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Saint John Developments

54K views 102 replies 19 participants last post by  stingu 
#1 · (Edited)
SUMMARY
as of August 21, 2008​
UNDER CONSTRUCTION

South End Community Police Station | South | 2 Floors
Cyr Holdings Hotel (Unnamed) | Central/North | 9 Floors
UNB University Commons | North | 3 Floors
Bayside Middle School Expansion | East | 2 Floors
Luxury Offices | East | 4 Floors
Centennial Pontiac Renovation | East | 2 Floors
Cruise Ship Welcome Centre | Uptown | 2 Floors
Woodhollow Park | East | 2x4 Floors
Centrebeam | Uptown | 4-5 Floors
Eastpoint Shopping | East | 1 Floor Multiple
Saint John Transit HQ | East | 1 Floor
TD Centre Expansion | East | 2 Floors
Somerset Square | North | 2 Floors
SJRH ER Expansion | North | ?
SJ Non-Profit Housing | North | ?
Millidge Avenue Condos | North | 2x3 Floors
Lancaster Mall Upgrade | West | 1 Floor
Shopper's Drug Mart | West | 1 Floor
Royal Bank | Quispamsis | 1 Floor
Lane Furniture | Quispamsis | ?
Saint John Skatepark | Uptown | Recreational
Irving-Repsol LNG Terminal | East | Industrial
Emera NG Pipeline | City | Industrial
Harbour Passage Extension | West&South | Infrastructure
Three Sister's Park | South | Infrastructure
St. Andrews Park | Uptown | Infrastructure
Red Head Road Upgrade | East | Infrastructure

APPROVED

Justice Complex | Uptown | 5 Floors
Canada Games Stadium Renovation | North | Recreational
Harbourfront at Three Sisters Condo | South | 7&9 Floors
Fort Dufferin Condos | West | 3x12 Floors
Coast Guard Site Redevelopment | Uptown | 3x~12 Floors
Q-Plex | Quispamsis | 2 Floors
Plaza BG | West | 1 Floor
Princess Elizabeth School | North | 3-4 Floors
SJ Sewage Treatment Facilities | City | Infrastructure
One Mile Interchange | East | Infrastructure
Sims Corner Redesign | West | Infrastructure

PROPOSED

Market Square Expansion | Uptown | 5 Floors
KV French School | KV | ?
Irving Oil World HQ | Uptown | 5 Floors
Saint John Police HQ | Uptown | 3 Floors
North of Union Parking Garage | Uptown | 6-7 Floors
Mountain View Condos | East | 5 Floors
Charlotte @ Duke Apartments | South | 5 Floors
SJ Lexus | East | 1-2
Costco | East | 1 Floor
Seniors Complex | Quispamsis | ?
Irving Oil 2nd Refinery | East | Industrial
PLGS 2nd Reactor | Point Lepreau | Industrial
SJ Airport Terminal Expansion | East | Infrastructure
Pugsley Park | Uptown | Infrastructure
SJ Water Treatment Facilities | City | Infrastructure
Marsh Creek Restoration Initiative | East | Infrastructure

COMPLETED

Leinster Court | Uptown | 4 Floors
Saint John Theatre Company | Uptown | 3 Floors
Robertson's Wharf Condos | Uptown | 4 Floors
Hampton Inn | East | 4 Floors
Best Western | East | 4 Floors
Strescon HQ | East | 1 Floor
Saint John Energy HQ | West | 3 Floors
CRA Office | East | 2 Floors
Montanas Restaurant | East | 1 Floor
Dobson Chrysler | East | 2 Floors
AECL Retubing Plant |East | 1-2 Floors
Rockwood Park Building | North | ~3 Floors
Irving Walboard Plant | East | Industrial
Redhead Secondary Access Road | East | Infrastructure

I'm probably forgetting some things...please let me know of you have any developments to add or corrections to make to this list.

PHOTOS

 
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1
#32 ·
Port City on radar for Costco

Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday September 29th, 2007
Appeared on page B1

SAINT JOHN - Greater Saint John is on Costco's radar, says a spokesman.

"I can tell you that there are several markets in Atlantic Canada that are of interest to us," said Ron Damiani, who is based at the head office in Ottawa.

Greater Saint John is among them, he confirmed.

Costco usually requires a marketplace of between 200,000 and 250,000 to set up shop, he said.

"Beyond that, I really cannot comment."

Costco has a strict policy against commenting on any eventualities in any marketplace, explained Damiani. "We never comment until a deal is done; until the dirt is bought.

"You can imagine if I open my mouth or someone opens his or her mouth that the value of properties increases and it's not to our advantage to comment. That's just basic real estate 101.

"Conversely, there are often times in marketplaces, and I'm not saying that's the case in Saint John, where we get calls from reporters because there are speculators out there trying to increase the value of their properties and they start throwing out names of big corporations.

"We will comment if and when there's going to be a deal in place. We will not comment on if and when or how we are working on a deal."

There have been rumblings about Costco coming to the region for more than a year now. And speculation seems to be growing following two recent retail announcements on the city's East Side and several major developments in the energy sector on the horizon, including the LNG terminal and possibility of a second oil refinery.

Mayor Norm McFarlane, who has been trying to woo the members-only warehouse store to the Port City, has said he'd like to be able to make an announcement before the end of the year.

New retailers can play a key role in helping make Saint John the community of choice in Atlantic Canada, he has said. And Costco is among the ones he's most often asked about by citizens.

JP Burnier, warehouse manager of the Costco in Moncton, believes it will happen. It's just a question of when.

"It's definitely a city we're looking very seriously at," he said, noting company officials have visited Saint John "a number of times.

"We will be in Saint John at one point or another. I certainly don't know (when), but I think it will happen in the future.

"At this point, nobody, and I really believe, nobody knows what the date's going to be."

Indigo Books & Music Inc. announced earlier this month it will open an 18,000-square-foot store on Fashion Drive, adjacent to the soon-to-be completed Hampton Inn at East Point Shopping.

Indigo, Canada's largest book retailer, operates more than 240 stores from coast to coast under the names Indigo, Chapters, The World's Biggest Bookstore and Coles.

It expects to open the new Saint John location by late spring.

Meanwhile, American coffee giant Starbucks announced it will open its first stand-alone retail outlet in New Brunswick at East Point Shopping.

Troy Northrup, lead Horizon Management developer of East Point, declined to comment Friday on rumours about Costco coming.

He did say, however, that he hopes to make between two and five more announcements before Christmas.

East Point has developed about half of the 80 acres it has available.

Speculation about other possible locations for a Costco have included a Fairville Boulevard site in West Saint John, where the Saint John Transit headquarters currently stands, and a parcel of land on Millennium Drive that Rothesay council refused to rezone to allow for a Wal-Mart.

Costco has more than 500 locations worldwide.
 
