[Saint John] 91 King Street | ?m | ?s | Site Prep

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by Helladog

It seems like there is a different excuse every time an article is published.

I think you've got the gist of it.

[DyAm00394]

During the growth committee meeting today an official said staff have spoken with Percy Wilbur. Percy Wilbur told them the site will be cleaned up and there will be new fencing installed and he will be adding appropriate screening in the coming weeks. In terms of the closure of the right turn only lane on Charlotte Street, it will remain closed. The official said these measures will address the immediate safety and aesthetic concerns by restricting unauthorized access as well as visibility into the site.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by DyAm00394

During the growth committee meeting an official said staff have spoken with Percy Wilbur. Percy Wilbur told them the site will be cleaned up and there will be new fencing installed and he will be adding appropriate screening in the coming weeks. In terms of the closure of the right turn only lane on Charlotte Street, it will remain closed. The official said these measures will address the immediate safety and aesthetic concerns by restricting unauthorized access as well as visibility into the site.

Well, that's something at least.

Although, I still think he should do whatever is required in order to place the new fencing at the edge of the pit wall so as to return the public street and sidewalk to use.

[sailor734]

One thing I wondered about the last time I walked by here is the ongoing stability of the pit walls. I see there are old steel I Beams jammed between the pit floor and some of the walls (I assume to support the walls) Wonder if this was a contractor "Rube Goldberg/make it up as you go along" type fix or has a civil engineer actually signed off on it?

Having a portion of Charlotte or King St collapse into the hole would not be a good thing.

[DyAm00394]

Percy Wilbur did an new interview yesterday with a local radio station:

“The developer behind a planned multi-use building at 99 King Street in Saint John says he remains committed to the project.

Nearly three years after the former Woolworth’s store was demolished, construction on the new building has yet to begin.

A gaping hole remains where the building should be, which has caused frustration among many city residents.

Percy Wilbur acknowledged that frustration and concern during an interview with our newsroom on Monday.

“I know that it’s been a bit of an eyesore. There’s been some challenges in the last few years that were pretty unforeseen and I can understand people being upset, and no one more so than me,” he said.

“I’ve got a tremendous investment there that’s not doing anything for me until I’m completed.”

The initial $40-million design proposed a grocery store on the first floor, two floors of office space, nine residential floors totalling 93 apartment units, and two levels of underground parking.

But Wilbur said rising costs he attributed to COVID and a labour shortage forced them to go back to the drawing board.

The two floors of office space are being replaced with more residential units and a third level of underground parking is being added.

“The design is pretty much locked in now, so we’ve got to go out for pricing and work with our team members to make the pricing a little bit more reasonable,” said Wilbur.

In the meantime, the developer said the province needs to play a role in incentivizing residential development, just like the federal and municipal governments have done.

Wilbur said he would like to see the 10 per cent provincial sales tax removed on new residential construction throughout the province.

“We’d have shovels in the ground tomorrow if there were an announcement today,” said Wilbur.

“The province is getting about $8,000 a year in property taxes right now, with the hole in the ground. If we proceed with this project, they’ll get half a million dollars a year.”

Meanwhile, the ongoing delays were a topic of discussion during a meeting of Saint John council’s growth committee on Monday.

City staff said the community has expressed concerns about the safety and the unsightly nature of the fencing, jersey barriers, and graffiti at the site.

They said “significant improvements” are anticipated in the coming weeks to improve the look of the site.

Wilbur said starting this week, they will work to repair the fence and install filter fabric so the hole is not visible.

As for filling in the hole until construction begins, the developer noted that is not a feasible solution.

“It would cost in excess of half a million dollars to fill that hole in only to dig it all out when we’re ready to do something,” he said”.

https://www.country94.ca/2024/04/23/...9-king-street/

[cdnguys]

“Pricing a little bit more reasonable”. So he wants to dicker on price like it’s a new car. Not much incentive to quote a job when customer has a history of not paying contractors and they have a choice of projects to choose from. Golden rule when it comes to contractors, you take care of them, they’ll take care of you.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

“Pricing a little bit more reasonable”. So he wants to dicker on price like it’s a new car. Not much incentive to quote a job when customer has a history of not paying contractors and they have a choice of projects to choose from. Golden rule when it comes to contractors, you take care of them, they’ll take care of you.

Did all the liens surrounding the Wentworth ever get settled or are they still in dispute? I remember reading one contractor had filed a claim of over 2 million and there were several others in the several hundred thousand range.

[DyAm00394]

Now he did an interview with CBC, with a bit more additional info. He says he expects in the next couple of months there will be activity on-site and expects to start the project by this fall. Will be a 2 year to 30 month project. Also further confirms a re-design to the building because one of the tenants has pulled out.

"Meanwhile, at a recent city growth committee meeting, the developer said there will be upgraded fencing around the empty lot.

"We agreed to straighten out the fencing and put some filter fabric up so that it's not so visible inside the hole," said Wilbur.

And plans are still moving forward to develop the site.

"Our design has changed because one of the tenants has since pulled out. So we've had to redesign the building," Wilbur said.

"We now have a new design that we're working on, and we are bringing it forward. So I would expect that in the next couple of months, you will see some activity on-site."

Wilbur said that he hopes to have "boots on the ground" soon and expects the project to have started by the fall.

"From the time we start construction it's a pretty solid two years to 30 months [until completion]," he said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...itee-1.7182284