[Moncton] Centre Avenir Centre | 26.65m |~6 Fl | Completed

[Mattyyy]

Originally Posted by Sandbagger

One thing I notice is that until parcel A is developed, the arse half of the building seems to be exposed to main st. Looks to be a loading area which is not the most attractive if you're coming from West main. Hopefully it gets developed fairly quickly.

I'm kind of confused why they have designed it in this way. They should have squared the front of the building off to the street as they're taking a risk if nothing gets developed in parcel A. I'm not a huge fan of the overall design - the original rendering they had looked much more appealing. The colors at the top do not look nice, and the original design was squared to Main Street with an upper level outdoor area that looked like it could be used for social events or an upper patio for a restaurant. The idea behind the Events Center was that it was to be much more than a rink - it's complete round structure seems to be nothing more than a rink.

[David_99]

To stay within the budget, they likely had to drop some of the bells and whistles in exchange for more seating. Anything else will need to be privately built. Hopefully there's some partnership involved and some of those additional pieces just haven't been rendered yet... Hopefully.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by David_99

To stay within the budget, they likely had to drop some of the bells and whistles in exchange for more seating. Anything else will need to be privately built. Hopefully there's some partnership involved and some of those additional pieces just haven't been rendered yet... Hopefully.

It seems like that was there plan all along. I'm not sure if there was an article correct me if I'm wrong but din't mayor Leblanc state that they would be looking for a third party to develop what is currently known as Parcel B from the very start.

[OUIR@random]

I hope we are not starting to compare Edmonton and Moncton, it's like comparing a grape and a pumpkin...

When they built the Harbour Station in SJ, nothing happened much around it. I expect about the same around our event center, we might see a new a hotel or an expansion to the Crowne Plaza, but that's about it. The demand is not there for a massive office building or condos downtown, but I've been wrong before.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

I hope we are not starting to compare Edmonton and Moncton, it's like comparing a grape and a pumpkin...

I don't think we are...

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

I hope we are not starting to compare Edmonton and Moncton, it's like comparing a grape and a pumpkin...

No, I'm not having delusions of grandeur.

The only comparison is that the new Edmonton arena has served to kickstart development in the arena district. While I hope the result will be similar here, obviously the scale of any ancillary development will be proportionately much more modest.

Still, more than one source has stated that nearby private investment could be similar in value to the events centre itself. If so, that will be more than $100M in private investment in the area. The next 4-5 years could be quite interesting....

[Franco401]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

I hope we are not starting to compare Edmonton and Moncton, it's like comparing a grape and a pumpkin...

When they built the Harbour Station in SJ, nothing happened much around it. I expect about the same around our event center, we might see a new a hotel or an expansion to the Crowne Plaza, but that's about it. The demand is not there for a massive office building or condos downtown, but I've been wrong before.

But that's like comparing a grape to a raisin. When Harbour Station was built Saint John was still shrinking in population, a trend that's since reversed. It was also before the cultural shift towards living in urban areas instead of building subdivision further and further out of town. The fact that HS was surrounded by a massive parking lot was also a hurdle for any potential construction. If you built Harbour Station today, maybe right on Kings Square (Kings Square is a landmark and I am not advocating this) it would have had a huge effect on construction.

[OUIR@random]

Because of several factors facing New Brunswick and our region (financial & demographic or others), I believe that the adjacent area of the new Centre will not have significant residential or commercial development in the next 10 years. Note: Significant is a relative term and it might mean something completely different to someone else. There will be someimportant investments, that is for sure and I don't disagree with that, but I don't think a part-time attraction to a downtown area can create a boom of any kind if the many other important elements are missing. I've seen several downtowns in North America with a ''sports arena'' and the vicinity of the said downtown is dead after all is said and done and everyone is back home in the outskirts after an event...

BTW, just to clarify things, I'm happy that we are getting this new Centre, I'm glad it's downtown and it's about time, but I prefer seeing things with clear glasses rather than the rose-colored glasses many people have on.