#33 ·
SAINT JOHN RANKS 1ST in COUNTRY AGAIN IN DOMESTIC GROWTH

18 September 2007

A national report released earlier this week by Transport Canada ranks Saint John Airport as having the highest year-over-year domestic growth of all airports across the country for the month of July. The Airport posted 46.8% growth in domestic passengers over July 2006, setting a new all-time, one-month local record.

The report states that year-to-date growth at 25.8%, leads all airports in the Atlantic region, with Charlottetown ranked second in the region at 12.0%, and ranks second in the country year-to-date, after Fort McMurray.

Earlier this week the Airport announced that they have posted even better numbers for the month of August, breaking the July record with a count at a staggering 45.1% higher than last August. This brings the year-to-date total to 27.9% over the first eight months of 2006. The national report for August has not yet been released.

Officials at the Airport report that the growth can be attributed to extra summer flights offered by Air Canada, as well as the start-up of WestJet daily direct service to Toronto, and introduction of seasonal flights this past spring by SunWing Vacations to Punta Cana and Cancun.

WestJet Airlines recently announced that they will be staying year-round, as a result of the strong support they have seen for the summer flights.

http://www.saintjohnairport.com/

=======================================================

‘BEST’ OF ALL WORLDS
Expansion Transmission line to pay for itself, as province readies to become energy centre

DANIEL MCHARDIE
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page a1

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick System Operator says a surge in bids to use the second international power line from New Brunswick to Maine could act as a catalyst to new electricity transmission projects in New England.

The new power line will start sending electricity across the border in December.

When the province's system operator called for reservations, six different companies put in bids for 793 megawatts, well above the 300 megawatts that the line can carry.

"It sends a signal to New England that there is an interest in Canada in exporting power to meet New England needs.

Hopefully that will drive a greater interest in Maine to get the transmission south of Bangor built," said Bill Marshall, president and chief executive officer of the system operator.

"It reinforces the government's position that New Brunswick is an energy hub. There is an interest in getting projects built here and exporting into New England." The system operator is an independent agency that administers the transmission tariff for using the province's system and it maintains the transmission reliability and co-ordinates system planning.

Hydro Quebec won the open bidding process and will now have the right to use the transmission link to the United States for the next 15 years. For that right, Hydro Quebec will be paying NB Power Transmission $9.6 million a year, which will quickly pay back the utility's $50-million investment in the project.

As well, P.E.I.'s Maritime Electric Company Limited won a 25-year transmission reservation for 30 megawatts from the United States into New Brunswick.

"The reservations from Hydro Quebec and Maritime Electric are essentially going to bring in enough money to totally pay for the line and yet we still gain value in New Brunswick,"Marshall said.

Rules governing the transmission system state that Hydro Quebec must give notice on the previous day that it plans to use that line, if that doesn't occur the capacity is up for bids. When the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station shuts down next April for its refurbishment, having the extra power line will be a huge benefit to the utility.

Michel Losier, managing director of corporate affairs for NB Power, said this new transmission capacity does open new opportunities for the company.

"What has been made clear there is definitely a market for export to the United States that was made clear in this open season process,"Losier said.

"The line is there, it provides significant benefits, it provides reliability, more efficiencies due to less line losses and the line will still be available for NB Power to use. At the same time Hydro Quebec will be paying the mortgage on the line in $9.6 million a year." The Liberal government is positioning the province as an energy hub and an electricity exporter. Part of that plan includes the feasibility study of a second nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau that would see its power shipped to the power- starved U.S. market, especially in New England and New York.

Premier Shawn Graham and Energy Minister Jack Keir have spoken about using a direct subsea connection to New England, bypassing the bottlenecks in Maine, as one option.

If that arrangement isn't followed, there are other projects on the drawing table that could help free up the power congestion that appear south of Bangor.

Among the many options, there is a transmission project being discussed from Orrington, Maine, to Wiscasset, Maine, and a separate proposed line from Wiscasset to south Boston. Those two proposed lines would see new opportunities created for New Brunswick to ship its power into the desired markets.

Keir called the Hydro Quebec bid the "best of both worlds" because NB Power can still take advantage of the new line and another utility is paying the bill. Like Marshall, Keir said he believes the interest in the second power line will spur on transmission projects in Maine.

"That would give a tremendous increase of delivery capability out of New Brunswick and access into the market,"Marshall said of those projects going forward.

==========================================================

Lepreau II - Bring it on
Energy New poll shows almost three in four Saint John residents are in favour of adding a second nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau

John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page C1

SAINT JOHN - Almost three quarters of people in Saint John support the construction of a second nuclear reactor, according to a new poll.

Corporate Research Associates says 73 per cent of Saint Johners support a second reactor in New Brunswick, while support in Saint John's bedroom communities was almost equally strong, at 71 per cent.

"It's a pretty strong majority on an issue that has been extremely controversial in the past," said Don Mills, president and co-founder of the polling company.

The survey results come as the provincial government, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and Team Candu conduct a $2.5-million feasibility study that could lead to a 1,100-megawatt reactor being built next to the existing Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station. If built, it could be Canada's first new nuclear reactor since 1993.

The poll, done independently by Mills' company between Sept. 6 and Sept. 19, was based on a sample of 400 adult residents. A sample that size would be expected to be accurate within 4.9 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.

Mills noted that a similar, New Brunswick-wide survey done in 2003 showed less support, with slightly over half of provincial residents behind the idea.

Energy Minister Jack Keir said Monday that people in Saint John are no doubt more likely to realize the economic spinoffs of a second reactor; he noted that the previous provincial government received a warm reaction when the refurbishment of the existing reactor was announced.

Keir said the results were "perfect" and that the majority of people he has spoken with have bought into the concept of Saint John as the region's energy hub, complete with an energy corridor to the Northeastern United States. "I think [the public] see all these pieces of that puzzle," he said.

Keir said people not completely on board - 44 per cent "mostly support" the project compared to 29 per cent who "completely support" it - are probably concerned about nuclear waste, which he said is a legitimate concern. He noted in a recent interview that the current reactor is prepared for at least the next 30 years of waste.

Mayor Norm McFarlane was pleased to hear the survey numbers.

"That's another showing that the energy hub is real and it's moving forward when people are supporting these things," he said.

The question was, "All things considered, would you personally completely support, mostly support, mostly oppose, or completely oppose a second nuclear reactor being built in New Brunswick?"

According to a Corporate Research Associates news release, the support for a second reactor rises as education levels increase, with those who have completed post-secondary education the mostly likely to support a second reactor (79 per cent).

The support also increases with income. Eighty one per cent of people earning more than $75,000 a year support the project, compared to 66 per cent of Saint Johners who make less than $50,000 a year.

Seven per cent of Saint Johners "completely oppose" a second reactor in New Brunswick, while 17 per cent "mostly oppose" it.

The remaining three per cent said they didn't know or didn't answer the question.
 
#34 ·
Port, city will study possibility of becoming trade corridor

Mike Mullen
Telegraph-Journal
Published Thursday October 4th, 2007
Appeared on page C6

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Port Authority, in cooperation with the City of Saint John, will undertake a Southern Brunswick Gateway study as a means positioning the area as vital trade corridor.

