Quote:
Originally Posted by sailor734
Oh, I'm certainly not saying those people don't exist. I'm just suggesting the number of those people in the market for a luxury highrise unit in SJ probably isn't large enough to see a number of such buildings constructed and filled.
People might not be in the market for such a unit because of finances but for many it may be that they chose other options.
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Why would a high rise have to be exclusively luxury units? It could be stratified with luxury units on the upper floors, and a mix of mid range and even affordable units below.
I’m not sure why you think “the numbers” aren’t high enough in Saint John to see any new high rises in Saint John constructed and filled, when Moncton has at least five residential high rises on the near term horizon. Contrary to what some seem to believe regarding Saint John and Moncton, our two cities are still absolutely demographically comparable.
I don’t think demographics are to blame for why Saint John hasn’t seen a single 10+ storey residential building constructed in almost 40 years, but rather, it’s more to do with policy differences and strategy. Moncton has prioritized building up height and density, while Saint John has continued to embrace urban sprawl, and continuing to enforce restrictive zoning bylaws limiting building height.
Our building codes and zoning bylaws should be updated to reflect contemporary standards in urban design and construction. Mass timber should be allowed up to 18 storeys (and possibly higher one day), as construction advances have made building up that high with wood safe, sustainable, and economical. We’re a province dominated by forests with a strong forestry sector, it’s logical to make wood a bigger part of our housing solution. What’s not logical, is the 8 or 10 storey limit on mass timber construction, which just incentivizes developers to build 6 storey wood framed buildings instead.
Saint John’s zoning bylaws regarding building height regulations are overly burdensome and not helping us attract developers to come build mid rises and high rises here in Saint John. Our zoning bylaws should be updated to allow for more height and density, to give our city a better chance to attract that type of investment.
Again, if not a single 10+ storey residential building has been built in almost 40 years, our strategy, regulations, and vision come into question.