[MTLskyline]

This thread can be used for posting and discussing all PEI projects and construction news.

Proposal for Stratford (suburb of Charlottetown)
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?main=slides&slid=2

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/slideshows/collection/publish_to_web/StratfordBig.jpg

[billy1]

Here is some development going on in Charlottetown. I apologize for the bad pics :-)


This is a proposed 36 unit Brownstone development on the waterfront. It will be 3 buildings total consisting of 12 units each.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/brown.jpg

This is an expansion to the Atlantic Veterenary College. I believe it will be 5 floors when complete. (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/avc.jpg

This is a $20 million refit of the Charlottetown Harbour. (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/port.jpg

This is the new NRC Science Centre (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/NRC.jpg

This is one of the new condos downtown (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/apm.jpg

Another new condo on the waterfront. Sold out very quickly with the penthouses going for $1million +

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/avide.jpg

A smaller condo in the center of downtown (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/Ohallaran.jpg

A new Federal Gov't building located at the entrance to downtown (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/gov_university.jpg

Another condo in the center of downtown (underway)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/94fitzroy.jpg

[ErickMontreal]

There is more projects in Downtown Charlottetown than Moncton Downtown...

[billy1]

Here are some developments for Summerside PEI.

New Condos on the waterfront. Completed 6 months ago (?).

http://www.harbourterrace.ca/images/gallery/exterior_6.jpg

http://www.harbourterrace.ca/images/gallery/exterior_5.jpg

http://www.harbourterrace.ca/images/gallery/exterior_4.jpg


Another new condo on the waterfont. It is being built over an existing indoor mall. The picture below shows an outdated rendition. The new condo will contain 116 units and will be 11 floors.

http://www.orangroup.com/images/news_12.jpg


There has also been a proposal in the last couple of days, for another condo that would soar 135 feet in the west end waterfront area.

[Smevo]

11 floors in Summerside?? That's going to stick out like a sore thumb for a while. It will be good to see it get built though.

I remember a couple of those Charlottetown projects from when I was there last May, and those buildings in the 2nd and 3rd pictures for Summerside (possibly the first too if it's the same building) were completed when I was there in May.

[billy1]

The new condo in Summerside atop the mall should be beginning construction any week now. The 135 foot proposal on the west end waterfront will be 13 stories and roughly 7 metres taller than the mall development.



Below is another condo for Summerside that should be starting construction within the next few months.

http://www.nicollemorrison.com/henrycourt/pics/condo.jpg

[Smevo]

Ah, good to see there'll be another highrise accompanying the 11-storey one on Summerside's "skyline". I knew Summerside was growing pretty well, but I didn't know it was growing that well. Of course, on the island its pretty much a necessity to live densely in the cities, good to see all these thing coming about for the island.

[billy1]

Rental construction skyrockets in Charlottetown


Last Updated: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 | 6:19 AM ET
CBC News

There has been a big increase in the number of condominiums, apartments, row houses and duplexes being built in Charlottetown.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation says new construction in that sector is up 66 per cent over last year.

"The housing market's doing really well since 2001 to current and actually this is some of the highest levels we've seen since 1988," said Jason Beaton, a market analyst for CMHC.

Beaton credited the rise to low interest rates and people moving into the capital city from around the province and across Canada. He said most of the new units being built are rentals.

With so many new units being built, Beaton said landlords have only been able to raise rents marginally.

Across Canada, housing starts are up 0.9 per cent. Urban starts in British Columbia and Quebec are down significantly, 11.7 and 7.9 per cent respectively, but that was offset by a 3.8 per cent rise in Ontario.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2006/12/13/apartments-chtown.html

[billy1]

Mall eyes sky
Firm plans hotel on top of downtown shopping centre

By Ron Ryder
The Guardian - http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=5164&sc=1

A landmark Charlottetown business is looking toward the sky with plans to add as many as 60 hotel rooms to the Confederation Court Mall.

In a recent interview, Richard Homburg of Homburg Invest Inc., told Nova Scotia media that his company is looking at building a new hotel on top of the downtown shopping centre.

Mike Arnold, the businessman who helped build Confederation Court Mall, is now a vice-president of Homburg. He said the business is still a long way from announcing construction plans, but he said development and expansion of the mall property fits in with such other Homburg investments such as the renovated Dundee Arms Inn and the nearly completed Northumberland condominiums that have drawn people into the capital’s downtown.

“There’s a synergy that happens. We want to have people downtown and we want to have another hotel as a way to help the mall and the mall, in turn, helps the condominiums and the hotel,” Arnold said.

“We have been talking to some engineers and architects about the possibilities. Pretty soon we’re going to sit down and look at the business side to see if the numbers work out.”

Arnold said the company is planning a development that would go over top of the existing building, with a new entrance likely to be built in the currently vacant lot along the mall’s Queen Street façade.

If the construction were to proceed, Arnold said it would take between a year and 18 months to compete.

“If this happens we’ll have to do what we can to make sure that business can go on in the mall and in these office towers,” he said.

“We don’t want to interrupt things. But my prediction is that the construction will actually end up attracting people who want to see what’s going on.”

Arnold said a more immediate plan under consideration is the renovation of the Confederation Court Mall food court into a single-cash takeout that he envisions being run by a chef who can maintain the balance of nutrition, value and quality that downtown workers will pay for.

“A lot of what we are seeing happen now is the kind of development that I imagined when I first talked to downtown business owners about building this mall 35 years ago,” he said. “When I look at businesses like the new grocery store or the condos that Co-op is building down on Paoli’s Wharf, it’s exciting.

“People are coming to Charlottetown who are retiring after working out West or are moving into town when they decide they don’t want the big house anymore. They’ve got some money and they want quality and services.”

[bluenoser]

Nice! There really seems to be a lot going on in PEI right now. That hotel atop Confederation Court sounds really interesting. Thanks for all the info.

Actually I really like this building with the lighthouse theme; I'll be interested to see what it looks like when completed:


Another new condo on the waterfront. Sold out very quickly with the penthouses going for $1million +

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/avide.jpg

[MTLskyline]

Yacht club will trade marina space for car parking
Last Updated: Monday, January 29, 2007 | 3:11 PM AT
CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2007/01/29/pe-top-ssidemalldevelopment.jpg

A parking dispute on the Summerside, P.E.I., waterfront that was holding up a $27-million development appears to be approaching a resolution that will trade yacht mooring for car parking.

The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club said Friday that a plan to reclaim land to replace parking spaces lost to an expansion of the Waterfront Shopping Centre is workable in principle.

"If we do partial infill in the part where the other extra boats are parked over there, and make that into parking, we can retrieve 60 or 70 units," said George Sheen of the Silver Fox club.

"Therefore if we're losing 30 or 40, yes, we'll live with that, and glad to."

The Oran Group, which owns the Waterfront Shopping Centre, wants to refurbish the mall and add 101 condominium units. But the development has been held up for a year, because the Silver Fox club had an agreement with the previous owners of the mall for the use of 100 parking spaces.

The compromise, proposed by the by Summerside Regional Development Corporation, would see more land reclaimed from the yacht club basin. The sea wall needs to be replaced, and the plan would locate it farther out.
Continue Article

Where the money would come from for this has not yet been sorted out, but Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart is keen to see the redevelopment go ahead.

"Twenty-five-million-dollar projects, they don't come along very often," said Stewart.

"Our downtown needs a shot in the arm and that is certainly one way to do it."

The Oran Group is willing to wait for the details to be sorted out, and has set a new deadline.

"I will review things at the end of June," said Oran Canada president Eion Little.

"If the parking issue is resolved by the end of June, we can begin the process again."

The delay has frustrated tenants in the mall.

"It was going to improve this mall 100 per cent," said Deb Reid of the shop Northern Reflections.

"My biggest fear now [is] how many other big businesses are watching what's going on, and will they want to come in with this mall with no decisions made?"

The province has offered the services of a mediator to settle the issue and get the $27-million project back on track.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/01/29/oran-compromise.html
________
Wellbutrin lawsuits (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/wellbutrin/)

[billy1]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/Condos.jpg


A three-storey, 14-unit, townhouse-style project is being proposed for the corner of Queen and Passmore Streets in Charlottetown. Developer Philip O'Halloran is seeking approval from the city for the project. Submitted illustration


A Charlottetown developer who has one condominium project underway is seeking the city’s approval on another proposal for Queen Street.
Philip O’Halloran wants to build a three-storey, 14-unit, townhouse-style project at the corner of Queen and Passmore Streets. He has a four-storey, 12-unit condominium building underway on Richmond Street, behind the Arts Guild. O’Halloran expects tenants to begin moving in by June.
He said his new proposal, which has gone before the city’s planning board, would go next to the old Kays store on Queen Street.
“We’re going to create our own little corner block on Passmore and have our parking all in the back, off Passmore,’’ he said. “It’s a small L-shaped property but it’s a nice logical continuation of the existing streetscape, although we’re going to modernize it all with nice new brick.’’
The Charlottetown developer said the building would have a London townhouse style to it and each unit featuring an open concept.
As for clientele, O’Halloran said he wants to keep the 14 units as affordable as he can.
“I’d like to keep them all as rentals, not high-end rental but affordable, middle of the road, working persons-type downtown apartments.’’
If the city gives him the green light, construction would likely begin this spring.
O’Halloran said he has already held a neighbourhood meeting to bring area residents up to speed and got plenty of positive feedback.
His Richmond Street project features commercial space on the ground floor and units on the second, third and fourth. Each unit measures between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet.

http://theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=7726&sc=98

[billy1]

Direct flights to Boston a boon for P.E.I.: airport CEO


Delta Airlines will launch direct daily flights from Charlottetown to Boston this summer.

The news is exciting to more than just Red Sox fans, with new tourism marketing opportunities and easier connections for people working in P.E.I.'s biotechnology industry.

"It's big to the airport but it's much more important, I believe, to the province. We can be marketed as a destination direct from the New England states," said Charlottetown Airport CEO Mike Campbell.

"But more so than that, at this day, when we're looking to establish the bio-tech industry in Prince Edward Island, with so many related companies in the northeast part of the U.S., this is huge."

Delta Airlines will offer its first direct flight between Charlottetown and Boston June 29. The flights will run through the summer to Sep. 16. They will leave Charlottetown at 2:50 p.m. and arrive in Boston at 3:30 p.m.

Campbell notes Boston also offers connections to more than 40 destinations around the world.


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/02/19/delta-boston.html

[Smevo]

^That's great news for PEI. It's been beneficial to Fredericton (both businesses and just regular travellers) since landing Delta with two direct flights daily to Boston.

[ErickMontreal]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/Condos.jpg


A three-storey, 14-unit, townhouse-style project is being proposed for the corner of Queen and Passmore Streets in Charlottetown. Developer Philip O'Halloran is seeking approval from the city for the project. Submitted illustration


A Charlottetown developer who has one condominium project underway is seeking the city’s approval on another proposal for Queen Street.
Philip O’Halloran wants to build a three-storey, 14-unit, townhouse-style project at the corner of Queen and Passmore Streets. He has a four-storey, 12-unit condominium building underway on Richmond Street, behind the Arts Guild. O’Halloran expects tenants to begin moving in by June.
He said his new proposal, which has gone before the city’s planning board, would go next to the old Kays store on Queen Street.
“We’re going to create our own little corner block on Passmore and have our parking all in the back, off Passmore,’’ he said. “It’s a small L-shaped property but it’s a nice logical continuation of the existing streetscape, although we’re going to modernize it all with nice new brick.’’
The Charlottetown developer said the building would have a London townhouse style to it and each unit featuring an open concept.
As for clientele, O’Halloran said he wants to keep the 14 units as affordable as he can.
“I’d like to keep them all as rentals, not high-end rental but affordable, middle of the road, working persons-type downtown apartments.’’
If the city gives him the green light, construction would likely begin this spring.
O’Halloran said he has already held a neighbourhood meeting to bring area residents up to speed and got plenty of positive feedback.
His Richmond Street project features commercial space on the ground floor and units on the second, third and fourth. Each unit measures between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet.

http://theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=7726&sc=98

Wow,i would like to see something like that in Moncton or Saint John either

[slushmonkey]

SUMMERSIDE — A multi-million dollar hotel may soon rise in the place of Cahill Stadium.

At least that’s the hope of city officials, who are looking for developers interested in constructing and operating a hotel on the Wellness Centre site.

The city has put together a development plan and conceptual drawing for an 11-storey hotel complex for the Cahill site. But, said chief administrative officer Terry Murphy, it’s not the city’s intent to construct or operate a hotel.

“If we can find a partner that wants to work with us to do this and build on those amenities (part of the Wellness Centre) it will be good for the economy in the area.”

Driving the project is a need to increase economic development and growth in the city.

“We went into this whole concept of comparing communities and why there was a difference in growth between Queens County and Prince County,” said Murphy.

The answer, he added, may lie with the construction of the CP Hotel. According to numbers compiled by Murphy since 1982, when the CP was erected, Queens County, particularly the Charlottetown area, has experienced steady growth.

That hotel, said Murphy, has been the central driving force in attracting events to the capital.

“We can’t continue to have all the growth going to the centre of the province,” he added. “There has to be a bit of an aggressive action taken.”

A similar hotel coupled with what’s already being offered as part of the Wellness Centre could be the catalyst in attracting major events to Summerside, said Murphy.

“Council has invested a lot of money in refocusing that area of the city to be the prime area.” And a hotel could be just the beginning. “There are a number of major developments that are being looked at. If we bring some of these to fruition they’ll all build on each other,” said Murphy. “This is certainly one we think can happen.”

The city’s conceptual drawing is just that — a concept aimed at sparking interest from developers. No cost is associated with the project but it would likely be millions of dollars.