A gateway is a system of marine, road, rail and air transportation infrastructure that has national importance to global trade.

Consultant Paul Ouiment, executive vice-president of InterVISTAS Consulting Inc., has been engaged by the Port Authority to guide the organization through a planning and research phase that will lead to the formation of a Southern New Brunswick Gateway Council.

InterVISTAS is considered an expert on Canadian gateways, having worked closely with gateway councils in Vancouver, Halifax and southern Ontario.

It will begin preliminary consultations in southern New Brunswick from Tuesday to Friday of next week.

"The southern New Brunswick region - with its border crossing, strong port, airport and rail systems is ideally situated to benefit from increased international trade," Saint John mayor Norm McFarlane said in a Port Authority news release announcing the initiative."By creating a Southern Brunswick Gateway, we are increasing our ability to market this potential to trading partners globally, an make a better case for federal investment in infrastructure."

The gateway initiative came out of a meeting the mayor called to discuss transportation in Greater Saint John.

In addition to the mayor, Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, Saint John MP Paul Zed and Fundy Royal MP Rob Moore, the study involves industry, the Port Authority, the Harbour Bridge Authority, the Saint John Transit Commission, the Saint John Parking Commission, the Saint John Airport Authority and the New Brunswick Department of Transportation.

Capt. Al Soppitt, president and CEO of the Port Authority, said the Port of Saint John is Atlantic Canada's "most diverse marine gateway and one of the largest ports for cargo throughout the nation.

"While the port's priamry cargo is bulk commodities, it is also a container port and is a major cruise port in Atlantic Canada," he added. "The port is poised for future growth, with projected increases in bulk cargo, opening of the LNG terminal, expansion of postash (shipments) and increases in cruise, and with partners in positioning itself in the proposed Atlantic Gatetway aimed at increasing international trade through Canada's east coast."

McFarlane said the Southern New Brunswick Gateway will help strengthen Canada's competitive position in international commerce. "By marketing our facilities, we will gain critical mass that wil reduce costs, and open new opportunities for other trade and tourism," he said.

He said jobs, increased taxes and a stimulation of regional business are just a few of the potential benefits.

Zed said he was pleased to be a participant in the gateway study group.

"We have proved time and again that by working together as a team, we are able to accomplish great things," he said. "The previous and current federal governments have supported gateway initiatives in other parts of Canada, and I am confident that by working together we will be able to put forward a compelling case for the creation of a Southern New Brunswick Gateway."
 
#35 ·
New office project

2 Stonegate Drive, Saint John, NB



Prestigious new office premises under construction in The Highlands of Drury Cove Business Park on the banks of the Kennebecasis River. Class “A” office space featuring high end executive style offices. Air conditioning, security system, indoor & outdoor surface parking. Office finishes to suit tenant. Unit 1 boasts 10,000 -13,000 square feet of ground floor space featuring water front location with spectacular view. Unit 2 is 5,500 sq ft. (overlooking the cove). Spaces can be combined for a total square footage of 18,500 square feet. Lease rates starting at $24.00 per square foot gross Drury Cove is Greater Saint John’s newest and most prestigious Developments. Only 10 minutes from Uptown Saint John. The Park includes; executive homes and condominiums, walking trails, and dock access for boaters.
 
#36 ·
Daring to dream big
Growth From heritage to high-rise housing developments, Saint John has major choices to make about the future of its city centre

John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Monday October 8th, 2007
Appeared on page C1

It's one of the most architecturally precious neighbourhoods in Canada, one of its oldest, and also one of its poorest.

It's this city's centre - from the tip of the South End to the throughway - and for the first time in recent memory it's starting to show signs of growth. Now there is just one not-so-simple question for the city's leadership and the public they serve: What do you want to do with it?

"There should be some debate on it," said Jim Baird, the city's commissioner of planning and development. "What do people want their community to look like?"

Baird, who spoke at length with the Telegraph-Journal in two recent interviews, says it's time for the public and common council to make some big choices about the future of the south-central peninsula. Should the city focus entirely on low-level infill, or should it be open to high-rise buildings that could change the character of the neighbourhood? What role should heritage play? How can the city use its existing buildings to their full potential? Where does affordable housing fit? And how does Saint John ensure that enough people are coming uptown in the first place?

At stake is the city's continued success during and after any economic boom: leaders argue that a strong, vibrant core benefits the city as a whole, improves tourism, and lessens the need for new infrastructure.

That's why the City of Saint John and its offshoots are dreaming big: the economic development agency Uptown Saint John Inc. hopes for 600 or more new people in the next three years, and over the long-term as many as 2,000 more residents. The city's inner harbour land use plan predicts a need for 500,000 more square feet of residential space. And Coun. Stephen Chase says 1,000 new units should be built in the city centre in the next five years.

"Could it happen?" Baird said of Chase's comments. "You could have 1,000 units, but if you did you'd be redeveloping the southern peninsula, and into something most Saint Johners wouldn't recognize."

He said that if the city focused entirely on in-fill, and didn't build any high-rises of eight stories, 500 units would be more likely.

Baird says discussing the core's future helps on three levels:

* It means council won't be coming at the issue cold the next time they're faced with an uptown development;

* It means the public will have a say in their uptown's future; and

* It means developers will know what they're getting into when they consider building.

Any plan put in place will have more relevance than normal for the simple reason that there is more construction going on in the city than normal, Baird said. He guesses that the council elected in 2008 will face twice as many public hearings as normal, and involving bigger projects, too.

Developers interested in large projects uptown used to get in touch with his department once every two years or so, he said. Now it happens about once a month.

"We're starting to see [construction] proposals come forward," said Baird, who has been a planner with the city for 28 years. "For many years, we could have the debate, but it was an academic debate because you didn't have the proposals of that magnitude."

Several other factors hint at an uptown that is on the verge of growth:

* After a more or less steady decline in population uptown over the last 150 years, the population stabilized and even grew a little in the 2006 census. The census area has changed slightly, but Peter Asimakos of Uptown Saint John Inc. says it looks like the population grew from about 8,100 people in 2001 to between 8,200 and 8,300 now.

* Real estate agent Jason Stephen pointed to the increased number of sales in the south-central peninsula over the last four years. There have been 67 sales so far this year, compared to 60 during the same time period last year, 52 in 2005 and 47 in 2004.

"There's not enough supply out there for demand," Stephen said. "More people would be buying homes on Germain Street if they were there."

* Leinster Court, the new Saint John Non-Profit Housing Inc. building uptown, isn't open yet, but there have already been "30 to 50" people interested in the 26 market-rate apartments, according to Non-Profit's management. (The 26 affordable housing units are already spoken for - no surprise given a waiting list into the hundreds.)

Uptown development was on the minds of several councillors recently as they toured Leinster Court, touted as a perfect example of the low-level in-fill that is one option for the South End. The uptown four-storey building went through a lengthy approval process because neighbours were worried it would affect the character of the streetscape, but councillors Stephen Chase, Ivan Court and Peter McGuire touted the building during the tour as a necessary addition to the uptown.

