The Official PEI Project Thread

[MonctonRad]

Given the extraordinary lack of activity in the PEI thread, I felt (as a native Islander) that I should include this article from the Moncton Times & Transcript regarding an exciting new tourism development about to take place in Charlottetown. BTW, is there anyone prepared to take ownership of the PEI thread?



CHARLOTTETOWN - COWS, the company that brought Canadians Hannah Moontana, Cowches Corner and "udder stuff," is planning a multimillion-dollar tourist attraction next to the factory outlets at the North River causeway in Charlottetown.


COWS will construct a creamery that will house its production facilities that make the award-winning ice cream, cheese, and parody T-shirts.

The facility, modelled after Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Vermont, will also be a tourist attraction and will allow people to see the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts being made.

The U.S.-based Ben & Jerry's creamery receives more than one million visitors annually.

Lindsay Linkletter, manager of public relations with COWS, says it is an exciting time to be part of COWS.

"COWS started making ice cream back in 1983 in Cavendish. We were just young children then, gathered around the ice cream maker," said Linkletter, whose family started COWS .

"It is still an old, Island, family recipe dating back to the time of Anne of Green Gables. Now 25 years later, we have seven on-Island stores and four off-Island stores."

Funding from the federal and provincial governments will enable the company to break ground soon on the 32,000 square foot facility. It will open to the public next spring.

ACOA will invest $350,000 through a repayable loan.

In 2007, the provincial government announced it was providing an $8.1 million loan to help construct the COWS' headquarters. ACOA, Canada Lands and the city are also contributing to the construction of the facility.

COWS currently rents commercial space in the West Royalty Industrial Park. The new headquarters will be company-owned and will house the production of all goods under one roof.

New jobs will also be created as COWS expands its cheese production, opens a new COWS retail store in the creamery and begins tours of the new facility.

[Smevo]

I don't know if there's anyone that can take ownership of the thread. Once I get settled out west I can get back to checking the Guardian's main webpage(likely daily by that point). Outside of that, though, I can't do much for the thread.

[Helladog]

From June 6:

Deal on parking opens door to build hotel print this article
DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

It appears that Dyne Holdings might break ground soon on a new hotel in the downtown core of Charlottetown.
The City of Charlottetown completed agreements Thursday guaranteeing Dyne 175 parking spaces.
The company told The Guardian Wednesday that it couldn’t move forward with an 85-room hotel on top of the Confederation Court Mall until the city and Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) finalized plans for new parking spaces.
A spokesman with the city corporation said Thursday CADC is comfortable enough to move forward.
That could mean a new parking garage or adding on to one of the existing three garages.
However, the city won’t budge on those parking spaces until Dyne Holdings formally secures a foundation permit to build the hotel.
The agreements the city signed on Thursday, worth an estimated $35 million, include the new hotel, renovations to the Confederation Court Mall and a new office tower on Fitzroy Street that would connect to the Queen Street Parkade.
Council gave the OK to the new office building in late April.

August 22:

Wind farm gets infusion of cash
NANCY WILLIS
The Guardian

SOURIS — The East Point Wind Farm received a boost from the federal government's new ecoENERGY Initiative Thursday that could translate into as much as $9 million over the next 10 years for producing green power.
The grant is part of a $1.48-billion renewable power program aimed at increasing Canada’s supply of green energy from sources like wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar and ocean movement.
Mike Allen, MP for Tobique-Mactaquac, was at East Point to present the grant on behalf of the federal minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn. With him were provincial Energy
Minister George Webster and local MLA and Fisheries Minister Allan Campbell.
Allen said the East Point Wind Farm will receive one cent for every kilowatt generated over the next decade to a cap of $9 million.
“The 10 turbines at the East Point Farm have a total generating capacity of 30 megawatts which is enough green energy to meet more that seven per cent of the province’s electricity needs and that’s without a single kilogram of greenhouse gases,’’ he said.
Earlier in the day, Allen announced $2.8 million for the wind farm in Norway, P.E.I., where a project of nine megawatts is going up.
He acknowledged P.E.I.’s pioneer role in wind energy.
“We need these alternative forms of energy to bring competitive prices and wind will be that competitive price,’’ he said.
He cited Canada’s need to accelerate the time table, and said this ecoENERGY Initiative is providing a boost needed to reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. The grant money will be distributed to the wind farm in incrementals and can be used by the company for reinvestment or whatever it chooses.
Webster said the province is pleased with the ecoENERGY Initiative.
“We have had a great spirit of co-operation with the federal government in pioneering wind energy production over the last 10-15 years, and already P.E.I. is generating 18 per cent of its energy from renewable wind owned by the people of the Island.
“Now, we want to take that one step further and increase this development so our citizens can enjoy the economic benefits.’’

