Fusion dinner last night and the speaker (William Draves) talked about how we could tie into the high speed train line proposed for the east coast of the states that is planned to stop in Portland but could be extended with the right efforts.

This is where the future lies. The political decision to keep the “Ocean” train and kill the “Atlantic” only pushed all the Maritime provinces that much farther away from central Canada. The Canadian federal government has rarely put it’s money where it should when it comes to keeping connections to Atlantic Canada. Believe me, I’ve come up against some very foul attitudes toward the east coast over the years. It wasn’t just Saint John that got dissed with that VIA Rail decision.

Somebody had their head in the sand if they thought that the northern NB milk route had any advantage over the much straighter, cost and time effective route to Saint John, Moncton and Halifax. 17 hours from Ottawa to Saint John is a joke when it’s probably an hour and a half straight flight time.

However, I do feel very optimistic about the future now that things are changing on the economic front.

Upgrading the rail route through Maine so that at least modern trains could have a chance of competing would have been the proper decision. But I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on passenger rail connections at this point. Calgary isn’t served by VIA Rail and they are arguably the fourth or fifth largest market in Canada and a big economic driver even now.

The future lies in trade and other connections to the south and to the rest of the world.

Where is the potash going? Where is the natural gas from Canaport going? Where is the market for the refined products from the current refinery and from the future Eider Rock? Where are the customers for the first, second and possibly third nuclear reactor? Where do the cruise ships and their passengers come from? In fact, where are the customers and the head offices for the majority of call centers in the city? Where do local people go on vacation? I don’t see any sizeable customer base in Canada for the current products made and transferred through Saint John. Just as in the past, the market is to the south and other parts of the globe. And now that some of that potential is finally being realized, there is a bright future for the city and the province if everybody can start behaving responsibly.

Although it would be nice to have a passenger rail option in the city, I don’t think it should be a priority right now. If there is any future for passenger rail, I agree that it should be hooking into the high speed rail network to the south. I don’t know what the “right efforts” would consist of though.

If somebody from Saint John wants to start a facebook petition, they should first start one to get a regional jet flight into Philadelphia. They are a huge hub airport with connections to the world. I have flown out of Ottawa many times to locations in the US and overseas and the first leg is almost always to Philly. BTW, I don’t work for the government and I have almost never flown through Toronto or any other Canadian airport when flying internationally. Canadian airports and airlines can’t compete when it comes to cost and scheduling.

rant complete....for now.

[michael_d40]

Another sign of times
Published Monday May 4th, 2009

New hotel coming to west Saint John is another indication of city's bright future


SAINT JOHN - On a lot behind the Burger King on the west side, a sign has been erected trumpeting a new Motel 6 hotel. The 83-room, four-storey building is the latest hotel to announce that it's coming to the Port City.

In recent years, the Amsterdam Inn in Quispamsis, Hampton Inn and the Best Western on the east side have opened. The Chateau Saint John is under construction and scheduled to open in August on Rockland Road.

With workers from Canaport LNG and Point Lepreau, and the pipeline filling many of the hotels in the city, more hotels are welcome news for businesses and travellers alike.

The new Motel 6 will bring the approximate number of hotel rooms in the city more than 1,700. After 20 years of no new hotel construction, the recent flurry of activity points to something other than tourists needing a place to lay their heads.

Byron Martin, regional director of franchise development with Toronto-based Realstar Hospitality, said investors tell him they have a pot of gold and ask where it should be put, lately he's been directing them to Saint John. Realstar did the groundwork for the Motel 6 and is currently negotiating with a number of potential franchisees.

"We believe that New Brunswick generally, and Saint John specifically, is an excellent investment opportunity for someone," Martin said.

Martin said ongoing and future projects show that Saint John and Atlantic Canada are bright spots in an otherwise gloomy economy.

"This is going to be a very stable market for a very long time and now it's a function of getting people to agree with you," Martin said.

