[Moncton] St. Bernard Place | 18 Storeys | Proposed

[MonctonRad]

Site location


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Birds eye view


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Ground floor plan

This building will be located on the vacant parking lot along the north side of St Bernards Church, on the SE corner of Botsford and Victoria Streets.

The plan is for 3 levels of underground parking, a two storey podium (townhomes), a seven storey tower capped by a two level penthouse, and a mechanical floor.

This is a huge development for the east end of downtown, and will be a larger project than FiveFive Queen was. These two buildings are close to one another, and will complement each other well. The east end is being transformed, and if successful, I'm sure we will see other similar buildings in the neighbourhood in the future.

[MonctonRad]

This project was approved last evening by Moncton PAC, including the following variances:

- a parking garage below the minimum geodetic elevation for a 12 story building with approximately 148 units
- increase the permitted height of the building to be more than 19 metres
- provide non- traditional material on portions of the building
- not provide the step-back on the Wesley Street side
- not provide jogs and recesses along the façades of the building
- increase the maximum setback in one section of the facade facing Victoria (3.5 to 3.9)
- reduce the size of the balconies on one floor
- reduce the ground floor fenestration ratio on Victoria 25% to 24.5% and Wesley 25% to 0%

[MonctonRad]

CBC article:

Moncton planning committee OKs 12-storey downtown apartment building
Developer hopes to start construction later this year
Shane Magee · CBC News · Posted: Feb 25, 2021 7:00 AM AT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...ttee-1.5926692

Moncton's planning advisory committee has given the go-ahead for a 12-storey downtown apartment building, which would be among the city's tallest buildings.

Frederic Properties Corp. is proposing the building with 148 rental units at the corner of Botsford and Victoria streets, north of St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church.

The company's plans involve 170 underground parking spaces, walk-up townhouse units taking up the first and second floors, with the building core then set back. Two-storey penthouse units are planned for the top of the building.

"It is a big building, next to a big building, around the corner from 55 Queen," Frederic Properties Corp. owner Valdo Grandmaison told the committee. "Moncton is getting bigger."

Grandmaison said the aim is to start construction by late September or October and would take two and a half years.

Grandmaison said the timeline relies on the city carrying out previously planned upgrades to old clay water and sewer lines on Victoria and Wesley streets.

That work is already included in the city's 2021 capital budget, though would require a further council vote to approve the construction contract.

[MonctonRad]

A few additional tidbits:

- the third floor units will have rooftop garden patio terraces.
- the glass fronted penthouse units will be two storey.
- pet friendly building, with a pet wash station in the garage
- bicycle storage
- charging stations for electric vehicles
- car share program for tenants.
- they very definitely want to have shovels in the ground by September or October.

[MonctonRad]

Grandmaison said the timeline relies on the city carrying out previously planned upgrades to old clay water and sewer lines on Victoria and Wesley streets.

I wonder if the city could bury the electric power lines at the same time. They did this for FiveFive Queen; I think St. Bernard Square should have the same treatment. Now would be the time to do it!

[jonny golden]

Old clay water & sewer pipes! I wonder how old those are? And one would think that they'd take the opportunity to bury the electrical lines at the same time.

This is a great project for downtown Moncton. Slowly but surely the amount of surface parking is being reduced.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

Old clay water & sewer pipes! I wonder how old those are? And one would think that they'd take the opportunity to bury the electrical lines at the same time.

This is a great project for downtown Moncton. Slowly but surely the amount of surface parking is being reduced.

I would love to see the lot across from the NBTel tower redeveloped next. If the Corp owns it it may not be possible to redevelop..

[NBNYer]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

I would love to see the lot across from the NBTel tower redeveloped next. If the Corp owns it it may not be possible to redevelop..

This is the lot I'd most like to see developed downtown aside from Downing street. Even a modest proposal at this site in the 6-storey range would have a huge impact on the east end of downtown.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

I would love to see the lot across from the NBTel tower redeveloped next. If the Corp owns it it may not be possible to redevelop..

I presume you're referring to that umpaved parking lot across Queen Street from the NBTel Tower.

If there is a single lot downtown absolutely begging for high rise development, this is it - especially with all the substantial buildings in the immediate neighbourhood.

This lot is big enough for a substantial residential or mixed use tower, and, when combined with St. Bernard Square, The city hall complex, FiveFive Queen, the Blue Cross Centre, the Marriott Suites Hotel, Assumption Place and the Delta Hotel would actually 100% give this small area of the east end of the downtown core the critical mass necessary to actually give Moncton a skyline.

Oh, if only we could simply snap our fingers and conjure it into existence..........

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I presume you're referring to that umpaved parking lot across Queen Street from the NBTel Tower.