[MonctonRad]

Stratford plan towers over Charlottetown Harbour
Last Updated: Monday, November 3, 2008 | 9:34 AM AT
CBC News

The owner of a waterfront motel in Stratford, across the harbour from Charlottetown, is planning to build two eight-storey condominiums on the same site.

The buildings would be among the tallest on Prince Edward Island, the tallest being the 10-storey Prince Edward Hotel in Charlottetown.

Jacob Hiemstra, owner of the Southport Motel and a developer from Holland, will unveil a plan Tuesday for the buildings.

Stratford Mayor Kevin Jenkins is excited about the possibilities.

"We definitely want something distinctive; we want something high-quality on the waterfront. We're very, very sensitive as to the type of development that takes place," said Jenkins.

Jenkins said given what he seen so far, the condominiums will stimulate further high-quality development in the area. The town, he said, could contribute to the project by enhancing lighting and the area's streetscape.

The development meets with zoning regulations and planning guidelines, and so likely wouldn't require a public hearing. The plan is in the very early stages, said Jenkins, and no permit has been applied for yet.

Hiemstra is planning a private function to kick off the project Tuesday afternoon.

Here is a rendering



Website - http://www.stratfordtowers.ca

[mylesmalley]

That's an impressive proposal. I didn't think Stratford was all that big?

[Dmajackson]

That looks great!

Man do i need to get back to the Island some day...

[Architype]

That's a very nice looking project.

http://www.stratfordtowers.ca/images..._exterior4.jpg

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

That's an impressive proposal. I didn't think Stratford was all that big?

Stratford isn't big, probably no more than 8,000 people but it is one of Charlottetown's suburbs and therefore part of a census agglomeration of about 58,000 people.

For those of you unfamiliar with exactly where this development is going to go, it will be immediately to the west, at the base of the Hillsborough Bridge as you approach Charlottetown on the TCH from Wood Islands

[MonctonRad]

Tunnel among big plans for downtown Charlottetown

Last Updated: Friday, November 7, 2008
CBC News

A pedestrian tunnel connecting the Confederation Centre and the Confederation Court Mall is among the big plans for Charlottetown's downtown.

The $2-million cost of the tunnel would be shared with a developer who wants to build a hotel above the mall.

"We believe it's really important that the downtown is connected for 12 months of the year," Confederation Centre CEO David MacKenzie said.

"The accessibility for the centre and for the Confederation Court Mall would be very good for both important downtown organizations."

The news about the tunnel suggests that plans for the hotel are on again. Mall owner Homberg International, also the planned developer for the hotel, had put the proposal on hold over a parking space dispute with the city. CBC News has learned the provincial government has provided a $30-million loan for the project at an interest rate of four per cent.

Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee said he wasn't aware of the loan or plans for the 80-room hotel to go ahead.

[MonctonRad]

Province commits to creation of central museum
JIM DAY
The Guardian

The future site for showcasing the province’s past appears likely destined to be in the Charlottetown area.
Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram pledged Friday her government’s commitment to creating a centrally located provincial museum facility.
Further analysis will be done to peg the specific location, but the recommendation from a heritage report released Friday clearly seems to place the capital city as the prime candidate.
Bertram said the location would be centrally located in a place with the highest potential for visitors to the site.
“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the (upcoming) process,’’ she said when asked if the site will inevitably end up in the capital city.
Still, the crowd gathered inside the main theatre of Province House cheered Bertram’s promise to create a centrally located provincial museum facility.
The previous Conservative government was ready for construction of a provincial artifactory in Murray River but the Liberal election victory in late May 2007 brought those plans to an abrupt halt.
The proposed $4.9-million project to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.
But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.
Bertram hopes to see the museum open within “the next few years’’ but future analysis — and capital budget approval — is still needed to determine many factors for the promised facility. Among the unanswered questions is where will the museum be located, will it be housed in an existing building or will a new facility be constructed and what will be displayed in the facility.
Bertram says it is important for the government to undertake proper planning for a new facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of Islanders.
She also wants her government to support capital upgrades to the current seven provincial museums that dot the Island.
The $60,000 report, called Charting A Course, also calls for government to develop a strategy to guide future planning for heritage. Bertram says government will work immediately to create a strategy.
“Within one year, we will have a series of heritage priorities and specific action areas identified to address various heritage needs,’’ she said. “The strategy will recognize that heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar — heritage is a way of thinking about our Island community.’’
That philosophy sits well with Catherine Hennessey, a vocal advocate for the promotion and preservation of the Island’s heritage.
“I have a belief in a museum, but I have a deep belief that we can put a group of people together — a staff — that will help one end of this Island to the other interpreting and preserving our history,’’ she said following Friday’s announcement. “The call is out now for the community to support this wonderful first step.’’
More than 500 individuals and organizations came forward with their concerns and suggestions in helping the IRIS group prepare its report.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- Making more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation, notably the Heritage Places Protection Act. Proclaiming the Archaeology Act and developing regulations.
- Strengthening and clarifying the mandates regarding administration and provincial heritage resources.
- Giving more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process.
- Increasing support for community museums through the Community Museums Association.