“The private sector people will look at this in their own way and come up with ideas that will suit their business plan,” said Murphy. “Obviously they will be building something practical to making it pay and making it viable. We think there’s a business case there for it.”

Deadline for expressions of interest is April 10.

“We’ve had, and I think we will have interest from various groups,” said Murphy. “We have a tremendous venue that is here that, if it is marketed in the right way, will lead to tremendous opportunities for the private sector and public sector.”

http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=16988&sc=118

[billy1]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/billy_the/Euston_office.jpg


Capital boom keeps going


WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian

A $9-million dollar office tower is set to be built in the very heart of downtown Charlottetown, continuing the building boom in the capital city.

The three-storey office complex will be home to AIM/Trimark, The Guardian has learned.

The Charlottetown Area Development Corporation will construct the building and lease it back to the investment management company.

It will be built on Euston Street between University Avenue, Queen Street and Chestnut Street.

The 45,000-square-foot building will be built behind the City Shell station.

Existing businesses including Eastern Auto, the Home Brew Shoppe, Discount Car and Truck Rentals and a four-unit apartment complex will be relocated. The car rental company is expected to rent a small corner in the new building once it’s completed.

Kwik Kopy will also stay on the block.

Construction is expected to begin this spring.

Les Parsons, general manager of the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation, said the building, along with others in the neighbourhood, are going to redefine the city’s downtown core.

He compared it to when Veterans Affairs relocated to Charlottetown in the early 1980s.

“Now, all of a sudden you’re seeing some growth in the marketplace,’’ said Parsons.

“You’ve got some pretty significant movement.’’

Parsons would not confirm that AIM/Trimark is the tenant, but a senior government official confirmed the Toronto-based company would be calling the new building home.

A contract still has to be signed with AIM/Trimark.

“We still don’t have a signed lease,’’ Parsons added.

The new building will further expand the capital city’s downtown core.

Across the street is the new federal building, where hundreds of federal government workers will be moved in late summer.

Nearby is also the Atlantic Technology Centre with 450 people working in that building.

Ceridian Canada, which announced in January it was establishing a centre of excellence in the city’s downtown, is also looking for office space downtown.

More than 100 people will be working for that company once it has reached its peak employment.

Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee said his city is catching the eye of big city business leaders.

“It’s a small city, offering a great quality of life,’’ said Lee.

“But at the same time we offer all the big city services like larger centres in Toronto and Montreal.’’

But Lee said the work will continue. He said he wants more national and international firms to call Charlottetown home.

Lee is confident Ceridian will locate its new office in the downtown.

An official announcement regarding AIM/Trimark’s new office complex is expected within weeks.

Funding is expected from both the federal and provincial governments, but how much is not known at this point.

Parsons said with nearly 1,500 workers in the neighbourhood with the new federal and provincial buildings and with companies like AIM/Trimark it should spawn new private investment in the area.

“It’s bound to drive new business.’’

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=18839&sc=98

[MTLskyline]

Major changes in way Charlottetown harbour operates will be seen in just a few months

At a cost of over $14 million, the city will be able to accommodate larger cruise ships and oil tankers will come right up to the wharf

DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

Charlottetown???s new port will be ready to welcome large cruise ships by late August, says the chair of private body which operates the port.

Stan MacPherson of the Charlottetown Harbour Authority said Aug. 22 is the day being marked on calendars when large cruise ships and the Irving Oil tankers can dock right up against the port.

Right now, nothing can dock due to the major improvements currently underway on the $14-million-plus project.

The cruise ships ??? right now Charlottetown gets the Holland America line ??? dock as close as they can and tender their passengers in. Later this year, the city will welcome the Celebrity and Princess lines.

Irving Oil has to park in the middle of the harbour and unload its cargo into a small buoy close to the Hillsborough Bridge.

By the end of August, the oil company will be able dock right up against the wharf. A new pipeline, already built and ready, will move the product into the giant tanks on Riverside Drive.

The Charlottetown Harbour Authority poured $8 million of its own money (it received some federal help) into the wharf renovations.

Those renovations include dredging the seabed to allow for large ships and extending the wharf so that cruise ships can tie up.

The authority announced Tuesday it will introduce a new passenger tariff. Cruise ship passengers visiting Charlottetown will pay a levy of $7 per adult and $3.50 per child.

The tariff is common in ports around the world that host cruise ship passengers. The fee is included in the overall price to go on a cruise. All port fees are usually combined in the cruise price.

???We didn???t charge it before because Transport Canada couldn???t,?????? MacPherson said, referring to the fact the federal government used to own the city port.

Another reason Charlottetown has added the tariff now is because the city port has been under construction.

???And, you have to advise the cruise lines a year or two in advance that this is a tariff sort of thing and they work it into their prices.??????

If the extra charge is a deterrent to docking in Charlottetown, it sure isn???t showing.

MacPherson said cruise ship bookings will double next year. More than 69,000 passengers and 30,000 crew members will visit the Island capital, the vast majority of that business occurring in May, June, September and October.

???There is very little activity in July and August (but) we???ve got all kinds of people in Charlottetown in July and August anyhow.??????

The levy will also help pay some of the marketing costs. MacPherson said Tourism Charlottetown, formerly the Capital Commission, spends $60,000 per year marketing the Island capital to the cruise industry.
________
THE HILLS DICUSSION (http://www.tv-gossip.com/hills/)

[MTLskyline]

Summerside building to get a facelift

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/523782250_1e218231ee.jpg?v=0 (http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=523782250&size=o)
Image courtesy of user The_Hamburglar (http://flickr.com/photos/dylanb19/) on flickr.com

Last Updated: Wednesday, June 6, 2007 | 8:52 AM AT
CBC News

In one of his last acts as P.E.I. premier, Pat Binns has made a nearly $3 million commitment to downtown Summerside.

Cabinet approved a loan two weeks ago of $2.9 million for repairs to Dominion Square to be done over the next five years.

The Summerside Regional Development Corporation bought the downtown building earlier this year, and plans a makeover that will cost about $6 million and take about three years to complete, said Arnold Croken, general manager of SRDC.

"I think everyone agrees that this building is pretty much the heart and soul of the downtown of the city of Summerside with its sheer size," said Croken. "It's about 90,000 square feet and right in the heart of downtown. So it offers a tremendous opportunity for us to start to bring some new growth to the downtown area."

The plan is to transform the historic building into a high-tech hotspot and business centre for downtown Summerside.

"We're looking at software development companies. We've had a number of companies from out of province that have already taken a walk through the building and looked at it," said Croken.
Continue Article

"And that's pretty much what we see the upper levels of that building containing and on the ground level we see a mixture of business space and high-end retail."

The four-storey building is structurally sound. The inside needs most of the work, Croken added.
________
Which is stronger dilaudid or demerol (http://www.rehab-forum.com/dilaudid-rehab/)

[Seely32]

Charlottetown airport traffic continues to soar
EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian

The Charlottetown Airport Authority has experienced one of its busiest months ever recorded with 34,671 passengers arriving and leaving in the month of July.
July passenger traffic increased by 16.9 per cent overall compared to 2006 and the traffic to the airport is up to 12 per cent total year to date. The continued strong growth is impressive on the heels of 2006, a record-breaking year for passengers flying to P.E.I.
“Obviously, we are really pleased,” said airport CEO Doug Newson.
“Thanks to the demand of the travelling public, the support of the provincial government and to our air carrier partners who are expanding service to meet the growing demand; more and more people continue to fly to P.E.I. It is great for the P.E.I. tourism industry.”
He said there is a worldwide increase in air travel and with the number of destinations
growing, P.E.I. is well ahead of regional, national and world growth rates.
All of the airlines servicing P.E.I., including Delta, with daily direct service to Boston, appear to be busy, said Newson.
“It is great to see so many people flying to our province,” said Premier Robert Ghiz.
“One of the very first initiatives of our new government was to meet with the airport authority and Air Canada and discuss the need for more service. We commend Air Canada and all the airlines for continuing to offer more service, and Islanders and visitors for using those services. Improved air access and travel is a win-win for all.”
The Charlottetown Airport Authority has direct flights each day to destinations including: Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and Boston.

[Seely32]

Official Plan


Charlottetown will prosper by building on its past and by capitalizing on new economic opportunities. A desire to create the best possible quality of life for residents and visitors, now and into the 21st Century, will help ensure an attractive and welcoming community for all. Our status as Prince Edward Island’s leading city will remain secure because of our commitment to sustainable growth which utilizes existing resources and consolidates development.



If you would like to view the Official Plan of the City of Charlottetown, please click the link below.



City of Charlottetown Official Plan
(Acrobat PDF, 54 pages, 272 KB)
http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/allaire/spectra/system/mediastore/Official_Plan.pdf

[MTLskyline]

City council OKs retail development for Winsloe

Up next is a proposal for East Royalty area, including a grocery store

DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

Retail is set to grow on one side of Charlottetown and hopes to do the same on the other side.
City council has given the go-ahead for retail development in Winsloe and will hold a public meeting for an application for retail development in East Royalty.
Residents in Winsloe can expect to see construction start soon on a project that includes a new gas station, Tim Hortons, pizza restaurant and convenience store.
The project will be built on the Malpeque Road, across the street from the existing Petro-Canada gas bar.
As for the project in East Royalty, there wasn???t much information from council on who or what the project will entail, if it goes ahead, other than that it involves a new grocery store.
Council sent an application to rezone a portion of the property (six lots) at 412 St. Peters Road from single-detached residential to highway commercial to a public meeting. That was in spite of a recommendation from the city???s planning department that the project should not go ahead and there shouldn???t even be a meeting with the residents.
Coun. Terry Bernard, who represents some of the residents in the area, said people want more information about a proposed grocery store.
???I???d like to hear what the developer has to say,?????? Bernard said. ???Let the residents hear what he has to say.??????
Coun. Kim Devine, chair of the planning committee, said her group doesn???t think the grocery store issue needs to go anywhere in East Royalty.
Devine said the planning committee feels there is enough commercial development scattered throughout the city and doesn???t need to start encroaching into East Royalty.
???It???s not like the population is doubling,?????? Devine said. ???The official plan says we need to strengthen existing commercial zones.??????
She said that East Royalty is currently a beautiful entrance to the capital and doesn???t need to be inundated with commercial development.
Bernard noted that East Royalty is growing at a rapid pace, with four new subdivisions and a new soccer complex, which is currently under development.
???Some residents wonder why there is no grocery store.??????
As for Winsloe, the development is earmarked for 535 Malpeque Rd.
Coun. Peter McCloskey said he has already met with residents in the affected area and while some residents have a few concerns they all support the new retail project. He said a public meeting isn???t necessary and council agreed, giving the developer the green light to start.
McCloskey, who represents area residents, said the developer is putting up a nine-foot fence to act as a buffer.
The area in question is zoned commercial.
Devine said a public meeting should be held to let residents know just how big the project is and explain how it will affect traffic flow.
________
Vaaapp vaporizer (http://essentialvaaappvaporizer.com)

[wisla_krakow]

Whoa, I would love to visit PEI.
About how big are Summerside and C-town?

[Smevo]

From the Wednesday, November 7, 2007 issue of the Cape Breton Post.

Charlottetown airport breaks another passenger traffic record

Section: Atlantic

By CP
The Charlottetown Airport Authority broke its 2006 traffic record last Friday when the passenger total hit 225,441.

That's the highest passenger traffic volume ever recorded, surpassing the record-breaking year in 2006 by 12.5 per cent year-to-date.

"We are very pleased with the results the airport has experienced this year," said Cliff Campbell, chair of the Charlottetown Airport Authority.

Whoa, I would love to visit PEI.
About how big are Summerside and C-town?

Source: Stats Canada (http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/index.cfm)

Charlottetown: 32,174 City; 58,625 CA
Summerside: 14,500 City; 16,153 CA

:cheers:

[mylesmalley]

This place has been quiet for a while...

Does anyone know if the hotel-on-top-of-mall project ever got off the ground?

[Smevo]

I might take a side-trip through PEI on my way home for my bachelor party in June to see how these things are progressing (I can't imagine what two highrises on the Summerside skyline would look like). Where did our PEI forumers go?

I'll start checking in on the local newspapers, just the free online sections though, as I'm already paying for my subscription to the CB Post. ;)

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/)

Capital approves street paving priority list for 2008
NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian

Charlottetown’s 2008 street resurfacing capital budget has a green light.
Council voted Monday to accept the recommendation from the staff of Public Works department to work on 12 sections of Charlottetown roads based on the departments “worst streets first” numerical ranking system.
Councillor Terry Bernard told The Guardian after the meeting that the ranking system factors in not only the condition of the road but also how much traffic it carries.
A little used road in very poor condition may not be as high up the priority list as a heavily used thoroughfare that appears to be in better shape in comparison, he said.
Residents living on streets not on this list should not despair. Bernard said that in addition to this capital budget, there is also an operational budget used for road repair. Included in that operational budget is repair work by both city crews and contract workers.
The total cost of the new, capital budget resurfacing will be $819,941, of which the department will pay $69,000 and the federal government’s New Deal fund will pay $750,000.
Included in the total cost is $10,000 for asphalt testing and a ten percent contingency fund of $70,000.
A section of Prince Street from Grafton to Water was number 12 on the priority list but will go to a separate tender right away in order to have the work done by June 12. That is when the city hosts the final stage of the Tour de PEI international bicycle road race.
The remaining 11 sections of road will go to tender in June.
“Industry members have commented that with June tendering, they might have a better feeling for their petroleum costs than currently, and might not be pricing high to hedge their bids,” said notes accompanying the resolution seeking approval of the 12-street list.