Currently, the refurbishment at Point Lepreau, Canaport, the pipeline and the promise of a second refinery are the main factors putting a twinkle in the eyes of investors.

"It's not a flavour of the week," Martin said.

Saint John and the province, he said, have a bright future - brighter than many other parts of the country and the continent.

The Motel 6 will be located at the corner of Catherwood Street and Fairville Boulevard.

After years of retail development hopes being raised and dashed, the west side is quickly becoming a hotbed and stealing some of the thunder from the east side.

"We're excited," said Owen Boyle, president of the Saint John West Business Association.

"Everything is starting to take place and we're encouraged that others will follow," Boyle said.

Coun. Bill Farren agreed.

"We're starting to see development on the west side," Farren said.

The new Sobeys, the multi-million dollar renovation to Lancaster Mall and the Plaza Corp strip mall along the Golden Mile is spurring on a retail revival on the west side. Canadian Tire is also slated to build a new store, but Farren said he's still waiting for a firm date to be set when construction will begin.

At the end of May, Enterprise Saint John will host a forum for businesses currently located on the west side, potential businesses and residents.

"It's all created a buzz and things are starting to go on the boulevard," Farren said.

Another aspect that puts Saint John and the province high on Martin's list is the well-trained, well-educated, and largely bilingual workforce.

"You've got really smart people down there," Martin said. "A well-hidden fact, I think anyway."

Meanwhile, Tammy LeBlanc, general manager of the Hilton Saint John, said available rooms in the city grew by 14 per cent last year, but it drove the vacancy rate down slightly to just under 59 per cent.

Even though it drove down the numbers, LeBlanc said the new hotels are welcome.

"The development was stagnate for many years," LeBlanc said.

Mike Moore, the general manager of the Holiday Inn Express, said the new rooms took away from the already established hotels, but he said they grin and bear it because of the long-term benefit to the city.

"The more quality new rooms we have in the market, the more the city can sell itself," Moore said.

"It's the chicken and the egg thing," Moore said.

If you don't have the rooms available, you can't attract the business.

Hotel guests, LeBlanc said, pump some $240 million yearly into the city's economy.

Corporate travellers are keeping the lights burning at area hotels and the reason that more are being turned on.

But, LeBlanc said, it's not travelling salesmen passing through. The corporate guests are here because of the growing economic boom.

"They're coming here to particularly work on projects," LeBlanc said.

"We're seen as a hotel that is performing very well and we're one of the few in our region," LeBlanc said.

That region includes 20 Hilton properties - east of Toronto and includes the northern U.S. states.

"We are somewhat in a bubble because of all these projects," she said.

For Ottawa boy Martin, he fell in love with the province 20 years ago during a business trip and during another life. On the road, he pulled into Woodstock and called his wife using a clunky old cell bag phone - he'd found the place the couple should retire.

Plans, though, have changed.

"My wife had different ideas," Martin said, adding they still travel to Woodstock once or twice a year to drink in the beauty of the place and its people.

"New Brunswick in general, Saint John specifically, is the best kept secret in Canada."

While other cities large and small struggle in the midst of a crumbling economy, Saint John is holding its own and even thriving. The positives, Martin said, are all around.

"You should be walking around with your heads held high," Martin said

[PersonPlaceorThing]

I'm reluctant to draw too much hope for the future from the recent spurt of hotel/motel development. Previously in the Saint John area most of the hotel stock was built within a decade +/-.

I am optomistic, I just don't like to gauge optimism on building cycles.

That being said, I see several cranes down on long wharf - possibily IOL HQ related.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by PersonPlaceorThing

I'm reluctant to draw too much hope for the future from the recent spurt of hotel/motel development. Previously in the Saint John area most of the hotel stock was built within a decade +/-.

I am optomistic, I just don't like to gauge optimism on building cycles.

That being said, I see several cranes down on long wharf - possibily IOL HQ related.