[mylesmalley]

P.E.I. to build central museum
Last Updated: Friday, November 14, 2008 | 5:05 PM AT

CBC News
Some of the report's recommendations will be implemented over the longer term, said Bertram. (CBC)
Prince Edward Island will build a new provincial museum, Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram announced Friday.

During the May 2007 election campaign, the Liberals promised to give the idea of a central heritage museum serious consideration. Currently, the provincial museum operates seven sites across the province, but each has a narrow focus, such as fisheries, railways, agriculture and shipbuilding.

The decision to build a central museum came in response to a report the government commissioned on the idea, also released Friday.

Heritage on P.E.I. is lacking co-ordinated vision and planning, says the 143-page report. What is being presented is fragmented and weakly connected.

The report notes the current piecemeal approach excludes many subject areas such as natural history, Aboriginal heritage, women's history, archaeological sites, and Island customs, stories, and languages.

"Some of the areas covered in the report, such as greater involvement of the aboriginal community and investment in the Museum and Heritage Foundation sites, are already being addressed," said Bertram in a news release.

The report recommends the new facility be operational within five years.

"Other recommendations may be implemented over a longer term," said Bertram.

The study was prepared by the Iris Group of Stratford in association with A.L. Arbic Consulting of Nova Scotia.

[MonctonRad]

Major condo proposed for waterfront
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian



Above is a sketch of the proposed Charlottetown waterfront condominium and spa that would total 85,000 square feet. The proposed condominium, which if built would go behind Founder’s Hall, is being brought forward by a Newfoundland developer. Guardian graphic


A new, four-storey condominium complex and spa is being proposed for the Charlottetown waterfront.
The 85,000-square-foot complex, which includes two buildings, would tower next to Founder’s Hall at 4 Prince Street on the lot of land between Founder’s Hall and Lobster on the Wharf.
Paul Madden, a Newfoundland developer, is proposing the new development.
He’s well known in and around St. John’s for developments that include the Spa at the Monastery, The Narrows, and the purchase of the old Capital Theatre, which is being turned into a live performance space in the Newfoundland capital city. The purchase price alone for the theatre was $800,000.
Kim Devine, the councillor responsible for planning in Charlottetown, said the city is looking for input from Charlottetown residents before approving the development.
“Quite often people express opinions about the waterfront. Some like what’s down there, others don’t like what’s down there,’’ Devine said, in an interview.
“This is a really good opportunity to come out and let council know what they would like to see on their waterfront.’’
A public meeting on the new development will be held Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Rodd Charlottetown in the Georgian Room.
During a recent meeting, Charlottetown city council agreed to go to the public consultation phase for the development.
Rob Lantz, who also sits on the planning committee, said the Newfoundland developer had planned to go ahead with a bigger development that would have included a hotel.
But Lantz said the developer decided against the hotel, saying the hotel market in the city is already saturated.
The majority of the building will now be condominiums, with the spa located on the main floor. There would be semi-underground parking, four feet of which would be underground. The building would stand 50 feet high, making it taller than the neighbouring Founder’s Hall.
The land is owned by the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation.
The proposal has gone before planning board. It is expected to be brought to council for final approval in December, following this month’s public meeting.
Devine said the project is larger than what the official plan calls for. The plan calls for a building about 36,000 square feet. The proposal is more than twice that size.
Lantz said he doesn’t want to overcrowd the waterfront.
“And we’re getting there. At some point, it needs to stop.’’

