The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[DevEngSJ]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Not sure what approvals are left for Crown/Leinster - already passed PAC and council. Based on design, I’m pretty sure it’s the same developer as the AQ tower - so maybe they want to get that one closer to completion before starting uptown.

Building Permit and Fire Marshal reviews can take time to work through...that one is 6-storey wood frame if I recall from PAC/Council Apps, which is relatively new for SJ/NB too...

It's a different developer than AQ Towers I believe, but same architect so designs may look similar...

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by DevEngSJ

Building Permit and Fire Marshal reviews can take time to work through...that one is 6-storey wood frame if I recall from PAC/Council Apps, which is relatively new for SJ/NB too...

It's a different developer than AQ Towers I believe, but same architect so designs may look similar...

There are now a bunch of 5-6 storey wood frame buildings in Fredericton, either occupied or under construction.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

Development activity update from January 2023 - October 2023. (From the upcoming Growth Committee Meeting).

Kind of depressing......not only behind Moncton but well below Dieppe too.


https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/dieppe-...construction%20record%20for%20the%20city.

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Kind of depressing......not only behind Moncton but well below Dieppe too.


https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/more/dieppe-...construction%20record%20for%20the%20city.

$150m museum will be a big boost plus schools

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

$150m museum will be a big boost plus schools

Plus as I mentioned in the uptown thread we have 3 substantial projects starting in November (Fundy Quay, Steepleview, Barrack Green) so the year end update should look much healthier.

[darkharbour]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Plus as I mentioned in the uptown thread we have 3 substantial projects starting in November (Fundy Quay, Steepleview, Barrack Green) so the year end update should look much healthier.

Interesting that the number of building permits is down for the same period year-over-year, but the number of new residential units is up over 50% in the same comparison. Superficially that would mean more permits issued for multi-unit construction, which is great.

[homebody]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Not sure what approvals are left for Crown/Leinster - already passed PAC and council. Based on design, I’m pretty sure it’s the same developer as the AQ tower - so maybe they want to get that one closer to completion before starting uptown.

Might be. I recall the fellows last name as being Collins. I thought at the time would this be the same fellow that owns Collins Tours, and would he be getting into the development world.

[Pugsley]

Is anyone else perplexed by this new need to rebrand the city and the ongoing theme the city appears to keep taking?

Long ago, it was the "Biggest LITTLE City in the East". Then it was "Always Moving Forward".

All of these, in my opinion as a marketer, are very defeating. I mean, why focus on being a small city or implying we are always moving forward? For the later it sounds like we are publicly acknowledging countless challenges and proud to say we are still standing with a positive attitude looking to the future. Sure, the city has had it's challenges, but that's not the narrative you should focus on. Also, isn't it implied to not be moving "backward" if you are a growing city? It just sounds off.

If the city wants to grow at the same pace as Moncton or Halifax, then we should be marketing ourselves that way. Proclaiming we are a "Small City, with a Big Heart" is akin to saying "Not Much to Look at, but has a Great Personality" in my opinion. Saint John is such an amazing city and is growing, just not at the same pace. It feels like a bigger more urban city than it is. Further, immigrants and those looking to relocate from Ontario are seeking dynamic, urban environments with lots to offer and unique character. I feel like this new slogan says "we don't have those things, but we are nice people". I feel it misses the mark completely from a brand perspective.

My view is that if you want to be an exciting and bold high-growth community, then act like one. Don't sit in a corner and brand yourself as something you don't want to be. Unless that is what the City wants, to remain a small city while others get all the jobs, opportunity, population growth, and investment.

I would have gone with something like "The NEW East", or something bolder along those lines. A slogan that says "Hey, this is Saint John!!!" Let's blow your misconceptions out of the water about our city, our region, and who we really are. The "New South" movement in the southern US was what made Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte such titans. They shrugged off the "sleepy, uneducated and backwards" stereotype by creating a NEW public relations narrative for what these cities were - vibrant, stylish, and on the move!

I just feel we missed the mark on this.

Thoughts?

[RR Drummer]

Originally Posted by Pugsley

Is anyone else perplexed by this new need to rebrand the city and the ongoing theme the city appears to keep taking?