Map found here! (http://data.mapchannels.com/embed/0261119242388717.htm)

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/photos/TheGuardian/stories/a1%20lee%204%20C.jpg (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=134158&sc=98)
Photographer: Heather Taweel for The Guardian

Capital city opts out

JIM DAY
The Guardian

The City of Charlottetown wants to do battle with the province on its own.
Mayor Clifford Lee announced Monday that city council unanimously supports a decision to end its membership with the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities effective June 30.
Lee believes the city can do a better job than the federation in negotiating with the province for funding and other arrangements to benefit the municipality.
He said Charlottetown has not received a good bang for its buck in the more than $40,000 it spends each year to belong to the federation. In fact, he described the city's membership as cause for more harm than benefit. He suggested the federation is either unwilling or ill equipped to represent the interests of Charlottetown.
“The Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities represents over 40 municipalities with populations ranging from 77 people in Victoria to over 32,000 in Charlottetown,” he said.
Lee said the timing of the membership withdrawal was influenced by the province’s recent announcement of the establishment of a commissioner on land use and local governance. He said city council feels that it is best to deal directly with the commissioner and with the province to ensure the city’s issues get full consideration.
Federation president Bruce MacDougall said he is disappointed at Charlottetown’s move.
“I feel we should be united. I feel we have a lot of issues we have to deal with whether the municipalities be large or small.”
Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart, who is second vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, shared MacDougall’s disappointment with Charlottetown’s announcement.
The mayor said the federation has been good for municipalities across the province and it is important for every area to have representation.
Stewart isn’t sure Charlottetown can negotiate better on its own with the province than it can through the federation.
“I don’t know how the province will deal with it,” Stewart said. “I would doubt that the premier would want more than one association to deal with.”
Lee said he feels his city does not get a fair share of the provincial pie doled out to Island municipalities. He questioned why the city finds itself in the position of not being able, for instance, to hire the desired number of police officers.
“The only way we can do that is by increasing the property taxes,” he said.
“We need to address the long-standing issue with the province of P.E.I. of the province collecting 20 per cent of residential property taxes in this city and providing no services to the residents in this community.”
Lee said the city also stands to lose $95,000 when the province phases out an equalization grant to the municipality over the next three years.
Provincial Treasurer Wes Sheridan said Charlottetown is not losing out fiscally under the Liberal government’s recent budget.
“The most important part is that this year they will receive more than they expected to be getting under the property freeze,” said Sheridan.
All 75 municipalities across P.E.I. will pay the same rate of property tax under the new equalization formula unveiled in the provincial budget. The treasurer said Charlottetown will soon have a better idea just how much money they potentially stand to receive from the province.
Sheridan questions city council’s decision to pull out of a federation that has what he calls a great history.
“There’s 50 years of being together and having a united voice in negotiations with the province and I think it’s unfortunate that they’ve decided to go this way,” he said.
“I would love to see them (Charlottetown and the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities) get back together and talk this through. If we don’t have strong municipalities, we won’t have a strong province.”
Lee suggested there is no turning back from the decision to break away from the federation.
The city’s discussions with the province will be led by the city’s executive policy committee under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Stu MacFadyen and members of his committee, including Lee and Councillors Peter McCloskey and Rob Lantz.

City says no to rezoning for auto dealership
NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian

There will not be a Mazda dealership at the corner of the Upton Road and the arterial roadway.
Charlottetown city council voted down the request from a local developer for a rezoning to allow the business to locate in a 4.5-acre area that is now zoned entirely R1 for single detached homes.
Charlottetown’s planning board had recommended approval, but the chair of the board said she was personally opposed to the placement of a commercial business at the affected corner.
“Rezoning this residential property to a commercial area would not be following the official plan,” said Coun. Kim Devine. “I think we should be following the official plan.”
Coun. Rob Lantz echoed Devine’s concerns.
“When you deviate, make exceptions from your plan, you don’t reach the goal you are trying to get to,” said Lantz. “We have a number of commercial nodes in this city that have been designated as such. When you rezone single-family residential property . . . to commercial, when you do that you diffuse the commercial property around the city and it weakens your existing commercial nodes.
“On of the arguments that has been given to me is that no one would want to live along the highway. I don’t think that is a valid excuse. There are a number of stretches of single-family residential zoning all along that bypass highway. Tell those people that currently live along the highway in their single-family residential (homes) that they don’t have desirable property; I don’t think it would sit well with them.
“(The residents) are very much opposed to that (change to commercial use). They have been here many, many times to defend that property over the years.”
Business owner Stephen MacIsaac wanted to take close to 4.5 acres at the northeast corner of the Upton Road and Charlottetown bypass highway intersection and make it into a new “state-of-the-art, image-compliant, 10,000-square-foot glass front” Mazda car dealership.
Landowner and area developer Warren Doiron supported the application.
“(It would have) very low impact as far as retail in that there is limited traffic associated with an automobile dealership, probably less than what would go in and out if you had it developed into single-family lots,” said MacIsaac at a public meeting on April 30. “It’s as low impact as it gets.”
“Residents in this area are weary of this never-ending struggle to protect their investment against the parade of developers whose primary motivation is monetary gain,” said resident Dennis Williams at the public meeting.
Resident Graeme Linkletter called the possible rezoning the “thin edge of the wedge.”


Map found here! (http://data.mapchannels.com/embed/3504889551414939.htm)

[Smevo]

Today from The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/)

Province pays $320,000 to buy land to build school
STEVE SHARRATT
The Guardian

MONTAGUE — The provincial government will pay $320,000 to the town of Montague for the purchase of about 35 acres of land to build a new regional high school here.
It’s a good news deal for the town, especially since that’s almost double the estimated value of the property according to private Realtors contacted by The Guardian.
However, when a commercial interest expressed interest in the property at a price beyond $300,000, the deal was sealed.
The negotiations for the land purchase are concluding and efforts are being made to start construction as soon as possible on the new $18-million facility.
On Monday, Transportation Minister Ron MacKinley toured the prospective site with local MLA Jim Bagnall to view the planned site for the regional high school and the new wellness centre.
Officials discussed the choice of establishing a temporary road for the construction of the buildings or to install a more expensive, but finished roadway, into the wooded site.
Town officials were
not disclosing the estimated value of the 35 acres on the Valleyfield Road near the community pool, but private Realtors say the assessment is less than $75,000.


Map found here! (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/documents/TheGuardian/Montague%20land%205.htm)

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/)

Capital mayor won't reverse move to leave municipal body
JIM DAY
The Guardian

Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee says he is willing to listen to the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities’ plea for the capital city to remain a member of the federation.
Sitting down to a meeting, however, will only be out of courtesy.
The City of Charlottetown has no intention of reversing its decision, reached late last week and announced Monday, to pull out of the federation, Lee told The Guardian Thursday.
“Do I see an opportunity for the City of Charlottetown to reverse its decision? No, I don’t,’’ he said.
Bruce MacDougall, the federation’s president, said he is penning a letter to request a meeting with the City of Charlottetown.
“I just want to sit down with them,’’ he said.
“I know there have been a few issues have come out. I would just like to have a heart-to-heart with them and see what the real issues are.’’
MacDougall said he is hopeful the municipality will reconsider its decision.
He said Charlottetown has benefitted well from its membership, most recently in the federation successfully lobbying the provincial government to stop charging an administration fee to assess properties and collect property taxes.
MacDougall said the move saved Charlottetown hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Lee gives the federation credit for that lobby effort, but was quick to add that the federation has also swayed government to make changes that have benefitted other Island municipalities at the expense of Charlottetown. He also reiterated his view that the city can bargain on its own behalf with the province more effectively than the federation.
On Monday, Lee announced that the city unanimously supported a decision to end its membership with the federation. He said Thursday the decision was reached after he called a meeting of the whole last week and held a discussion with councillors and senior administration. Councillors Cecil Villard and Terry Bernard were absent due to prior commitments.
“The consensus of council was the City of Charlottetown should serve notice,’’ he said.
The municipality informed the federation it would no longer be a member as of June 30.
A spokesperson with the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour said the federation has indicated it will seek assistance from the province to help offset lost dues resulting from Charlottetown pulling out. The capital city has been paying an annual fee of more than $40,000 to belong to the federation.



Montague mayor hopes to save new rink
STEVE SHARRATT
The Guardian

MONTAGUE — The wellness has turned to woe, but Mayor Pat McGowan hopes to find some way to salvage the future of a regional rink here.
“I wasn’t surprised with the tenders, in fact I suspected the cost estimates being bandied about were far too low,’’ said McGowan, who attended the tender openings at town hall late Wednesday and learned all four were $2 million higher than anticipated.
“From day one, I’ve suggested this project should be called what it is — a rink,’’ said McGowan.
“This whole idea of a wellness centre is nothing but an inflated title and now we’re facing a major problem trying to raise enough money and finding the costs even higher.’’
McGowan said town officials will seek a second opinion on costs and designs. The new centre is being developed to participate in the 2009 Canada Games in which the town will receive $60,000 to host women’s wrestling. But while some officials aren’t convinced it’s worth the effort, Iceland Arena has since been sold.
“We expected cost overruns but this is unbelievable,’’ she said Thursday. “How these figures can be so out of whack is beyond me.’’
Canvassers are now out trying to acquire enough pledges to ensure the community contribution for the $5-million facility is met.

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=135677&sc=98)


Time for regional effort to build wellness centre, says Georgetown mayor
STEVE SHARRATT
The Guardian

GEORGETOWN — Efforts to raise money for a wellness centre have been heroic but Mayor Peter Llewellyn says building a $7-million facility to host women’s wrestling at the Canada Games borders on lunacy.
“It’s time to realize that we’re all too small to finance this kind of project on our own,” he said Thursday. “It’s time to get together as an entire region and fundraise for one major centre.”
Llewellyn was responding to news that tenders for a new Montague and area wellness centre were $2 million over the estimated cost. Instead of $5.2 million, the project will now cost $7 million. And it could even be higher before a ribbon is cut.
Montague and five neighbouring communities, not including Georgetown, are trying to raise $1.7 million as its share of the project.
Meanwhile, Iceland Arena in Montague has been sold, the Three Rivers Sportsplex in Georgetown required $40,000 from the town to maintain operations this year, and the Northumberland Arena in Murray River is limping along financially.
Llewellyn said the writing is on the wall that aging community rinks are on the demise. He said the current rinks in Murray River, Georgetown and Belfast could handle all the hockey and skating needs for the next few years while a major effort is conducted from the entire district to build one new regional centre.
Six months ago, he drew the ire of the Wellness Centre committee when he called the proposed project a “white elephant” and said “anyone who thinks you can build this for $5 million is smoking crack.”
Llewellyn said the 33 cent dollars (the project is cost shared by levels of government) could still be accessed for a future project.
“I know Montague doesn’t want to throw in the towel and I don’t blame them, but if they try and take on the extra $2 million, the interest payments alone would cripple the town. It’s time to work as a region and build one centre for all.”

[le calmar]

We can't afford to lose our PEI forumers, they're as rare as pope's crap. I admit PEI is the most intriguing part of the country to me, I think I could even live there one day.

[mylesmalley]

We can't afford to lose our PEI forumers, they're as rare as pope's crap. I admit PEI is the most intriguing part of the country to me, I think I could even live there one day.

I'm not sure we have any PEI forumers. Smevo's from Cape Breton and he seems to keep about half of these forums alive on his own.

[mmmatt]

There is one PEI forumer "billy1" but he hasnt been on here in ages...

[Smevo]

I'm not sure we have any PEI forumers. Smevo's from Cape Breton and he seems to keep about half of these forums alive on his own.

There was a time when I could've taken that credit, but now we've got some more forumers and better representation from the main cities, making my job much easier. :D

It'd be nice to see the PEI guys come back, I think MTLSkyline used to be from PEI, but I could be wrong. Quite frankly, I don't know the area or history well enough to know what kind of impact any of these things would have, but I'll still try to keep the development and related news stories coming. :cheers:

[kwajo]

Maybe we should all just move to PEI for the Summer to ensure that their Development thread is well represented. We'll mark off a nice section of beach, lounge in the sun discussing Summerside zoning by-laws, then build sand-sculpture versions of buildings we'd like to see gracing Charlottetown's skyline. It'll be great.

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=135983&sc=98)

P.E.I. to get $290 million spread over seven years
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian

A multimillion-dollar announcement heralded as the largest injection of federal cash into P.E.I. since the construction of the Confederation Bridge will be made Wednesday in Summerside, The Guardian has learned.
Lawrence Cannon, minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, is set to announce a deal that will pump nearly $290 million into Canada’s smallest province over the next seven years.
It is part of the $33-billion Building Canada Plan announced in the 2007 federal budget. P.E.I. is the last province to sign on to the deal.
Cannon will make the announcement Wednesday morning. He will then attend a luncheon sponsored by the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce.
The money will include $175 million in base funding. It will be sent to the province over the course of seven years, in installments of $25 million annually.
Each province, no matter what size, will receive the same amount of base funding.
Federal officials in Ottawa say the money comes with no strings attached, and the provincial government does not have to come up with matching dollars to tap into the fund.
A source said Premier Robert Ghiz demanded those conditions before signing onto the agreement, which is why P.E.I. is the last province in the country to sign the deal.
There will also be infrastructure funding, called the Building Canada Fund. This fund replaces what was once known as the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.
P.E.I.’s portion is not known but it is expected to total more than $78 million.
The province and its municipalities will also receive $30 million from the gas tax fund.
There are five pots of money being announced Wednesday. The other two pots are for the Atlantic Gateway and public-private partnerships.
The federal government is setting aside $2.1 billion for its Gateways and Border Crossings Fund. P.E.I.’s portion of that fund will depend on which projects the province brings forward.
The same is true of the $1.25 billion set aside in the Public-Private Partnerships Fund.
Each province will get a share of that money based on what public-private partnership projects it pitches to the federal government. The Island government is expected to pitch a series of projects for public-private partnerships, including the replacement of the five provincially owned manors, the BioCommons park in Charlottetown and a new electricity cable across the Northumberland Strait.
A deal had been reached between the P.E.I. government and the Paul Martin Liberals to place the cable inside the Confederation Bridge but it was not honoured by Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.
Harper said the project had never received Treasury Board approval.
The cable would allow the province to import more electricity to meet increasing demands as well as provide it with an outlet to sell wind power to the mainland.
There are also suggestions the province could increase its wind-generating capacity by using funding from the Public-Private Partnerships Fund.
Neighbouring New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have already signed Building Canada agreements with the federal government.
New Brunswick’s agreement totals more than $541 million.
Nova Scotia gets more than $634 million.

