Official Fredericton, NB projects thread [Archive] - Page 10

cl812

Mar 5, 2009, 12:36 PM

Welcome mat won't likely be out for Maine team
Published Thursday March 5th, 2009
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

The Lewiston MAINEiacs are facing an uphill battle in trying to convince the University of New Brunswick to give the QMJHL team a toehold in the city, says former NHLer Danny Grant.

The Fredericton native has been a party to several groups that have looked into the viability of bringing junior and major junior hockey teams to Fredericton in recent years.

"I think UNB has to be very cautious. My first reaction is they have everything to lose," he said.

Grant made the comments Wednesday in reaction to news that the MAINEiacs have had a preliminary discussion with the University of New Brunswick about forging a partnership that would see the team move to Fredericton and use the Aitken University Centre.

The concern is whether bringing a QMJHL team to Fredericton would cut into the bottom line for UNB's Varsity Reds.

Few can imagine that UNB would enter into agreement unless it could be assured that sponsorship funding and ticket sales wouldn't be affected.

The Varsity Reds play 14 home games a year. The MAINEiacs play more than 40.

Grant said UNB is unlikely to jump at any opportunity without exploring the possible repercussions to its hockey program.

"Players see it as one of the top programs in the country, so UNB is the one that has to be very careful."

It's up to UNB to do its homework, he said.

"They're going to listen to Lewiston, but when all is said and done, they aren't going to do this unless someone can answer all their questions and convince them it is going to be beneficial.

"Lewiston's got one heck of a selling job to do," said Grant, who has coached UNB and the Halifax Mooseheads.

The MAINEiacs are in a rush to find a new home.

They gave notice Jan. 31 that they would be leaving the community, located about an hour's drive from Portland.

The team had planned to move to the Montreal suburb of Boisbriand, Que. That option was taken off the table when another team in the league, the Montreal Juniors, enforced territorial rights that extend over Boisbriand.

Grant said setting up a Q team is a major proposition and the teams need to draw good crowds to break even.

There's plenty of cost involved - from ensuring the education of young players to covering the cost of travel over the wide geographic area that spans from Cape Breton to northwestern Quebec.

He said the Moncton team is owned by a member of the Irving family, while the Saint John team is owned by a member of the McCain family.

The team's business plan in Lewiston called for an average of about 3,000 spectators per game.

The Colisee in Lewiston had a capacity of 3,677 spectators, but the best average the team had was 2,800 in 2006-07, the year the MAINEiacs won the President's Cup.

The UNB Varsity Reds have averaged about 2,495 spectators a game this year in the Aitken University Centre, which seats 3,673.

Highly touted exhibition games against Boston College managed to draw more than 3,000 hockey fans.

In a Jan. 31 media release announcing the MAINEiacs' move, owner Mark Just said community support for the team was the main consideration. In the six seasons since the team moved from Sherbrooke, Que., to Lewiston, the MAINEiacs never managed to break even.

"Our casual fan base never reached expectations," Just said.

He said his motivation has always been a passion for the game, the players and everyone associated with the team.

Paul Spellman is an ardent fan of the MAINEiacs and he's sorry to see them leave Lewiston.

If Fredericton is fortunate enough to land the Q team, residents should embrace it, he said.

----

Sponsorship key to team succeeding in Fredericton
Published Thursday March 5th, 2009
A4
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

There are plenty of factors and significant financial hurdles that could play into the viability of a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team in Fredericton, says the man who owned the Fredericton Junior Red Wings for several years in the 1970s.

But Wayne Hill said talk of having the Lewiston MAINEiacs move to Fredericton has piqued his interest.

The team has proposed moving to Fredericton and sharing the Aitken University Centre with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds.

"It would be a tough sell, but I'd like to see it work," Hill said Wednesday.

"I dare say Fredericton could support it. It's a bigger city than it was in the 1970s."

Proponents of the move say there could be a good regional dynamic if Fredericton joined Saint John and Moncton in the league.

But it all boils down to money.

"Fredericton doesn't have the big major sponsors," Hill said.

Saint John has the benefit of corporate offices, he said.

"The big companies all have their offices in Saint John."

The Sea Dogs has more than 85 sponsors. It's the same story in Moncton, where there are more than 100 sponsors.

It would be a tougher sell in Fredericton where there are fewer large companies.

Saint John and Moncton have the benefit of being blue-collar cities, where people are more likely to go out to a hockey game, he said.

"That's why the NHL wants to get a hockey team into Hamilton, where the steel industry is a major employer."

Overall, he'd like the QMJHL team to make a success of it in Fredericton.

But the move depends on whether UNB thinks it's in the Varsity Reds' best interests.

"They have got to work together. They can't fight one another in the same city," Hill said.

cl812

Mar 6, 2009, 1:44 PM

City not part of MAINEiacs talk, mayor says
Published Friday March 6th, 2009
A4
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside says a meeting he had with representatives of the Lewiston MAINEiacs hockey team earlier this week was a courtesy and the city isn't involved in any talks about bringing the team to the capital.

Woodside said there are no discussions about amending the plans on the planned Grant * Harvey centre to accommodate the team.

"I think their timetable is very limited," he said.

The team gave notice at the end of January that it intended to leave Lewiston and move to the Montreal suburb of Boisbriand. But that move was blocked by a Montreal team that had territorial rights extending over the proposed area.

"Our facility is really irrelevant," he said. "It's not a matter of me saying we'll build 5,000 seats."

Work on the two-rink Grant * Harvey Centre is scheduled to begin this year.

Last November, councillors voted to go ahead with a design that would see 1,500 seats surrounding the NHL-sized rink and 250 seats around an Olympic-size oval.

Wayne Tallon, director of community services for the City of Fredericton, said the city is already in the midst of preparing the building plans.

"We're at the schematic design stage," he said.

"The architects are working diligently."

Notices for tenders are expected to be issued in November.

Shovels are expected to be in the ground by 2010. The recreation facility is scheduled to open in September 2011.

----

Congregation excited about addition
Published Friday March 6th, 2009
A4
By JENNIFER DUNVILLE
dunville.jennifer@dailygleaner.com

The large, steel structure covered by tarps on Brunswick Street may not look interesting on the outside, but for more than 900 people the building is generating a lot of excitement.

The structure is part of a multimillion-dollar project being funded by the Brunswick Street Baptist Church.

The three-storey project will be an education wing that will soon be attached to the church.

Paul Greene, a spokesman for the church's 900 members, said the wing will serve as space for the church's Christian education program, which includes Sunday school, a nursery, Bible study space and a youth drop-in centre.

"This has been years and years in the making because it's something the church members financed themselves," Greene said.

"It's proceeding well and everything is on schedule. We can't wait to get in there."

The building, which is 1,687 square metres, is the first part of a two-phase project.

The second phase will include knocking down the Knights of Columbus building and the non-historic section of the church and replacing it with an annex for a multipurpose family room and contemporary worship space.

"We don't know when the second phase will begin, but we're just anxious to get this first phase completed," Greene said.

"We're to the point where it's almost time to connect the new building to the church, so that's exciting too."

Sunday school classes at the church have been canceled until September because of the construction.

But the church's two Sunday services have been continuing as usual.

"We are one of very few churches that holds two simultaneous services at one time - a regular service and contemporary service," Greene said.

"Since we started doing that, we've seen the membership grow by several hundred, so space has been an issue for us for some time."

The construction won't solve the church's parking lot issues, but Greene said the members will continue to make use of spaces on the surrounding streets, the parking lot of York House and the parking available at Kings Place.

The new education wing is expected to be opened by September.

----

Let's at least hear juniors out before slamming doors at Aitken Centre
Published Friday March 6th, 2009
B3
Bill Hunt

I'd like to hear more.

Before we shoot the idea of the Lewiston Maineiacs relocating to Fredericton out of the sky completely, let's at least hear what they have to say.

On the surface, the idea of allowing the wayward Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise to share Aitken Centre accommodations with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds seems strange. Like letting the fox into the henhouse.

After all, the V-Reds run the most successful Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey program in the country. They're the top ranked team in the land, on their way to another CIS national University Cup tournament and a pretty good bet to bring it back.

Average attendance over 14 regular season home games was 2,495, up from 2,300 a year ago. Through the various Pumpernickel and Skills and Drills and 3-on-3 programs the V-Reds run; and with the V-Reds' Prospects spring hockey program; UNB has done a great job of cultivating the next generation of hockey fans.

They're the big game in town.

So, what possible benefit could they derive from allowing the Maineiacs -- or the Junior Reds, should negotiations first get underway and then proceed smoothly -- into a market that, with all due respect to the St. Thomas Tommies (average attendance, 356), they pretty much own.

Well, that's what I'd like to know.

Matt McKnight, the president and governor who was talking on behalf of the men from Maine the other day spoke about the possibility of a partnership between the parties. They would complement, rather than compete.

They would use their marketing staff and savvy to help promote the UNB athletic program: not just the men's hockey program, but the other elements of the program too.

They would fill in the missing piece of the minor hockey jigsaw puzzle in town. There are eight V-Reds Prospects spring hockey programs, the oldest group -- the '92s -- of which is now bearing bountiful junior hockey fruit. Jake Allen, the St. Louis Blues prospect and Montreal Junior star, is a product of the Prospects.

The gap in the smile, if you will, is at the junior level. The transplanted Maineiacs would fill it in.

From the university's perspective as a pure business proposition, it creates another client at the Aitken Centre: 35 more dates on the calendar. Practice hours that must be paid for. All without cost to the university. When a businessman offers to bring a $3 million product to town, you ought to at least hear him out.

If you don't like what you hear, you can always just say no and send them on their way..

***

Of course, if I'm Maineiacs owner Mark Just, maybe I'm a little nervous. While an average of 2,495 fans for the high flying and ever-entertaining V-Reds isn't too bad, it's a relatively small sample: 14 home games; most of them on the weekends; against well-established rivals.

The Maineiacs, nee Junior Reds, likely need better support than that, at steeper per-game prices, and they need it over 34 regular season evenings. They average, it says here, 2,243 fans in the 3,675 seat Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, with ticket prices of $14 for adults, $11 for students and seniors, and $8 for kids 2-12 and that's not enough to keep them in Maine.

Of course there would be healthy Maritime rivalries -- Moncton and Saint John and Halifax and Charlottetown and Sydney and it's looking more and more like St. John's rather than Bathurst. The partnership with UNB might involve some creative packaging and marketing.

And you'll see Patrick Roy pace behind a bench and Jake Allen will come in with Montreal and once we discover who the league's next Sidney Crosby is, you'll see him too.

But while there are Saint John Sea Dogs and Montreal Juniors and Quebec Remparts, there are Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Val d'Or Froeurs. And there are the inevitable Tuesday nights in February; and that old bugaboo that comes with a lengthy schedule, three games in three nights.