Personal note - only on PEI would a four storey building be accused of towering over anything. Also, I find the statement about overcrowding the waterfront laughable as well, but it is certainly good to see new development coming on stream downtown.

[Wishblade]

Did anyone notice that NOBODY from PEI actually posts in this thread? lol

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

Did anyone notice that NOBODY from PEI actually posts in this thread? lol

MonctonRad is from PEI

[mylesmalley]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Province commits to creation of central museum
JIM DAY
The Guardian

The future site for showcasing the province’s past appears likely destined to be in the Charlottetown area.
Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram pledged Friday her government’s commitment to creating a centrally located provincial museum facility.
Further analysis will be done to peg the specific location, but the recommendation from a heritage report released Friday clearly seems to place the capital city as the prime candidate.
Bertram said the location would be centrally located in a place with the highest potential for visitors to the site.
“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the (upcoming) process,’’ she said when asked if the site will inevitably end up in the capital city.
Still, the crowd gathered inside the main theatre of Province House cheered Bertram’s promise to create a centrally located provincial museum facility.
The previous Conservative government was ready for construction of a provincial artifactory in Murray River but the Liberal election victory in late May 2007 brought those plans to an abrupt halt.
The proposed $4.9-million project to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.
But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.
Bertram hopes to see the museum open within “the next few years’’ but future analysis — and capital budget approval — is still needed to determine many factors for the promised facility. Among the unanswered questions is where will the museum be located, will it be housed in an existing building or will a new facility be constructed and what will be displayed in the facility.
Bertram says it is important for the government to undertake proper planning for a new facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of Islanders.
She also wants her government to support capital upgrades to the current seven provincial museums that dot the Island.
The $60,000 report, called Charting A Course, also calls for government to develop a strategy to guide future planning for heritage. Bertram says government will work immediately to create a strategy.
“Within one year, we will have a series of heritage priorities and specific action areas identified to address various heritage needs,’’ she said. “The strategy will recognize that heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar — heritage is a way of thinking about our Island community.’’
That philosophy sits well with Catherine Hennessey, a vocal advocate for the promotion and preservation of the Island’s heritage.
“I have a belief in a museum, but I have a deep belief that we can put a group of people together — a staff — that will help one end of this Island to the other interpreting and preserving our history,’’ she said following Friday’s announcement. “The call is out now for the community to support this wonderful first step.’’
More than 500 individuals and organizations came forward with their concerns and suggestions in helping the IRIS group prepare its report.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- Making more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation, notably the Heritage Places Protection Act. Proclaiming the Archaeology Act and developing regulations.
- Strengthening and clarifying the mandates regarding administration and provincial heritage resources.
- Giving more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process.
- Increasing support for community museums through the Community Museums Association.

Sorry MonctonRad. Didnt mean to double post

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by mylesmalley

Sorry MonctonRad. Didnt mean to double post

No apologies necessary. The building of a centralized provincial museum is an important milestone for the province and this required a bit of an exclamation point anyway!

BTW, glad to see you take some interest in the PEI thread. Since it seems that there are currently no resident Islanders on the forum, I guess it's up to us mainlanders to keep an eye on things.

Like Matt said, I'm from PEI but I haven't lived there since 1979. I feel like a mainlander now more than I do an Islander. That's kinda sad in some ways.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

No apologies necessary. The building of a centralized provincial museum is an important milestone for the province and this required a bit of an exclamation point anyway!

BTW, glad to see you take some interest in the PEI thread. Since it seems that there are currently no resident Islanders on the forum, I guess it's up to us mainlanders to keep an eye on things.

Like Matt said, I'm from PEI but I haven't lived there since 1979. I feel like a mainlander now more than I do an Islander. That's kinda sad in some ways.

That's Islander talk. No matter how long you live elsewhere you will still have the Island dialect.