Just the Facts:
Building Canada
— Worth $33 billion between 2007 and 2014, “Building Canada” provides more funding for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure, and for a longer period of time, than any federal government since the Second World War, the federal government
says;
— Investments in the core National Highway System, public transit, clean water and sewage treatment infrastructure, green energy, among other categories, through the $8.8-billion Building Canada Fund, that will help support large
strategic projects as well as smaller-scale municipal projects;
— Base funding of $25 million a year equal per jurisdiction that will help provinces and territories address infrastructure priorities.

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=136724&sc=98)

Bus route to help tackle tie-ups
NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian

Cornwall is planning to set up an express bus route to help with massive early morning traffic tie-ups that suddenly hit the community this week.
The culprit is work being done on the North River causeway, which as of Monday reduced a short section of the Trans- Canada Highway from four lanes down to a twisting two.
That created a bottleneck for inbound morning commuters that resulted in a traffic lineup as far as the Cornwall water tower and beyond.
“One of the residents brought it up, the idea of an express bus during the construction period at the North River bridge,” said Marlene Hunt, chair of the Cornwall transportation and safety committee.
She tabled a motion at Wednesday's monthly town council meeting to ask the province for financial help.
“We were anticipating there would be lineups so we started talking about it about two weeks ago in council but I literally can’t get into work,” said Hunt. “I'm late because it’s lined up right back to town hall at peak hours.”
Cornwall has been in contact with Trius bus service which is willing and able to provide one large, 45-seat bus, two if the demand is there.
It will travel only once in the morning from Cornwall to Charlottetown, and once only in the late afternoon back to Cornwall.
The exact time and route is not yet established but the town is hoping to have the service up and running by June 2. It also hopes the bus route will include a short loop through Cornwall to try and reach as many people as possible, including people who might live outside the town but come in to meet the express.
The town plans to sell weekly passes at $30 per week, one round trip per day for the five-day work week.
“Our hope is that it will be an express bus,” said Hunt. “It would leave Cornwall by 7:30, let’s say. At 7:30, you can get going, but 10 minutes later, you are in a jam.
“It would be an early morning departure, getting into downtown Charlottetown by (7:55 a.m.). There would be two or three stops along the way.
“Then it would come back a little after four o’clock to get home by (4:40 p.m.) so it’s going to hit the government workers.
“We are hoping to ask the minister of Transportation (Ron MacKinley) if we can have an express route so that we can be waved through if there is a jam,” said Hunt. “That’s really important. Otherwise, what’s the point? We would be sitting there in traffic.”
MacKinley told The Guardian Wednesday his department cannot help with money, but as the area MLA, he knows who can. That would be the minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Carolyn Bertram, who is out of province this week.
“I will know next Tuesday,” said MacKinley.
That is when cabinet meets and he thinks cabinet needs to approve Cornwall’s funding request.
MacKinley also thinks his department cannot do much to help the bus bypass any traffic jams.
The highway is only two lanes for much of the way from Cornwall up to the bottleneck area, said MacKinley.
“Past my place there is only one line of traffic going down and one line coming out,” he said. “What are you going to do about the line coming out? I don’t know what the department can do.”
He suggested maybe the bus could go by way of the Ferry Road and merge into traffic at the traffic lights by the old North River Rink. MacKinley said that is what he does and it greatly shortens the wait.

[Smevo]

I know I'm missing some stories since I only check out the website once in a while and I'm only looking in the free section, but it looks like I picked the right day this time.

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/)


Deal on parking opens door to build hotel

DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

It appears that Dyne Holdings might break ground soon on a new hotel in the downtown core of Charlottetown.
The City of Charlottetown completed agreements Thursday guaranteeing Dyne 175 parking spaces.
The company told The Guardian Wednesday that it couldn’t move forward with an 85-room hotel on top of the Confederation Court Mall until the city and Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) finalized plans for new parking spaces.
A spokesman with the city corporation said Thursday CADC is comfortable enough to move forward.
That could mean a new parking garage or adding on to one of the existing three garages.
However, the city won’t budge on those parking spaces until Dyne Holdings formally secures a foundation permit to build the hotel.
The agreements the city signed on Thursday, worth an estimated $35 million, include the new hotel, renovations to the Confederation Court Mall and a new office tower on Fitzroy Street that would connect to the Queen Street Parkade.
Council gave the OK to the new office building in late April.

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=142304&sc=98)

Umm...they mean leads the country in % increase in public transit ridership.
Charlottetown leads country in public transit ridership

DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

Charlottetown leads the country in public transit ridership, according to the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).
Public transit ridership statistics from 2007 show Charlottetown has the biggest increase at 25.5 per cent.
Nationally, transit ridership is up 3.1 per cent for a record 1.76 billion trips.
Next to Charlottetown, Kelowna, B.C., has the biggest increase at 18.1 per cent.
"We're small but we're mighty,' Charlottetown Deputy Mayor Stu MacFadyen, who chairs the transit committee, said Monday. "It's really catching on here in the city and before too long we'll see (transit) provincewide.'
Bobby Dunn, general manager of Charlottetown Transit, is obviously thrilled with the news.
"That's outstanding. Wow!' Dunn said when The Guardian informed him of the news Monday night. "Being a small little city it's kind of amazing we are when you think of big cities like Toronto and Vancouver.'
The latest numbers for the public transit system in Charlottetown show 13,300 people used the service in May. Most recently, the biggest single-day ridership nearly topped 700, a benchmark Dunn and transit co-owner Mike Cassidy have been chasing since the service was launched almost three years ago.
While officials with the transit system are aiming for 700 riders in one day, they ultimately want to get to 900 per day.
Dunn thinks the CUTA numbers for Charlottetown reflect the fact the capital city's public transportation system is so young.
"I think we're on the curve on the evolution and I think that's where those numbers are coming from. Most (services) have been around and they're happy if they get a one per cent increase.'
Mayor Clifford Lee said he expects the numbers to continue increasing.
"The operators of the system are doing a tremendous job,' Lee said. "Obviously, with the tremendous price we're paying for gasoline these days, transit is going to become, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it, probably the only option a lot of Charlottetonians are going to have in order to get around this community.'
The City of Charlottetown currently subsidizes public transit to the tune of about $620,000 per year to run six buses. However, transit officials have said in the past it would likely cost in the area of $1.2 million to operate a prime system in the city.
Lee said the city isn't likely going to be able to afford a 'cadillac' version of transit.
Dunn credits the dramatic increase in ridership to Cassidy spending his own money to extend the service into the evening, the city helping to support a sixth bus, an increase in the frequency of pickups and drop-offs and shortened runs.
"This is a credit to everyone who has helped grow the system,' Dun said.

[Smevo]

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/)


Parking squabble bogs down project (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=145044&sc=98)

DOUG GALLANT
The Guardian

The construction of an 85-room hotel on top of the Confederation Court Mall is still a go as far as the developer is concerned, but the project manager for the multimillion-dollar development said Tuesday they will not break ground until the issue of parking has been fully resolved.
Cliff Campbell, of James C. Johnson Associates Inc., said he has been given no direction by Dyne Holdings to either slow down or stop work on the project.
“I am proceeding as quickly as possible but we will not break ground until the company’s concerns about parking have been addressed.’’
Campbell said the city and the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation have been working hard to address this issue, but at this point the solution is still not there.
Campbell said several options were on the table, but the option favoured by the city, adding two floors to the Pownal Parkade, is not one they can accept.
He said that parkade would be a hard sell for the tenants of their proposed development.
That’s not something Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee wanted to hear.
The mayor noted the city has been in discussions with the developer for months now.
“We believe we’d satisfied all their requirements,’’ Lee said.
“They wanted the hotel to be eligible for tax incentives. That was done. They wanted the Queens Parkade to be split 50/50 for monthly parkers and transients and that was done. They wanted City Hall staff parking at that parkade to be relocated to alternating parking and that was done.
“And they wanted the city to agree to construct 200 new spaces in the area bounded by Pownal, Prince, Richmond and Euston streets.’’
Lee said the city worked hard with the developer, the CADC and the province on that.
“We explored a number of options. The lot next to the Charlottetown Hotel was really too small and it would have put that hotel at a disadvantage because they use that lot for parking for their customers. We looked at the Queens Parkade and decided the only option there was to expand towards University Avenue and to do that would require us to purchase land from four property owners.’’
Lee said the $4 million pegged to address the parking issue is all that is available, there is no more money available to purchase land.
In light of that they had an engineer look at the Pownal Parkade and he said it was structurally sound and could accommodate two more storeys.
“That building is already owned by the city so we would not have to acquire more land. So that option, we thought satisfied all the conditions set by the developer. Ten days ago we signed a development agreement and sent it on to the developer to sign. That’s when they sent us a letter saying no (to) the Pownal Parkade.’’
Lee said the conditions, as originally laid out, have been met, and that the city is not prepared to force taxpayers into further debt to purchase land adjacent to the Queens Parkade when the Pownal Parkade could be utilized.
“Council must manage the city in a responsible manner and try to accommodate all business owners, not just one,’’ Lee said.
“We want the project to proceed, but if this means the project does not proceed that’s unfortunate. We feel we’ve done all they asked.’’



Affordable housing project will help 20 families in need (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=145042&sc=98)

STACEY MURRAY
The Guardian


http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/photos/TheGuardian/stories/a3_housing_2_bw_web1.jpg
Bill Campbell, left, Kings Square Affordable Housing Corp.; Caroline Arsenault, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.; Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee, and Health Minister Doug Currie turn the sod at the sight of the new affordable disabled-accessible housing project on Kensington Road in Charlottetown. Guardian photo (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=145042&sc=98)


The federal government will provide nearly $500,000 towards a new construction project that will help 20 families in need of affordable housing.
The Canada-P.E.I. Affordable Housing Agreement will provide $488,000 to the Kings Square Affordable Housing Project to offset the construction of 20 three-bedroom apartments.
The apartments, which are set for completion next spring, will be built on Kensington Road, where the official sod-turning took place Tuesday.
A total of four buildings will be constructed, including three buildings with four apartments and one building with eight apartments.
Apartments will be heated, and those on the ground level will be modified for those with disabilities.
Bill Campbell, president of the Kings Square Affordable Housing Corporation, said the project has been in the works for some time.
“We’ve been talking about this for 3 1/2 years.”
He said it took time to find a location that would suit the needs of growing families.
“We’ve had very good fortune of finding a place that would border on a park.”
Campbell will take out a mortgage for $1.98 million to pay for the remainder of the costs.
While the costs of the units have yet to be determined, there is a cap in place to ensure they are no more than $800 a month.
Campbell said some figures show one in four adults spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.
“This is a strikingly high number.”
Projects like this one will help ease the burden on low-income families. With rising fuel costs, heated units will also help make the units more affordable, he said.
“The way oil prices are going is incredible.”
Mayor Clifford Lee said the project will help improve the living situation for some low-income families.
“Housing is one of the very basic needs.”
Health and Social Services Minister Doug Currie said he’s met with families involved with affordable housing programs, so he understands the necessity of the project.
“I’ve seen the differences these housing projects can make.”
Caroline Arsenault of Canada Mortgage and Housing Canada said while the project on Kensington Road was just beginning, another project had its official opening Tuesday as well.
Independence Place opened 11 one- and two-bedroom apartments in Summerside.
The housing trust provided $431,500 for the project, which will provide spaces for people living with physical disabilities she said.
“We are proud to support projects like these,” Arsenault said.
The housing agreement involves an investment of $8.32 million in the creation of affordable housing units in Prince Edward Island.
To date, more than 120 units have been supported by the agreement in rural and urban communities in the province.