***

I think I might look nervously at the attendance -- or lack of same -- in the first two games of the Atlantic University Sport semifinal series against Acadia and gulp too.

With the season ticket base subtracted and a $2 hike in the ticket price, fan support was at 1,683 on Sunday night and 1,270 on Monday. Granted it was Acadia, games were on consecutive nights and the series, Gardiner MacDougall's healthy respect for the opposition notwithstanding, was a foregone conclusion. But those numbers might make a man who's already lost money for 10 consecutive seasons as a majority owner in junior hockey a little nervous

***

All of which is to say, if he's willing to come anyway and make a pitch that he believes will be a win-win proposition, and people the calibre of Don MacAdam and Roger Shannon are convinced it can work, it's certainly worth a conversation.

Bill Hunt's column appears each Friday. He can be reached by phone at 458-6443 or by e-mail at hunt.bill@dailygleaner.com

magee_b

Mar 6, 2009, 2:30 PM

I think I might look nervously at the attendance -- or lack of same -- in the first two games of the Atlantic University Sport semifinal series against Acadia and gulp too.

With the season ticket base subtracted and a $2 hike in the ticket price, fan support was at 1,683 on Sunday night and 1,270 on Monday. Granted it was Acadia, games were on consecutive nights and the series, Gardiner MacDougall's healthy respect for the opposition notwithstanding, was a foregone conclusion. But those numbers might make a man who's already lost money for 10 consecutive seasons as a majority owner in junior hockey a little nervous

I think the University does a terrible job of marketing its product to its own students. If I didn't go out of my way to look at the schedule online, I would never know when they are playing - and I'm on campus every day. There are some students who don't even know we have a hockey team.

Personally, I think it comes back to campus atmosphere and cohesion that administration has undermined (and at the same time scratches their head as residence enrolment plummets)

cl812

Mar 6, 2009, 3:58 PM

Yeah, they really dont do a very good job marketing at all.

cl812

Mar 7, 2009, 2:35 PM

QMJHL hockey good for local economy
Published Saturday March 7th, 2009
A6
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

The head of Moncton's downtown business association says his city's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team, the Moncton Wildcats, has been a boon to local business.

"I know that businesses here in Moncton certainly want to be part of the Wildcats community effort," said Daniel Allain, executive director of Downtown Moncton.

Allain said talk that the Lewiston MAINEiacs are looking to land in Fredericton should be prompting plenty of interest in the capital.

The QMJHL team has approached the University of New Brunswick about the possibility of relocating to the city and using the Aitken University Centre.

"It would be great if we could get a rivalry between Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John going," Allain said.

Team activities have a direct impact on the local economy, he said.

"Their team budgets are anywhere from $3 million to $6 million a year," Allain said.

That's money that goes towards everything from travelling to buying gas to paying for the billeting of players and buying equipment, he said.

With more than 3,000 people turning out a night, the Wildcats employ at least 60 people on game night to work in the arena. The city benefitted from hosting the 2006 Memorial Cup and the week of events that went along with it.

Allain said the direct economic impact of the championship events provided a $4-million injection to Moncton's economy.

The Memorial Cup is an event the city couldn't have hosted without the QMJHL team in the city. The city will benefit once again this summer when the league holds its 2009-10 draft in Moncton.

"We're going to have 200 kids coming here," he said.

Add to that their parents and other loved ones, he said, and there's bound to be an effect on business for a few days.

Allain said the ownership is critical and owners need to make their teams a part of the community. The owners of the Saint John and Moncton teams both call New Brunswick home.

By contrast, Mark Just, the owner of the MAINEiacs, lives in the U.S. Midwest.

"Here in Moncton, the owner has a vision that the team is not just a hockey product, but a community product," he said.

But he said corporate sponsorship is key.

Allain said UNB and the MAINEiacs would have to "jazz up" the Aitken University Centre, increasing the seating to 4,000 and find a way to add corporate boxes to make it a go.

The intangible benefit of having a QMJHL team, he said, is from having the community's name carried by the team wherever they go.

"I hear them say Moncton on TSN now. How much is it worth? I don't know," he said.

But it has to be good, he said.

I find it unlikely it that it would be physically possible to add 200+ seats to the Aitken Centre and add corporate boxes, its probably not possible to do either for that matter, let alone both without extremely large capital investments and I doubt the University in any financial condition to be doing anything like that. I know they are carrying out renovations this summer to the Aitken Centre, but I think its primarily improvements to the ice plant and roof since the ice is not good there and the roof leaks so much.

mylesmalley

Mar 8, 2009, 12:59 AM

I think the University does a terrible job of marketing its product to its own students. If I didn't go out of my way to look at the schedule online, I would never know when they are playing - and I'm on campus every day. There are some students who don't even know we have a hockey team.

Personally, I think it comes back to campus atmosphere and cohesion that administration has undermined (and at the same time scratches their head as residence enrolment plummets)

Woah, we have a hockey team?!?

I'm kidding, but you make a good point. I'm in my third year and only recently went to my first VReds game.

I only just heard about this, as I was away all this week, but it would seem to me to be a no-brainer. A Q-league team would bring quite a bit more spectators and publicity to the Aitken Centre, meaning more ticket revenues and sponsorship dollars for the university.

And lets be honest. The university loves to out how great at hockey we are, but when's the last time they did anything for sports on campus? Last year they eliminated most varsity teams, and the LB Gym is about ready to collapse down the hill. I would even question how valuable the Currie Centre will be to sport on campus. (And for the record, I've been a pretty big opponent of the Currie Centre for a long time.)

MonctonRad

Mar 9, 2009, 2:24 AM

If appropriate corporate sponsorship can be rounded up, I think Fredericton should definitely get behind the concept of a Q League team.

I'm a season ticket holder for the Wildcats and the quality of the hockey is quite good. About 16-18 Wildcats alumni have gone on to play at least some games in the NHL. I attended the Memorial Cup when it was held here in Moncton and the atmosphere in the Coliseum was electric. I have never experienced anything like it. It was like the Stanley Cup! The final game between the Wildcats and the Remparts was unbelievable.

There would be natural rivalries between a Fredericton team and both the Sea Dogs and the Wildcats. If the Titan go to St. John's, then Fredericton would be the only large city in the region without a Q League team. It's time for Fredericton to get on board with this exciting brand of hockey.

mylesmalley

Mar 9, 2009, 3:00 AM

I had no idea that the Fog Devils left St. John's. You'd think a city that size wouldn't have a hard time keeping a Q League team in business. Guess that shows how much I follow hockey...

Smevo

Mar 9, 2009, 3:41 AM

I think Fredericton could have a successful Q-league franchise. Part of the draw of the Q is seeing possible future NHL'ers, which, let's be honest, is barely there in university hockey. Most players serious about going to the NHL (and good enough) play in the Q rather than in the CIS.

The story's similar in most CHL markets with a CIS team as well, the CHL team gets a much more loyal following than the CIS team (in most cases). Maybe it's because the UCCB hockey team was suspended from playing for so long, but I've never had that much of an interest in CIS hockey, but I always had a strong interest in the CB Oilers back in the AHL days, and now the Screaming Eagles. I even followed the MJAHL more closely than CIS before we got the Eagles franchise in Sydney.

The Q-league team not being in Fredericton was one of the things I missed in my 8 years there (though admittedly I haven't been to a CHL or NHL game here in Calgary yet...yet being the key word).

I know I'm probably a minority, but I can't stand watching hockey on TV. I love live hockey though.

cl812

Mar 11, 2009, 1:08 PM

No sense of urgency to get deal done with Maineiacs
Published Wednesday March 11th, 2009
B1
By BILL HUNT
hunt.bill@dailygleaner.com

Kevin Dickie says "not much has happened" to advance the prospect of a partnership between the University of New Brunswick and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Lewiston Maineiacs since the parties first met nine days ago.

Dickie, the athletic director at the school - his office is in the lobby of the Aitken Centre, the arena the Maineiacs hope to share with the building's marquis tenant, Varsity Reds - said he spoke to Maineiacs owner Mark Just briefly on the weekend and again Monday.

He said UNB will "provide some of the financial considerations" to the Maineiacs to enlighten them as to "what are the actual costs of doing business?'' He said Just, the majority owner of the Maineiacs, should have those numbers "later this week."

But he said the time line of two weeks initially advanced by Lewiston president and governer Matt McKnight to have the framework of a deal in place "doesn't work for us. We have no deadline at our end. We're not ignoring it, but it's going through due process."

In fact, said Dickie, he doesn't anticipate significant movement until Varsity Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall weighs in.

MacDougall, of course, is in the midst of preparing his Varsity Reds for the best-of-three Atlantic University Sport Men's Hockey Conference final against the Saint Mary's Huskies. The series begins here Friday night at 7 p.m., switches to Halifax Sunday night and returns to the Aitken Centre next Wednesday if necessary (CHSR-FM 97.9). The V-Reds have also qualified for the CIS Cavendish University Cup tournament in Thunder Bay, Ont. March 26-29.

"Obviously if there's any decision down the road, we'll be a big part of it, but right now, our whole focus is on the Atlantic playoffs and after that, the CIS," said MacDougall. "That's going to take my ultimate focus."

Lewiston coach Don MacAdam - he's behind only MacDougall in career wins at UNB - can relate.

"He's such an intense coach and does such a great job that we don't want to do anything to disrupt that side of things," said MacAdam. "We all appreciate that."

MacAdam, for instance, has a couple of big games of his own - two remaining regular season home games which will go a long way toward determining whether or not the Maineiacs make the playoffs. Win and they're in. "We can lose both and still get in the playoffs depending on what happens. So we have a lot of exciting things happening on the hockey front here, too."

Dickie said Just is "comfortable" with the time frame. "I don't think there's a sense of urgency," he said.

MacAdam said if the deal doesn't come to fruition in Fredericton, "the team is very comfortable staying here. Being a former owner, I know exactly where our owner is coming from. He had opportunities presented to him that he had to explore. As part of that package, he had to apply to the league to move. We're very happy to stay here. The community has been supportive and we feel there are things we can do in the community that would even improve the support."

Dickie reiterated that there are two main considerations in making the deal work from UNB's perspective. One, that it not affect the current stature of the overall UNB athletic program and two, that "from a financial perspective, we have to benefit."

MacAdam concurs.

The bottom line remains the same...if it's not great for UNB and not great for us, then we're not interested," he said. "Right now, it's not imminent that we're going anywhere. It's not imminent that we're doing anything other than staying exactly where we are."

Having said that, Fredericton remains an attractive option if the deal can be pulled together. Fredericton would be plunked right in the middle of Maritime rivalries with Saint John, Moncton and Bathurst, along with P.E.I., Cape Breton and Halifax.

