The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread - Page 320

kwajo · #**6381** Posted **Oct 31, 2011, 2:14 PM**

Yeah I don't see why anyone would find that to be a conflict of interest. Owning a Toyota dealership and a Nissan dealership isn't any different than an appliance store selling Whirlpool and Samsung at the same time - they're all just retail locations for a product manufacturer.

mylesmalley · #**6382** Posted **Oct 31, 2011, 3:17 PM**

The OEMs used to make a big deal of it. I expect when someone found a loophole and the sky didn't fall that they just gave in. That said, I don't know whether all OEMs are equally laissez-faire.

Steele Auto Group in Halifax, for example, sells these brands: Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Porsche, Ram, Subaru, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Obviously there's some overlap there, but still, you get my point.

flwright · #**6383** Posted **Nov 3, 2011, 11:39 AM**

I noticed driving down McAllister Drive yesterday a couple of Boart Longyear drill rigs on the site of the rumoured new Wal-mart Supercenter near Car Quest. It would appear that someone, if not Wal-mart, is serious about developing there and doing their due-diligence starting with geotechnical testing.

JHikka · #**6384** Posted **Nov 3, 2011, 6:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flwright

It would appear that someone, if not Wal-mart, is serious about developing there and doing their due-diligence starting with geotechnical testing.

I was under the impression Wal-Mart had already confirmed that they were moving to that property?

flwright · #**6385** Posted **Nov 4, 2011, 2:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregHickman

I was under the impression Wal-Mart had already confirmed that they were moving to that property?

I hadn't heard anything confirmed or official, but that is not to say that it hasn't been either!

Southpaw78 · #**6386** Posted **Nov 5, 2011, 1:33 PM**

New link to highway for Grand Bay-Westfield opened
Published Saturday November 5th, 2011
Transportation: $8.1- million road, named after original settler, Col. Henry Nase, will see town grow
B1
SANDRA DAVIS
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

GRAND BAY-WESTFIELD - A new $8.1-million road and ramps connecting Highway 7 with the hub of Grand Bay-Westfield is a "game changer" for the town, says its mayor, Grace Losier, who envisions both housing and businesses along the new, wide 2.3-kilometre stretch that is complete with sidewalks and bike lanes.
Enlarge Photo
Click to Enlarge
Click to Enlarge
Photo: Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal
Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier speaking during the official opening of Col. Nase Blvd.

Col. Nase Boulevard was officially opened on Friday as descendants of Henry Nase looked on.

Nase was the first United Empire Loyalist to settle in the parish of Westfield in 1783, an area called Mount Hope at that time.

He built a home in 1786, which still stands at 690 Nerepis Road, and has been occupied by several generations of his family.

One of them, Charlotte (Nase) Lohnes was there with her son and her sisters.

"It's wonderful," she said of the recognition and posthumous accolades her ancestor received on Friday.

"We were all born in the old house. I lived there 42 years and my son now owns it. It's never been moved or changed much."

In fact, it is a provincially designated heritage site, she said, while she and her sisters cut a piece of the ribbon that was clipped to officially open the road; they were planning to send it to some of the Nase family in Australia who couldn't make it to the event.

"They really and truly wanted to come," Lohnes said.

The tri-level agreement between the federal/provincial/and municipal governments opens up 440 acres of previously undeveloped land, creating new commercial property and opportunities for residential development, Losier said.

Four rest areas - or fitness stations, as Losier prefers to call them - are located along the route and it has been designed so that future watermain installation won't require existing asphalt to be dug up.

Hiking and cross-country skiing opportunities, available at nearby Blueberry Hill, part of the New Brunswick Nature Trust, will add to the opportunities for healthy-living, Losier said.

"We want to encourage families with young children," she said, adding that 44 per cent of the town's population is comprised of young families.

"We want to help that continue to grow."

There is also a possibility for the Comex bus system, operated by Saint John Transit, to service the new area in the future.