Petition backing Souris-Cape Breton ferry link tabled in Commons (http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=144964&sc=98)

NANCY WILLIS
The Guardian

SOURIS — A petition to establish a ferry link between Souris and Cape Breton was tabled in the House of Commons last week by Cape Breton MP Roger Cuzner.
This concept has been under discussion for the past 40 years, and the recent petition, signed by several hundred supporters, is being championed with renewed vigour by residents on both sides of the Northumberland Strait.
However, Cuzner said as valuable as a ferry between the two eastern ports might be, it is not one that has any support within the ferry service industry.
“It is a difficult issue because the Canada Marine Act clearly identifies that there only two types of ferry service that will receive funding and subsidy from the federal government and they are those covered by Confederation agreements,” he said.
These include the ferry between Cape Breton and Newfoundland, and those that provide service to remote locations.
Cuzner said he is aware that Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay did tremendous work on maintaining the Northumberland Ferries Ltd. service and extending its
contract.
“But that is due to expire soon also,” he said.
As far as Cuzner can see, the only way a Port Hood-Souris ferry would happen is if a private operator would come on board and say, ‘Yes this would be a feasible line.’
“But I haven’t talked to anyone in the industry that sees this as happening,” he said.
Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay said he supports the idea and is looking forward to any discussion when it happens.
But he too is not holding his breath.
“Yes, I support it fully, but my theory is that this crowd (the Harper government) is more interested in taking away ferry service from Islanders than creating anything new,” MacAulay said.
Cape Breton residents believe a ferry between the two localities would inject millions of dollars into the local economy to create jobs and stem some of the out-migration of local families and young people to Alberta.
Souris Mayor Joanne Reid is also very interested in such a project. She said the idea of communication and transportation between Souris and Port Hood has always appealed to her.
“The composition of both areas is very similar in terms of people, industry, history and culture,” she said.
“And we are both in areas where water transportation is easy and land transportation is not.
“Given the fact that Souris already has a ferry terminal and a great port, another ferry in our realm would work wonders for our economy and add to the service we already have.”
Mark Macneill, former New Democratic Party candidate from Mabou, Cape Breton, said islanders on both sides have called for a ferry from Souris to Port Hood for 40 years, and his take on two studies on the issue is they suggest such a ferry service is more commercially viable than the existing P.E.I. to Pictou route, which now suffers from being too close to the Confederation Bridge.
Speaking to Reid this week, he said: “Keep your fingers crossed and should this progress, it is imperative that we resolve collectively to persist with this project and the good it will bring our region.”
Cuzner said Macneill is “looking at this through a political lens.” He said neither of the two studies done on the Port Hood-Souris run has indicated a strong business case.

The main support for this on Cape Breton Island is from Inverness County. I would like to see it happen, but not at the added expense to taxpayers. No need to subsidise another ferry when the NFL side is serving its purpose and still has to be subsidised. I've got to agree with Cuzner on this one. I don't think it will do much in the grand scheme of things, but might inject some money into Port Hood (taking it away from Pictou).
MacNeill was behind the petition with his former role (still his unofficial role) as the head of the Cape Breton Provincehood movement, and is now trying to position this issue to go against Cuzner as a member of the NDP in the next election. He's made no secrets about any of that.
Anyway, the rest is just my opinion.

[MonctonRad]

Given the extraordinary lack of activity in the PEI thread, I felt (as a native Islander) that I should include this article from the Moncton Times & Transcript regarding an exciting new tourism development about to take place in Charlottetown. BTW, is there anyone prepared to take ownership of the PEI thread?



CHARLOTTETOWN - COWS, the company that brought Canadians Hannah Moontana, Cowches Corner and "udder stuff," is planning a multimillion-dollar tourist attraction next to the factory outlets at the North River causeway in Charlottetown.


COWS will construct a creamery that will house its production facilities that make the award-winning ice cream, cheese, and parody T-shirts.

The facility, modelled after Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Vermont, will also be a tourist attraction and will allow people to see the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts being made.

The U.S.-based Ben & Jerry's creamery receives more than one million visitors annually.

Lindsay Linkletter, manager of public relations with COWS, says it is an exciting time to be part of COWS.

"COWS started making ice cream back in 1983 in Cavendish. We were just young children then, gathered around the ice cream maker," said Linkletter, whose family started COWS .

"It is still an old, Island, family recipe dating back to the time of Anne of Green Gables. Now 25 years later, we have seven on-Island stores and four off-Island stores."

Funding from the federal and provincial governments will enable the company to break ground soon on the 32,000 square foot facility. It will open to the public next spring.

ACOA will invest $350,000 through a repayable loan.

In 2007, the provincial government announced it was providing an $8.1 million loan to help construct the COWS' headquarters. ACOA, Canada Lands and the city are also contributing to the construction of the facility.

COWS currently rents commercial space in the West Royalty Industrial Park. The new headquarters will be company-owned and will house the production of all goods under one roof.

New jobs will also be created as COWS expands its cheese production, opens a new COWS retail store in the creamery and begins tours of the new facility.

[Smevo]

I don't know if there's anyone that can take ownership of the thread. Once I get settled out west I can get back to checking the Guardian's main webpage(likely daily by that point). Outside of that, though, I can't do much for the thread.

[Helladog]

From June 6:

Deal on parking opens door to build hotel print this article
DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

It appears that Dyne Holdings might break ground soon on a new hotel in the downtown core of Charlottetown.
The City of Charlottetown completed agreements Thursday guaranteeing Dyne 175 parking spaces.
The company told The Guardian Wednesday that it couldn’t move forward with an 85-room hotel on top of the Confederation Court Mall until the city and Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) finalized plans for new parking spaces.
A spokesman with the city corporation said Thursday CADC is comfortable enough to move forward.
That could mean a new parking garage or adding on to one of the existing three garages.
However, the city won’t budge on those parking spaces until Dyne Holdings formally secures a foundation permit to build the hotel.
The agreements the city signed on Thursday, worth an estimated $35 million, include the new hotel, renovations to the Confederation Court Mall and a new office tower on Fitzroy Street that would connect to the Queen Street Parkade.
Council gave the OK to the new office building in late April.


August 22:

Wind farm gets infusion of cash
NANCY WILLIS
The Guardian

SOURIS — The East Point Wind Farm received a boost from the federal government's new ecoENERGY Initiative Thursday that could translate into as much as $9 million over the next 10 years for producing green power.
The grant is part of a $1.48-billion renewable power program aimed at increasing Canada’s supply of green energy from sources like wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar and ocean movement.
Mike Allen, MP for Tobique-Mactaquac, was at East Point to present the grant on behalf of the federal minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn. With him were provincial Energy
Minister George Webster and local MLA and Fisheries Minister Allan Campbell.
Allen said the East Point Wind Farm will receive one cent for every kilowatt generated over the next decade to a cap of $9 million.
“The 10 turbines at the East Point Farm have a total generating capacity of 30 megawatts which is enough green energy to meet more that seven per cent of the province’s electricity needs and that’s without a single kilogram of greenhouse gases,’’ he said.
Earlier in the day, Allen announced $2.8 million for the wind farm in Norway, P.E.I., where a project of nine megawatts is going up.
He acknowledged P.E.I.’s pioneer role in wind energy.
“We need these alternative forms of energy to bring competitive prices and wind will be that competitive price,’’ he said.
He cited Canada’s need to accelerate the time table, and said this ecoENERGY Initiative is providing a boost needed to reduce greenhouse emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. The grant money will be distributed to the wind farm in incrementals and can be used by the company for reinvestment or whatever it chooses.
Webster said the province is pleased with the ecoENERGY Initiative.
“We have had a great spirit of co-operation with the federal government in pioneering wind energy production over the last 10-15 years, and already P.E.I. is generating 18 per cent of its energy from renewable wind owned by the people of the Island.
“Now, we want to take that one step further and increase this development so our citizens can enjoy the economic benefits.’’

[MonctonRad]

Stratford plan towers over Charlottetown Harbour
Last Updated: Monday, November 3, 2008 | 9:34 AM AT
CBC News

The owner of a waterfront motel in Stratford, across the harbour from Charlottetown, is planning to build two eight-storey condominiums on the same site.

The buildings would be among the tallest on Prince Edward Island, the tallest being the 10-storey Prince Edward Hotel in Charlottetown.

Jacob Hiemstra, owner of the Southport Motel and a developer from Holland, will unveil a plan Tuesday for the buildings.

Stratford Mayor Kevin Jenkins is excited about the possibilities.

"We definitely want something distinctive; we want something high-quality on the waterfront. We're very, very sensitive as to the type of development that takes place," said Jenkins.

Jenkins said given what he seen so far, the condominiums will stimulate further high-quality development in the area. The town, he said, could contribute to the project by enhancing lighting and the area's streetscape.

The development meets with zoning regulations and planning guidelines, and so likely wouldn't require a public hearing. The plan is in the very early stages, said Jenkins, and no permit has been applied for yet.

Hiemstra is planning a private function to kick off the project Tuesday afternoon.

Here is a rendering

http://www.stratfordtowers.ca/images/gallery_exterior4.jpg

Website - http://www.stratfordtowers.ca

[mylesmalley]

That's an impressive proposal. I didn't think Stratford was all that big?

[Dmajackson]

That looks great!

Man do i need to get back to the Island some day...

[Architype]

That's a very nice looking project.

http://www.stratfordtowers.ca/images/gallery_exterior4.jpg

[MonctonRad]

That's an impressive proposal. I didn't think Stratford was all that big?

Stratford isn't big, probably no more than 8,000 people but it is one of Charlottetown's suburbs and therefore part of a census agglomeration of about 58,000 people.

For those of you unfamiliar with exactly where this development is going to go, it will be immediately to the west, at the base of the Hillsborough Bridge as you approach Charlottetown on the TCH from Wood Islands

[MonctonRad]

Tunnel among big plans for downtown Charlottetown

Last Updated: Friday, November 7, 2008
CBC News

A pedestrian tunnel connecting the Confederation Centre and the Confederation Court Mall is among the big plans for Charlottetown's downtown.

The $2-million cost of the tunnel would be shared with a developer who wants to build a hotel above the mall.

"We believe it's really important that the downtown is connected for 12 months of the year," Confederation Centre CEO David MacKenzie said.

"The accessibility for the centre and for the Confederation Court Mall would be very good for both important downtown organizations."

The news about the tunnel suggests that plans for the hotel are on again. Mall owner Homberg International, also the planned developer for the hotel, had put the proposal on hold over a parking space dispute with the city. CBC News has learned the provincial government has provided a $30-million loan for the project at an interest rate of four per cent.

Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee said he wasn't aware of the loan or plans for the 80-room hotel to go ahead.

[MonctonRad]

Province commits to creation of central museum
JIM DAY
The Guardian

The future site for showcasing the province’s past appears likely destined to be in the Charlottetown area.
Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram pledged Friday her government’s commitment to creating a centrally located provincial museum facility.
Further analysis will be done to peg the specific location, but the recommendation from a heritage report released Friday clearly seems to place the capital city as the prime candidate.
Bertram said the location would be centrally located in a place with the highest potential for visitors to the site.
“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the (upcoming) process,’’ she said when asked if the site will inevitably end up in the capital city.
Still, the crowd gathered inside the main theatre of Province House cheered Bertram’s promise to create a centrally located provincial museum facility.
The previous Conservative government was ready for construction of a provincial artifactory in Murray River but the Liberal election victory in late May 2007 brought those plans to an abrupt halt.
The proposed $4.9-million project to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.
But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.
Bertram hopes to see the museum open within “the next few years’’ but future analysis — and capital budget approval — is still needed to determine many factors for the promised facility. Among the unanswered questions is where will the museum be located, will it be housed in an existing building or will a new facility be constructed and what will be displayed in the facility.
Bertram says it is important for the government to undertake proper planning for a new facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of Islanders.
She also wants her government to support capital upgrades to the current seven provincial museums that dot the Island.
The $60,000 report, called Charting A Course, also calls for government to develop a strategy to guide future planning for heritage. Bertram says government will work immediately to create a strategy.
“Within one year, we will have a series of heritage priorities and specific action areas identified to address various heritage needs,’’ she said. “The strategy will recognize that heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar — heritage is a way of thinking about our Island community.’’
That philosophy sits well with Catherine Hennessey, a vocal advocate for the promotion and preservation of the Island’s heritage.
“I have a belief in a museum, but I have a deep belief that we can put a group of people together — a staff — that will help one end of this Island to the other interpreting and preserving our history,’’ she said following Friday’s announcement. “The call is out now for the community to support this wonderful first step.’’
More than 500 individuals and organizations came forward with their concerns and suggestions in helping the IRIS group prepare its report.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- Making more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation, notably the Heritage Places Protection Act. Proclaiming the Archaeology Act and developing regulations.
- Strengthening and clarifying the mandates regarding administration and provincial heritage resources.
- Giving more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process.
- Increasing support for community museums through the Community Museums Association.

[mylesmalley]

P.E.I. to build central museum
Last Updated: Friday, November 14, 2008 | 5:05 PM AT

CBC News
Some of the report's recommendations will be implemented over the longer term, said Bertram. (CBC)
Prince Edward Island will build a new provincial museum, Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram announced Friday.

During the May 2007 election campaign, the Liberals promised to give the idea of a central heritage museum serious consideration. Currently, the provincial museum operates seven sites across the province, but each has a narrow focus, such as fisheries, railways, agriculture and shipbuilding.

The decision to build a central museum came in response to a report the government commissioned on the idea, also released Friday.

Heritage on P.E.I. is lacking co-ordinated vision and planning, says the 143-page report. What is being presented is fragmented and weakly connected.

The report notes the current piecemeal approach excludes many subject areas such as natural history, Aboriginal heritage, women's history, archaeological sites, and Island customs, stories, and languages.

"Some of the areas covered in the report, such as greater involvement of the aboriginal community and investment in the Museum and Heritage Foundation sites, are already being addressed," said Bertram in a news release.

The report recommends the new facility be operational within five years.

"Other recommendations may be implemented over a longer term," said Bertram.

The study was prepared by the Iris Group of Stratford in association with A.L. Arbic Consulting of Nova Scotia.

