The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by flwright

Nope. The final step of installing the metal cladding simply cannot occur because of the struts anchoring the scaffolding to the building. Also, the temperature-sensitive work (brick) is complete and no longer needs to be heated. The facade is otherwise complete what with the windows, brick and insulation (the major components of the project) being completely installed. Although it looks rough and unfinished, within 2-3 weeks that facade will be nearly complete.

While I am aware of the logistics of the construction, I do stand corrected if the wrap was removed as per a pre-determined schedule, I may have wrongly assumed it was due to the media attention given that the timing seemed a bit too coincidental.

And yes the ferris wheel is an embarrassment unless it's still a work in progress. However, if this was a first step toward turning the old Lantic Sugar site into a sort of Coney Island development, then I'd be 100% for it!

[Helladog]

Harbourfront Residences...



Credit: Helladog's Son

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by michael_d40

Updated to include a pic - haha.

At $2 a trip, better get rolling...we gotta get enough money together to start the Coast Guard project before frost starts in September!

[JHikka]

City is in the process of building a new sewage lift station at the bottom of Bridge Street and Spar Cove Road. For those of you who aren't down there often, it routinely smells like poo because that's one of the areas where raw sewage gets dumped into the river.

So this is all good, however; the lift station itself costs about 1.5 million to build, but could someone elaborate on why there's 800K in engineering fees?

[john_sj]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

City is in the process of building a new sewage lift station at the bottom of Bridge Street and Spar Cove Road. For those of you who aren't down there often, it routinely smells like poo because that's one of the areas where raw sewage gets dumped into the river.

So this is all good, however; the lift station itself costs about 1.5 million to build, but could someone elaborate on why there's 800K in engineering fees?

The pumping station had to be re-designed by ADI to cut costs. I believe the original price tag was $4million for construction of the first design.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by john_sj

The pumping station had to be re-designed by ADI to cut costs. I believe the original price tag was $4million for construction of the first design.

Oh Saint John, how I love you sometimes.

Firstly, it's below sea-level, in an area that repeatedly floods in the spring and fall due to freshids. They're actually pumping water out of the site as we speak, and we haven't had our freshid yet.

Secondly, they could have just as easily built a sewage treatment facility rather than pumping the water via lift station.

[nwalbert]

Looks like the Ferris Wheel has already been cleared out, I guess they realized it wasn't the best idea. I do think that it is a good spot for something along the same lines with a little more class.

[reddog794]

The Farris wheel is only down temporarily for paint job and touch up. Market square is looking at buying for a seasonal fixure.

It would be a cool addition for loyalist circle.

They're looking at bumper cars too, where though I'm not sure... Peppers patio? Lol

[ErickMontreal]

Sugar Refinery Property Being Looked At

It's all very hush hush at the moment but we're told a major customer is looking to bring new business to the port at Lower Cove or even the sugar refinery property.

Pat Riley of local 273 of the International Longshoremen's Association tells CHSJ News the specifics have to remain confidential for the time being.

Riley says if the sugar refinery property is used for industrial purposes, you don't have to worry about cleaning up the contamination which he estimates would cost something like 20 million dollars.

The Port Authority also finds itself under alot of pressure to allow more public access along the waterfront as part of its new land use plan. That concerns the International Longshoremen's Association because, according to Riley, land for port use is at a premium
________________________________________________________________________________

Best Buy Not Coming To Saint John



Electronics box retailer Best Buy won't be arriving in our city any time soon -- almost two years ago a company official told us the electronics retailer was looking at opening a store here by 2011.But a Best Buy spokesperson now tells CHSJ News there are no plans for a store or expansion of its Future Shop store here in the city.That follows long time electronics store Wacky Wheatly's closing stores here and in Fredericton due to declining sales and profits.

[nwalbert]

Interesting note on the Port as I just noticed this week that there was a significant shipment of cars on the waterfront when crossing the Harbour bridge. I cant ever remember seeing vehicles delivered to the port before, maybe that is the new business they are talking about.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by nwalbert

Interesting note on the Port as I just noticed this week that there was a significant shipment of cars on the waterfront when crossing the Harbour bridge. I cant ever remember seeing vehicles delivered to the port before, maybe that is the new business they are talking about.

We've had cars shipped here before.

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by GregHickman

We've had cars shipped here before.

Saint John was the major port of entry for all DiamlerChrysler cars in Atlantic Canada, not sure if that holds true anymore given that Mercedes sold off Chrysler, but it could be a major destination for at least one of the two still.

[ErickMontreal]

Port aims to land 600 jobs for city
Published Thursday April 28th, 2011
C1Reid Southwick
Telegraph-Journal

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Port Authority is involved in discussions with a private firm that could bring more than 600 new jobs to the city.