New Brunswick Southwest MP John Williamson said the new road will ease traffic congestion.

"This is not just a road," he said.

kwajo · #**6387** Posted **Nov 7, 2011, 12:57 PM**

This is way, way more fun to talk about than another highway interchange:

http://theacre.ca/theprojects/300-germain/

Fischbob · #**6388** Posted **Nov 7, 2011, 2:57 PM**

Where did this come from? Lower Germain? Wow!

Can we annex Lower Cove from the Port yet?

Ire Narissis · #**6389** Posted **Nov 7, 2011, 3:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Southpaw78

New link to highway for Grand Bay-Westfield opened
Published Saturday November 5th, 2011
Transportation: $8.1- million road, named after original settler, Col. Henry Nase, will see town grow
B1
SANDRA DAVIS
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

I suspect there will be a piece about this in the news tonight; when I passed through there this morning, Grace Losier was at the intersection being interviewed & filmed. Didn't see any badging to know who was doing the filming, though.

JHikka · #**6390** Posted **Nov 7, 2011, 6:06 PM**

300 Germain is a very, very interesting proposal to say the least. I would love to see this part of the south end developed. That far down Germain isn't as built up as the other, but this is near to Harbourfront Residences, so we'll see how it shapes up.

Has this been approved by council at or, or is it still in very early stages?

mylesmalley · #**6391** Posted **Nov 7, 2011, 10:54 PM**

Nice digs. That'd be a great addition no matter where it went!

someone123 · #**6392** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 12:01 AM**

Yeah, that looks pretty good.

One big problem I see with it is that it doesn't handle the hill very well. It's basically designed as if the slope weren't there and the result is a big blank wall. If you look at many older buildings in places like Saint John they have carefully adjusted doorway and window heights.

michael_d40 · #**6393** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 12:12 PM**

New Partner Will Be Needed To Develop Coast Guard Site

The Saint John Development Corporaton is looking for a new partner to develop the Coast Guard site down by Market Square.

The Hardman Group has decided to bow out in what is described by Charlie Swanton, who chairs the Saint John Development Corporation, as a mutual decision.

The Hardman Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding back in March of 2006 to see the site developed with a hotel, condos, retail and commercial space.

The first phase of the Coast Guard site was not acquired from the federal government until March of this year with the rest to be taken over next year.

According to the Hardman Group, a number of things have changed in the interim and you can't do much if you don't own the land.

Posted by CHSJ News at 5:20 AM

MonctonRad · #**6394** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 12:23 PM**

That's frustrating.

Anytime the government is involved in a project (such as selling land here), it automatically doubles or trebles the timeline. No wonder some developers lose interest or pull out of projects. The longer things take, the greater the risk that circumstances will change.....

kwajo · #**6395** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 1:16 PM**

I'm not too worried, someone else will take up the site, and this gives us a great opportunity to open the process back up and see what proposals roll in.

nwalbert · #**6396** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 1:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwajo

I'm not too worried, someone else will take up the site, and this gives us a great opportunity to open the process back up and see what proposals roll in.

Agreed, this is a prime location and the city is really booming right now. I imagine Hardman has significant plans for Halifax now that they are poised to take off.

nwalbert · #**6397** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 1:26 PM**

Apparently the new VW owners are going to be opening an Audi dealership as part of the new building.

GUB · #**6398** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 2:33 PM**

300 Germain looks great---would be nice to see something modern looking built. Here's hoping to that...

OliverD · #**6399** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 2:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwalbert

Apparently the new VW owners are going to be opening an Audi dealership as part of the new building.

Interesting. That would make Audi the first luxury marque to have more than one dealer in NB, and we still don't even have any Infiniti/Jaguar/Land Rover dealers.

kwajo · #**6400** Posted **Nov 8, 2011, 3:09 PM**

It doesn't surprise me that Audi is moving into the market, their sales numbers have been growing a lot in North America over the past few years and there are a ton of them around the city these days.