Long ago, it was the "Biggest LITTLE City in the East". Then it was "Always Moving Forward".

All of these, in my opinion as a marketer, are very defeating. I mean, why focus on being a small city or implying we are always moving forward? For the later it sounds like we are publicly acknowledging countless challenges and proud to say we are still standing with a positive attitude looking to the future. Sure, the city has had it's challenges, but that's not the narrative you should focus on. Also, isn't it implied to not be moving "backward" if you are a growing city? It just sounds off.

If the city wants to grow at the same pace as Moncton or Halifax, then we should be marketing ourselves that way. Proclaiming we are a "Small City, with a Big Heart" is akin to saying "Not Much to Look at, but has a Great Personality" in my opinion. Saint John is such an amazing city and is growing, just not at the same pace. It feels like a bigger more urban city than it is. Further, immigrants and those looking to relocate from Ontario are seeking dynamic, urban environments with lots to offer and unique character. I feel like this new slogan says "we don't have those things, but we are nice people". I feel it misses the mark completely from a brand perspective.

My view is that if you want to be an exciting and bold high-growth community, then act like one. Don't sit in a corner and brand yourself as something you don't want to be. Unless that is what the City wants, to remain a small city while others get all the jobs, opportunity, population growth, and investment.

I would have gone with something like "The NEW East", or something bolder along those lines. A slogan that says "Hey, this is Saint John!!!" Let's blow your misconceptions out of the water about our city, our region, and who we really are. The "New South" movement in the southern US was what made Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte such titans. They shrugged off the "sleepy, uneducated and backwards" stereotype by creating a NEW public relations narrative for what these cities were - vibrant, stylish, and on the move!

I just feel we missed the mark on this.

Thoughts?

I agree. Marketing is a great tool when handled properly and put forth in the right way. Speak strong, speak proud, speak bold, etc. Sell others on Saint John. I’ve been here 20+ years and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

[MonctonRad]

A long time ago, in the early 1990s, when Moncton had hit it's nadir (after the closure of the CNR shops, the Eaton's catalogue warehouse and CFB Moncton) the city's motto was "Moncton, we're OK." Can you imagine a more defeatist slogan than that???

That slogan only lasted a year or so.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

A long time ago, in the early 1990s, when Moncton had hit it's nadir (after the closure of the CNR shops, the Eaton's catalogue warehouse and CFB Moncton) the city's motto was "Moncton, we're OK." Can you imagine a more defeatist slogan than that???
That slogan only lasted a year or so.

Moncton in the 90's:

[adamuptownsj]

Can we just stop rebranding every twenty minutes? Biggest little city in the east was fine. Change for the hell of it is tedious. Why are we paying for this stuff constantly?

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Can we just stop rebranding every twenty minutes? Biggest little city in the east was fine. Change for the hell of it is tedious. Why are we paying for this stuff constantly?

Well, if we didn't what would all those tax payer funded suits at Envision SJ do all day. You can only have so many meetings about commissioning a study into how many meetings you are having.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by RR Drummer

I agree. Marketing is a great tool when handled properly and put forth in the right way. Speak strong, speak proud, speak bold, etc. Sell others on Saint John. I’ve been here 20+ years and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

In my circle of life it's been word of mouth and people coming to visit that see how great it is. ,

[RR Drummer]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

In my circle of life it's been word of mouth and people coming to visit that see how great it is. ,

Exactly! Any chance I get too I always speak highly of Saint John and what we offer.

[Bishop2047]

Better slogan idea: "NB's best skyline (once the fog burns off)".

I love SJ. Its a city with a ton of character and good bones, and it deserves a better slogan. Campbellton is a "small city". Saint John is a very important regional city.

It is almost as bad as the new NL slogan as see on the license plates... "COME HOME" reads as more of a desperate plea than a welcoming invitation.

[MonctonRad]

BE - in this place..........

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

BE - in this place..........

The Government spent six figures to come up with that beauty!

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

The Government spent six figures to come up with that beauty!

Government never met a consultant they didn't like showering with cash.......assuming they are the correct political stripe. I mean, it's just tax dollars.....not like it's real money.

[cdnguys]

Come for the pizza, stay for the wings