"You would have four teams closer than our nearest team now, which is Victoriaville," said MacAdam. "Expense-wise, and wear-and-tear on the players wise, that location is geographically very, very attractive. But the one thing we want to make really clear is, we're not doing anything unless it's a great situation for UNB and a great situation for us."

Dickie said it's not as simple as the Maine group cutting a cheque to buy their way in to the Aitken Centre.

"Absolutely not," he said. "The most important thing with our program is growing our brand and continuing to get better. It's about the brand. Can we maintain it? How can we just be better at what we do with our overall program?" What Dickie and the "other constituents" at UNB need to be convinced of is whether the proposed partnership with the Maineiacs can enhance the V-Reds' product and program.

He likened it to a CFL football team proposing a partnership with a successful Laval Rouge et Or football program in Quebec City.

"They average 15,000 a game there," he said. "It transcends anything happening in the country right now. But if a CFL team comes along and says they can help get you up to 20,000 a game, you certainly want to look at it. They have presented for us a framework. And they will have from us, the cost of doing business some time this week."

He said the key question as far as the Reds are concerned is whether the Maineiacs can help improve average attendance at the Varsity Reds' men's hockey team's 14 home games - attendance was 2,495 this season - or whether their presence might have a negative impact. "That might be the best question," he said. "I don't know."

They are questions MacDougall has neither the time nor the inclination to ponder right now.

"Their people met with our personnel, but I wasn't part of that process," he said. "I know there are time lines, but there has to be a situation that's too good to pass up, and right now our situation is, we're trying to win an Atlantic championship."

cl812

Mar 11, 2009, 1:57 PM

A couple things to keep in mind when comparing the CHL to CIS Hockey:
the average age of the players in the CHL, yes you see some up and coming stars there, however, the players are much younger than in the CIS and less developed. Also, not all players in the CHL will be stars or even make the NHL for that matter, the players who do go on to the NHL make up a relatively low percentage and ones will become stars make up an even smaller percentage. Another thing to be pointed out is that UNB easily beat 3 NCAA Division 1 teams this year and last year (one being the Boston College team who won the NCAA Division 1 Championchip last year), which is probably closer to the CHL and the teams were made up several NHL draft picks including many first rounders. UNB also was able to defeat the NY Islanders Rookie team last year.

All that being said, both brands of hockey are very good and extremely close as far as the level of play.

Pugsley

Mar 11, 2009, 5:07 PM

Not to be a rotten apple...since this is only my second post but I have been a reader for well over a year....

Can we get back to discussing development as opposed to whether or not a hockey team will come here or go to northern NB?

It is interesting, but I come here to learn about development and projects in the area, not sports-related news. Perhaps better suited under a seperate forum?

mylesmalley

Mar 11, 2009, 6:41 PM

I agree with you, Pugsley. Most of the forum threads tend to get a bit off topic. The only defence I can give you is that the winter is generally pretty slow in terms of development. Even then, there really hasn't been a lot of talk of any interesting construction lately, with the exception of Costco and the Knowledge Park expansion that's being proposed.

cl812

Mar 12, 2009, 11:33 AM

Mayor turns to Facebook for Costco input
Published Thursday March 12th, 2009
Views | Woodside says he wants to hear comments from public
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Mayor Brad Woodside is turning to Facebook to find out if Frederictonians want a Costco store in the capital city.

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=260134&size=500x0
COSTCO SUPPORT or opposition?: This is the Facebook site created by Mayor Brad Woodside to get feedback on whether residents want a Costco store in the city.

Woodside launched his "Costco in Fredericton'' Facebook group Wednesday to ask members of the social networking site to state their views, pro or con, on the development proposal before city council.

"Do you want a Costco in Fredericton? We hear comments from those who object. What about comments from those that support Costco? I would like to know one way or the other. This is a big decision for the greater Fredericton area," the mayor wrote on his Facebook site.

Woodside said he's not taking a public stand for or against because the proposal is still before city council, but he's letting citizens know that first and second reading of the zoning changes for the property come before council April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at city hall.

That's also the evening when the public has a chance to state its support or opposition for the project.

"People that object and people that support this application are more than welcome to attend this public meeting," Woodside said.

Third reading, which is council's final decision on the development, will follow two weeks later at the next regular public city council session.

"I've talked to an awful lot of people who have been very supportive of it, who want it, but what we tend to keep hearing is those that object to it," Woodside said.

"This isn't for or against. This is basically people that have asked for a way to let themselves be heard, whether it's good, bad or indifferent, here you go.''

He said he expected most people will generate their opinions on the Internet site over the next few days.

"This is the communication age we're living in and people should have an opportunity to express themselves one way or the other, and I think it's important that they have that opportunity," Woodside said.

Some citizens may be shy about appearing at formal city council meetings.

"I think as technology changes, we have to change with it," Woodside said. "All I'm looking for is the public input and to let council know their feelings on this. Some people are very passionate one way and some people are very passionate the other way."

----

This is an interesting idea.

Pugsley

Mar 12, 2009, 11:50 AM

Thanks Myles:

Well, if nothing is happening in terms of development...maybe we should start thinking of ideas to help boost development?

Would be interesting to get ideas from people here on potential areas the city should focus on. I am sure people at City Hall look at these pages...at least I hope they do.

I for one have always felt that the city is getting too focused on suburban-style development and not looking at ways to boost the central retail corridor. I think a great city for Fredericton to aspire to would be Burlington, Vermont. Essentially the same size, strong University presence, but with a very different development policy. Where Fredericton is busy trying to get a big-box retailer to locate on preservation land, Burlington has brought them downtown. Today, they have a pedestrian mall running through the centre of town lined with many of the same retailers you would find in modern day suburban "power centres" - Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, Starbucks, Gap, etc..

Imagine if they took the vacant lot north of Queen Street just west of Westmorland and built a pedestrian friendly village of shops you would find out in the burbs. With the Frederick's Square garage, parking would not be an issue. The point is that brining the major retailers downtown would not hurt the downtown businesses, it would only draw more people for them to sell to. It has been a huge success in Burlington.

Pugsley

Mar 12, 2009, 11:59 AM

Oh, and another thing...seeing as I am an outsider looking in....why on earth did the city decide to build two rinks on opposite ends of town instead of one collossal arena and sports facility in the centre of the city? As an Urban Planner by education, I find this to be ridiculous considering the city struggles to get people downtown on a regular basis.

If I had been running the show, I would have taken over the Old Vic Hospital property or the Ex Grounds and built a massive Arena, side rink, YMCA, Indoor Water Park complex with adjacent conference facilities and a hotel. If you add up the cost of the new Convention Centre, the two rinks, the proposed YMCA, and indoor pools being developed, the combined project and complex would have been a much cheaper solution and a much more viable space.

After all, if the city wants to bring MAJOR trade shows to the city, then a convention centre conencted to a hotel and arena would have offered many more opportunities.

mylesmalley

Mar 12, 2009, 12:22 PM

You make some excellent points, Pugsley! I agree it's pretty foolish building two rinks on either side of the river. However, municipal politics often involves making sure one side of town doesn't feel slighted. Putting a rink downtown would have been the smart decision, but not the politically smart one. You see this a lot at the provincial level too.

Were it up to me, I think job-1 of the planning department should be to slow down the rate of semi-rural subdivision growth around the fringes of the city. If you take a look at Google Earth, there are areas right next to town like Hanwell, New Maryland, Kingsclear etc that are essentially suburban subdivisions but with lots 5x as big. With the exception of owners getting their 'country living in the city', developments like these are all negatives. They're sprawl to the extreme and ery inefficient to service with water/sewer/power utilities. Worse still, because they're so sparse they can't be serviced by mass transit effectively, so everyone is forced to drive into the city.

Pugsley

Mar 12, 2009, 2:52 PM

Agreed. In fact, from my travels it looks like Fredericton is getting dangerously close to becomming like a Raleigh or Charlotte, NC. Lot's of suburban country-estate development and no real direction in terms of a CBD. I like the new Knowledge Park but again, could this not be better served with a more dense development in the city-core? All it does is push the commute acceptance limit further out of the city.

If they wanted to build 14 four floor floor buildings on a campus, they could easily build 2-3 seven floor buildings downtown to accomplish the same degree of leasable space. Plus, it would allow for better and more frequent transit access.

You know, I read alot of stuff about how Fredericton wants to be a green city and an example for the world on creating an urban oasis, but the urban planning department appears to be out of touch with the rest of the city's departments on this front. There are still empty lots downtown that could be used for offices and this should be the priority. Not expanding a suburban-style park next to a big-box retailer.

My suggestion? A land-swap agreement. Have the University swap land with the Victoria Hospital complex. Demolish it, and build a waterfront knowledge park with closer access to main transit routes. In return, get the province to build a more suitable veterans hospital/home up the hill on university land that was exchanged. Or better yet, outsource it to a private company who have experience building special care facilities. Two winners...a better facility for thos needing special care and a more suitable location for an urban business complex.

mylesmalley

Mar 12, 2009, 3:59 PM

I get the impression you really don't like the Victoria HC, Pugsley! I agree its old and the land could be put to better use. Personally though, I'd much rather see the surface parking at the west end of Queen, and along the back side of that road that loops from Regent to Smythe along the river, get infilled. If you've read any of my older posts (especially on the moncton thread) you'll know I absolutely hate surface parking in city centres. I think it would be a shame to dear down the Vic to put up a new building when there is available land even closer to downtown.

And you're absolutely right about the Green initiatives. It doesn't appear that the city has made any effort at all to curb sprawl. Its strange, too because you'd think a city as used to big apartment developments would be more appreciative of keeping things closer together.

And don't get me started on the University lands. It pisses me off just thinking about it.

cl812

Mar 14, 2009, 2:33 PM

This is a good idea.

Source | NB Liquor could open new store on historic property
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

NB Liquor could give new life to Fredericton's abandoned train station.

The Daily Gleaner has learned that government officials are having the Crown corporation look into the possibility of opening a new liquor store at the site as part of a revitalization of the property.

Sources say any decision on the project is at least six months away.

"They're just looking at it right now," said one well-placed insider. "But there has to be a business case for it."

The provincial liquor corporation has no plans in hand to do so, but it isn't dismissing the possibility.

"We do not have a proposal in front of us or on the table with regards to the downtown train station. It's something we'd be prepared to look at if it fit into our plan," said Nora Lacey, manager of communications for NB Liquor.

Lacey said the liquor corporation would need to have a budget for the project approved by its board of directors.

"There's nothing formal in front of us. We'd all like to see something done with the train station, for sure, (as it's) such a historic landmark in our city," she said.

The train station property has been the cause of community consternation for some time in the capital.

Built in 1923, it's protected under federal heritage legislation that bars owners J.D. Irving Ltd. from tearing it down.

The cost of rehabilitating the historic structure has been pegged at up to $2 million. The company has said it isn't feasible to do that work without a major development in the area.

