[Saint John] Uptown Thread

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Word on the street is they start this summer. I think it will spur growth in that area. Only roadblock I see are owners of run down properties thinking they are worth 10x assessed value

I think I know which properties you're talking about... I have personally tried to acquire them and my jaw hit the floor at what he wanted. There's a bull market and there's totally unrealistic opinions.

Somewhat relatedly, but not an eyesore, is, when will Victor Train develop or part with his large holdings? I think the guy has 2/3 of a city block between Charlotte, St. James, and Ross now. He wouldn't even have to part with his multi-tenant building on Ross or its parking, and he could have half a block on the market.

[ColSJ]

Bella’s ice cream are opening a second location this season at the container village.

[ColSJ]

So with the possibility of the provincial government funding a new museum next year any bets of where it could be assuming they choose uptown?

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by ColSJ

So with the possibility of the provincial government funding a new museum next year any bets of where it could be assuming they choose uptown?

Getting a severe case of deja vu. Is there an election coming up soon?

[adamuptownsj]

Lol I figure an election won't happen until the last possible date now. PCs could lose both Miramichi by-elections and Cardy and Green could cross the floor and Higgs would still have a 27-22 majority (not that these are very likely outcomes IMO).

Maybe the consolidation of City property and the rail spur at Tin Can Beach would be for this: no expensive acquisition from private landowners, Harbour Passage connection down Sydney (which could easily be extended to wrap around the site), 400,000 square feet to play with, who knows.

I won't believe it until there's not just shovels in the ground, but exhibits on-site of course. No fancy mockup or funding commitment will get me excited. It just seems like a plausible site that's never come up, to my knowledge. Nautical heritage and a geographically prominent, publicly owned location don't make it a likely candidate, but definitely a possible candidate. If they're actually seriously exploring a location you would have to think this would be on the list.

[bridgeoftea]

I posted this in another thread but if they could put a museum that is right beside the Diamond Jubilee cruise terminal in that big parking lot.
Looking at something like the Liverpool Museum although it may be a bit too "modern" style for Saint John. But who knows with Fundy Quay (or what ever new name it's called now) being built. It might work for the waterfront.
If they placed it there and add in a few shops / restaurants by the 3 sisters lamp and start extending uptown towards there.

[adamuptownsj]

I recently received an updated vacant building list from the city and have mapped out everything in the South End and Waterloo Village. It gets shorter every time, and I have picked out confirmed on-the-go projects too. Nine of 39 are confirmed active construction sites and I would not be surprised to find out another 4-5 are underway, unbeknownst to me. It would rock to have fewer than 25 vacants by the end of the year.

182 Britain Street- derelict
54 Broad Street- 5 unit former rectory project
58 Broad Street- church to climbing gym conversion
170 Carmarthen Street- being converted to SFH
113-115 Carmarthen Street- derelict
60-62 Carmarthen Street- unknown status
6 Charlotte Street- vacant with commercial storefront
1, 27 Cliff Street- St Vincent's
375 Crown Street- under renovations
55 Dorchester Street- vacant
57 Dorchester Street (46 Sewell)- vacant
259 Duke Street- vacant
164 Germain Street- under agonizingly slow renovations
161-163 Germain Street- united church on Germain. Just sold recently again
18-20 Harding Street- vacant
97 Hazen Street- derelict, and I want it badly.
99 Hazen Street- under renovations to office/medical space
115 Hazen Street- vacant
180-182 King Street E- 4 unit underway per poster cdnguys
266 King Street East- vacant
111-113 King Street East (42 Carmarthen)- vacant. Infamously Irving owned
83 Mecklenburg Street- under renovations. 3 unit flat over flat
151 Orange Street- vacant
22 Paddock Street- under renos. SFH
17 Peters Street- vacant
23 Peters Street- vacant
36 Peters Street- vacant
34 Pitt Street- vacant
256 Pitt Street- vacant
278 Prince William Street- vacant, and on PW??
274-276 Prince William Street- vacant, see above.
176-178 Princess Street- under extensive renos, 2 units already occupied
31 Queen Street- vacant (IIRC there was some work done last year)
7 Ritchie Street- vacant
61 Sewell Street- vacant
71 Sewell Street- vacant
75 Sewell Street- vacant
78 St. James St- vacant and has almost burned down 2x so I am not marking it as underway
218 Waterloo Street- vacant storefront

Map: https://imgur.com/a/lofr4ij

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I recently received an updated vacant building list from the city and have mapped out everything in the South End and Waterloo Village. It gets shorter every time, and I have picked out confirmed on-the-go projects too. Nine of 39 are confirmed active construction sites and I would not be surprised to find out another 4-5 are underway, unbeknownst to me. It would rock to have fewer than 25 vacants by the end of the year.

