The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Yes the renderings on city web site show underground parking in all 3 buildings. If I remember correctly, I think their target are folks that want to live nearby amenities / shopping with transportation links. I can see it being appealing to seniors.

More pressure for the Ashburn overpass to get started. What happened!

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Yes this rendering shows an extended building that Nakai is located in

Can you post a link to the documents?

[cdnguys]

https://pub-saintjohn.escribemeeting...ab=attachments

Document links are on the top right

[OliverD]

Nice that it's mixed use but kind of gross to have apartment buildings surrounded by parking lots.

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

https://pub-saintjohn.escribemeeting...ab=attachments

Document links are on the top right

Awesome! Thanks!

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by OliverD

Nice that it's mixed use but kind of gross to have apartment buildings surrounded by parking lots.

It’s definitely a different concept having housing in a retail area, but apparently it’s a new trend. Thankfully the owner of East Point has been investing in trees and landscaping, unlike the Walmart area

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

It’s definitely a different concept having housing in a retail area, but apparently it’s a new trend. Thankfully the owner of East Point has been investing in trees and landscaping, unlike the Walmart area

Younger millennials and zoomers are forcing developers into more mixed-use developments on the whole. Long gone are the days of sprawling malls and retail developments being effective captures of consumers. Now you need a mix of residential, retail, restaurants...livable communities, etc. etc. It effectively forces power centre developers to change course and provide more housing options either closer to work or, in most cases, closer to play. East Point is merely following along with that trend.

[cdnguys]

What’s interesting is Boars Head Road and East Point increased their planned units by 50%
That’s a vote of confidence that the city is on the cusp of sustained growth

[ColSJ]

I don't have a subscription but a TJ headline says the East Point development could break ground this winter. They must be pursuing an aggressive timeline.

https://tj.news/story/101694795?ref=tw

[Pugsley]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

It’s definitely a different concept having housing in a retail area, but apparently it’s a new trend. Thankfully the owner of East Point has been investing in trees and landscaping, unlike the Walmart area

It has to do with maintaining land monetization rates more than anything. Each of the major "smart centre" developers are doing this. "Bricks and mortar" retailing will eventually become obsolete and these REITs know this. Building new retail isn't going to be a smart move. So, they are transforming their existing developments over time, by taking vacant land to build rental apartments, then convert excess parking space to more apartments/mixed spaces, then eventually convert the existing plaza structures. Over several years, they can diversify the overall revenue from their land to being more than just retail rental.

Agree that the urgency here is a good sign that they want to be first in with new developments in case the rental market gets overheated.

[ColSJ]

Originally Posted by Fischbob

This property has sold. Source: SOLD sign on the property

Meanwhile a sign for a "pad site opportunity" has been put up on the former Fire Department training site diagonally across from this property. It would be nice to see some more retail/food businesses set up shop in the area so I'm hoping (re)development of these properties proceeds quickly.

Little bit of interesting movement here. Two dumpsters on site and two project financing signs on the property. It’s the same company that’s financing the new apartment building in Grand Bay- Westfield.

[cdnguys]

New Main Street 29 unit / new medical clinic on Millidge Ave / Shannex 60 bed expansion


[IMG] [/IMG]

[bridgeoftea]

I have a few questions as i am a new forum user here today.

What are the plans or rumours for the giant hole across from Kings Square?

Is there a height limit to skyscrappers in Saint John? I would be curious to see if they try to build another one with the height of the Aliant building.

Any talk of road way changes? The intersection named "simms corner" or whatever by the Tim Hortons/Wendys. I feel like that could use a traffic light and extend the road to be a dual way towards the A&W and Starbucks.

[Fischbob]

Welcome to the forum!

See this thread for what's being proposed for the top of King Street. The most recent renderings are on page 2. Latest on this project was that the developer is still trying to secure commercial tenants.

Building heights on the Central Peninsula are regulated by Schedule G of the Zoning By-Law, which ranged from 14-42m (depending on the location) when it was first implemented. It has since been amended to allow the aforementioned King Street project to go as high as 55m, so I get the sense that the prescribed limits don't really mean much. A future phase of the Coast Guard redevelopment looks like it could hit 19 storeys (residential) if built as planned.

Reconfiguring Simms Corner has been talked about for decades, it feels like. It's a tough location to realign due to the topography and the railroad. I'm a lifelong Johner and still avoid certain Simms Corner approaches to this day

[cdnguys]

Originally Posted by bridgeoftea

I have a few questions as i am a new forum user here today.

What are the plans or rumours for the giant hole across from Kings Square?

Is there a height limit to skyscrappers in Saint John? I would be curious to see if they try to build another one with the height of the Aliant building.

Any talk of road way changes? The intersection named "simms corner" or whatever by the Tim Hortons/Wendys. I feel like that could use a traffic light and extend the road to be a dual way towards the A&W and Starbucks.

Also note that there is a thread for “uptown Saint John” and “Fundy Quay”.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Also note that there is a thread for “uptown Saint John” and “Fundy Quay”.