Rehabilitation of the former train station building is a requirement for development of the surrounding land.

The opening of a new downtown liquor store would mark something of an about-face for the liquor corporation.

The Crown corporation faced a barrage of criticism when it closed the King Street liquor store Jan. 26, 2008.

Many said the decision was short-sighted, given the level of tourism and convention activity in the downtown.

Lacey said any new foray into the area would have to be assessed on a business level first.

J.D. Irving wants to redevelop the station as part of a commercial or office development along that area.

In recent years, company officials negotiated with developers, talked to prospective tenants and even signed a letter of sale after being offered $1, but so far nothing has materialized.

A redemption centre that sat adjacent to the train station, and which was considered an impediment to commercial development in the area, was torn down last year.

Liz Burge, president of the Fredericton Heritage Trust, said she hopes to see the train station revitalized.

"The Fredericton Heritage Trust is looking forward to seeing a train station development in context of development of the whole block of land," she said.

Officials with J. D. Irving had little comment on the matter.

"We continue to pursue opportunities for a site development that would enable the estimated $2-million restoration of the train station. For confidentiality reasons, we are unable to comment on any discussions with potential partners in a development project on the railway site," said company spokesman Geoff Britt.

----

Concert organizers manage challenges
Published Saturday March 14th, 2009
FredRock 2009 | Officials are consulting with Fredericton Exhibition management for Black Crowes/Live event
A5
By ADAM BOWIE
bowie.adam@dailygleaner.com

The organizers of Fredericton's first outdoor rock festival say there are many concerns involved with putting on a major rock concert, but things are under control.

Thousands of music lovers are expected to attend FredRock 2009 between June 19-21, and the show will take place on the infield of the Fredericton Raceway at the Fredericton Exhibition Grounds.

The Black Crowes and Live have both sold millions of albums worldwide and will serve as the two major headliners.

Matt Harris, one of the organizers and a member of Symphony of Sound music group, said the promoters have decided they'll sell a maximum of 15,000 tickets.

He said that shouldn't be a problem with these artists and he's expecting fans from across the Maritimes and into the United States to travel to the city for the festival.

"We put tickets on sale before even announcing the bands, and we sold a lot of tickets," he said.

"Obviously now that the headliners are announced, people are going to be more excited and more inclined to buy tickets."

Harris said the promotional team behind the three-day concert event had submitted a detailed business plan to the City of Fredericton months ago that will keep the festival running smoothly.

However, he said he knows there are still risks involved with hosting such a big show.

"We're not afraid or discouraged by any (possible) property damage," he said.

"If any unforeseen incidents happen, obviously yes, as the promoters and the organizers, we're going to work with the exhibit centre and the city to make sure that it's cleared up and corrected because we have to think about next year, three years and five years from now."

Kyle MacDonald, acting general manager of the Fredericton Exhibition, said he's confident the necessary precautions will be taken.

"We're just going to work with them as best we can and help ensure (the property is protected)," he said.

"Crowd control is going to be a big issue. I know they're going to have security in place."

Decisions about whether the grandstand will be open to concertgoers during the event or whether all of the horses will be removed from the stables are still being determined.

MacDonald said the facility won't demand that horse owners make alternate arrangements for their animals during the festival.

"We're totally leaving it up to them," he said.

But MacDonald said that no matter what owners decide, there will be ample security at the barn throughout the event and owners that choose to keep their animals inside will be able to access the stables when necessary.

Harris said the organizing committee took steps to gather as much information as possible before moving forward with this show.

He said they met with concert promoters from Moncton, Halifax and the team behind the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival.

"We asked them to give us some feedback, some advice," he said.

"We wanted to have their advice (and draw upon their experience). With their support and their input, it helped us feel a lot better and move forward."

Harris said the organizers are taking this event seriously.

"We definitely understand the risk of it and we wouldn't be doing it if the risk was too high," he said.

Tickets can be purchased by credit card, or by debit-online, and are available at www.ticketbreak.com, or by calling 1-866-943-8849.

----

Bridge work to speed up
Published Friday March 13th, 2009
Repairs | Province says structure is safe
A1
By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

The provincial government is stepping up rehabilitation of the Princess Margaret Bridge and will complete the work over three years, instead of five.

As previously announced, the province will invest $12 million this year to begin work on the Princess Margaret Bridge this spring.

Transportation Minister Denis Landry said the province is accelerating the work in hopes of having it completed in 2011.

"We are proceeding as quickly as possible to have necessary upgrades started," he said.

But officials say there's no cause for alarm.

"The bridge is safe. There's no question about that," Landry said. "If it wouldn't be safe, there'd be no one on the bridge."

The Princess Margaret Bridge was built in 1957. Bridges from that era need to be modernized to extend their service life.

The work is being stepped up from a five-year timeline originally announced in December. That's when the province imposed weight restrictions on the bridge, dropping the maximum from 62 tonnes to 43.5 tonnes.

The move was made to prevent overstressing on the 23-span concrete-decked structure. Contractors will be asked to submit their bids in the coming weeks.

A tender is being issued for the first phase of work for repair and replacement of bearing blocks and bridge bearings, which allow the structure to expand and contract.

There will also be selected repairs to the superstructure and steel bridge members.

The department will be awarding a tender this fall for the second phase. Qualified firms will be asked to submit a design and rehabilitation proposal in the coming weeks.

Components will include upgrading of the structural steel work, existing piers and abutment concrete; replacement of the railing systems, deck slab, and expansion joint assemblies; and painting, waterproofing and paving.

Landry said the objective is to have the rehabilitation work done while reducing inconvenience to the public. At a minimum, the bridge will be open to traffic during core business hours Monday to Friday.

"The intent is to have lanes open when people go to work in the morning and when they drive home at night," he said.

cl812

Mar 14, 2009, 3:11 PM

Facebook group swamped with comments on Costco proposal
Published Friday March 13th, 2009
Online | Most comments appear to be in support of Costco development
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside appears to have tapped directly into the pulse of public opinion after launching his Costco For Fredericton Facebook group Wednesday.

The capital city mayor decided to use the social networking site to ask voters in this city whether they are for or against the project.

City councillors will have the zoning and subdivision documents on their desks April 14 for a public hearing of objections and first and second reading of the documents.

Two weeks later, it's third and final reading on the project. If approved, it will then be up to Costco to decide if and when it will build in Fredericton. The store has signed a letter of intent with the University of New Brunswick, but it doesn't commit Costco to a definite building schedule.

By mid-afternoon Thursday, Costco For Fredericton had 900-plus members and 167 postings, and the numbers kept growing through the day.

"It's getting huge and it's doing exactly what I had thought it would do, and that is let us know what people think," Woodside said.

"I think it's very healthy and it's great dialogue. This is how people communicate. It's the technology that we have, so we take advantage of it."

And less computer-savvy voters who heard about the Facebook group have deluged city hall with telephone calls, Woodside said.

Even non-city residents from Minto and Chipman are calling the mayor's office to express an opinion or leave a comment, he said.

Almost every one of the postings on the group Thursday was in support of Costco, although there were a few objections from individuals who oppose any development of the University of New Brunswick wetland.

The proposed Costco location is on property owned by UNB. It's being developed on UNB's behalf by Trinity Development Group with Rio-Can Real Estate Investment Trust and with its site consultant Terrain Group.

Most of the comments were in support of Costco, and many came from people who already have memberships with the wholesale shopping club and travel to its Moncton location to buy grocery and household items.

Although Woodside turned to Facebook because he wanted to use modern technology to try to engage the public on a council issue, even he was amazed by the response.

The mayor said he was scrambling to monitor the site and said he would only delete postings for personal attacks on individuals or inappropriate language. Other than that, he simply wants to hear public opinion.

"There is technology out there that allows us, in different ways, to communicate like we never have before. This is the first time that I've done anything like this and I think this could very well be a proving ground for what does take place ... to see what people have to say about whatever the issue has to be," Woodside said.

"The more we, as elected people, know what the community is thinking, the better decisions we are able to make. This is a huge decision for the greater Fredericton area and it really deserves comment and people want to comment, and that's exactly what's happening right now."

Not everyone is happy and that's fine, the mayor said.

As far as whether it was appropriate for him to be the one to test the idea, Woodside said it would be more inappropriate for him not to want to listen to constituents and hear what's on their minds on the Costco issue.

"Do you want a Costco in Fredericton? We hear comments from those who object. What about comments from those that support Costco? I would like to know one way or the other. This is a big decision for the greater Fredericton area," the mayor wrote on his Facebook group preface.

Woodside said he's not taking a public stand for or against the proposal and, in fact, the mayor only votes at city council meetings in the event of a tie vote of council.

There are more like 5,000 members of the site now and nearly 1,000 wall posts.

Pugsley

Mar 14, 2009, 5:17 PM

I have to add, as a person from far away watching these developments...this degree of debate over a Costco is pretty bad. I understand the issues. Bring 400 jobs to the city, potentially updet the natural balance of the woodlot. But at the same time, this has the potential to be a major publicity story for Fredericton in the WRONG way.

I have several colleagues here in Toronto who are developpers. If they read a piece on how 5,000 people are debating the development of a Costco in Fredericton with the mayor in a collaborative environnt and open forum - you could be sure that they would black list the city for a long time in considering projects here.

Yes, I think it is good to get a dialogue. But at the end of the day, the city needs to make a decision and get this over with. Not ask everyone for their ongoign feedback and hum and piddle over what they should do. That is why we elect politicians, to make the tough decisons without trying to get consenssus on everything. The Costco issue should have been fast-tracked using the development guidelines in place and a decision made in council, not through consensus. This only makes developers very nervous about approachign the capital and somethign they should be trying to avoid at all costs!

Pugsley

Mar 14, 2009, 5:21 PM

In reference to the NBLC and the train station...

In Toronto, the LCBO worked on a spectacular project with developers to revitalize the old Summerhil train station to create a fantastic prmium spirits and wine venue - today viewed as their showcase place. I am all for this kind of development provided that they try to do something that will encourage development in and around the complex - like condos or offices. The last thing it should be is a big ole place to buy beer and return empties with a paved parking lot. Nobody will ant to live next to that if it is built. My advice...preserve the building, make it a premium spirits and wine venue to showcase the MBLC and find a developer to add more value in and around the complex.

MonctonRad

Mar 14, 2009, 6:10 PM

I agree with everything Pugsley has said in the two preceding posts.

re: the Costco, Fredericton - JUST GET OVER IT!! Costco would be a valuable addition to your retail environment and you should get on with it and approve this development (with appropriate environmental safeguards).

Of course, if you would rather keep on driving down to Moncton to visit our Costco, I'm sure we would be happy to keep on getting your business!!

magee_b

Mar 14, 2009, 6:19 PM

That is why we elect politicians, to make the tough decisons without trying to get consenssus on everything.