[MonctonRad]

Major condo proposed for waterfront
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian


http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/photos/TheGuardian/stories/1118%20A1%20New%20Condos.jpg
Above is a sketch of the proposed Charlottetown waterfront condominium and spa that would total 85,000 square feet. The proposed condominium, which if built would go behind Founder’s Hall, is being brought forward by a Newfoundland developer. Guardian graphic


A new, four-storey condominium complex and spa is being proposed for the Charlottetown waterfront.
The 85,000-square-foot complex, which includes two buildings, would tower next to Founder’s Hall at 4 Prince Street on the lot of land between Founder’s Hall and Lobster on the Wharf.
Paul Madden, a Newfoundland developer, is proposing the new development.
He’s well known in and around St. John’s for developments that include the Spa at the Monastery, The Narrows, and the purchase of the old Capital Theatre, which is being turned into a live performance space in the Newfoundland capital city. The purchase price alone for the theatre was $800,000.
Kim Devine, the councillor responsible for planning in Charlottetown, said the city is looking for input from Charlottetown residents before approving the development.
“Quite often people express opinions about the waterfront. Some like what’s down there, others don’t like what’s down there,’’ Devine said, in an interview.
“This is a really good opportunity to come out and let council know what they would like to see on their waterfront.’’
A public meeting on the new development will be held Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Rodd Charlottetown in the Georgian Room.
During a recent meeting, Charlottetown city council agreed to go to the public consultation phase for the development.
Rob Lantz, who also sits on the planning committee, said the Newfoundland developer had planned to go ahead with a bigger development that would have included a hotel.
But Lantz said the developer decided against the hotel, saying the hotel market in the city is already saturated.
The majority of the building will now be condominiums, with the spa located on the main floor. There would be semi-underground parking, four feet of which would be underground. The building would stand 50 feet high, making it taller than the neighbouring Founder’s Hall.
The land is owned by the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation.
The proposal has gone before planning board. It is expected to be brought to council for final approval in December, following this month’s public meeting.
Devine said the project is larger than what the official plan calls for. The plan calls for a building about 36,000 square feet. The proposal is more than twice that size.
Lantz said he doesn’t want to overcrowd the waterfront.
“And we’re getting there. At some point, it needs to stop.’’

Personal note - only on PEI would a four storey building be accused of towering over anything. Also, I find the statement about overcrowding the waterfront laughable as well, but it is certainly good to see new development coming on stream downtown. :tup:

[Wishblade]

Did anyone notice that NOBODY from PEI actually posts in this thread? lol

[mmmatt]

Did anyone notice that NOBODY from PEI actually posts in this thread? lol

MonctonRad is from PEI

[mylesmalley]

Province commits to creation of central museum
JIM DAY
The Guardian

The future site for showcasing the province’s past appears likely destined to be in the Charlottetown area.
Heritage Minister Carolyn Bertram pledged Friday her government’s commitment to creating a centrally located provincial museum facility.
Further analysis will be done to peg the specific location, but the recommendation from a heritage report released Friday clearly seems to place the capital city as the prime candidate.
Bertram said the location would be centrally located in a place with the highest potential for visitors to the site.
“We are not going to prejudge where it is going to be, that is part of the (upcoming) process,’’ she said when asked if the site will inevitably end up in the capital city.
Still, the crowd gathered inside the main theatre of Province House cheered Bertram’s promise to create a centrally located provincial museum facility.
The previous Conservative government was ready for construction of a provincial artifactory in Murray River but the Liberal election victory in late May 2007 brought those plans to an abrupt halt.
The proposed $4.9-million project to house and display some of the more than 80,000 items of historical significance now being stored in the West Royalty Industrial Park also included a retail and boutique attachment as a way to stimulate more summertime business in this quiet fishing village.
But while the relocation bid was applauded by the P.E.I. Heritage Foundation, it drew the ire of other heritage buffs who insisted Murray River was too far off the beaten track and the province should be building a provincial museum instead in the capital city.
Bertram hopes to see the museum open within “the next few years’’ but future analysis — and capital budget approval — is still needed to determine many factors for the promised facility. Among the unanswered questions is where will the museum be located, will it be housed in an existing building or will a new facility be constructed and what will be displayed in the facility.
Bertram says it is important for the government to undertake proper planning for a new facility to ensure it meets the expectations and needs of Islanders.
She also wants her government to support capital upgrades to the current seven provincial museums that dot the Island.
The $60,000 report, called Charting A Course, also calls for government to develop a strategy to guide future planning for heritage. Bertram says government will work immediately to create a strategy.
“Within one year, we will have a series of heritage priorities and specific action areas identified to address various heritage needs,’’ she said. “The strategy will recognize that heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar — heritage is a way of thinking about our Island community.’’
That philosophy sits well with Catherine Hennessey, a vocal advocate for the promotion and preservation of the Island’s heritage.
“I have a belief in a museum, but I have a deep belief that we can put a group of people together — a staff — that will help one end of this Island to the other interpreting and preserving our history,’’ she said following Friday’s announcement. “The call is out now for the community to support this wonderful first step.’’
More than 500 individuals and organizations came forward with their concerns and suggestions in helping the IRIS group prepare its report.
Other recommendations in the report include:
- Making more effective use and enforcement of existing legislation, notably the Heritage Places Protection Act. Proclaiming the Archaeology Act and developing regulations.
- Strengthening and clarifying the mandates regarding administration and provincial heritage resources.
- Giving more prominence to heritage concerns within government as part of the decision-making process.
- Increasing support for community museums through the Community Museums Association.

Sorry MonctonRad. Didnt mean to double post

[MonctonRad]

Sorry MonctonRad. Didnt mean to double post


No apologies necessary. The building of a centralized provincial museum is an important milestone for the province and this required a bit of an exclamation point anyway! :D

BTW, glad to see you take some interest in the PEI thread. Since it seems that there are currently no resident Islanders on the forum, I guess it's up to us mainlanders to keep an eye on things.

Like Matt said, I'm from PEI but I haven't lived there since 1979. I feel like a mainlander now more than I do an Islander. That's kinda sad in some ways.

[Dmajackson]

No apologies necessary. The building of a centralized provincial museum is an important milestone for the province and this required a bit of an exclamation point anyway! :D

BTW, glad to see you take some interest in the PEI thread. Since it seems that there are currently no resident Islanders on the forum, I guess it's up to us mainlanders to keep an eye on things.

Like Matt said, I'm from PEI but I haven't lived there since 1979. I feel like a mainlander now more than I do an Islander. That's kinda sad in some ways.

That's Islander talk. No matter how long you live elsewhere you will still have the Island dialect.

Major condo proposed for waterfront
WAYNE THIBODEAU
The Guardian


http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/photos/TheGuardian/stories/1118%20A1%20New%20Condos.jpg
Above is a sketch of the proposed Charlottetown waterfront condominium and spa that would total 85,000 square feet. The proposed condominium, which if built would go behind Founder’s Hall, is being brought forward by a Newfoundland developer. Guardian graphic


A new, four-storey condominium complex and spa is being proposed for the Charlottetown waterfront.
The 85,000-square-foot complex, which includes two buildings, would tower next to Founder’s Hall at 4 Prince Street on the lot of land between Founder’s Hall and Lobster on the Wharf.
Paul Madden, a Newfoundland developer, is proposing the new development.
He’s well known in and around St. John’s for developments that include the Spa at the Monastery, The Narrows, and the purchase of the old Capital Theatre, which is being turned into a live performance space in the Newfoundland capital city. The purchase price alone for the theatre was $800,000.
Kim Devine, the councillor responsible for planning in Charlottetown, said the city is looking for input from Charlottetown residents before approving the development.
“Quite often people express opinions about the waterfront. Some like what’s down there, others don’t like what’s down there,’’ Devine said, in an interview.
“This is a really good opportunity to come out and let council know what they would like to see on their waterfront.’’
A public meeting on the new development will be held Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Rodd Charlottetown in the Georgian Room.
During a recent meeting, Charlottetown city council agreed to go to the public consultation phase for the development.
Rob Lantz, who also sits on the planning committee, said the Newfoundland developer had planned to go ahead with a bigger development that would have included a hotel.
But Lantz said the developer decided against the hotel, saying the hotel market in the city is already saturated.
The majority of the building will now be condominiums, with the spa located on the main floor. There would be semi-underground parking, four feet of which would be underground. The building would stand 50 feet high, making it taller than the neighbouring Founder’s Hall.
The land is owned by the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation.
The proposal has gone before planning board. It is expected to be brought to council for final approval in December, following this month’s public meeting.
Devine said the project is larger than what the official plan calls for. The plan calls for a building about 36,000 square feet. The proposal is more than twice that size.
Lantz said he doesn’t want to overcrowd the waterfront.
“And we’re getting there. At some point, it needs to stop.’’

Personal note - only on PEI would a four storey building be accused of towering over anything. Also, I find the statement about overcrowding the waterfront laughable as well, but it is certainly good to see new development coming on stream downtown. :tup:

The tower looks nice. Maybe with a coupld of new projects around the Island an islander might join the forums and hopefully take ownership of this thread. :)

[ErickMontreal]

Homberg plans to invest $45 million in downtown Charlottetown

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/photos/TheGuardian/stories/CCH_hotel%20web.jpg
Planned 10-story, 82 unit hotel facing Queen Street in Charlottetown as presented Thursday by Richard Homberg of Homberg Invest.

Last updated at 4:02 PM on 27/11/08
The Guardian

Homberg Invest is planning to spend $45 million in downtown Charlottetown on multiple properties and renovations.

The announcement was made in Charlottetown on Thursday at a press conference in the Confederation Centre. Richard Homberg of Homberg Invest told the assembled crowd that his company has already started to build an 8-story office tower on Fitzroy Street beside the former Playhouse/JR’s Place. It also plans to build a 10-story hotel connected to the Confederation Court Mall, on the Queen Street side.

Plans also include improving the exterior cladding of the National Bank tower that is part of the mall complex, improving the exterior of the former Holman’s façade on Grafton Street, creating an underground pedway between the mall and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

The plans also include renovations to the mall and a shift toward botique-style retail, said Homberg.

[MonctonRad]

OK.......let's get this straight.

Homberg plans to build:
(1) - A 10 storey hotel on the Queen St. side of Confederation Court Mall
(2) - An 8 storey office building at the corner of Fitzroy & University.
(3) - Renovate the existing 6 storey National Bank Tower on Kent St..
(4) - Renovate the facade of the former Holman's Building on Grafton St. (Very necessary)
(5) - Build a tunnel under Grafton St. to connect Confederation Court Mall directly to Confederation Centre.

Meanwhile, Paul Madden plans to build:
(6) - two four storey condos on the waterfront at the foot of Prince St. next to Founders Hall

Jacob Hiemstra plans to build:
(7) - two 8 storey condos on the Stratford side of the Hillsborough River next to the bridge.

(8) - The province plans to build a new centralized provincial museum somewhere in the city.

(9) - COWS is planning a new facility at the North River Causeway modelled after Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Vermont, which will also be a tourist attraction and will allow people to see the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts being made.

(10) - construction is ongoing at UPEI for new athletic facilities in preparation for the upcoming Canada Games.

This can't be considered a compilation thread as it isn't comprehensive (I'm sure) but Holy Crap!!!!!, I'm from the Island and I can state as a fact that I have never seen a line-up of proposed projects such as this!!! What's going on, don't these people realize that we are in the midst of a worldwide economic recession of epic proportions!!

[Dmajackson]

For a city of roughly 60'000 (?) people thats interesting. Maybe people want to get out of the big cities and retire on the island? Either that or Islanders are having a lot more children lately...

[MonctonRad]

Waterfront developer tells Charlottetown to get with the times

NIGEL ARMSTRONG
The Guardian


http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/photos/TheGuardian/stories/Condo%20story.jpg
A proposed development on the Charlottetown waterfront. At lower left is the bottom of Prince Street and MacKinnon's Lobster on the Wharf. At top in gray with a rectangle white roof is a rendition of Founders Hall. It is 42 feet tall; the proposed development at centre would be 44 feet above ground.


A developer told citizens of Charlottetown to get with the times during a public meeting Wednesday.
“Things do change, things do not stay the way they are,” said Paul Madden of Newfoundland, owner of Patrick Street Holdings, which created Spa at he Monastery and Suites in St. John's, Nfld.
He wants to build a four-story, 85,000 square-foot, double building development at the foot of Prince Street in the now vacant lot between Founders Hall and the Charlottetown waterfront. Architect Bill Chandler presented the details, saying the building would sit on 30 to 40-foot-deep concrete pilings embedded in the bedrock below the reclaimed land that makes up that part of the waterfront.
The site is already pre-approved for development. Any developer can proceed without a public meeting to construct a three-story, 36,000 square foot, three-floor condominium development there. Because Madden’s proposal exceeds those pre-approved specifications, Charlottetown City Council must grant approval. It held a public meeting Wednesday to gather citizen opinion.
Press on John Madden
The Scope - Nfld. arts weekly
The Georgian Room of the Charlottetown Hotel was packed as residents came to hear about Madden’s development.
Fred Hyndman was the first of the public to speak, saying he opposes the development because Charlottetown is the only official deep-water port on the Northumberland Strait. Hyndman said the land needs to keep its designation as industrial because it might be needed in the future for natural gas exploration, or a roll on-roll off shipping development, or a military need.
“That is the only site in the province, the only place in the Northumberland Strait that qualifies as a deep-water site,’ he said.
Condominiums can be built on Dorchester Street but a container ship cannot dock on Dorchester Street, said Hyndman.
Randy Campbell said that the land should remain public.
Campbell said that any potential tenants would likely settle in other parts of Charlottetown so denying the project would not turn them away.
“Please don’t sell our waterfront,” said Campbell to the council arrayed in a line of tables at the front of the room.
John MacIntyre said he lives on Hillsborough Street and he doesn’t see much public use of the land at this moment.
“To me, there is a lot that commends this project,” said MacIntyre.
Malcolm Lodge is opposed to the project, saying it will overwhelm Founders Hall, which carries millions of dollars of taxpayer investment.
Lodge had alternative suggestions for the site, like a potential home for a provincial museum, or a recreation park with climbing walls and diving training, delis and pubs.
Lodge said there is plenty of a vacant or derelict property inland.
“These should be in-filled before considering such development on the waterfront,” he said.
Alan Holman said that the design looked like a warehouse for people.
“What is the imperative to develop this land now, and if there is a good reason, get something better than warehouses,” said Holman.
Madden spoke at the end of the meeting, saying the city is not deciding between his plan versus a public park or an industrial pipe-yard, which he later called a pipe-dream.
“There is already a plan in place for development on this site,” said Madden. “Size is the topic here.”
He said he has been through the issues and problems of developing the waterfront during his time as a city councilor in Newfoundland, and as a developer there.
“The times they are a changing,” he said to the Charlottetown meeting. “Time will pass you by.
“You should be glad there are people willing to come here and spend this kind of money,” said Madden. “There has to be some development just like there has to be some parks.”
He said that Charlottetown needs more residents in the downtown if it wants to revitalize the area.