If more apartment buildings are built in the core, movie theatres and grocery stores will return as the population increases, both Court and Chase said.

The public will get its say about how the plan should unfold this winter. The city plans to consult with the community and merge three of its plans - the uptown plan, the peninsula neighbourhood plan, and the waterfront plan.

Through consultation with the community, the plan sets guidelines for the location and promotion of such things as green space and in-fill housing, as well as commercial, institutional, and port development. Baird wants the plan to be updated during the winter, before his retirement in May.

Whatever the public and council ultimately decide, one thing is for certain - they've got lots of space to play with. In March 2005, then-Uptown Saint John president Mike McGraw said there were "well over" 20 sites suitable for apartment buildings or condo projects and more than a dozen sites for single-family homes. Baird says little has changed since then.

If an urban plan is in place, the heated discussion about the next building like Leinster Court will start one step ahead, Baird said.

"Having a plan provides the context for the debate that will happen."

 
#37 ·
Strescon begins construction on new headquarters
October 09, 2007

Saint John - Saint John will soon be home to new corporate headquarters.

Strescon will be turning the sod on their new office building on Ashburn Lake Road this morning.

The company, which employs close to 250 Saint Johner's, says the building will be an impressive, one-of-a-kind showpiece.

A number of local politicians will be on hand, including M-P Paul Zed, M-L-A Roly Macintyre and Mayor Norm McFarlane.

Construction is expected to be complete next spring.

http://www.fcc-engineering.com/news.aspx
 
#38 ·
Maternity, baby boutique will be unique

Erin Dwyer
Developments
Published Tuesday October 23rd, 2007
Appeared on page C5

When Jenny Scott was pregnant with her daughter Emmerson, now two, she couldn't find the unique stroller, cloth diapers or the stylish maternity clothes she was looking for.

So the owner of Ambiance Day Spa was forced to go shopping outside the city and sometimes outside the province.

"There wasn't really anything uptown for maternity," she said. "And for unique strollers, furniture and high chairs, there really wasn't a lot of options. It was all the same."

After Emmerson was born, Scott would take her for walks in the unique stroller she purchased. When she walked through the City Market, people would stop and comment about her baby's wheels. For Scott, it was just more evidence that a maternity and baby boutique was needed in the uptown.

"Things that we had, people were loving and so I decided it would go well and it was needed. There is currently no maternity store in Saint John, which blows my mind."

But Scott was busy with her other business. So it wasn't until she was pregnant with her son Clinton, now eight months, that she decided to take action. She put together a business plan, went to Las Vegas to a trade show for juvenile and maternity products, and this summer decided to go full steam ahead to open Stylin Mama, Baby & Tots Inc.

The 140-square-metre location on the second level of Market Square is now under construction, but Scott hopes it will be open by the first week of December. Then, customers will be able to find a whole range of products that they've likely never seen before.

"I'm looking for unique things," Scott said. "I'm trying to find things that aren't already in Saint John or not even in New Brunswick in some cases.

"I don't want to carry what Sears and Toys 'R' Us already have. I want to be different. I want to be a boutique. I want to be family run."

The store will carry such lines as the Britax car seats, which have the highest industry safety rating; Baby Bjorn; Phil&Ted; Mountain Buggy; KidCo safety gates; Haba wooden toys from Germany; Stokke adaptable high chair; Fleurville diaper bags, which were featured on Oprah; Bravado! and Glamourmom nursing tank tops; Hooter Hiders nursing gear; and several maternity and baby clothing lines and toys.

Some of the merchandise will be on display during Market Square's fashion show Wednesday.

"I think Saint John needs a store like this and is ready for one," Scott said.


Print Three joins 'powerhouse'

One of Canada's largest owner-operated printing networks is setting up the first of its 10 new Maritime stores in Saint John.

And Jack Liu, the general manager for the new Print Three store on the third level of Brunswick Square, said the Port City was chosen because of its economic development.

"It looks like Saint John is a kind of powerhouse," he said. "We see a lot of potential here."

Print Three offers digital printing and web-to-print services aimed at small and medium businesses. The 30-year-old Toronto-based company has 67 stores across Canada - the closest one being in St. John's, N.L. By 2010, the company is hoping to grow to 100 locations.

With a master franchise agreement for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Liu plans to open 10 stores in the next three years, including ones in Fredericton, Moncton and Halifax. The Province of New Brunswick has also approved his business to be part of the province's nominee program to help new immigrants secure work in the province.

The Brunswick Square store is set to open Oct. 30.


Building boom creates need for rooms in Saint John

CBC News

Hotel managers in Saint John say the influx of construction workers for ongoing energy projects in New Brunswick is giving the hospitality industry a much-needed shot in the arm.

Steve Savoy, owner of Earle of Leinster B&B in the uptown area of Saint John, said rooms in the city are becoming hard to find and that's causing prices to inflate, which is good for the industry.

"Five bed and breakfasts have closed in the uptown area in the last three or four years," Savoy said. "The business hasn't been there. It's just a matter of putting the prices up and that will force more people into the business."

Savoy said his own bed and breakfast is booked through the winter.

Room prices in uptown Saint John tend to be higher than rates on the east side of the city. Savoy said a strong rate base for rooms will encourage more hotels and bed and breakfasts to open.

"Having a strong rate base for your rooms in the city will only make these accommodations affordable to be operated and to be opened," Savoy said. "A weak economy or a weak room base rate makes it very hard for people to open up."

Paulette Hicks, manager of the Delta Brunswick hotel and member of the Saint John Hotel Association, agrees that the high demand for accommodation is helping the local industry.

"We want to see both new builds and organic growth," Hicks said. "Certainly Delta Brunswick has been designed to add a floor to it and our owners are certainly interested in seeing where that forecast will go to make that investment."

Hicks said three new hotels are being built in Saint John, adding more than 100 rooms to the fully booked city. Hicks said if people continue arriving in Saint John for work, she expects to see more hotels spring up.

The construction projects are related to the booming North American liquid natural gas (LNG) market.

One major project is a LNG receiving and regasification terminal, being built by Irving Oil and Repsol YPF.

The second major project is a $350 million pipeline from that terminal to distribute the gas to markets in Canada and the U.S. Both projects are expected to be completed by 2008.

The construction boom has already given the housing market in Saint John a boost.

Numbers released by the Saint John Real Estate Board for August 2007 showed a 46 per cent jump in the average value of residential properties over August 2006.
 
#39 ·
A new way to Red Head
Road: No taxpayers' money used to build $10-million project

Telegraph-Journal
Published Thursday October 25th, 2007
Appeared on page C1
SAINT JOHN - The new secondary access road to Red Head cost as much to build as the city typically spends on all road projects combined in one year - about $10 million.

"And just imagine," Mayor Norm McFarlane said of the project at its official opening Wednesday. "Not one cent of taxpayers' money."