:koko:

Pugsley

Mar 14, 2009, 6:22 PM

Hey Magee, to clarify...if they don't make the tough decisions...we get the chance to show them the door and let it hit their ass on the way out!

mylesmalley

Mar 14, 2009, 9:03 PM

I'd like to see the train station redeveloped, but I question the viability of it all. The reason we have heritage preservation laws is to protect culturally and historically significant architecture from being torn down and replaced by something bland and insignificant. The train station is in such bad shape that I think it would be much more realistic to tear it down and replace it with an identical building. Lets be honest, the only real reason people care is because these buildings look nice when they're maintained.

I think the city would be much better served by a modern building built in the old style of the time that resembles exactly the train station in its hayday. They'd avoid all the structural/asbestos sort of problems, the building would be built to code etc etc. Best of all, probably a hell of a lot cheaper too.

BradMacD

Mar 14, 2009, 10:34 PM

It'd be kinda like the new water treatment plant, but a recreation.
I agree, mylesmalley.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 14, 2009, 10:57 PM

I really wish they would tear the thing down already. I'm shure J.D. Irving wants to tear it down also. That whole area would be a good spot for condos.

Can anyone get out and take some pics of certain developments around Freddy sometime?
I would like to know how the new Marysville bypass is coming along.

:cheers:

mylesmalley

Mar 14, 2009, 11:07 PM

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 14, 2009, 11:57 PM

I thought they started that 2 years ago?

Smevo

Mar 15, 2009, 9:49 PM

They started the clearing before I left town, but that doesn't always mean the grubbing and actual construction work has started, unfortunately.

MonctonRad

Mar 16, 2009, 10:38 PM

MacKay offers CFB Gagetown $16.7M for new accommodations
Last Updated: Monday, March 16, 2009 | 1:44 PM AT
CBC News

Defence Minister Peter MacKay unveiled plans for a $16.7-million training accommodation building at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown on Monday.

Construction of the 97-room building at the military base near Fredericton would start later this year.

During his announcement at the base, MacKay stressed the importance of such military investments in stimulating local economies.

The new barracks are expected to create 90 jobs for people living off the base.

A CFB Gagetown spokesperson said that at times in the summer, the only accommodations are in a temporary tent city.

The defence minister has made similar construction announcements across the country, aimed at improving accommodations at military bases.

kirjtc2

Mar 17, 2009, 2:33 PM

Northside bus route in trouble
Two Nations Crossing| More riders needed to save route before service ends April 25
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

It's coming down to crunch time for the Two Nations Crossing bus route.

The service ends April 25 and there's little hope passenger counts will meet city expectations, transit manager Sandy MacNeill said Monday.

City councillors agreed in mid-December to spend another $75,000 to keep the trial bus route going for three more months in hopes of seeing ridership increase on the route.

The pilot project was started Oct. 6 in response to pleas from the northside business community, as well as a city-commissioned transit master plan that suggested it as a top priority for service extension.

But at a council-in-committee meeting Monday night, councillors were told the route has had a maximum daily high average of 13 passengers per hour, and a low average of six passengers per hour during the week of Boxing Day.

"We're still seeing an upward trend in the average passengers per hour of service, and as well in the total passengers we're carrying," said MacNeill.

But he said the increases are so low as to be negligible at this point.

MacNeill said he'll have a final report to city councillors April 20 with recommendations on the future of the route.

Coun. Scott McConaghy said he was disappointed in the figures.

"I just wish more people will use it. It's pretty darn important," McConaghy said.

Coun. Dan Keenan said he's also concerned about the low figures and wants more details on the origin of the passenger trips to determine if the service is attracting passengers from the north or south side of the city.

Last week, the service had an average passenger count of 10 per hour.

The six-day-a-week service operates between 7 a.m. and 6:35 p.m.

The bus route hit a peak of 800 passengers during the week of Nov. 24, but the city is looking at a benchmark of 20 passengers per hour in order to achieve a 40 per cent revenue cost recovery on the route.

That's on par with the rest of the public transit system, which is heavily subsidized by taxpayers.

"There's so many variables that can affect transit service and people's use of it," MacNeill said.

January and February are traditionally slower months in the retail sector and for public transit systems, he said. Snowstorms and an economic downturn are other factors influencing travel, he said.

"We had the holiday season as well and just the natural lull after the holidays. Somewhere in there, you also have the variable that you're going to reach the maximum potential for the route," he said.

There are some high points in the route. About 25 passengers use the bus in the morning and 32 have been aboard between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on some days.

But overall, when the high counts are averaged out with the low counts, the route is still not meeting the standard set by city council for retaining a new bus route.

Coun. Eric Megarity predicted ridership would probably go up with better weather.

Coun. Marilyn Kerton asked whether employers had taken up the challenge to promote the service to their workers.

MacNeill said there wasn't much interest in an employer-sponsored bus pass program, which the city was willing to consider, although he said Wal-Mart on Two Nations Crossing started a promotion and draw for people who took up the challenge to try the service.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 17, 2009, 7:06 PM

They have a new rendering of the approved Frederick Square II in colour this time. From the Kileel Developments Website.

Click Here (http://www.kdl.ca/site-plan-elevations-2)

BradMacD

Mar 18, 2009, 1:36 AM

Ugh, FS2 looks so...cut back.
I thought it was supposed to be nine floors (not that it really matters), and it would look -so- much better with a matching green roof like FS1.
Right now, it looks boxy and incomplete, almost.

Were they planning to make it look like this the whole time, or did I see a 9 floor rendering with a green roof at one time?

mylesmalley

Mar 18, 2009, 3:23 AM

I expected that it would have the same style of roof, if nothing else...

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 18, 2009, 3:30 AM

The FS1 looks boxy and short in that render as well but it looks alot taller in person. Chances are, FS2 will look taller in person as well.

Smevo

Mar 18, 2009, 5:33 AM

BradMacD is right, the original FS2 was 9 floors with a green roof. There was also a little-known FS3 which was cancelled before I came to town, also 9 floors with a step-back-as-you-climb design (eg-Regency Tower). It was grey concrete with round windows on the top two floors if I recall and a pedway to the parking garage over King St. There was a picture of the model floating around here a few years back, and the model still exists (I saw it last year at a home show where the company that owned Forest Hill Tower was advertising there apartments...before Killam bought the property). However, like I said it was cancelled or never approved (don't know which) and Place 2000 sits on the site now (the 4-storey provincial office building across King St from the FS parking garage).

Anyway, they changed the design of FS2 to make it LEED and cut it to 8 floors, but even last years rendering after that change had the green roof. :shrug:

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 18, 2009, 4:37 PM

Here is the plan smevo was talking about with the step back desing in behind.

Click Here (http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=170456)

BradMacD

Mar 18, 2009, 8:22 PM

I remember seeing that FS3 design, and wondered why it wasn't built instead of Place 2000.
Honestly, I -LOVE- that rendering with the matching roof.
It's so nice and complete looking, not that height matters, just the roof is what irks me.
Anyway, off my complaining.
XD

mylesmalley

Mar 19, 2009, 6:33 AM

Copied from the Moncton thread
______________
Good news, everybody!

I've added a new feature to my project map of Moncton (and now Fredericton).

In the top-left where the map key is, there's now a button called New Point Mode. It makes creating new points a whole lot easier.

Basically, if you're looking at the map and you see something is missing, hit the button, click through the first few windows, then you're ready. After that, if you click somewhere on the map, several boxes will pop up asking questions about the project (name, status etc). When those are filled out, a final box pops up with some code in it. All you have to do then is PM me with that and I can paste it right into the map.

Sounds kinda convoluted, but once you give it a try, you'll see it goes very quickly. Best of all, it cuts the time to do it to a few seconds a project. I wish I'd thought of this before I typed in a hundred or so points the long way.

Most of the projects in town are already on the map, but there's lots in Dieppe and Caledonia that have yet to be added.

Best of all, now that I've simplified everything, I can probably start adding other cities too. Saint John coudl really use one and everyone from there could contribute to it.

cl812

Mar 19, 2009, 12:55 PM

French centre celebrates $22.8-million expansion
Published Thursday March 19th, 2009
a3
By ADAM BOWIE
bowie.adam@dailygleaner.com

Le Centre communautaire Sainte- Anne celebrated the end of a $22.8- million expansion Wednesday by showing off its improved resources and new facilities.

The centre offers a multitude of services to Fredericton’s French-speaking population and has expanded by 10,000 square metres since 2005, with the construction of the Ecole des Batisseurs elementary school, a community health centre, a youth centre, heritage room and industrial arts shop.

The facility has also doubled the size of the Dr. Marguerite-Michaud Library and created the largest daycare centre in the province — Au P’tit Monde de Franco.

Pierre Cormier, chairman of the Sainte-Anne Community Board, said the event marked the end of several years of hard work and planning.

“It’s a dream that’s become a reality,” he said.

He said Le Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne is a cultural resource for the region’s French-speaking population.

“This meets the specific needs of the francophones who come here from the northern part of the province or that move here from Quebec who are not as comfortable in their second language as some of us are,” he said.

Cormier said the creation of the elementary school, daycare and health centre and improvements to the library have made the facility a valuable piece of the city’s cultural landscape.

The expansion was made possible through $22.8 million in funding from the provincial and federal governments.

The province contributed $16.2 million the project, while the government of Canada kicked in $6.6 million.

Hedard Albert, the minister responsible for the Fracophonie, said the province has made this investment in the facility because it provides a cultural destination for the area’s French-speaking community.

“It’s a place, with the two schools and everything in the (centre), that helps francophone people get together and to celebrate and continue to progress in the community,” he said.

“I’m sure that francophones (in this region) are very strong and ... they help Fredericton to advance.”

Lt.-Gov. Hermenegilde Chiasson, minister of state for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Keith Ashfield and Albert toured the facilities and took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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Picaroons wants to come home
Published Thursday March 19th, 2009
a6
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Picaroons Brewing Company wants to re-establish a downtown presence in Fredericton, but it’s got a heap of paperwork to go through before that happens.

The company, which produces traditional English-style ales, has a facility on Melissa Street on the outskirts of Fredericton, but owner Sean Dunbar said he wants to set up a secondary micro-brewery at 418 Queen St.

and create a small retail sales operation of packaged product for the public.

Picaroons also supplies a number of downtown bars and pubs.

The downtown micro-brewery would be the test brewery for new products on a small scale and house administrative offices, he said.

The city’s planning advisory committee granted a similar use variance to allow the project to go ahead. City council ratification of the approval isn’t necessary.

“This is really a preliminary step.

We want to be sure we’re allowed to do what we want to do before we proceed further, and there’s also permissions required from New Brunswick Liquor Corp.,” Dunbar said.

Retailing packaged beer requires a licence from NB Liquor, he said.