There seems to be some dissention in the ranks. I'm not surprised that there would be a significant anti-development lobby in Charlottetown. Sounds like Mr. Madden was a little condescending. The Islanders won't like that. He'll have to careful. Even if he is from Newfoundland, he's still a CFA.

[mylesmalley]

Waterfront developer tells Charlottetown to get with the times

There seems to be some dissention in the ranks. I'm not surprised that there would be a significant anti-development lobby in Charlottetown. Sounds like Mr. Madden was a little condescending. The Islanders won't like that. He'll have to careful. Even if he is from Newfoundland, he's still a CFA.

I realize that, being an island, PEI is more remote than the rest of the maritimes in general. It still surprises me that the Come from Away monicker is 1) still used on the island, and 2) not used in the rest of the maritimes. We're certainly on the geographic (and political) fringe of the country.

[mylesmalley]

From the times and transcript

Charlottetown to get $45M hotel
Published Friday November 28th, 2008
C3

CHARLOTTETOWN - Homburg Invest Inc. (TSX:HII) says it expects construction of a new hotel in downtown Charlottetown will begin in early 2009 as part of the company's $45-million redevelopment in P.E.I.'s capital.

The 10-storey, 82-room boutique hotel will be Phase 3 of the project which is expected to be completed in the next 24 to 30 months, the Halifax-based real-estate company said yesterday.

"We decided it was time to reinvest in the next 10 years," Richard Homburg, chairman and CEO of Homburg Invest Inc., told a news conference in Charlottetown.

Homburg said the tumult on global financial markets didn't stand in the way of making this project a reality.

"Yes, these are very tough economic times -- some call it a financial crisis," Homburg said. "Still, Homburg is in this for the long haul. We have a great deal of confidence in the future of Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island."

Financing for the project is already in place. The P.E.I. government provided a $30-million loan.

"You cannot sit still and go home," the CEO said. "The biggest fear is fear itself. You have to move ahead (when times are tough). We (Homburg) are financially strong."

The three-stage redevelopment of the Confederation Court Mall will also include a new eight-storey Class A commercial office building and refurbishment of the 30-year-old complex.

[kwajo]

Well I'm impressed with all of this PEI news all of a sudden! Who knows, maybe in 50 to 75 years Charlottetown will surprise everyone and suddenly become the dominant city of Canada's East Coast (I'm joking around, but I actually would love to see it happen, I really like Charlottetown).

[MonctonRad]

More items to place on the list of Charlottetown projects:

The provincial government just released their capital expenses projections for the next five years (totalling over $500M) with increased spending to serve as a stimulus during these hard economic times.

Amongst the big ticket items:

- Expansion and upgrades to the QE2 Hospital, cost $53 million
- Replacement of the Prince Edward Home (nursing home, the former Prince Edward Hospital on Brighton Road), cost $22 million
- An expansion of Ecole Francois Buote (the city's francophone school)
- a new "BioCommons Research Park", to be located adjacent to UPEI, cost $15 million.
- Upgrades to the Sleepy Hollow Jail (yes, that is indeed the name of the main provincial correctional facility).

I guess I'll have to update my previous post on developments in greater Charlottetown as it seems to becoming a pseudo compilation thread.

[MonctonRad]

UPDATED COMPILATION OF PROJECTS IN GREATER CHARLOTTETOWN



Homburg plans to build:
(1) - A 10 storey hotel on the Queen St. side of Confederation Court Mall
(2) - An 8 storey office building at the corner of Fitzroy & University.
(3) - Renovate the existing 6 storey National Bank Tower on Kent St..
(4) - Renovate the facade of the former Holman's Building on Grafton St. (Very necessary)
(5) - Build a tunnel under Grafton St. to connect Confederation Court Mall directly to Confederation Centre.

Meanwhile, Paul Madden plans to build:
(6) - two four storey condos on the waterfront at the foot of Prince St. next to Founders Hall

Jacob Hiemstra plans to build:
(7) - two 8 storey condos on the Stratford side of the Hillsborough River next to the bridge.

(8) - The province plans to build a new centralized provincial museum somewhere in the city.

(9) - COWS is planning a new facility at the North River Causeway modelled after Ben & Jerry's headquarters in Vermont, which will also be a tourist attraction and will allow people to see the ice cream, cheese and T-shirts being made.

(10) - construction is ongoing at UPEI for new athletic facilities in preparation for the upcoming Canada Games.

Recently announced projects as part of a capital works economic stimulus package.
(11) - expansion and upgrades to the QE2 Hospital, cost $53 million
(12) - replacement of the Prince Edward Home (nursing home, the former Prince Edward Island Hospital on Brighton Road), cost $22 million
(13) - an expansion of Ecole Francois Buote (the city's francophone school)
(14) - a new "BioCommons Research Park", to be located adjacent to UPEI, cost $15 million.
(15) - Upgrades to the Sleepy Hollow Jail (yes, that is indeed the name of the main provincial correctional facility).


For a relatively small city this is a rather impressive list of projects. I don't live in Charlottetown anymore and rarely get over there so I don't claim this list to be comprehensive. Does anyone else know about any other projects to include?

[MonctonRad]

Summerside nears deal with Atlantic Lotto for grandstand
MIKE CARSON
The Guardian

SUMMERSIDE — The city of Summerside is close to finalizing a deal with Atlantic Lotto to replace the deteriorating grandstand at Summerside Raceway.
Terry Murphy, chief administrative officer for the city, said the project has been moving ahead over the past few weeks.
“We’re at the final steps of reaching an agreement with Atlantic Lotto to build a new grandstand,” Murphy said Monday. “We’re working with the federal government to upgrade other facilities.”
The progress in the agreement comes as good news for the harness racing industry not only in Prince County, but for the Island and the Maritimes.
There had been fears the race track would be lost after the provincial government turned down a request for financial aid. The city was seeking an estimated $3 million to replace the grandstand and for other upgrades at the SRW.
Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart said the race track is an important cog in the municipality’s revenue as well as providing jobs and attracting tourists to the area. Stewart said the loss of the track would have shut down an industry that has been part of the social fabric of the area for more than a century.
Murphy said the city has been negotiating a lease agreement with Atlantic Lotto which would see it fund the new grandstand through rental fees.
Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea supported the renovations at the race track during her campaign in the riding of Egmont earlier this year. Both Shea and Prime Minister Stephen Harper made note of the conditions at the SRW and said they would look into it. Murphy said the city is looking to Ottawa to help with upgrades including replacing the paddock area, the stables and shipping barns.
The city’s image was also an issue. The area of the race track and Credit Union Place, the city’s $40-million wellness centre, will be used for the opening ceremonies of the 2009 Canada Games.

[MonctonRad]

This is a link to a video news conference re: the Homburg plans for downtown Charlottetown. Sorry for the poor audio quality but it does help to give an overall perspective for the project. :)

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?main=broadcast&bcid=9897

[MonctonRad]

Charlottetown investigates roundabout for Mount Edward-Allen Street facelift
DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

The Mount Edward Road-Allen Street intersection facelift is moving closer to reality and motorists could see a roundabout there this year.
Last year, city council approved $3 million under the Building in Canada federal infrastructure program, so the project will be cost-shared by the three levels of government, if and when it’s approved.
The City of Charlottetown just acquired all the necessary land in order to proceed with the project. Now it waits to see what happens with the federal government’s budget next Tuesday where Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is expected to announced a massive infrastructure stimulus package that will create jobs and projects this year. It is believed that stimulus package will include a facelift for Mount Edward Road and Allen Street.
The city needed a small piece of land from the federal government on the Experimental Farm property and from Island Chev Olds to expand the intersection. It now has both.
Depending on what’s in the stimulus package, work could begin this spring. Now the question is, what kind of work will it be?
The city has its engineers looking at a possible roundabout, which functions without signal lights.
“Right now we’re investigating the possibility of a roundabout (as long as it) eases traffic flow better than a signalized intersection would,’’ said Coun. Terry Bernard, chair of public works and property.
A roundabout would be the cheaper option, he said, but it doesn’t make sense to go that route if traffic from signalized intersections in the immediate area cause traffic to back up into the roundabout.
To put it in perspective, the city spent $220,000 to install traffic lights at Kensington Road and Woodward Drive.
The city has had its eye on the Allen and Mount Edward intersection for years. It has become quite the traffic headache for motorists. With no dedicated left-turning lane in three of the four feeders into the intersection, traffic tends to get extremely congested.
Frustrated motorists refuse to wait and end up using one of four side streets to access St. Peter’s Road — Harley, Gower, Confederation and Palmer’s Lane.
If the city chooses to go with a signalized intersection, the curb will have to be brought in about 9,100 square feet at Island Chev Olds and approximately 140 square feet at Tim Hortons.
Bernard said the right-turning merge lane on Allen Street would begin at Reliable Motors and push into the Island Chev Olds property

[MonctonRad]

Crews start work today on big capital project
DAVE STEWART
The Guardian

Homburg’s major $45-million three-phase development project is officially a go.
Construction begins today on an eight-storey commercial office building on Fitzroy Street while work on the 10-storey hotel will begin in April.
Charlottetown City Council approved a height variance request Thursday from the required 39.4 feet to approximately 127 feet for a proposed hotel at 123-125 Grafton Street.
The hotel was supposed to front onto Queen Street, but Homburg ran into problems with the Charlottetown property owner who owns the TD Dominion Bank.
Homburg needed the approval of that property owner before it could build on the vacant lot next door. That property owner is the Nemir Tweel Corp Ltd. and Christopher Tweel.
The two parties were unable to reach an agreement and Homburg has since launched a lawsuit against the family.
Homburg then applied to the City of Charlottetown for a new variance on Grafton Street where the development doesn’t involve any of the commercial properties owned by the Tweels.
Homburg got the approval it needed on Thursday.
A spokesman with Homburg said initial work will involve removing the current façade on the front of the Holman’s building, completing some structural repairs to the original façade behind the current façade and then proceeding with demolition behind that.
The hotel is expected to open in July 2010.
Part of the Fitzroy Street office building project will involve closing off a portion of the street. Beginning today, traffic will not be permitted to turn onto Fitzroy Street from University Avenue. It’s being closed off so construction equipment, such as the crane, can be positioned on the street.
Homburg was using the vacant lot next to the old Playhouse but the Tweel company owns that. They cancelled Homburg’s lease last fall.
A city official said the Fitzroy entrance at University Avenue will be blocked off for the next six to eight weeks. After that it will be restricted to one lane for the duration of construction.
In the meantime, traffic which needs to access businesses on Fitzroy Street, between University Avenue and Queen Street, will be temporarily permitted to turn off Queen Street onto Fitzroy (normally the wrong way on the one-way street).
Also on Thursday, the city officially threw its support behind an underground connector/pedway between the Confederation Court Mall and the proposed hotel to Confederation Centre of the Arts.
The Fathers of Confederation Buildings Trust has applied for funding under the Build Canada Fund. The city supports the pedway project as long as it doesn’t interfere with applications the city has or will have under the same program.

The facts:
— Work begins today on the eight-storey office building on Fitzroy Street. To accommodate construction, traffic will not be able to access Fitzroy Street from University Avenue for the next six to eight weeks. A portion of Fitzroy Street, from east of Queen Street, will be two-way traffic during the work.
— Work begins on the proposed 10-storey Homburg hotel project in April. Initial work will involve structural changes to the façade of the former Holman’s building. The hotel is slated to open by July 2010.
— Approval has been granted for an underground pedway/connector between Confederation Centre of the Arts to Confederation Court Mall/hotel, pending funding under the Build Canada Fund.

[Dmajackson]

Nice to see Charlottetown growing :tup:

One question I have though is how tall is Char's tallest right now? I would Imagine a ten storey building would have a massive impact on the skyline but I don't know what the skyline looks like right now.

[MonctonRad]

Nice to see Charlottetown growing :tup:

One question I have though is how tall is Char's tallest right now? I would Imagine a ten storey building would have a massive impact on the skyline but I don't know what the skyline looks like right now.

The Delta Hotel on the waterfront is the tallest at 10 stories. There aren't any other buildings taller than 6-7 stories so yes, the addition of another 10 storey hotel and an 8 storey office building will be quite revolutionary for the city.

[braymondg]

Hi All

I'm new here, and I live in Charlottetown. I'm an avid construction buff and I have experience in architectural technology.
I have an update on the Fitzroy St. development, and I will post a picture once the windy weather subsides. They just started the building last Monday and are working on the 6th floor on one half of the building already. They must be working on one half at a time because they haven't a lot of room to work. They had to close the street so to bring the steel in and to run the crane.
I've been watching the development on web cam here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/islandcam/camera1.php3
It's not a frontal view and is taken from the Province House facing north up University Avenue. The construction can be seen and crane activity on the right hand side of the image, just right of the National Bank building. Not much to see but as the building works it way to full scale and the upper floors are added the frame will come into better view. I was watching it yesterday, and the crane was vigorously moving back and forth.
I will post some pictures like I said.
I'm glad to be on board, and I will provide updates as time goes on.

