[Moncton] Hyatt Place Hotel | ~18M | 4 Floors | Under Construction

[MonctonRad]

Construction is imminent. All the construction trailers from the events centre next door have been removed. Trees along Main Street have been cut down. The tower crane formerly at FiveFive Queen now lies in pieces on the Hyatt construction site. They may use this in construction of the new hotel (not yet certain).

[PEI highway guy]

Be nice to see a before construction Picture to start off if someone is going by.

[MonctonRad]

I was going to take one myself, but found this one on the Retail Talk & Share Facebook page which does the topic justice.



In the foreground you can see the recently cut down trees. In the background you can see the pieces of the tower crane on the ground.

[lirette]

As much as I wish this development was 6-8 floors there is something positive about the lower height. Theres a few vantage points in the city that you can see the top of the events centre (more importantly the changing lights) and you would lose some of these vantage points if this was a 6+ floor development. For example walking up downing street.

I would not have complained if this was a taller development but thought It was worth mentioning.

If they plan on doing any type of syncing of the lights between the 2 areas they could create a cool effect.

[OUIR@random]

Did they really need to cut down those large mature trees? I don't think it was necessary.

[lirette]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

Did they really need to cut down those large mature trees? I don't think it was necessary.

This is what the city posted on FB

"If you have noticed a few trees being removed along a small portion of Main Street, we want to provide clarification. The trees were located on private property in an area set to be redeveloped as part of the revitalization of our downtown. Once the construction of the new building is complete, new sidewalks will be installed and new trees will be planted in this section of Main Street. The new trees will be on City property and will match the current landscape in our downtown."

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

Did they really need to cut down those large mature trees? I don't think it was necessary.

Unfortunately the trees had to go. The new hotel will extend right to the property line along the sidewalk, and there will be some retail frontage along the Main Street side of the hotel.(AFAIK).

I am saddened as much as anyone else that the trees had to be sacrificed, but in this case I think it is for the greater good, especially since the city intends to replace the trees when they rebuild the sidewalk in front of the hotel after construction is complete. Consider it an extension of the pre-existing urban streetscape along Main Street.

[ElevatorGuy]

I don’t want to poo poo development downtown but this one just doesn’t feel right. It feels rushed and poorly planned out. I even doubt the final product will look as good as the renders seen in this thread. I don’t really have much to base those statements on but it’s the feeling I get?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by ElevatorGuy

I don’t want to poo poo development downtown but this one just doesn’t feel right. It feels rushed and poorly planned out. I even doubt the final product will look as good as the renders seen in this thread. I don’t really have much to base those statements on but it’s the feeling I get?

On the contrary, I believe this will be a development of the highest quality (Hyatt would not have lent their name to this hotel project otherwise). I expect this to be much like the Marriott Residence Inn on the other side of downtown (just a bit shorter). This will be a great vote of confidence in the downtown core. I wish it were double the size (like most people here do), but it is what it is and I wish them well.

The retail frontage on Main Street will be most welcome and I await eagerly the announcement of the branding of the included signature restaurant (Milestones, Baton Rouge, Bier Markt etc).

[ElevatorGuy]

The Hotel being a Hyatt really has nothing to do with the quality of the building. Hotels now adays are built by private developers then leased to the highest bidder for a certain time periods. The Hyatt obviously wants into our market and has naming rights. They also now can add some personal touches to the project. I really am pulling for this project but the absense of a parking garage or parking structure and so much surface parking leaves it feeling very suburban. I just can’t get behind a new downtown hotel with all surface parking. We have enough of that!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by ElevatorGuy

I really am pulling for this project but the absense of a parking garage or parking structure and so much surface parking leaves it feeling very suburban. I just can’t get behind a new downtown hotel with all surface parking. We have enough of that!

Far be it for me to defend surface parking in the core but the parking lot for the Hyatt will be completely hidden behind the hotel, and will occupy land (next to the railway tracks) that would never otherwise be developed (due to inaccessibility). For these reasons, in this particular location, the surface parking lot doesn't bother me much.

By avoiding a parking garage, the developers are likely saving a million bucks or so, but that doesn't mean the building itself will be of poor quality. Again, I have high hopes that this will be a quality project that will do justice to the ongoing redevelopment of the downtown core.

My one time endorsement for the surface parking lot for the Hyatt should not be misconstrued as a blanket justification for surface parking elsewhere in the downtown. We have too much surface parking, especially since most of it is in private bootable lots sucking the oxygen out of the downtown. The vast majority of the private bootable lots should be redeveloped for commercial and residential purposes, as well as for several multilevel parking structures. My feelings on this are well known and have not changed.

The occasional surface lot however, especially if hidden from view, will do no harm to the core however.