Were you able to get a couple pics??

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

Were you able to get a couple pics??

[Joe]

Maybe those cranes were just taking down the setup for the 3 on 3 tournament.

[Wrightguy0]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

A group that i started on facebook Re: Restored train service in Saint John
Feel free to join

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=194383015704&ref=mf#/group.php?gid=194383015704&ref=mf

you know, if they do restore train service, I'd like to see them rebuild this union station http://website.nbm-mnb.ca/transition/db_images/1989-142-1.JPG, I'd like the older one, but harbour station makes that an impossible pipe dream

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Wrightguy0

you know, if they do restore train service, I'd like to see them rebuild this union station http://website.nbm-mnb.ca/transition/db_images/1989-142-1.JPG, I'd like the older one, but harbour station makes that an impossible pipe dream

Yeah, That Union Station was pretty nice. But even a stations like Moncton wouldnt be bad. Theres is pretty decent.

[Wrightguy0]

I don't think saint john should be like moncton, we should strive to be unique. After all what is a heritige minded city without it's heritage station? (or a replica if heritage station cannot be found)

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by Wrightguy0

I don't think saint john should be like moncton, we should strive to be unique. After all what is a heritige minded city without it's heritage station? (or a replica if heritage station cannot be found)

I suppose.. You do have a point. A replica would be a sweet idea.
Did YOU join my group yet?? If you do. Be sure to make your comments on the wall. All opinions count

[Wrightguy0]

I'm not on face book (sorry) but feel free to use my idea

[kwajo]

I was talking to someone from Hardman Group yesterday about the Coast Guard site and the basic status is that the land is still in the hands of the federal government who have been negotiating with the city on the land acquisition. Once that is completed (which they said was anticipated to be this year) the city will then sell them the land in phases for development. In the interim, they are apparently developing the branding and building plans and then will start accept offers and reservations on the commercial and residential space. Unfortunately they are still predicting at least a couple of years before anything is ready for occupancy.

[kwajo]

Re: Restorated train service. I would much rather see a new rail link to New England than I would a shortline link to the Via system. That way we could strengthen our transportation ties (already growing via new highways and the cruise industry) with the bigger markets of Portland, Boston and New York while making ourselves a prime distribution point for travel between the USA and the rest of Atlantic Canada. That's where Saint John's opportunity for success lies, to the South, not to the East and West which have both been kicking us down for a century or more.

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by kwajo

Re: Restorated train service. I would much rather see a new rail link to New England than I would a shortline link to the Via system. That way we could strengthen our transportation ties (already growing via new highways and the cruise industry) with the bigger markets of Portland, Boston and New York while making ourselves a prime distribution point for travel between the USA and the rest of Atlantic Canada. That's where Saint John's opportunity for success lies, to the South, not to the East and West which have both been kicking us down for a century or more.

I posted this response on the facebook group, but for those of you who havent joined the cause yet, I received this email from councilor Bill Farren today.


"Hello Brandon, I think this is a wonderful project. I have made two different motions on Council dealing with this exact same thing. It would save on the environment with commuters traveling to and from Saint John for work as well as many other things it can be used for. The trains are making a come back in Maine as well. I will be supporting this all the way. Thank you for bring this to my attention, Bill

Bill Farren Councillor,
The City of Saint John, Access to Trade Portfolio and second to the Transportation Portfolio

[PersonPlaceorThing]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I was talking to someone from Hardman Group yesterday about the Coast Guard site and the basic status is that the land is still in the hands of the federal government who have been negotiating with the city on the land acquisition. Once that is completed (which they said was anticipated to be this year) the city will then sell them the land in phases for development. In the interim, they are apparently developing the branding and building plans and then will start accept offers and reservations on the commercial and residential space. Unfortunately they are still predicting at least a couple of years before anything is ready for occupancy.

Have the adapted their plan that included an uptown campus of UNB?