Awesome I will check those threads out. It is nice seeing a community of people excited by the development in the city.

I'm curious, does anyone have any ideas for developments they'd do if you had all the funds and full approval?

[cdnguys]

[QUOTE=bridgeoftea;9440359]Awesome I will check those threads out. It is nice seeing a community of people excited by the development in the city.

I'm curious, does anyone have any ideas for developments they'd do if you had all the funds and full approval?[/QUOTE

I’d raze any home that did not have architectural significance from Duke Street down to the armoury. Before that is done I’d build affordable housing throughout the south central area to house the affected tenants. Then I would build 6 to 8 story buildings along the streets (like most European cities) with the streets mostly being closed off to cars accept access points to underground parking with tunnels to nearby buildings. That height of skyline will match the ground level of uptown starting with Orange St to give a nice city profile. Then on Long Wharf I’d build 6 story brick buildings along the perimeter of the site similar to buildings in Amsterdam along the canal, then in the middle have a big glass dome covering the site like Galleria Umberto in Naples - so that condos apartments and shops can also face the expansive interior area and enjoy year round “indooroutdoor” weather.

[bridgeoftea]

I think the closed off to cars would be really awesome to allow more pedestrian activity. Fingers crossed for more action uptown in the next few years.

Pre pandemic I thought adding in a casino/hotel in the mostly vacant corner lot beside Harbour Station would have been cool. Have like 6 floors of rooms and then a floor for casino and a floor for a restaurant would be cool. Could help when attracting artists/shows. Have some deals with tickets/rooms.

https://imgur.com/a/KqclSjO

[adamuptownsj]

I would...
-complete a Harbour Passage-Rockwood Park-University/Hospital connection
-bury the throughway from like Hilyard Place to the Chateau
-extend the street grid south of Broad to include the wasted land behind the Garrison (which could hopefully be relocated, maybe to join the Naval Reserve at the Brunswicker) and north of the potash terminal
-restore the street grid where it is currently interrupted at St James/Crown, Brittain/Crown, and Ross/Germain/LCL
-Take a serious look at fixing the west side of Waterloo St, which is currently a wasteland past the cathedral.
-Redevelop exit 123/Winter St area to restore original grid and increase commercial/mixed use development in the area
-Phase out surface lots from City parking strategy. Whether this would require another garage, IDK, but all city and most private lots should be earmarked for development

Building-wise...
-relocate the entire UNBSJ BA program to the former Paramount site, connected to the MBA building by a pedway over SNB
-Give the Red Rose Tea building a really impressive neighbour along its southern wall
-Consolidate ownership of the Smythe St parking lot and substation and build a tower there
-Develop Canterbury/Princess intersection
-The absolutely tragic sea of parking across from SJHS should be replaced by residential properties with perhaps a townhouse podium

I don't think expropriating half the South End to create a Disney version of Paris would be desirable. The South End held more than twice its current population in the past and certainly can again, without straight up replacing it with a whole new neighbourhood out of thin air. I don't think sealing the whole thing off from traffic or weather would be good either. Cities need to be organic and replacing your urban core with a megaproject isn't.

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I would...
-complete a Harbour Passage-Rockwood Park-University/Hospital connection
-bury the throughway from like Hilyard Place to the Chateau
-extend the street grid south of Broad to include the wasted land behind the Garrison (which could hopefully be relocated, maybe to join the Naval Reserve at the Brunswicker) and north of the potash terminal
-restore the street grid where it is currently interrupted at St James/Crown, Brittain/Crown, and Ross/Germain/LCL
-Take a serious look at fixing the west side of Waterloo St, which is currently a wasteland past the cathedral.
-Redevelop exit 123/Winter St area to restore original grid and increase commercial/mixed use development in the area
-Phase out surface lots from City parking strategy. Whether this would require another garage, IDK, but all city and most private lots should be earmarked for development

Building-wise...
-relocate the entire UNBSJ BA program to the former Paramount site, connected to the MBA building by a pedway over SNB
-Give the Red Rose Tea building a really impressive neighbour along its southern wall
-Consolidate ownership of the Smythe St parking lot and substation and build a tower there
-Develop Canterbury/Princess intersection
-The absolutely tragic sea of parking across from SJHS should be replaced by residential properties with perhaps a townhouse podium

I don't think expropriating half the South End to create a Disney version of Paris would be desirable. The South End held more than twice its current population in the past and certainly can again, without straight up replacing it with a whole new neighbourhood out of thin air. I don't think sealing the whole thing off from traffic or weather would be good either. Cities need to be organic and replacing your urban core with a megaproject isn't.

I love the idea of extending the city as a grid past the Lower Cove Loop. Especially if the Sydney apartments goes through. Would be nice to keep extending the tight feel of shops, restaurants with residential all the way down. For most I don't think that's an unreasonable walk.

For all the ideas you've got there. Has there been any movement within the last 5 years or so to do anything similar?