Saint John Port Authority's chief executive officer, speaks about the port's land use plan during a meeting with the Telegraph Journal's editorial board on Wednesday. Port officials said Wednesday they expected to confirm in the next six months whether the company would operate in the city. Reluctant to disclose too many details, the officials said the firm would ship in and out of the port, but the new jobs would be spread across the community.

This and another deal the port authority is pursuing could be game changers for the city, region and province, Stephen Campbell, the authority's chairman, told the Telegraph-Journal's editorial board.

"We are furiously engaged in two opportunities that are game changers that could bring in tonnage unseen since the '70s," he said.

Efforts to sign these deals are part of wider efforts to drum up business for the port.

The port authority has also doubled cruise ship business in the past four years and signed three new lines this year alone. Earlier this year, the port attracted investment from the federal and provincial governments for new equipment that would enable wharfs to accommodate larger cruise vessels.

As well, the authority signed a 40-year lease with American Iron and Metal for an expanded recycling facility, the first major lease the organization inked since a deal with Potash Corp. in the 1980s.

"We have to be looking at what are the other cargo opportunities that can put our facilities to work and create jobs in the port for our longshoremen, trucking support that's there, rail, and then to the broader community," said Jim Quinn, the authority's CEO and president.

Meanwhile, the port authority is mulling the future use of some of its major assets. For instance, officials are thinking about attracting a new tenant to Long Wharf, where Irving Oil had once planned to build a new headquarters before pulling out of the deal.

The authority plans to issue a request for proposals, asking private firms for expressions of interest in the wharf. The site is currently used as a secondary cruise ship berth and a lay down area for cargo.

Port officials want to identify other businesses that would make sense for the site, although they're holding off on issuing a formal request for proposals until they know whether the two big deals will go through. That's because the deals could have a "significant impact on how we reorganize our land assets," Campbell said.

Any new company interested in operating out of Long Wharf would have to live with some restrictions, Campbell warned. The wharf must continue to operate as a cruise ship berth, something that was achieved with the defunct Irving Oil deal, and there are limitations on the size of vessels it can accommodate because of the ocean depth.

And the wharf is surrounded by homes, hotels and other businesses, which means that its operations can't be so loud that they would disrupt the neighbours.

"To put a heavy industrial, large, noisy kind of facility on Long Wharf is unacceptable, and we get that," Campbell said. "Beyond that we're very open."

[nwalbert]

Wow, 600 jobs certainly would be a game changer. Lets hope that things work out.

[philster]

Good news for west side
Published Monday May 2nd, 2011
Business: Ontario developer has plans for piece of land at corner of Catherwood St. and Fairville Blvd.

SAINT JOHN - A prime piece of west side real estate could soon become the site of new retail shops and restaurants.
An Ontario developer is lining up tenants for a parcel of land, 1,150 square metres in size, on the corner of Catherwood Street and Fairville Boulevard, and plans to start construction by as early as the fall.

SmartCentres, the company behind the Wal-Mart, Winners, Old Navy and other retail outlets on McAllister Drive, has received "strong interest" from retailers and restaurants to move into the west side lot, said Sandra Kaiser, a senior vice-president.

"It's a relatively small site, but there is a great deal of interest in it," said Kaiser, whose company is carrying out the leasing and development work on behalf of Retrocom, a publicly traded firm that bought the site from the real estate company Counsel Corp.

"We have support from the city to proceed, so we're looking forward to getting in the ground in the fall."

The west side has seen some recent construction in the retail sector, with the new Canadian Tire, Sobeys and Lawtons Drugs. And for years, there have been rumours of a hotel, more restaurants and even a Wal-Mart outlet.

Councillor Peter McGuire said speculation tends to run wild around the tables of the local Tim Hortons. For as long as he's been a councillor, there's been talk about whether Wal-Mart would set up shop in the area.

City hall, McGuire said, fueled speculation when it rebuilt sections of Catherwood Street and Fairville Boulevard, making west siders think "something big" was coming.

"On the west side, people would like to see a Wal-Mart," he said. "The interesting thing about west siders is they have an aversion to driving east to shop. They don't want to cross the bridge."

But the land that SmartCentres plans to develop is far too small for the global retailer, Kaiser said, stamping out any chance for further speculation.

The company has applied to rezone the property to make way for the commercial development and one of its officials is expected to appear before common council for a public hearing on May 24.

The proposed zoning would relax liquor licence requirements, which means that restaurants could open up with a bar on one side that serves food, similar to what Boston Pizza, East Side Mario's and Swiss Chalet have in their stores, said Mark Reade, a senior city planner.

Pending zoning approvals, SmartCentres would secure tenants in the summer before firming up designs and starting construction. There may be one or more buildings, depending on the clients.

"We would probably be looking at some retail and some restaurants," Kaiser said. "We do have strong interest, so we're very encouraged."

