Further thoughts on the four different presentations for the downtown Moncton Events Centre:
Exp. Architects Inc.
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12126)
Overview of events centre from Main/Highfield intersection
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12125)
Looking towards mixed use part of the development on current parking lot.
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12124)
Looking down Highfield St extension. There would be limited vehicular access, and the very end of the street would be occupied by a semi permanent stage for outdoor concerts and events.
This is easily the most modest of the four proposals, and therefore the most affordable and as such likely would be the closest to what will actually be built. I like the design of the arena, but I don't think putting condo units in the arena building itself, facing Main St is very practical. I also am not sure about closing off the end of the Highfield St extension and turning it into a hemmed off plaza. It would instead be better to open up the development some more, so that it is more inclusive of the railway lands in some way. It's also important to form a linkage to the lands south of the rail line. This would help to spur on development in the south end of the downtown
Architects Four
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12101)
Overview of events centre as seen from Main/Highfield intersection. The arena itself is at the back end of the property with mixed retail/commercial in an attached building facing Main St. This proposal has a strong street presence.
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12103)
Looking north from the CN tracks. Arena in the foreground. There is an attached convention facility (on the left), along the southwest corner of the arena building. The architects envisage extending both Weldon and Highfield, creating a street that would encircle the arena building.
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12104)
Looking east from the Weldon/Main intersection. You can appreciate the strong street presence of the building on Main St. Also, in the distance you can see a large parking facility (and some apartments) on the other side of the CN tracks. I'm not sure how the parking structure is connected to the events centre, but a pedway would suffice. Again, you can see mixed use on the current Highfield square parking lot.
This is a very comprehensive proposal that leaves little else to be desired. It has it all. I really appreciate the street presence and, the inclusion of a convention centre and lots of commercial development should help with revenue streams to help finance the project. The commercial component of the building is so large that you might in fact even be able to lure the Bay into coming back!
Putting a street completely around the events centre helps to integrate it into the rest of downtown and would help to stimulate development behind the Terminal Plaza buildings. The parking on the south end of the CN tracks is a very strong feature of this proposal. I like this a lot.....
Nadeau, Soucy, Ellis
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12132)
This is easily the weakest of the four proposals as far as I am concerned. My biggest complaint is that I found it all rather confusing and it took me some time to get my bearings with this proposal. The arena does not stand out from the other buildings and I don't like all the curves and offset levels in the buildings. I'm not sure what the function of that big pedway is. I imagine that the architectural complexity of this development would mean that it would be prohibitively expensive. This proposal is a non starter IMHO.
Architecture 2000
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12150)
Overview showing the arena on the Highfield Square site, mixed use on the current parking lot, a public park to the south of the Terminal Plaza complex, the innovative transit hub on the south side of the CN line and interestingly, a redeveloped Aquillini block as well. I wonder if Raven Spanier has been talking to anybody in Vancouver!
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12108)
Looking south on Highfield. You can appreciate that Highfield will be extended across the CN tracks to provide access to the integrated transit hub. This would also help to integrate the south end of downtown to the rest of the core and help promote further development. The redeveloped Aquillini block is in the foreground.
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12113)
Looking west up Main St. It would certainly be hard to miss the arena!
![Smilie](images/smilies/smile.gif)
This proposal also has a strong street presence on Main.
![](http://www.moncton.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=12114)
Looking east up Main St. The facade of the arena is certainly eyecatching and iconic.
This is by far the most ambitious of all of the proposals, especially when you consider the integrated transit facility. This probably puts it out of reach for budgetary reasons, but you never know. Federal money won't be available for the arena but could be available for public transit projects. A strong commercial component (including the Aquillini block) would also bring in more monies. This proposal would do the most to transform the downtown, but in the end might be less practical than the Architects Four proposal. Still, if money were no object, this proposal would be my choice....