Cheers
Brian

[MonctonRad]

Welcome Braymondg, we have been in need of a PEI correspondent for some time so your input will indeed be quite important on this forum.

I'm from PEI and have kind of been the caretaker of the PEI thread for the last several months but I live in Moncton and don't get back to Charlottetown very often (not since last August), so my input has only been gleaned from the online edition of the Guardian.

Your fresh input will be most welcome!!!

:tup: :D :tup:

[braymondg]

http://www.capitalhonda.com/fitzroy.jpg

As promised, here is a photo of the progress on the 8 storey building on Fitzroy St. The foundation extends down to the end of the parkade. Work began last Monday so with good weather they will have the steel up in no time. :tup:

Brian

[Dmajackson]

^Very Nice Charlottetown! :)

[MonctonRad]

You would think that for an 8 storey building that they would be using a tower crane.

[Architype]

You would think that for an 8 storey building that they would be using a tower crane.
I've noticed they seldom use them in Newfoundland either (mostly mobile cranes are used), there might be an issue with getting them there.

[benvui]

I've noticed they seldom use them in Newfoundland either (mostly mobile cranes are used), there might be an issue with getting them there.

My father in-law is a former tower crane operator, he was one of the operators for the bridge, and he told me that the problem in the Maritimes is that nobody is learning to run the tower cranes anymore and that they learn to operate a crane is a mobile ones instead. I doubt its a problem with getting the crane to the Island but more a problem of finding someone who can run it.

[bam63]

No point for a tower crane on an eight storey steel building.You can have the frame up in two weeks.Its a much different story with concrete which would take months to put up eight floors.

[braymondg]

Hi All

One reason for the mobile crane is the property that is beside the new building
(vacant lot left of crane) is that the owners, the Tweel family, decided to cancel the lease with Homburg to use the property for the tower crane and support buildings. You can read the article here:

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=210546&sc=101 :koko:

Due to very limited space they now have to resort putting the frame up a half at a time. The crane in the photo will probably be on the street for the other half. Thats why the city closed off the street for 6-8 weeks.

Brian

[braymondg]

http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/fitzroy2.jpg
http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/fitzroy3.jpg
http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/fitzroy4.jpg

[MonctonRad]

Nice looking building, do you know if there will be a direct connection to the parkade in behind? If so, that would make a direct all weather connection between this building and Confederation Court Mall and (with the pedestrian tunnel), Confederation Centre.

[Dmajackson]

That is very nice looking.

I think thats the first time I've seen the flag flown at a constructon site before. Maybe its there for wind measurements? :shrug:

[braymondg]

Hi All

MontonRad, I believe there is a connection to the parkade at the back. I'm not 100% sure but I seem to recall that was suggested. I'll try and find a definate answer to that.
The flag may be for wind direction and also for display of the construction company that is putting up the steel frame. The Flag has a company logo on it with letters "MSE" on it.
Notice the stepped back top two floors! They were designed to be that way for a specific purpose. Originally, the building was to be 7 stories high but there was concern the top floor may interfere with Jean Canfield buildings massive solar panels which is just across the street. So what they did was to step back the 7th floor and then add an 8th floor stepped back even further to make up for the lost floor space on the 7th.
You can see the solar panels in the web cam at http://www.gov.pe.ca/islandcam/camera1.php3 which can be seen down University Ave, and you can also see the steel frame left of that.
Yes, I like the buildings design. It will complement the new buildings that have gone up around that area in the last 10 years. :tup:

Cheers

[Dmajackson]

The flag may be for wind direction and also for display of the construction company that is putting up the steel frame. The Flag has a company logo on it with letters "MSE" on it.

Okay yes that would make sense then. I thought the flag was red and white so I kind of asssumed it was a Canadian flag. A company flag makes more sense though.

I found an interesting article in the Chronicle Herald this morning (at the bottom of the post). Apparently Charlottetown is going to somehow increase the taxes on vacant properties in order to make a vacant lot less affordable. I only had one question bout this though, maybe "braymondg" can answer it. What is the vacancy rate like compared to other cities in the region?

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

Owners of vacant P.E.I. businesses put on notice

By ANDY WALKER
Tue. Feb 3 - 4:46 AM
CHARLOTTETOWN — Owners of vacant commercial properties in downtown Charlottetown could soon see a tax break disappear in the 2009 municipal budget.

Currently, if a commercial property is vacant for six months or more, it then becomes taxed at the residential rate. That amounts to a considerable tax saving, since the residential rate of $1.56 per $100 of assessment is half the commercial levy.

Mayor Clifford Lee said Monday the idea was put forward by representatives of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce during a mid-January meeting with council. A news release from the chamber indicates the "vibrancy of the downtown core" was the major issue expressed during a recent survey of its members.

"For this type of neglect to continue unimpeded is a disservice to the taxpayers of our city, both the business community and the residents," the chamber noted in the release. "As the country’s birthplace, we as Canadians have a duty to ensure the preservation and vibrancy of this historic city."

Mayor Lee said he agrees completely, adding the problem of vacant buildings in the downtown core is not unique to Charlottetown. However, he added, "there is a general feeling around the council table, I think, that owners shouldn’t be getting a tax break for keeping their businesses vacant. Hopefully having the properties taxed at a higher rate will help owners to market their properties more aggressively."

The mayor said if the downtown area of a community has a substantial amount of vacant properties "it’s hard to attract new businesses. If you bring in a potential developer and they see that, they intend to back off."

[braymondg]

Hi All

Bedford_DJ, I did find info about this and I posted it here with a description, and for some reason it didn't post. Now I can't seem to find the information that I originally had. Hate when that happens!! However, I did find this regarding the national average for Commercial vacancy rates is about 5.0%. Calgary is the lowest at 2.6% and Charlottetown is positioned just above the national average at 5.3%. I'll try and get that info again but it took me a little work on the web to find it.

The Fitzroy St. development is coming along nicely with half of the steel up. New photos to follow this weekend. You can see the steel frame in the background here: http://www.gov.pe.ca/islandcam/camera1.php3

I will also have photos of the expansion at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Something is going on at UPEI. A big crane is positioned there the last few days. I'm going to try and get an idea what is happening.

Cheers :tup:
P.S. I found out why I lost the info, the connection time out. $^@$%

[Dmajackson]

Hi All

Bedford_DJ, I did find info about this and I posted it here with a description, and for some reason it didn't post. Now I can't seem to find the information that I originally had. Hate when that happens!! However, I did find this regarding the national average for Commercial vacancy rates is about 5.0%. Calgary is the lowest at 2.6% and Charlottetown is positioned just above the national average at 5.3%. I'll try and get that info again but it took me a little work on the web to find it.

Thanks "braymondg" :)

5.3% vacacy isn't too bad. Halifax is sitting at ~3.0% and last I heard Moncton and SJ are low too. So slightly higher than the Maritime average but still at a good rate.

So with a rate like that a fair number of buildings could be affected by the new assesment rate I guess.

Don't worry much about finding the information again. I was just trying to get a general idea of the rate. :)

[braymondg]

Thanks Bedford_DJ

Hi All,

Here is a drawing of the streetscape and the front of the new hotel. I'm sure as April approaches we'll see some preparation work soon.

http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/grafton.jpg

Cheers :tup:

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

I didn't realize that the new hotel was actually going to be built on top of the old Holman's store......I thought it was going further down the block, roughly where the old Sally Shops used to be (now I'm dating myself :( ).

I like the idea of restoring the old facade of Holman's but I'm a little worried about the scale of this hotel in that location. It might be overpowering to the rest of the block, especially given that it will likely never have any tall neighbouring buildings to mitigate the phallic effect.

What are your thoughts BraymondG

[Dmajackson]

^Re the hotel: In the rendering is the back part of the building supposed to be darker in colour like that?

Overall I'd say it looks good for Charlottetown. And judging by the lower quality of the rendering I think the real building will look better then that when completed. :)

[Architype]

It's nice to see some development in PEI, but IMO there isn't that much inspiration to be found in these buildings to make people want more.

Edit - However, it's so hard to tell from renderings sometimes what the actual outcome will be. Good to see some activity in Charlottetown.

[braymondg]

Hi All,

MonctonRad, as you can notice, (see overhead image) the National Bank building will be close by, just behind the hotel. You can see this now that I've moved the building in the picture from the original Queen St location to Grafton St.
http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/moved.jpg
It will certainly be taller than the other buildings but I think it will compliment the area as it is 3 stories higher than the BDC building on Kent St and 4 stories higher than the National Bank building. As you approach the downtown on Universty Ave. you will be able to see the new hotel 4 stories over the top of the National Bank. So, I think it will all blend in well.
I've included a picture of the National Bank building after it's facelift. I'll be glad to see all that "dirty" looking white exterior disappear. It's showing it's age. http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/national bank.jpg
I also included a image of what the ol Holman building looks like now. I'll be glad when they start replacing that old gray look. :tup:
http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/old_holman.jpg

More pictures coming tomorrow of the Fitroy St, QEH, and I'm trying to find out what is up at UPEI. A large crane, similar to the Fitzroy project has been
building something there this week. If I can't find out, I ask a friend of mine who works in maintenance.

Cheers :tup:

[braymondg]

Hi All

Here is the latest on the Fitzroy St building. As you can see they have started the steel on the other half of the building. Seeing this, I can see that this is going to be a big building.
http://www.capitalhonda.com\const\fitzroy5.jpg

Also, I have provided some photos of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This first photo is at the back and will expand Emergency services greatly.
http://www.capitalhonda.com\const\qeh.jpg

The second photo is of the front of the Hospital. All toll the expansion will cost ~ $53 million and will be over a few years.
http://www.capitalhonda.com\const\qeh2.jpg

I'll try and get better photos of the hospital later.
As for UPEI, more on that the next few days.

Cheers :tup:

[Dmajackson]

^Interesting so the QEH is getting an ER upgrade as well. The QEII in Halifax and one of the Moncton Hospitals are also getting ER expansions and Truro is getting a new hospital with an ER.

I think if I have my numbers straight Halifax is doubling from 35'000sq ft up to around 70'000sq ft. I don't about the other expansion sizes though.

[kwajo]

^Interesting so the QEH is getting an ER upgrade as well. The QEII in Halifax and one of the Moncton Hospitals are also getting ER expansions and Truro is getting a new hospital with an ER.

I think if I have my numbers straight Halifax is doubling from 35'000sq ft up to around 70'000sq ft. I don't about the other expansion sizes though.
Add Saint John to the list of ER expansions as well. They broke ground in the Summer.

Maritime emergency rates must be going through the roof! :P

[braymondg]

Hi All

Here's some info on the QEH expansion

The first phase, which began in June 2008, will take two years to complete and cost $56 million — more than the original cost to build the hospital.
The second phase, which will begin in 2010, will be completed by 2012.

Phase one will include a massive expansion of the emergency department. It will nearly triple in size from 8,000 square feet to 22,000 square feet.
The new section will be built onto the existing emergency room, extending the hospital out towards the mechanical plant.
The number of treatment rooms will increase from 20 to 37. That should reduce wait times and provide for more effective treatment.
At the same time, the P.E.I. Cancer Treatment Centre will be expanded to make room for a second linear accelerator, which provides radiation treatment. That will reduce wait times at the cancer centre from 11 weeks to eight weeks. It will take two years to complete phase one.

Phase two will include a new ambulatory care centre that will be constructed at the existing hospital entrance.
Philpott describes the new centre as one-stop shopping. The new centre will include most outpatients services now scattered throughout the hospital, including blood collection, cardiac tests and blood transfusions.
The centre will also house a medical clinic.
The ambulatory care centre more than triples in size, going from 10,000 square feet to 34,000 square feet.
The overall size of the hospital will increase from 350,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet.
The aging Queen Elizabeth Hospital is now 26 years old, and it has been updated but never on this scale.Good to see all the other regional hospitals are expanding to meet
the needs of it's citizens. :tup:

Cheers

[braymondg]

Hi All

Here is some latest news concerning the vacancy issue in downtown Charlottetown.

Business gathering blames city for empty downtown buildings

A forum on downtown development held by the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday night laid the blame for empty buildings at the door of city hall.

'If we could get some of those buildings active we'd all be better off.'
— Steve DunnAbout 45 business owners and city officials attended the forum, filling the Georgian Room of the Rodd Charlottetown. Several business owners said the city isn't doing enough when it comes to the growing number of vacant buildings in the downtown.

"We can't sit idly by while properties deteriorate because the city can't do anything about it," said Tanya O'Brien, general manager of Dyne Holdings, operators of the Confederation Court Mall.

"It's not an acceptable response."

The mall is owned by Homburg Investments, which is currently suing the Tweel family, owners of several vacant buildings in the downtown. Homburg claims the properties are derelict and diminish the value of its property.

Business owner Steve Dunn also believes the city needs to act.

"We see these buildings for so long, you ignore them, and forget about them," said Dunn.

"But it's an issue. If we could get some of those buildings active we'd all be better off."

Mayor promises change
Even before Wednesday's meeting, the city had committed to action on empty buildings. At the forum Mayor Clifford Lee gave some specifics.

The city plans to change the way it taxes vacant buildings, said Lee. Currently, after six months taxes go down. With the new plan owners would have to pay more.

The mayor promised more action within the next month.

Lee said the issue of vacant buildings also lies with property owners, who have an obligation to the community to fill them.

--------- :tup:

[braymondg]

Hi All

More on the Stratford Towers.

http://www.capitalhonda.com/const/stratfordtower.jpg

I've looked on CBC/pei and the local newspaper but I couldn't find a written article on this but last evening they announced on CBC-TV Charlottetown that this project is a go and construction will begin in June.
If I find the article, and it may be in tomorrows paper, I'll post it here.

Cheers :tup:

[MonctonRad]

:previous:

Great news!!