“There’s no plan to move the existing brewery at all. We’re just getting a little bit jammed up for space ... and we do have some brewing equipment of a small nature,” he said. “We want to re-establish our physical presence in downtown Fredericton. We miss downtown.”

The Queen Street location is in vacant space between Gordie’s Pub and the Garrison Ale House.

Dunbar said he’d like to be up and organized in time for this summer’s tourist season.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 19, 2009, 4:11 PM

I notice they've just added a new render of the Southview Condos on the Kileel Developments Ltd. (kdl.ca) website.

http://www.kdl.ca/images/stories/southview.jpg

sdm

Mar 19, 2009, 4:43 PM

I notice they've just added a new render of the Southview Condos on the Kileel Developments Ltd. (kdl.ca) website.

http://www.kdl.ca/images/stories/southview.jpg

Is it me or is there a lack of windows?

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 19, 2009, 5:01 PM

Lol it does seem that way doesn't it.

the windows must be on the inside of the caved-in parts of the building.

The middle part of the building looks like it could be an elevator and stairs.

There might be bigger windows in the back..

Pugsley

Mar 19, 2009, 6:24 PM

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 19, 2009, 6:44 PM

When will glass curtain-wall ever come to Fredericton? Does anyone know why it is never used? Lack of suppliers or is it a building by-law here?

The new convention centre and office has a somewhat glass curtain look to it I find.

http://www.fredericton.ca/en/citygovernment/resources/confcen539.jpg

http://www.fredericton.ca/en/citygovernment/resources/officecomplex303.jpg

Pugsley

Mar 19, 2009, 7:22 PM

Lamespotting

Mar 19, 2009, 7:42 PM

Is it me or is there a lack of windows?

Judging by the fact that there are doors at the bottom of the windowless voids, there may well be fire stairs on the other side of that wall.

I hate to say it, but it almost looks like vinyl siding on the top 4 floors. It's really hard to tell from that render.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 19, 2009, 8:13 PM

True, I guess. I was thinking of the more cost-effective designs they are incorporating in other cities for condos. Like these ones...

http://torontocondosblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/c1300091.jpg

A good example of what could be built in Freddy is this desing being built in Red Deer, Alberta right now:

http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/Home/3423/4086/images/Executive%20Place%201.jpg

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 19, 2009, 8:17 PM

If they are laying vinyl sideing in that condo, I don't want it to go up, period.

IT will end up looking like the appartment buildings off of Prospect and Smythe street. It will be an awful sight from the other side of the river.

kwajo

Mar 19, 2009, 10:22 PM

Well my visual interpretation of the posted rendering is that it will be clad in horizontal siding, though obviously it's impossible to tell whether it will be vinyl or not.

cl812

Mar 19, 2009, 11:19 PM

I personally thought the original design (on first pg) was better than this new one

Smevo

Mar 20, 2009, 4:30 AM

I notice they've just added a new render of the Southview Condos on the Kileel Developments Ltd. (kdl.ca) website.

http://www.kdl.ca/images/stories/southview.jpg

:yuck:

The old design was much better!

cl812

Mar 21, 2009, 3:13 PM

Feds, province pony up for New Maryland project
Published Saturday March 21st, 2009
A5
By ADAM BOWIE
bowie.adam@dailygleaner.com

A planned upgrade to New Maryland's water and wastewater systems will help protect the health of local residents and allow the village to prepare for developments.

The provincial and federal governments announced Friday that they'll partner with the village to spend about $4.6 million to make these improvements happen.

The work will take place over the next two years.

All three levels of government will chip in $1,555,333 each to upgrade the water systems in the Springwater Place, Applewood Acres, Pineridge Estates, and Forbes subdivisions and install water/sanitary sewer services to 10 homes in Baker Brook Court.

The village will also decommission that court's wastewater treatment facility.

Mayor Frank Dunn said the project will improve water distribution and increase water storage capacity.

It will also improve the system's reliability and wastewater collection treatment.

Dunn said the improvements are another step forward in the village's preparations for development projects.

"One-third of the population is on the municipal water. Two-thirds are not," he said.

"Our objectives, eventually, (are), No. 1, the priority would be for development. Secondly, to ensure that everybody who lives in New Maryland would have municipal water.

"That's going to take a lot of time and a lot of hard work, but we're going step by step."

Dunn said these improvements will be a crucial upgrade for the village's water system, but it still has another major hurdle to clear before many of the surrounding areas will be ready for development - an underground water-distribution system.

"A developer is not going to come to New Maryland unless there's water there for development," the mayor said.

"It's our responsibility to bring that water for development. But as I say, that's going to be a long, hard struggle."

Minister of state for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Keith Ashfield and Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne joined Dunn for the announcement at the village office.

Ashfield said this is one of 32 infrastructure investments happening across the province.

He said the federal government and the province are spending more than $38 million to help stimulate local economies and improve outdated infrastructure.

"(It's about) protecting the health of communities and the long-term prosperity and growth of communities," Ashfield said.

"These are all long-term types of projects. They're not just quick-fix things.

"It's very important to communities like New Maryland so they can grow and prosper in the future."

Freddypop

Mar 21, 2009, 3:35 PM

:yuck:

The old design was much better!

This is the back of the building (northside). Front (River-facing south side) will have floor to ceiling windows. Will look similar to original rendering

bam63

Mar 21, 2009, 4:10 PM

Looks like a typical beachfront condo development in Florida. Not much in the front but the units in the back are all windows? Is this going to be a one-sided development? If so, I can understand the lack of windows. otherwise, it looks a little off.

As for Frederick Square..I remember the original plans way back in the day when they built Tower one. The new drawings are less than spectacular next to the old original plan. But I guess they have a challenge given it is brick and probably want to conserve costs.

When will glass curtain-wall ever come to Fredericton? Does anyone know why it is never used? Lack of suppliers or is it a building by-law here?

I'm guessing you have plenty of curtainwall in fredericton,mostly in the form of storefronts like a superstore or home depot.There isn't a shortage of suppliers,and the costs are not way out there either so long as its a straight wall being closed in.
The costs go through the roof as soon as the wall becomes non typical,there is a high risk of leakage if not sealed perfectly,engineering is very costly,the whole can become high risk, local suppliers and installers are very basic in the maritimes,even Halifax.Can't beat a good old punched window seems to be the atitude.Don't get me wrong,i love curtainwall,its just very slow down east.

kirjtc2

Mar 21, 2009, 4:13 PM

Mexicali bids adios
Published Saturday March 21st, 2009
A1
By ADAM BOWIE
bowie.adam@dailygleaner.com

One of Fredericton's longest-running eateries abruptly closed its doors for good Friday evening, leaving many local residents disappointed.

Popular restaurant Mexicali Rosa's is finished in Fredericton, according to a staff member who asked not to be named.

"It's tough. But it is what it is, right? So we can't really change it now," said the disappointed employee.

The worker wasn't sure if ownership group Ross Ventures Ltd. will be opening a new business in the space, or expanding the Back Nine restaurant into the former Mexicali Rosa's location.

Representatives from the ownership group weren't available for comment Friday afternoon.

Fredericton's Mexicali Rosa's franchise opened in 1992. The popular chain began in Ottawa in 1979 and has 20 locations across Canada.

Longtime patron Sarah Lewis said she was shocked to hear the news and is disappointed she wasn't able to visit the establishment before it hung up its sombrero for the last time.

"I liked the food and I liked the atmosphere as well. It's so weird to me because I haven't heard anything about it before now," Lewis said.

Anthony Knight, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, said he was sad to see the restaurant go, but he's hopeful the move is a sign of another business opportunity for the ownership group.

"Certainly, Mexicali Rosa's was an integral part of our downtown restaurant culture," he said.

"But as time progresses, we see change and new opportunities. We expect the ownership of the property to re-invest and expand as they see fit."

------------------------

Blues festival rakes in the green
Published Saturday March 21st, 2009
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival pours about $5.8 million into the local economy in 2008, according to an arms-length survey prepared for festival organizers.

"The festival is a significant contributor to the economy and helps extend the peak tourism season for the capital city," said Patti Graham, chairwoman of the festival's board of directors.

"Anecdotally we've heard over the years from local businesses, like downtown restaurants, that Harvest weekend is one of their biggest weekends of the year.

"We know it can be awfully difficult to find a hotel room that weekend. So this study confirms once again that cultural events like Harvest can be major drivers of economic activity."

New Brunswick's Tourism Department conducted a survey of 404 jazz attendees out of 1,000 names collected and submitted from the festival event last year.

Of the 404 surveyed, there was an average 9.1 out of 10 satisfaction score with the event itself. Survey respondents were also asked about their spending, hotel and dining habits while attending the festival.

Brent Staeben, the festival's musical director, said the survey results are considered to be accurate 19 times out of 20, similar to a political poll result.

About 30 per cent of the visitors who attend the festival annually come from outside the city. About 30,000 people attended last year's event, but they take in more than one show, so admissions in 2008 hit about 80,000.

"Overall, it confirms we're offering a great product and patrons are very pleased with our programming. The survey also gave us a couple of areas to look at in the future, like increasing our seating to enhance overall patron comfort," Graham said.

According to the survey, average attendees took in two days and nights of the festival and frequented five performances at three venues. More than 65 per cent took in the festival's free shows and 79 per cent had attended the festival in the past.

The study estimated that visitors and local residents spent $512,000 on tickets and passes, $130,000 on transportation, $210,000 on hotel rooms, more than $100,000 on local retailers and $328,000 on food and beverage at local bars and restaurants.

"This is phenomenal data that we can use to make the case for funding with our government and corporate partners. It allows us to build support using solid numbers from a known and accepted impact model," the chairwoman said.

Total provincial tax impacts were estimated at $324,561, while municipal tax impacts were estimated at $91,192.

Staeben said the figures support the message they hand to potential financial backers, from government to corporate partners, that the festival is delivering.

"This is a great way for us to say your investment is paying off," he said.

"We've known for years that Harvest Jazz and Blues has had a tremendous impact on the community. What we've seen from the tourism office is that hotel rooms fill up. We get reports from restaurants that it's their biggest weekend of the year," said city tourism manager David Seabrook.

Convention organizers even pick dates to coincide with the festival to give their delegates an opportunity to catch the festival.

"It has a tremendous impact on the downtown and the rest of the city," he said.

cl812

Mar 22, 2009, 3:05 PM

Environment
New Brunswick, federal investment in Fredericton infrastructure project (09/03/19)NB 350

March 19, 2009

FREDERICTON (NB) - Residents of Fredericton will benefit from improved wastewater treatment in the city's northside as the result of joint federal and provincial funding of more than $900,000 from the communities component of the Building Canada Fund.

The announcement was made today by Justice and Consumer Affairs Minister T.J. Burke and Keith Ashfield, minister of state for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The two governments will each invest up to $458,546 to replace the pumping station on Main Street. The City of Fredericton will contribute the remaining $458,547 of the total eligible project cost of $1,375,639.