[David_99]

The centre should have been built years ago. The residential boom came and went, mostly in Dieppe. Now we're left with large apartment buildings on the outskirts of the tri-community and large vacancy rates to go with them.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David_99

The centre should have been built years ago. The residential boom came and went, mostly in Dieppe. Now we're left with large apartment buildings on the outskirts of the tri-community and large vacancy rates to go with them.

Certainly some truth to this, but now the crest of retiring baby boomers has arrived, and many of these boomers wouldn't mind leaving the burbs and retiring to a condo downtown, as long as there are nearby attractions and amenities. Being within walking distance of the events centre could be a huge selling point, especially if there are stores and restaurants in the neighbourhood too.

[David_99]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Certainly some truth to this, but now the crest of retiring baby boomers has arrived, and many of these boomers wouldn't mind leaving the burbs and retiring to a condo downtown, as long as there are nearby attractions and amenities. Being within walking distance of the events centre could be a huge selling point, especially if there are stores and restaurants in the neighbourhood too.

Agreed, but I don't know if the city waited this long to finally get the Event Centre built to inject new life into downtown, only for it to become a retirement community. We also need to inject some young blood in the area too. A thousand of these young North Shore transplants walking up and down main, working, spending money, eating and shopping, instead of using their cars to further congest the entrance to Dieppe, I'm sure, would have been preferable.

[MonctonRad]

According to the T&T, final site prep work will be completed by December. Construction will actually begin next March (weather permitting) with the pouring of the footings.

I imagine we will see tower cranes (I assume there will be more than one) on site by early next summer. If 55 Queen can ever get on track, I imagine there will be a tower crane there too.

Won't that make a difference in the city's skyline!

[pierremoncton]

Public idea exchange/workshop on the events centre tomorrow (Dec 2) from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at city hall. Timing doesn't work for me so I won't be there.

You can also submit ideas anonymously here: http://www.moncton.ca/Business/Downt...mment_Card.htm

Or via email at downtowncentre@moncton.ca.

The colour scheme is one of the aspects that will be discussed. I get the feeling that lots of people don't like it and that it will change.

[MonctonRad]

Did anyone go to the workshop on the downtown centre???

[MonctonRad]

Just speculating, but when the arena at the Agrena/Coliseum complex shuts down in 2018 (when the new events centre opens), I presume that the old facility will have to have a name change. It certainly shouldn't be called the Coliseum any more.

I wonder if they will call the complex something like the "Moncton Trade and Exhibition Centre" or something like that? Thoughts anyone???

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I presume that the old facility will have to have a name change. It certainly shouldn't be called the Coliseum any more.

What is this presumption based off of? It can still be called the Coliseum.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by JHikka

What is this presumption based off of? It can still be called the Coliseum.

While the plan is to have the existing arena area available as a kind of "field house", it's principle purpose would be to be extra floor space for the adjacent "agrena" and hence would be primarily used for trade shows etc. This is why I wonder if a name change might be in order.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

While the plan is to have the existing arena area available as a kind of "field house", it's principle purpose would be to be extra floor space for the adjacent "agrena" and hence would be primarily used for trade shows etc. This is why I wonder if a name change might be in order.

It can still be called the Coliseum without there being an arena inside. They're not tied together.

Hell, you could call the new arena the Coliseum and people would still refer to the old building when referring to the Coliseum. Just like how people still refer to locations based on stores or businesses that haven't existed in fifty years.

All i'm saying is you could rename the Coliseum to whatever your heart desires but people are still going to call it the Coliseum regardless.

[mctnguy]

The city posted this link on their Facebook page:

http://www.moncton.ca/Assets/Busines...asworkshop.pdf

[theshark]

A few weeks left before the sea of concrete starts to flow, with the mild winter we had, wonder if they will get going a bit sooner?