182 Britain Street- derelict
54 Broad Street- 5 unit former rectory project
58 Broad Street- church to climbing gym conversion
170 Carmarthen Street- being converted to SFH
113-115 Carmarthen Street- derelict
60-62 Carmarthen Street- unknown status
6 Charlotte Street- vacant with commercial storefront
1, 27 Cliff Street- St Vincent's
375 Crown Street- under renovations
55 Dorchester Street- vacant
57 Dorchester Street (46 Sewell)- vacant
259 Duke Street- vacant
164 Germain Street- under agonizingly slow renovations
161-163 Germain Street- united church on Germain. Just sold recently again
18-20 Harding Street- vacant
97 Hazen Street- derelict, and I want it badly.
99 Hazen Street- under renovations to office/medical space
115 Hazen Street- vacant
180-182 King Street E- vacant
266 King Street East- vacant
111-113 King Street East (42 Carmarthen)- vacant. Infamously Irving owned
83 Mecklenburg Street- under renovations. 3 unit flat over flat
151 Orange Street- vacant
22 Paddock Street- under renos. SFH
17 Peters Street- vacant
23 Peters Street- vacant
36 Peters Street- vacant
34 Pitt Street- vacant
256 Pitt Street- vacant
278 Prince William Street- vacant, and on PW??
274-276 Prince William Street- vacant, see above.
176-178 Princess Street- under extensive renos, 2 units already occupied
31 Queen Street- vacant (IIRC there was some work done last year)
7 Ritchie Street- vacant
61 Sewell Street- vacant
71 Sewell Street- vacant
75 Sewell Street- vacant
78 St. James St- vacant and has almost burned down 2x so I am not marking it as underway
218 Waterloo Street- vacant storefront

Map: https://imgur.com/a/lofr4ij

Informative list. 180-182 King St E is under renovations - will be 4 units. I think should pick up speed soon

[adamuptownsj]

Thanks. I'm going to update the list in the main post with any more info.

I'm going to make a point of checking out the PW and Queen ones at lunch.

[darkharbour]

Some updated renderings of the work continuing at City Hall

https://www.country94.ca/2022/04/06/...y-hall-pedway/

Entrance off Chipman Hill:


Former Treats location:



Judging by the first photo, there might be forthcoming plans to update the outside cladding of the building too, looks like blue-toned aluminium architectural panels added to the vertical features of the building with contrasting horizontals.

[ColSJ]

No movements on 99 King. The right turning lane on Charlotte is still blocked off so I assume if this project was put on hold the city would look at moving those back? Really hoping construction starts this season.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by ColSJ

No movements on 99 King. The right turning lane on Charlotte is still blocked off so I assume if this project was put on hold the city would look at moving those back? Really hoping construction starts this season.

I don't think that lane is coming back: I recall seeing a plan to extend on-street parking along Charlotte from Union to N Market. 8 spots IIRC. Traffic doesn't seem too impeded by reducing Charlotte between N Market and King to two lanes from three, but they certainly can't add parking there. Maybe they extend the sidewalk out once 99 King starts, if it starts. Either way they have a lot of potholes to fix, and need to get those barriers out of the middle of the street.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Some updated renderings of the work continuing at City Hall

https://www.country94.ca/2022/04/06/...y-hall-pedway/

Entrance off Chipman Hill:


Former Treats location:



Judging by the first photo, there might be forthcoming plans to update the outside cladding of the building too, looks like blue-toned aluminium architectural panels added to the vertical features of the building with contrasting horizontals.

I saw they are going to be doing renovations on the inside too? I'm curious to see what happens with that. Always a shame the inside pedway isn't more lively.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by ColSJ

No movements on 99 King. The right turning lane on Charlotte is still blocked off so I assume if this project was put on hold the city would look at moving those back? Really hoping construction starts this season.

I wish they would have waited for the tear down of the building until they have a nearly cemented start date. Such a major eyesore at the top of the hill right now.

[ColSJ]

Unconfirmed reports that residents along St. James Street between Charlotte and Sydney have been approached by the province to sell as the area has been chosen as the new south end school.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by ColSJ

Unconfirmed reports that residents along St. James Street between Charlotte and Sydney have been approached by the province to sell as the area has been chosen as the new south end school.

that is the location- I've heard enough intel saying the same for months. Some of the houses there are in pretty good shape- how much would it cost to haul them across the road and turn them around?

[ColSJ]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

that is the location- I've heard enough intel saying the same for months. Some of the houses there are in pretty good shape- how much would it cost to haul them across the road and turn them around?

Perhaps they’ve been updated since the last time google maps went through because when I looked only one looked worthy of salvaging.

[darkharbour]

Do we know yet what happens to the previous school? It would be a shame if the land wasn’t sold for redevelopment, especially if the new school location involves buying out residential property

[ColSJ]

Originally Posted by darkharbour

Do we know yet what happens to the previous school? It would be a shame if the land wasn’t sold for redevelopment, especially if the new school location involves buying out residential property

I'm assuming they'd be put on the market.



Just by scanning google maps, it looks like we'd lose about 8 residential units which is actually impressive when you consider how dense of an area they want to build in and how wide schools are. The location makes sense as there is already a green space area with a playground, basketball court, splash pad (not that that's normal nor will be used during school hours), and a community garden. Once the province has secured all the properties along St. James Street they will probably come to the city and ask to take over the whole block.

As soon as this location is made official I'm sure property developers will be heading into the area with their pockets open. St. James and Britain and the bottom of Carmarthen and Wentworth can really use some TLC.

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by ColSJ

I'm assuming they'd be put on the market.



Just by scanning google maps, it looks like we'd lose about 8 residential units which is actually impressive when you consider how dense of an area they want to build in and how wide schools are. The location makes sense as there is already a green space area with a playground, basketball court, splash pad (not that that's normal nor will be used during school hours), and a community garden. Once the province has secured all the properties along St. James Street they will probably come to the city and ask to take over the whole block.

As soon as this location is made official I'm sure property developers will be heading into the area with their pockets open. St. James and Britain and the bottom of Carmarthen and Wentworth can really use some TLC.

What's wrong with the industrial wasteland across from the current South End school? Between St. James and Queen.