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Major condo proposed for waterfront
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian



Above is a sketch of the proposed Charlottetown waterfront condominium and spa that would total 85,000 square feet. The proposed condominium, which if built would go behind Founder’s Hall, is being brought forward by a Newfoundland developer. Guardian graphic


A new, four-storey condominium complex and spa is being proposed for the Charlottetown waterfront.
The 85,000-square-foot complex, which includes two buildings, would tower next to Founder’s Hall at 4 Prince Street on the lot of land between Founder’s Hall and Lobster on the Wharf.
Paul Madden, a Newfoundland developer, is proposing the new development.
He’s well known in and around St. John’s for developments that include the Spa at the Monastery, The Narrows, and the purchase of the old Capital Theatre, which is being turned into a live performance space in the Newfoundland capital city. The purchase price alone for the theatre was $800,000.
Kim Devine, the councillor responsible for planning in Charlottetown, said the city is looking for input from Charlottetown residents before approving the development.
“Quite often people express opinions about the waterfront. Some like what’s down there, others don’t like what’s down there,’’ Devine said, in an interview.
“This is a really good opportunity to come out and let council know what they would like to see on their waterfront.’’
A public meeting on the new development will be held Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Rodd Charlottetown in the Georgian Room.
During a recent meeting, Charlottetown city council agreed to go to the public consultation phase for the development.
Rob Lantz, who also sits on the planning committee, said the Newfoundland developer had planned to go ahead with a bigger development that would have included a hotel.
But Lantz said the developer decided against the hotel, saying the hotel market in the city is already saturated.
The majority of the building will now be condominiums, with the spa located on the main floor. There would be semi-underground parking, four feet of which would be underground. The building would stand 50 feet high, making it taller than the neighbouring Founder’s Hall.
The land is owned by the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation.
The proposal has gone before planning board. It is expected to be brought to council for final approval in December, following this month’s public meeting.
Devine said the project is larger than what the official plan calls for. The plan calls for a building about 36,000 square feet. The proposal is more than twice that size.
Lantz said he doesn’t want to overcrowd the waterfront.
“And we’re getting there. At some point, it needs to stop.’’

Personal note - only on PEI would a four storey building be accused of towering over anything. Also, I find the statement about overcrowding the waterfront laughable as well, but it is certainly good to see new development coming on stream downtown.

The tower looks nice. Maybe with a coupld of new projects around the Island an islander might join the forums and hopefully take ownership of this thread.

[ErickMontreal]

Homberg plans to invest $45 million in downtown Charlottetown


Planned 10-story, 82 unit hotel facing Queen Street in Charlottetown as presented Thursday by Richard Homberg of Homberg Invest.

Last updated at 4:02 PM on 27/11/08
The Guardian

Homberg Invest is planning to spend $45 million in downtown Charlottetown on multiple properties and renovations.

The announcement was made in Charlottetown on Thursday at a press conference in the Confederation Centre. Richard Homberg of Homberg Invest told the assembled crowd that his company has already started to build an 8-story office tower on Fitzroy Street beside the former Playhouse/JR’s Place. It also plans to build a 10-story hotel connected to the Confederation Court Mall, on the Queen Street side.

Plans also include improving the exterior cladding of the National Bank tower that is part of the mall complex, improving the exterior of the former Holman’s façade on Grafton Street, creating an underground pedway between the mall and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

The plans also include renovations to the mall and a shift toward botique-style retail, said Homberg.

[MonctonRad]

OK.......let's get this straight.

Homberg plans to build:
(1) - A 10 storey hotel on the Queen St. side of Confederation Court Mall
(2) - An 8 storey office building at the corner of Fitzroy & University.
(3) - Renovate the existing 6 storey National Bank Tower on Kent St..
(4) - Renovate the facade of the former Holman's Building on Grafton St. (Very necessary)
(5) - Build a tunnel under Grafton St. to connect Confederation Court Mall directly to Confederation Centre.

Meanwhile, Paul Madden plans to build:
(6) - two four storey condos on the waterfront at the foot of Prince St. next to Founders Hall

Jacob Hiemstra plans to build:
(7) - two 8 storey condos on the Stratford side of the Hillsborough River next to the bridge.

(8) - The province plans to build a new centralized provincial museum somewhere in the city.

(9) - COWS is planning a new facility at the North River Causeway modelled after Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Vermont, which will also be a tourist attraction and will allow people to see the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts being made.

(10) - construction is ongoing at UPEI for new athletic facilities in preparation for the upcoming Canada Games.

This can't be considered a compilation thread as it isn't comprehensive (I'm sure) but Holy Crap!!!!!, I'm from the Island and I can state as a fact that I have never seen a line-up of proposed projects such as this!!! What's going on, don't these people realize that we are in the midst of a worldwide economic recession of epic proportions!!

[Dmajackson]

For a city of roughly 60'000 (?) people thats interesting. Maybe people want to get out of the big cities and retire on the island? Either that or Islanders are having a lot more children lately...