[lirette]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Far be it for me to defend surface parking in the core but the parking lot for the Hyatt will be completely hidden behind the hotel, and will occupy land (next to the railway tracks) that would never otherwise be developed (due to inaccessibility). For these reasons, in this particular location, the surface parking lot doesn't bother me much.

By avoiding a parking garage, the developers are likely saving a million bucks or so, but that doesn't mean the building itself will be of poor quality. Again, I have high hopes that this will be a quality project that will do justice to the ongoing redevelopment of the downtown core.

My one time endorsement for the surface parking lot for the Hyatt should not be misconstrued as a blanket justification for surface parking elsewhere in the downtown. We have too much surface parking, especially since most of it is in private bootable lots sucking the oxygen out of the downtown. The vast majority of the private bootable lots should be redeveloped for commercial and residential purposes, as well as for several multilevel parking structures. My feelings on this are well known and have not changed.

The occasional surface lot however, especially if hidden from view, will do no harm to the core however.

I agree with you & do not see this building as looking too suburban for the downtown core. The lower height means more width & length which fills that gap from the subway to the events centre. That walk right now is not appealing to most Monctonians, the area feels "unsafe" to people. Mostly this is fictionally in their minds, but put some shops, some modern lighting (like at the events centre) and tie that together with the plaza & suddenly this is one of the most vibrant areas of Moncton.

Also on the Crowne Plaza..I personally think its one of the ugliest buildings in Moncton. I love the sizing but it has aged poorly. New windows, paint, lighting and signage would go a long way though.

[HanSoloCup]

The word I'm hearing for the restaurant is Baton Rouge.

[PEI highway guy]

Originally Posted by HanSoloCup

The word I'm hearing for the restaurant is Baton Rouge.

I have eaten at the Baton Rouge in Ottawa, It is a very nice spot. I would rate the chain a step up from the Keg (my opinion only).

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by HanSoloCup

The word I'm hearing for the restaurant is Baton Rouge.

I hope you're correct. Very high class place. It would be a credit to the downtown culinary scene. A true destination restaurant.

https://www.batonrouge.ca/en/

Are your sources reliable????

[OUIR@random]

As for the Crowne Plaza, it is not that bad looking, not exactly good looking but at least it's size and height is much more fitting in a downtown setting that the proposed Hyatt which is fairly cookie cutter and too small and too low for a downtown setting. It looks like something that belongs in a big box area or near an airport. Google Hyatt Place images and you will see.

BTW ElevatorGuy is spot on with its comments!

I think the City of Moncton decided to jump the gun too quickly, they should've asked for a more urban proposal. Height, size and long term focus to have a really fitting development. This was a prime spot for the future, such a missed opportunity. Also Hyatt Place is similar to a Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express in term of quality and hotel class, this should've been a full service hotel; Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton or Hyatt Regency with a couple hundred rooms, something at least as large as the Delta Beauséjour.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

Hyatt Place is similar to a Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express in term of quality and hotel class, this should've been a full service hotel; Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton or Hyatt Regency with a couple hundred rooms, something at least as large as the Delta Beauséjour.

I don't disagree with you that Hyatt Place is not a "full service" hotel, but I do think it is a step above a Holiday Inn Express or Fairfield Inn. If there is such a think as a "luxury tourist class hotel", I think this would fit the description of a Hyatt Place.

[OUIR@random]

I know what you mean, I'm just saying that they should've went with a full service hotel of a larger scale for this project so it would've been the "official" hotel of the new Events Centre; from all the literature online, Hyatt Place is clearly a select service mid-level property. Hotels that offer free breakfast always have a less refined feel to them than a full service hotel and are more cookie-cutter. Hyatt Place is a fine establishment in its own right, however I just feel that it was not meant to be the "central" hotel for this whole project. The future plans for this parcel were much more "grand" just a couple of months ago... or at least its vision for the future.

[HanSoloCup]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I hope you're correct. Very high class place. It would be a credit to the downtown culinary scene. A true destination restaurant.

https://www.batonrouge.ca/en/

Are your sources reliable????

I believe my source is good/reliable. People I know were talking to someone they knew (reliable) who had been talking to the people in charge at Cory Craig responsible for the Hotel and that is what they told him.

Sorry it sounds so vague, and anything could change until we actually see the restaurant but the source my source got their info from is not just anyone off the street.

I hope this helps.

[Monctoncore]

One thing people tend to forget is that, height is not what defines a downtown, it’s density. We may dislike this now, but when it’s finished we may end up loving it. Personally for me I would prefer to live in a city with density over a city with just height.. we just have to look at old pictures of Houston and see all the height, but parking lots galore. As for the crowne plaza, the height is great, but the outside is dated especially the lower half with the store fronts, I find it doesn’t come across as welcoming.