The seven-kilometre road was built by Canaport LNG - a partnership between Irving Oil and the Spanish company Repsol YPF - and then donated to the city. The road provides the company with access to its liquefied natural gas terminal, which is now under construction; the municipality with a road it could not afford; and residents along the Red Head Road with a reprieve from heavy truck traffic.

McFarlane, speaking to about 60 people outside Red Head Road United Church, called the road a "significant gift" and said it was the largest road project completed in the city in 20 years.

The road starts where Bayside Drive meets Old Black River Road and heads in the direction of Canaport before turning sharply right and connecting with the Red Head Road near the United church. For Irving Oil, a private road continues straight onward to the Canaport entrance.

The main section of the road is now known as an extension of Bayside Drive, while the road that connects the new road with the Red Head Road has been named Hewitt Road.

The City of Saint John had looked at building a new road into the Red Head area since 1995 because erosion threatens the area's only access road. The Red Head Road had been the only way in or out for the 700 or so people who live there.

McFarlane said common council has been quick to embrace new ways of doing business, and compared this partnership with the Retail Drive construction in the East Side shopping district, which was built in a collaboration between the city and developer Troy Northrup, the man behind the East Point Shopping complex.

Construction of the Red Head project began in April 2006, and was completely finished in August, although Canaport-bound trucks began using the road as early as mid-December.

The city made deals with 11 property owners for various pieces of land needed for the road, and expropriated land from six other property owners who refused to settle.

The route offers expansive views of the Bay of Fundy and the city, with a vista stretching from the Irving Oil Refinery all the way to the smokestacks at Coleson Cove.

Gary Bischof, general manager of processing and transportation at Irving Oil, thanked Red Head residents for their patience.

"Probably for the residents who live along the road, this new road couldn't come soon enough," he said.
 
#40 ·
Misc CHSJ Stuff

[details Of New Arena Unveiled]
Oct.26th/2007/10:44am:

Chsj News Has Obtained Preliminary Details For The New Wellness Center To Be Constructed In Quispamsis. The Estimated $16 Million Dollar Facility Includes An Nhl Size Arena And Out-door Pool Which Will Includes Six Junior Olympic Sized Lanes With Capacity For 450 Swimmers. There Will Be A Trade And Convention Center Component With A 5000 Square Feet Multi-purpose Room, An Elevated Walking Track Consisting Of Three Lanes, Each Four Feet Wide And A Re-constructed Soccer Field With Artificial Turf And Lights.

The Town Is Making Various Applications To Help Fund The Center With One Being To The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. A Letter Has Been Distributed To Members Of The K.v. Chamber Of Commerce Asking Them To Put On Paper A Few Remarks About The Benefits Of Such A Set-up As Part Of The Acoa Criteria.


[valley Nursing Complex In Home Stretch]
Oct25/07 1:32pm

Work On The New Kingsway Valley Care Center Along The Gondola Point Arterial Is Now Into The Home Stretch.
Board Member Mike Brennan Tells Chsj News, Construction Of The Building Is Expected To Finish Up On The 21st Of December.
Brennan Says The Biggest Part Of The Process Is Underway Right Now As They Look To Hire Staff So They Can Be Trained Which They Hope To Have Finished By The End Of Next Month Of The First Of December.

[rec Committee Still Working]
Oct25/07 1:32pm

It’s Been Awhile Since We Told You Where Things Stand With A New Arena Or Sports Complex For Saint John But Today We Have An Update.
Chair Of The Multi-plex Task Force Bob Manning Tells Chsj News, They Have Been Working Closely With City Officials To Decide Where They Want To Take The Next Phase.
Manning Says It’s Important They Take A Close Look At The Recreational Commitments That Have Been Made In The Kennebecasis Valley And Re-assess Where They Are Before Making A Final Committment.


[irving Refinery]
Oct25/07/4:21pm

Irving Oil Is Continuing Its Search For A Partner To Build A Second Oil Refinery In Saint John. General Manager Of Processing And Transportation, Gary Bishoff Tells Chsj News The Project Is Attracting A Lot Of Attention.

Bishoff Says He Hopes To Announce A Potential Partner Soon. In The Meantime, Irving Oil Is Also Working On Permits, And Engineering Studies.


[two Big Names In Lineup For Next Year’s Cruise Season]
Oct26/07 12:12pm

Just Days After This Year’s Cruise Ship Season Finished Up -- The Saint John Port Authority Has Announced There Are 82 Scheduled Calls Booked For 2008.
It Kicks Off On May.31st With A Return Visit Of The Bre-men Which Will Be The First Of 180,000 Passengers To Arrive In Saint John.

The Season Will Be High-lighted With A Visit From The Queen Mary Two And The Queen Elizabeth Two. Next Year Will Mark The Final Season For The Q.e.2. Because She Has Been Sold And Will Become A Floating Hotel In Dubai.
Next Years Cruise Season Will Also Mark A First When We Host Four Vessels On Sept.30th.
 
#41 ·
A Clean Start
Sewage: The long-awaited harbour cleanup project is underway - behind the scenes and in public view


John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday October 27th, 2007
Appeared on page B1
SAINT JOHN - Like the harbour sewage it will one day eliminate, the City of Saint John's $80-million harbour cleanup project is not apparent much of the time, but it's there all the same.

Land expropriation, design work and an environmental impact assessment are well underway, along with the more obvious construction work taking place on the Red Head Road.

"I'm happy with the progress," said Paul Groody, commissioner of operations and engineering. "There's always a challenge when you take on a project this size. But our goal is still to have this completed by 2011."

The final piece of the necessary funding - $26.6 million from the federal government - was announced in March. Since then, the city has embarked on a five-year plan that was approved by common council in February.

The project, hailed by community leaders as the most important in the city's history, will see the collection and treatment of about 16 million litres of raw sewage a day - all of which currently flows directly into Saint John Harbour, contaminating the water and often filling the air with a fecal stench.

So far the only construction work is a sanitary forcemain being installed on the Red Head Road by Crandall Engineering. That pipe will eventually lead to the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Facility, which will collect and treat every drop of sewage that now hits the harbour.

The $46-million facility, which will be located off the Red Head Road near Hazen Creek, is currently going through an environmental impact assessment with the provincial Department of the Environment. Groody said the city is into the third round of questions and answers with officials.

"It will close within a month or two, that's what we're hoping," he said. "After that tenders will go out nationwide for the wastewater treatment facility. That's sort of the heart of the whole thing."

The plant will use so-called secondary level treatment. Primary treatment just sieves out any solvents, but secondary treatment uses biological agents to eat the contaminants and UV to treat the effluent before it's released. The construction is slated to take between 20 and 24 months, once ground is broken at the site.

The city's original cleanup plan spanned 10 years, but the timeline was reduced to seven years at the urging of Premier Shawn Graham. It was later cut down to five, at the suggestion of city staff.