"Our government's investment will help ensure the City of Fredericton has quality infrastructure to protect the environment and its residents' health and wellness," said Burke. "Having strong infrastructure is vital for our province to remain positioned to be self-sufficient."

Burke was speaking on behalf of Environment Minister Roland Haché.

"In these challenging economic times, the Government of Canada is working with our partners to create jobs and build stronger and brighter futures for New Brunswick communities," said Ashfield. "Our federal investment of more than $458,000 will result in modern, greener, world-class infrastructure, which is the foundation of sustainable, long-term economic growth."

The pumping station was originally built in 1968, and it currently serves about 12,000 people in a high-growth area of Fredericton. The new facility will provide extra capacity for 25 years of anticipated development, significantly reduce the incidents of discharge of untreated wastewater, and improve the reliability of the wastewater collection and treatment system. Funding for this project is contingent on completion of all contractual agreements, including pending environmental impact assessment with the municipality.

"The City of Fredericton is pleased to receive funding under the Building Canada Fund for the replacement of the sewage pumping station serving the growing Brookside Drive area of our city," said Deputy Mayor Tony Whalen. "We will now move quickly towards final design and construction."

This project is one of 32 across the province that will get underway quickly under a federal-provincial investment of more than $38 million. Together with municipal contributions, more than $57 million will be invested in local infrastructure improvements in New Brunswick.

The governments of Canada and New Brunswick are working together to provide long-term, stable and predictable funding to help meet infrastructure needs across the country and to support stronger, safer and better communities.

09/03/19

MEDIA CONTACTS: Bruce Macfarlane, managing director, Communications New Brunswick, 506-444-4606; Jennifer Graham, communications, Department of Environment, 506-453-3700; Richard Roik, director of communications, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, 613-996-4649.

09/03/19

Two Nations Crossing Transit Pilot Extended to April 25

Fredericton (March 16, 2009) - The Two Nations Crossing (Route 9) transit pilot, slated to end on April 4, will be extended until April 25 so Fredericton City Council can received a detailed analysis of the ridership data and make a final decision on the fate of the route.

First introduced in October 2008, the three month pilot was expected to end in January 2009. Based on initially strong ridership numbers, the pilot was extended until April 4, 2009. The final analysis on the transit pilot will be presented to City Council at the Council-in-Committee meeting of April 20.

Information presented at the Council in Committee meeting on March 16 by Fredericton transit manager Sandy MacNeill indicates that the upward trend in ridership from before Christmas has flattened significantly. This could be attributed to the traditional slowing of the retail sector after the holiday rush or the storms that have impacted transit operations.

The objective for this route was to obtain and average of 20 passengers per hour. During the first week of operation, there was an average of almost seven passengers per hour. Within the last week, the ridership average was just over 10 passengers per hour. The maximum daily average has reached 13 passengers per hour, with a weekly low of not quite seven passengers per hour.

"There has been great interest in seeing a transit route established in this growing area of Fredericton's north side," said Deputy Mayor Tony Whalen. "That said there is demand for transit service in other areas of the city, so it is important to analyse the numbers closely before making a final decision on the future of the Two Nations Crossing transit route."

Fredericton's transit system, like others in the country, is designed to transport people from area to area, not door to door. The goal is to have buses travel along interconnected routes, moving passengers between residential and commercial areas of the city. In an effort to maintain a balance between municipal subsidy and transit fees, the goal is a 35-45 per cent cost recovery from users of the service.

-30-

Media Contacts: Deputy Mayor Tony Whalen, City of Fredericton, 506-460-2181; Sandy MacNeill, Transit Manager, City of Fredericton, 506-460-2203 or 474-3242 (cell).

cl812

Mar 22, 2009, 5:56 PM

FYI

I recently heard the NBLC store in the Brookside Mall is moving next to Nubodys in part of the space Rossy used to occupy

cl812

Mar 23, 2009, 11:34 AM

Developer wants part of Hanwell to be included in city limits
Published Monday March 23rd, 2009
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

City council will be receiving a feasibility report tonight on the prospect of annexing a portion of the local service district of Hanwell.

Shawn Colpitts of Colpitts Developments owns land both in and outside of the city limits in the west end of Fredericton. He wants to continue the long-term growth of a residential housing project his company has started.

Colpitts wants to have his vacant property included within city boundaries with access to city services.

The developer and city are jointly asking the provincial government to alter the city limits to include the Hanwell portion.

Also tonight, the city will take another procedural step in a rezoning and subdivision application for a Costco Wholesale store at Corbett Centre on Regent Street.

Councillors will formally set April 14 as the date for a public hearing of objections and to give first and second reading of a zoning amendment and subdivision plan for the property owned by the University of New Brunswick.

UNB as the property owner is the applicant. The university is working with an Ontario development company and a New Brunswick engineering and planning company to create a site plan and building location for a Costco store.

Third and final reading of the plan will come before the end of next month.

Councillors will be asked to approve a number of special events including the annual Girl Guide cookie sale, which involves a door-to-door canvas by the guides to sell their famous snacks. The cookie sales are held between March 30 and April 13.

Councillors will also be briefed on the Lights Out Across Canada for Earth Hour event on Saturday, March 28.

Fredericton residents and businesses are encouraged to shut off their lights for one hour Saturday as a signal of their commitment to battle climate change.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 23, 2009, 11:52 AM

The Residential housing project is actually quite big.

I don't know where all the residents will be coming from...

Here is the site plan:
High Point Ridge

http://www.colpittsdevelopments.ca/developments/images/high_point_ridge/hillcrest_72_map_v2.gif

colpittsdevelopments.ca

cl812

Mar 24, 2009, 11:45 AM

Don't think Home Depot is 0.5 million sq ft.

Costco zoning hearing April 14
Published Tuesday March 24th, 2009
A6
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

A public hearing of objections to a zoning amendment and subdivision to permit a Costco store at the Corbett Centre retail development on Regent Street will be held by Fredericton city council April 14.

Two weeks later, councillors are slated to cast their final vote on third reading to determine the store's fate.

As the property owner, the University of New Brunswick is making the application to the city for the zoning approvals needed to allow the project to go forward.

Long before the first store, the 42,390-square-metre (471,000-square-foot) Home Depot was built at the 18-hectare (45-acre) Corbett Centre property, Costco had been identified as a retailer of interest to UNB and its partners.

UNB is working with Terrain Group of Moncton, an engineering, planning and surveying firm, to help it do site preparation of its land and with Ontario's Trinity Development Group Inc. and its partner RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust to attract retailers.

Costco signed a letter of intent with UNB in the fall of 2008, but hasn't yet announced a construction date for a Fredericton project.

"Yes, we still have an interest in entering the Fredericton market and the Saint John market as well. At this point, that's all that I can comment on," said Ron Damiani, Costco Canada spokesman in Ottawa, in a recent interview.

Due to design changes, the provincial Environment Department has required additional engineering work from Terrain Group to show how it will manage storm water flows from the property and surrounding land.

Local environmental activists are opposed to any further development on the site and want UNB to protect its woodlot holdings from any type of commercial development.

----

Annex request heading to cabinet for approval
Published Tuesday March 24th, 2009
A6
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

A request to annex land in the west end of Fredericton will soon be headed for final provincial approval.

City councillors Monday night voted unanimously to ask the New Brunswick government to broaden the city's borders by taking in property owned by Colpitts Developments.

The company wants two pieces of its property - which straddle the city limits near Rainsford Lane and Hanwell Road - annexed so that it can continue with an extension of the High Point Ridge residential subdivision under construction within city limits.

The local service district of Hanwell has no objections to giving up the vacant wooded land.

The Department of Local Government completed its own feasibility report in February, which stated that the property is ideally suited for annexation.

"The current city boundary extends further to the west for approximately six kilometres and further to the south for approximately three kilometres. Because of this location and the relatively small size, there are no anticipated problems or concerns in extending various city services to the proposed area of annexation," the report stated.

"All parties are on board. It should be pretty straight forward," said Frank Flanagan, director of development services for the City of Fredericton.

Now that the city has reaffirmed its support, it will be up to the province to determine the timing of the annexation approval.

"The province has to take it to cabinet for approval," Flanagan said.

That timing of the final OK will be in its hands, he said.

----

Concrete plan
Published Tuesday March 24th, 2009
a5

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=266565&size=0x400
The big pour: spring hill Construction workers pour the concrete to house the flood water and elevator shaft pits for the new office building that’s being built on King street on monday morning.

cl812

Mar 30, 2009, 12:02 PM

Sobeys committed to building Regent Street office complex
Published Monday March 30th, 2009
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Could it become reality, or will it be another false hope?

Seven years after now former Sobeys Atlantic president John Lynn pledged to deliver on a professional office building aligned along the face of Regent Street, is the project any closer to reality?

Yes, according to a company spokeswoman in Stellarton, N.S.

"We are committed to proceeding with the development of a professional building adjacent the Sobeys location on Regent Street. It is taking longer than anticipated despite our best efforts," said Jill Thomas Myrick, director of communications and corporate affairs with the grocery chain, recently.

"The project has not commenced to date as a result of unsuccessful discussions with prospective tenants," she said.

"The good news is that we are making progress negotiating tenant occupancy and we are hopeful that we will be able to announce details of construction plans this summer.''

Sobeys made a public commitment in the fall of 2002 to construct a building for dentists, doctors or other professionals at the same time as it was receiving approval to build its fiercely-fought downtown Regent Street grocery store.

Neighbours wanted housing and infill, not a downtown grocery store and at the least demanded a heritage-style building. Downtown residents wanted the city to ensure that the streetscape - the faces of buildings along the streetfront - was protected.

The compromise struck between the city and grocery chain was to build a street-facing low-level office building along the edge of the property on Regent Street.

Thomas Myrick said the development agreement between Sobeys and the City of Fredericton calls for a professional building, so the store is sticking to those guidelines in its talks with potential tenants.

"We have to work within the development agreement as negotiated in its original statement," said Thomas Myrick. "We are very much looking forward to making this announcement."

Alex Forbes, assistant director of development services for the City of Fredericton, said the city hasn't yet received any paperwork on the project.

Mayor Brad Woodside said he's pleased to hear that progress is being made.

"It has been a long time coming and a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. I respect them at their word. They said they would do it and hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later," Woodside said.

Sobeys sent a letter to former mayor Les Hull and city councillors for the Sept. 23, 2002, meeting of council. It was read into the public record by a Sobeys real estate representative:

"Sobeys is committed to bringing forward a second application for the railway lands. This application will involve the development of a secondary retail professional building along Regent Street.