If there is a single lot downtown absolutely begging for high rise development, this is it - especially with all the substantial buildings in the immediate neighbourhood.

This lot is big enough for a substantial residential or mixed use tower, and, when combined with St. Bernard Square, The city hall complex, FiveFive Queen, the Blue Cross Centre, the Marriott Suites Hotel, Assumption Place and the Delta Hotel would actually 100% give this small area of the east end of the downtown core the critical mass necessary to actually give Moncton a skyline.

Oh, if only we could simply snap our fingers and conjure it into existence..........

I thought that lot was used by the church for parking on Sundays?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

I thought that lot was used by the church for parking on Sundays?

Perhaps so, but during the rest of the week it is a private parking lot (by permit only), and thus a prime example of "dead space" within the downtown core. People park there when they are at work, but the lot becomes a barren wasteland in the evening, instead of being used by patrons of downtown restaurants and pubs. Before the Boot-Nazis got the boot, it was a prime location for them to conduct their nefarious trade.

In addition to being an urban dead space, it is poorly maintained, unpaved and potholed. It is a stain in the downtown core.

Just imagine if it were replaced with a 12-15 storey mixed use building with underground parking and street level commercial/retail.

[jonny golden]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Perhaps so, but during the rest of the week it is a private parking lot (by permit only), and thus a prime example of "dead space" within the downtown core. People park there when they are at work, but the lot becomes a barren wasteland in the evening, instead of being used by patrons of downtown restaurants and pubs. Before the Boot-Nazis got the boot, it was a prime location for them to conduct their nefarious trade.

In addition to being an urban dead space, it is poorly maintained, unpaved and potholed. It is a stain in the downtown core.

Just imagine if it were replaced with a 12-15 storey mixed use building with underground parking and street level commercial/retail.

So with the city hall & BMO buildings, 55 Queen, St. Bernard's Square, plus a new 12-15 floor residential tower, any ground floor retail/hospitality businesses there would have hundreds of potential customers within a 2 minute walk!

And yes that lot currently is quite ugly.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

I thought that lot was used by the church for parking on Sundays?

my mother attends St. John's United. It used to be used by that congregation and St. bernards. About 2 years ago mom came out of church and a note was on the windshield saying after a certain date her car would be booted. Not sure what the status is now.

Was this the NBtel lot on weekdays or a private lot.

[Monctoncore]

I think they may have over estimated the height of St. Bernard’s church, I was just looking at it on google maps street view and it is no where near the height of a 12 floor building. Though in their drawings the church roof seems to peak at 10 stories high. Just a funny observation

[MonctonRad]

I just noticed something interesting on the "bird's-eye" views above.

The townhome units facing Botsford Street are described as "work/live townhouses." I presume that they are designed to accommodate small "in home" businesses, perhaps professional offices or something along those lines, where you live in one portion of the unit, but see clients in another portion.

If so, this is an interesting concept. The other townhome units seem to be standard townhouses.

[JHikka]

Bleh. This would be far better with street-fronted retail on either Wesley or Botsford or both. There's enough sq. footage for a couple decent store footprints.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Bleh. This would be far better with street-fronted retail on either Wesley or Botsford or both. There's enough sq. footage for a couple decent store footprints.

I rather like the townhouse podium on this building. I don't necessarily think all podiums need to have ground floor retail.

Having said this though, if we get another couple of residential towers in the downtown east end, there will be a need for new neighbourhood retail in the area, especially a pharmacy, perhaps a small urban format grocery store and convenience retailers. I'm sure other new mixed use developments in the area will have street level retail components.

[jonny golden]

I imagine the owners of Gahan House are OK with having all those potential customers living right next door!

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I rather like the townhouse podium on this building. I don't necessarily think all podiums need to have ground floor retail.

Having said this though, if we get another couple of residential towers in the downtown east end, there will be a need for new neighbourhood retail in the area, especially a pharmacy, perhaps a small urban format grocery store and convenience retailers. I'm sure other new mixed use developments in the area will have street level retail components.

Living on PEI, BUT raised in Moncton, I wonder after the pandemic how if my former city SJ, freddy, Hfx and PEI continue to grow. So my question is there enough maritime growth to sustain the bigger projects, residential housing that appears to be going on in most areas?

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by PEI highway guy

Living on PEI, BUT raised in Moncton, I wonder after the pandemic how if my former city SJ, freddy, Hfx and PEI continue to grow. So my question is there enough maritime growth to sustain the bigger projects, residential housing that appears to be going on in most areas?

Don't forget that prepandemic, all 5 cities had HOT residential markets, with very little vacancy available to them. And even through the pandemic, our economies have kept chugging along and demand if anything has INCREASED.

So at least for the next decade, we should have more than enough growth potential to support all these projects, if not more.