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/1402605

[Fischbob]

Originally Posted by philster

good news for west side
published monday may 2nd, 2011
business: Ontario developer has plans for piece of land at corner of catherwood st. And fairville blvd.

(snip)

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/1402605

Interesting! I hope a case can be made here for something a bit more pragmatic than box retail alone: this is a prime parcel of land in close proximity to West SJ's transit hub, and would benefit from some density and a residential component in addition to commercial.

[ErickMontreal]

Sports Groups Are Enthusiastic About Potential Field House



The proposal for a new 20 million dollar field house at Exhibiton Park has sports teams in the area buzzing with excitement.Jean Keith with Fundy Soccer tells CHSJ News it would give teams a safe place to practice in the winter.She says right now they are limited because they can only have about 200 kids playing in gymnasiums due to a lack of facilities. The Exhibition Association is asking local teams to write their MPs to ask them to support the project.

http://country94news.blogspot.com/2011/05/sports-groups-are-enthusiastic-about.html
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Saint John Airport Working At Securing A Direct US Flight

The Saint John Airport is still keen to get a direct flight to the United States available to passengers. President Bernie LeBlanc tells CHSJ News he recently met with Porter Airlines and got a great response, but it can't happen at the moment.He says they are not at the point of making any decisions because they do not have any aircraft available and every airline is trying to get their service.In terms of a time frame, LeBlanc says Porter is getting new planes in December and April, so the airport will work to try and secure one of those for a US flight.

[ErickMontreal]

Make room for more flights
Travel: Saint John Airport estimates passenger growth of about 20 per cent over next five years

Published Friday May 6th, 2011
C1

SAINT JOHN - A graphic contained in the Saint John Airport's annual report for 2010 forecasts passenger growth of nearly 50,000 souls by 2015.

Bernie LeBlanc, president and CEO of the Saint John Airport, estimates passenger traffic will grow by about 20 per cent by 2015. To reach that goal, he says, the airport is working hard to provide new destinations or options for new airlines or service.

But if that's to happen, a number of factors will ultimately have fall in place, airport president and CEO Bernie LeBlanc said Thursday.

"Like any forecast or estimate, we'll have to do our best to achieve it," LeBlanc said of the forecast, which suggests passenger traffic will grow from 227,223 last year to 275,906 by 2015 (or 21 per cent).

"But there are three components to growing traffic," he added. "The first component is a strong economic base, the second component is a population that keeps on growing and the third aspect, where the airport and its partners can help, is by providing new destinations or options for new airlines or service."

LeBlanc said it's something they work on every day of the year.

Since WestJet announced it was withdrawing its summer service to the city this year after four years, he said, "the challenge is to have Air Canada provide the capacities to make up for WestJet. We have had discussions with them and, basically, they are closely monitoring the demand for their seats. And they will be adding a Toronto flight in June."

In addition to talking with all the airlines on an ongoing basis, he said, "we have partnered with key stakeholders like the City of Saint John, the mayor, Destination Marketing, Enterprise Saint John, the Saint John Board of Trade and approached an air carrier to sell Saint John as a destination.

"The other thing we have done related to that is we have entered into a contract with a company called Sixel Consulting of Portland, Oregon, which specializes in air services and air service development. They're working with us to help identify air service opportunities and they will work with us to make those a reality."

LeBlanc said efforts to attract Porter Airlines to Saint John are continuing.

The problem now, he said, is all Porter aircraft are deployed elsewhere.

"They will accepting new aircraft delivery in December and April 2012, so we are working with them to see if one of those aircraft could be providing service from Saint John."

LeBlanc said the seemingly optimistic five-year passenger forecast contained in the annual report released at the airport's annual business meeting resulted from work done by InterVistas, a Vancouver-based company, as part of work on the airport's master plan.

"They provided low-, high- and mid-level estimates," he said. "We are working at the mid-level estimates."

LeBlanc said the economy is what really drives passenger service.

In 2005, he said, the local airport had only 177,000 passengers, but in the peak years of 2008 and 2009, with major projects like Canaport LNG and the Point Lepreau refurbishment in play, that rose to a record 245,000 passengers.

In 2010, the number of passengers went up by 2.2 per cent to 227,223.

"We're quite happy with that," he said. "The good news is even after these projects went away we were able to maintain the high levels of traffic."

Sunwing vacation flights from Saint John to Cuba and Mexico saw a 56 per cent year-over-year increase, he said, and Air Canada also recorded an increase.

[homebody]

I know its not really Saint John. I took a drive out there and noticed that there are 2 more lots being cleared and foundations poured. One of which is right next to the old Lane Furniture store the other is across from the Co-Op. Any ideas as to whats going in out there?

[kwajo]

One of those - I think the one next to the old Lane location - is the new regional DFO building, I'm not sure what the other might be.