Groody said that once the project is done the city's three treatment facilities - Eastern, Millidgeville and the Lancaster lagoon - will meet both current needs and future development.

And, for the long-term, the eastern facility will be built in a way that allows for "considerable extra capacity" if that ever becomes necessary, he said.

Next year is the most expensive in the five-year plan, with work happening on the treatment plant, on a major sewage pumping station near the Marco Polo bridge, and on another pump in the Spar Cove Road area. The Spar Cove work was supposed to happen in 2011, but the city moved its construction up because the natural gas company Brunswick Pipeline is drilling under the St. John River in the same area. It made more sense to do the work collaboratively, Groody said.

The move forced the city to reshuffle the construction order of some of the other pumps being installed throughout the city, but it didn't change the complete project's cost or the end date.

Designs are also being worked on now for pumping stations at Long Wharf and Bayside Drive.

The work so far is spread between three companies, but the work on the remaining pumping stations will all be completed by one company. A public call for the design and construction management of at least eight different locations will be advertised in the next few weeks.

"That will be a huge challenge for the industry out there and we look forward to going through that process," Groody said.

Citizens should begin noticing a difference once the wastewater treatment plant is completed, likely by the end of 2009. The lower end of Marsh Creek will run clear for the first time in recent history, and the "open sewer" near Bayside Middle School and Midland trucking will disappear.

"Once these things are done, sewage will stop flowing into those areas," Groody said.

In 2011, work will be completed on the final pumping stations at Riverview Drive, Gault Road and Indiantown, and untreated sewage will be a thing of the past in Saint John.
 
#42 ·
Details on Saint John racino expected Friday
Last Updated: Friday, November 2, 2007 | 9:29 AM AT
CBC News
Plans for a new gaming and entertainment centre in Saint John are set to be unveiled Friday, even though the New Brunswick government has yet to present its policy on racetrack casinos.

Racino venues — which combine harness racing and video lottery terminals — are part of a pending provincial policy on gaming.

The Exhibition Association of Saint John has set a news conference for 11 a.m. Friday for a centre at the Exhibition Park Raceway.

Willard Jenkins, the president of the association's board of directors, is set to show renderings of a restaurant, an agriculture and sports dome and a soccer field, as well as space that can be converted to a concert venue.

Saint John Mayor Norm McFarlane is also expected to express support for the project from the city.
 
#43 ·
‘EPR’s’ game plan
Development: Proposal includes race track, soccer pitches, hockey rinks, all rolled into one complex



SANDRA DAVIS
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Published Saturday November 3rd, 2007
Appeared on page b1

SAINT JOHN - A local group laid out a plan on Friday morning that will change the face of recreation for this generation.

That is, if the province buys into it.

The Exhibition Association wants to help build the city’s sports multiplex as part of a $20-million entertainment and sporting venue that would include a racino in combination with a two-plex ice surface, two indoor artificial-turf soccer fields, an upgraded track and grandstand, a firstclass restaurant, a combination agri-sports dome, indoor golf and walking track.

A racino is a combination race track and casino with slot machines and table games like blackjack, poker and roulette.

Bob Manning, the man in charge of a subcommittee looking to build the sportsplex, characterizes the exhibition association’s idea as“brilliant.”

“They’ve expanded a little bit to say, ‘we’ll have not only indoor soccer, but space that could be converted into an [exhibition facility] for trade shows, cattle shows, or horse shows,’ which I think is wonderful for this community,”said Manning.

“What the EPR (Exhibition Park Raceway) has done, is come forward to say ‘we’ve got a site, we’re willing to give you the land plus some financial contribution,” said Manning.

“They haven’t defined how much, but when I met with them they talked about how they would like to be partners with the city to move this forward,” said Manning.

The proposed development would do much to make Saint John a drive-in destination, rather than a drive-through city, adding to attractions like Horizon Management’s East Point Shopping development at Retail and Fashion drives, two new hotels, movie theatres and a strip of restaurants.

“We’ve always said the best location for something of this nature is on the East Side of Saint John,”said Manning.

“It fulfills an awful lot of need by putting it in the East.”

Manning first met with the exhibition association two weeks ago, at their request.

The group is the first in the province to go public with a gaming proposal; proponents are still awaiting the release of the province’s much anticipated gaming policy, which is expected to be announced within weeks. It had been slated for release in June, but was delayed.

“We recognize that the status quo is not an option,”Premier Shawn Graham told a Telegraph-Journal editorial board meeting last spring.

“We recognize that there has to be a social responsibility of government, as well, in putting in programs for addiction services as we modernize our gaming strategy,” he said at the time.

The province’s revised gaming policy is expected to outline the parameters under which gaming facilities would be able to operate in the province.

Once the policy is announced, it’s expected a call for proposals will be made with government deciding which ones to accept.

If the exhibition association’s proposal for a racino is denied, it will be the end of harness racing in Saint John, says Blair MacDonald, the exhibition association’s general manager.

But,he said,that doesn’t mean the sports multiplex is down the drain.

“It doesn’t mean everything goes,” says MacDonald.“The new exhibition building will be built anyway and we’ll have indoor soccer.”

It might however, affect the contribution the association could make towards a two-plex rink because construction funds would come from the racetrack, he said.

“We’re basically saying, ‘we have the land we can contribute and we have some financial resources to contribute.’“I think there’s a wish from the private sector to have these types of facilities, it ties into retailing and everything else that’s in the area,”said MacDonald.

The Exhibition Association plans to partner with a Quebec firm called Attractions Hippiques to run the racino, which operates all four race tracks in that province.

The association is looking for no government money for that venture.

“Our partner is prepared to raise the capital for that,”said MacDonald.

Attractions Hippiques vice-president Gerard Landry, who was in Saint John for the announcement, told the crowd his mission is to “put harness racing back on track. Exhibition Park has a nice piece of land and they’re well placed inside a nice big city. They need investors. They don’t want to take government money and this is our business.”

The half-mile track at Exhibition Park has been home to harness racing for more than 50 years.

“The exhibition association sees this as an opportunity to revitalize the state of the harness-racing industry both locally and provincially,”said Willard Jenkins, Exhibition Association board president.

“At least 75 per cent of the racing that goes on in this province happens here.”

A racino would deliver about $1-million annually in municipal and provincial property taxes, he said.

“One thing we are absolutely adamant about is we are not looking for taxpayers’ money.

We’re looking to partner with people on the racing side.”

If everything goes according to plan, the racino and sportsplex could open sometime in 2009.
 
#44 ·
^ sweet!
 
#46 ·
Irving Oil has its eye on waterfront development
Renewel Company has been encouraged to build on the harbourside
Sandra Davis
Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday November 10th, 2007
Appeared on page B3
SAINT JOHN - Irving Oil is considering building offices on the city's waterfront.

"We're no longer looking East," confirms company spokeswoman Jennifer Parker.

"We're very excited about what's happening in the uptown and seeing Saint John revitalized. We very much want to be part of that, if we can," she said.

The company has offices spread all over the city, including the Golden Ball, Brunswick Square and Loch Lomond Mall.

Irving Oil has been encouraged to build harbour-side by a number of groups, including the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership.

Parker was unable to provide detail about the scale of a development or when it might take place.

"We do have a real need for further space," she said.

Meanwhile, the Saint John Port Authority continues to look at a number of marine options for Long Wharf, says Stephen Campbell, chairman of the board.

"Long Wharf is our best facility. It's our most modern and serviced by rail, " he said, dismissing suggestions that the Port Authority is considering swapping Long Wharf with the city for the former Lantic Sugar property.

He did say there are "a number of parties talking to us right now" about uses for Long Wharf, marine and otherwise.

The Lantic Sugar site is "inferior" to Long Wharf, he said.

"It does not have wharf pier. We're not talking about equivalent properties by a long stretch."

Besides, the port actively uses Long Wharf and has recently invested in it.

"Long wharf is essentially our second cruise terminal," said Campbell.

"We're anticipating a record cruise season next year with as many as 20 ships tying up to Long Wharf simply because the Pugsley facility will be occupied as well."

Meanwhile, the Saint John Port Authority has made a request for proposals to develop a portion of the Pugsley Terminal waterfront property.

The area, known as Pugsley Park, is located on the east side of the harbour.

Proposals should enhance maritime and tourism activities, says port authority spokesman Bill Eaton, and be in keeping with the adjacent marine cruise terminal.
 
#50 ·
A ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Trade Maine construction company pitches private, unrestricted thoroughfare linking New Brunswick and Quebec
Reid Southwick
Telegraph-Journal
Published Saturday November 10th, 2007
Appeared on page A1

A construction firm in Maine has proposed a $1-billion highway connecting New Brunswick and Quebec in a bid to strengthen the region's economies with increased trade and investment.

Cianbro Corporation crews could build a private highway through Maine within the next seven years, pending regulatory and environmental approval, said Peter Vigue, company president and chief executive.

The transportation corridor would impose no weight restrictions, allowing transport trucks to haul goods throughout the region on a route that would give businesses better access to markets. The highway would shave about 250 kilometres from a trip between the New Brunswick and Quebec borders and would be accompanied by new utility and telecommunications lines, forming a corridor that would be built along existing rights-of-ways to minimize the impact on the environment. It would stretch between St. Stephen and either Woburn or Lac-Megantic, Que.

"Canadians are not our competitors - they are our partners and we have to start behaving like that," Vigue told the Telegraph-Journal editorial board on Friday. "We have to collaborate in a way that will enhance their economic situation as well as our own, and that's where we're coming from."

The proposed corridor represents an effective solution to a critical problem hampering efforts to increase trade along the eastern seaboard, said Nancy Thorne, Canadian co-chair of the Access Atlantica Northeast Trade Corridor group.

Canada and the United States place restrictions on the gross weight of transport vehicles because of the damage done to roads and highways in the spring as frost leaves the ground. Restrictions vary between jurisdictions, which can boost costs of transporting goods and limit businesses' competitive edge.

"Weight restrictions place Atlantic Canada in an extreme disadvantage to all other parts of Canada," she said. "Here is an absolute, real solution to the problem with timelines in place when we have been hitting brick walls with politicians and just not getting anywhere for years and years."

Cianbro is conducting a feasibility study of the project, which is expected to be complete by April. The firm will then study the environmental impact and the financial feasibility of the transportation route. Following two years of construction, Cianbro expects the highway could be open by 2014.

But the project still has to pass several significant hurdles before it can go ahead.

Cianbro has not yet received public endorsement from key political leaders, including Maine Governor John Baldacci. And it will likely have to fall under the intense scrutiny of federal border agencies in both countries, as Cianbro may controversially propose new border crossings to bookend the corridor.

On the New Brunswick side, if the firm can't broker a deal that would make the existing St. Stephen border crossing "work efficiently to the satisfaction of the trucking industry, we would propose a new site dedicated to the free flow of truck traffic," said project manager Parker Hadlock.

That proposal would come with a bid to allow transport trucks to pass seamlessly between countries, likely aided by digital passes attached to the vehicles.

The request could prove to be a major sticking point for American legislators, who are chiefly concerned about cross-border security.

On the Quebec end of the proposed highway, Cianbro would make a similar bid for a new crossing if company, industry and government officials opt for the Lac-Megantic location. The firm would propose no changes to the Woburn crossing.

Regardless of the work ahead, the ambitious proposal is being hailed as a potentially significant new source of economic growth for New Brunswick that bodes well for the Atlantica concept. And Maine, much like the Canadian Maritimes, is seen as the "end of the road" for economic activity and siloed off from the rest of the country.

Vigue said his proposed transportation, utility and communications corridor would empower the region with new strength capable of supporting -- and boosting -- the local economies.

"This is not simply about our company, and it's not just about Maine. It's about all of us and the next generation," he said. "And making decisions today as we go forward as businesses and governments will impact the future not just today, but for generations to come."

Neil Jacobson, chief operating officer with Enterprise Saint John, said the project would play a critical role in sharpening the competitive edge of New Brunswick businesses.

"The ability of our entrepreneurs and our business people to get their product more efficiently to markets on the eastern seaboard in New England or even Quebec, Ontario and beyond is critical," he said.

"What this project does is really positions us very much in the middle of a much broader economic region that extends throughout Atlantic Canada, New England and across Canada."
 
#51 ·
600-unit condominium complex

A history-making project
Is the city ready for a 600-unit condominium complex at the Fort Dufferin site?



John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Monday November 12th, 2007
Appeared on page C1

SAINT JOHN - An out-of-town developer is hoping to build a huge condominium complex on the West Side waterfront that is like nothing the city has seen for decades, maybe ever.

The question now is: Is the city ready for it?

"It's much larger than any residential development we've seen in decades," said Jim Baird, the city's commissioner of planning.

The proposal could see three high-rise buildings, up to 12 stories in height, built at the Fort Dufferin site, which is at the coastal end of City Line and next to the Partridge Island breakwater. The 6.72-hectare site could eventually be home to 600 units and tie into Harbour Passage or water taxis connecting the uptown and Partridge Island.

A tennis court, pool, gym, sauna and health centre would also be part of the site, which could bring the city between $1.5 million and $2 million in tax revenue each year. The only other condominium projects in the city are those near the Hilton hotel on the waterfront, and the Brentwood Towers in Millidgeville.

Six hundred units on one site is a scale Saint Johners don't often hear discussed: The largest apartment building in the city is the 168-unit complex being built by John Rocca off Ellerdale Street, and politicians have recently been discussing the creation of 500 units spread throughout the entire uptown core.

The Toronto-based developer listed in city documents, Steve Szocs of Lambton Greens Inc., could not be reached for comment, but Rick Turner of Hughes Surveys & Consultants Inc. spoke on his behalf.

He said the investors behind the development will wait to see if the city is ready for this scale of development before revealing themselves.

"That's where the question comes in," he said. "Is the community ready for it?"

Mayor Norm McFarlane is. He first heard about the project about nine months ago and has talked with Szocs several times.

"It's a great project," McFarlane said. "What a beautiful spot for it."

According to a document concerning rezoning brought before common council recently, the proposal would include a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom condominium units. The three high-rise buildings would be joined by a one- or two-storey structure with an "amenity space" and parking.

The project would be built in three phases with an eight-storey building and the two-storey building going up first. The other two buildings would be developed later. The proposal is only in its preliminary stages, and no public hearings have been set.

"The site was chosen because of its proximity to the harbour, view of Partridge Island, and, to the east, the city skyline and harbour," the development proposal states.

It says the developer is impressed with the city's waterfront development so far, and therefore will convey a "significant portion" of the site's waterfront area to the municipality so the coast can be developed as part of Harbour Passage.

The document states that the design and marketing of the project would take 1½ to two years from the time the approvals are granted, with the project completed in 10 years.

"The developers have conducted an extensive study of the Saint John region and see the timing and economic conditions are right for a project of this nature," the document reads. Turner said they've taken a hard and serious look at the situation over the past six to eight months.

The documents, prepared by Hughes Surveys on behalf of the developer, argue that the site is a landmark that warrants a high quality project.

They look forward to working with the Saint John Waterfront Development Partnership. Water taxis servicing Partridge Island could feature a stop at the site as a unique way to connect the uptown and the West Side, the proposal states.

The developers peg the annual tax revenue of the site, with a potential $200,000 unit price, at between $1.5 million and $2 million.

The company has a lot of work to do, however.

According to the document, a soil analysis is completed, an erosion study is underway, and access to the land is being assessed. The developer has also approached several groups about the significance of Second World War facilities that exist there.

Built between 1866 and 1878, Fort Dufferin was at the mainland end of the Partridge Island breakwater. It was used as a fort up until the Second World War, when gun emplacements were installed to protect the harbour.

According to the Tourism Saint John website, there are now only ruins where the fort once stood.

The city now waits for 30 days to see if there is any substantial feedback from the community. If there isn't an overwhelming backlash to the idea, the development would go through the same public process as every other residential development - planning advisory committee meetings, public hearings, a majority council vote, and three readings for rezoning, with possible conditions attached.

Turner says the investors have already done "a load of market research," and if the city is willing, they'll be here for the long haul.

"A 10-year window is not unlikely," Turner said.

 
#53 ·
City inks land deal
Transportation Location for new Saint John Transit Commission secured on McDonald Street

John Mazerolle
Telegraph-Journal
Published Thursday November 22nd, 2007
Appeared on page C1

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Transit Commission made the long-expected announcement Wednesday that it has bought the land for its new $19.5-million transit facility, with construction expected to begin in the late spring next year.

Coun. Chris Titus, former chairman of the transit commission, confirmed the sale during an unrelated discussion at Monday's common council meeting: "As of today, the transit authority now is a proud owner of a piece of property that we'll have public consultation on, and we will build a multi-million dollar transit facility in the eastern end of the city."

The land, formerly owned by Irving Oil, is approximately seven acres at the corner of McDonald Street and Loch Lomond Road near Loch Lomond Mall, as had been rumoured since at least August. The sale allows Saint John Transit to move out of its 25-year-old Fairville Boulevard site, which was described as "an absolute disgrace" by Coun. Glen Tait near the beginning of this council's mandate. It also allows the West Side land to be used for long-anticipated retail development.

A deal with Wal-Mart fell through earlier this year, but Mayor Norm McFarlane has pledged that other retail outlets will find a home there.

As for the McDonald Street site, Saint John Transit general manager Frank McCarey said it was a perfect spot because it is good land to build on and is basically halfway between the bus service's two main starting points - King's Square and McAllister Place mall.

He said during an interview Wednesday that there was good land in city industrial parks, but the location was poor. Conversely, there was land on Rothesay Avenue that was in a good location but would have required much more foundation work than McDonald Street.

"We're very pleased that Irving Oil would give up land I don't think they would normally sell," McCarey said. "I think they were helping us."

An information session about the planned location, including visual concepts, will be held Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Auditorium in Loch Lomond Villa.

McCarey said the proper zoning already exists at the site. When asked whether there would be public consultations, he said he wasn't sure what that would mean in this case, but that the neighbourhood will be involved in the design, which will be done by the firm Architecture 2000.

"We don't intend to put up a metal-sided building if we can help it," McCarey said.

The new facility will be able to hold up to 85 buses, with the possibility of future expansion over its intended 50-year lifespan. Saint John Transit currently uses about 55 buses, McCarey said.

While the building's plans have not been finalized, the facility will be the first transit facility in North America built to LEED standards. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The standards, which began in the U.S., are benchmarks for the design, construction and operation of environmentally friendly buildings.

McCarey said the building will include new technology and stand as a showcase for other transit commissions. "This is the way you do it," he said.
 
#54 ·
New off-ramp opens this afternoon

November 21, 2007 - 12:26 pm
By: News 88-9's Denise Barkhouse

SAINT JOHN, NB - As promised, the new Ashburn Lake Road off ramp is open in time for the Christmas shopping season.

The ramp, designed to make it easier for people to navigate into the city's east side shopping district, will allow motorists to zip across the throughway and hop onto Rothesay Avenue near Consumers Drive.

The city is confirming the off ramp, leading from McKay highway to Rothesay Avenue will open at four this afternoon.


Pix from the bottom of Somerset St...





Saint John Energy...




LNG taken from Lorneville...

 
#55 ·
Saint John Airport looking to expand

SAINT JOHN, NB - The Saint John airport is gaining more flights, but the facility itself may also grow.

Chair of the airport board David Barry says due to the airport's recent growth in flights, it now requires more space.

"Assuming continued Westjet service and Sun Wing," said Barry. "We have big capacity issues in the terminal building itself that we are addressing now."

Barry says they are in the process of looking at design plans for a terminal expansion.

Barry says they're still working on financial and construction details, but hopes to have a better idea for the project in the new year.

Yesterday Air Canada announced it would begin a direct flight service from Saint Jjohn to Ottawa.
 
#56 ·
[NEW OFFICE BUILDING FOR NORTH END]
NOV26/07 10:50PM

THE CITY’S NEWEST OFFICE BUILDING IS GOING UP AT THE CORNER OF SOMERSET AND WELSLEY -- A LOW RISE OFFICE BUILDING IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON LAND OWNED BY IRVING OIL.
IRVING SPOKESPERSON JENNIFER PARKER TELLS CHSJ NEWS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TALK OF A NEW CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS.
PARKER SAYS SHE CAN’T CONFIRM A TENANT AT THE MOMENT.
THE COMPANY RAN INTO STIFF OPPOSITION YEARS AGO WITH PLANS FOR A LARGE CONVENIENCE STORE AND SERVICE OPERATION ON THE SITE.

Pic from the site...

 
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