"This building will relate in character and building design to the main store facade ... Sobeys commits to bringing forward this application in a timely manner and will do so within three months of approval of Phase 1," stated the letter signed by John Lynn, then president of Sobeys Atlantic.

"When a company like Sobeys makes a commitment in writing, it's a commitment - end of story," said Lynn, when he restated the commitment in November, 2002.

"The development will be completed as promised. My commitment, on behalf of the company, is that construction will be underway no later than the first half of our next fiscal year, which begins in May 2006," wrote Mike Scott, Lynn's successor as president of Sobeys Atlantic in an Oct. 21, 2005, letter to Woodside.

The mayor raised the issue after writing a Sept. 27, 2005, letter to the retail grocery chain's Stellarton, N.S., headquarters.

In June 2006, Sobeys again reaffirmed its pledge to build the professional building when Sobeys was prodded to deliver on the project.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 30, 2009, 6:10 PM

This will probly be a one story building.:yuck:

mylesmalley

Mar 30, 2009, 6:33 PM

Hi-class like this!

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f232/stu_pendousmat/Phototour%20w%20Erick/DSCN1955.jpg
Photo Credit: Stupendousmat_2

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 30, 2009, 7:48 PM

Thats a gross building.

mylesmalley

Mar 30, 2009, 7:52 PM

Yes it is.

BradMacD

Mar 30, 2009, 8:14 PM

Ugh.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 30, 2009, 11:58 PM

But they should try and make it at least 5 floors.
I remember seeing a pdf future zoning plan map for fredericton and that area was for highrises.

corda

Mar 31, 2009, 5:39 PM

I agree. This location is good for something tall. At least something will be built there... it is an underused parking lot.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 31, 2009, 6:46 PM

I agree. This location is good for something tall. At least something will be built there... it is an underused parking lot.

I thought that area was a field with tall grass.:shrug:

I don't remember how much space is there, but I think it would be a suitable location for the Farmer's market.

corda

Mar 31, 2009, 8:02 PM

I thought that area was a field with tall grass.:shrug:

I don't remember how much space is there, but I think it would be a suitable location for the Farmer's market.

You're right... There's grass where the building will stand but I don't think the Sobey's parking lot will have extra spaces because it's built. Cars will have to be parked closer to the street, the end that's hardly used.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Mar 31, 2009, 9:16 PM

I wouldn't mind seeing sobeys move. What a waste of downtown land...

kirjtc2

Mar 31, 2009, 11:56 PM

I'm trying to remember exactly where this building would go. That strip of grass in front of the store on Regent seems too small for this kind of building.

Does Sobeys own the old Petro-Can site?

cl812

Apr 1, 2009, 2:15 PM

If Im not mistaken I dont think they do own that property as Im pretty sure the bulk storage tanks are still operational.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Apr 1, 2009, 3:49 PM

I'm trying to remember exactly where this building would go. That strip of grass in front of the store on Regent seems too small for this kind of building.

Does Sobeys own the old Petro-Can site?

I was thinking maybe behind sobeys where the old train station is.

xxFamilyGuyxx

Apr 1, 2009, 3:50 PM

If Im not mistaken I dont think they do own that property as Im pretty sure the bulk storage tanks are still operational.

Yeah, I think so too, you occasionally see some truck filling up or filling the tanks up.

caveat.doctor

Apr 2, 2009, 8:26 AM

I was wondering how a new-ish building like that Sobey's could've gotten away in Downtown with having such an un-Downtown-like huge parking lot and setback from Regent St. A commercial building facing Regent to hide the carpark would definitely improve the streetscape. As long as it doesn't end up like what they did at the Corbett Centre (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4017803&postcount=827), and put the blank windowless ass-end of the building along Regent and make the centrepiece of the development the parking lot. Just 3 blocks north on Regent we know traditional storefronts work best, no reason to not have the same here.

-

UNB students voted on a $100/yr mandatory bus pass last week (story (http://thebruns.ca/content/2009-03/bus-pass-declined-unb-undergrads)) - 908 for, 955 against. I was disappointed, but not really surprised. I didn't see much on-campus campaign for or against, though the Student Union website had a reasonable thought-out pro-con list (http://www.unbsu.ca/images/bus%20pass%20arguments.pdf). Didn't get the feeling Fredericton Transit was doing anything to drum up support for it - I don't see much transit marketing at all generally, but if they were going to get $100 x 5500 full-time students = $550 000/yr you'd think they'd put some effort in designing some kind of proposal.

Some say the high price of a parking pass was why the bus vote failed; I don't really get that, because if cost was an issue, people would be clamouring for a bus pass to get away from the expense driving and parking. My old school (Queen's (http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2008-10-24/news/students-transit/)) - similar parking issues, similar student ridership (23%, exactly the same as UNB and STU combined, according to the Fredericton Transit plan (http://www.fredericton.ca/en/transportation/resources/StrategicPlanforTransportationServicesE.pdf)), similar student population relative to the city - actually just renewed its mandatory bus pass with a 79% vote last fall. Though the student contribution at Queen's is less ($43.50/yr; the University admin also chips in $62k/yr), it's way more useful: staggered schedules to keep wait times short, quick routes from campus across town, to the grocery, malls, cinema and the train station (but not the airport - yet). Kingston Transit really took the promotion and product more seriously.

Hopefully Fredericton Transit will use the rejection to come up with something more useful to win next time around - there's so much potential here.

cl812

Apr 2, 2009, 11:35 AM

Group wants to save arena
Published Thursday April 2nd, 2009
York | 'City will still need ice surface'
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

A public meeting will be held Monday at 7 p.m. at Willie O'Ree Place to talk about the future of the York Arena.

The northside hockey rink is slated for demolition when the city opens the Grant * Harvey Centre, but that facility is two years behind schedule.

It's still in the design stage and a decision on a construction start date is expected in the fall.

Chris Mabie, who has been active in hockey for a number of years, is a northside resident who wants to see the arena saved.

He said even when the Grant * Harvey Centre is built, the city will still need another rink to meet demands for ice time.

"We have talked to some of the local groups and I think there's a definite shortage of ice time," Mabie said.

The Coliseum, which was used for hockey, has been the domain of Fredericton curlers for the past two years and that's taken away another surface from ice sport users.

The city demolished the Nashwaaksis Arena when it opened Willie O'Ree Place. Users groups said even with the refurbishment of the Lady Beaverbrook Rink, the city can't meet the demands for ice time.

"Our two duplexes are great, but if the York Arena comes down ... We believe that one additional ice surface will not suffice," Mabie said.

He said there's been a groundswell of interest in retaining the York Arena.

"Obviously, we want people involved and we want to hear from many of the arena users," Mabie said. "We've got time on our side ... If the York Arena was going to be demolished, it would probably be something like two years from now."

A city study of rink facilities suggests it would cost $1 million to modernize York Arena and bring it up to modern building codes.

"That is still not a bad number in terms of another surface. If you sit down and do the math on what it costs the city for four (new) surfaces and then consider what it would cost for a fifth, it's still not a bad number," Mabie said.

"The meeting is just to see who else wants to come on board and then we'll map out a plan."

Tim Gillies is working with Mabie on the cause.

Gillies, president of Fredericton Sports Investment, said his group supports keeping the York Arena, but he's involved with the arena on his own initiative.

"I've met with the mayor and councillors on it," Gillies said. "We're very open about it. I'm a southsider, but I'd love to see that rink stay open. I've played hockey there all my life and there's a lot of history there for a lot of people in the city."

Gillies said he believes city councillors are willing to hear the group out if it can do its homework and show a viable way to keep the York Arena.

"I think most registrations are increasing. The need for ice time is increasing," he said. "It's all very positive. We'll see where it goes. There may be things we haven't thought of."

Mayor Brad Woodside said he's willing to listen to the group once it sorts out its objectives and proposals.

But Woodside said any decision involving the York Arena would have to entail a full discussion with city council.

----

New community college facilities depend on federal cash
Published Thursday April 2nd, 2009
A5
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com

Work will begin this year on new facilities for the Fredericton campus of the New Brunswick Community College worth up to $20 million if an application to Ottawa for co-funding is approved, says Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault.

He said the provincial government has been working with senior Conservative leaders in New Brunswick and Ottawa on the issue.

"I think everybody is on the same page," he said.

The deadline for applications for the federal program is Monday and the province submitted its application in March. It hopes to get an answer soon.

"Within the new initiatives that we've provided, it (the Fredericton campus) is our No. 1 priority," said Arseneault.

The federal economic stimulus package includes $1.4 billion for community colleges nationally. A rough rule of thumb is that New Brunswick gets $25 million for every billion dollars in federal spending.

But Arseneault said last month the money is being doled out on a case-by-case basis, not on a per-capita basis, so there's no guarantee the province will get anything.

At first there was no money in the Liberal government's capital budget to upgrade Fredericton's community college campus this year. But that was before the federal economic stimulus package came out.

There's $100 million for other community college campus upgrades in the provincial capital budget this year and if the federal government comes through with matching funding, that would make the provincial money go further, said Arseneault.

He said work would "definitely" start this year if the province gets the federal money.

"One of the criteria for the federal government, which is no different from the provincial government, is we want shovel-ready projects, and we feel we are ready to go ... with the Fredericton campus," Arseneault said.

The plan is to locate new facilities on the campus of the University of New Brunswick, he said.

Arseneault made the comments about the Fredericton campus of the New Brunswick Community College after he tabled his department's $298.2-million spending estimates.

That's up $58.3 million over last year. The budgets of most government departments were slashed to hold down the provincial deficit.

Arseneault said the increase for his department shows post-secondary education is a priority for the Grits.

His budget reveals that the University of New Brunswick is getting $10 million of the $20 million allocated for the University Infrastructure Trust Fund. St. Thomas University is getting about $1 million.

The Liberals are freezing university tuition for a second year at a cost of $6 million, doubling the former tuition rebate for post-graduate students living in New Brunswick from $10,000 to $20,000 and spending $11.1 million to cap student debt at $26,000 per person.

Arseneault said the cap combined with the tuition rebate means the maximum debt for a university student who works in the province will be $6,000.

The province is also spending $10.2 million to create 500 community college seats.

About $6 million will be spent on international student recruitment, improved credit transferability, increased research and graduate studies, enhanced collaboration between institutions, improved access for under-represented groups and making the system more responsive to student needs.

The province is also spending $2.8 million on an income-based repayment assistance plan to ensure no individual pays on their student loan for more than 15 years.

Tory Leader David Alward said he's worried about cuts to Arseneault's department.

He said $1.3 million has been cut from a program that provides university students with summer jobs.

"The government has chosen not to support community organizations that support these kinds of services," he said.

Another program cut by $1.2 million, or 40 per cent, is designed to help the unemployed find jobs, said Alward.

"Right off the bat those are certainly two large concerns," he said.

kirjtc2

Apr 2, 2009, 2:11 PM

UNB students voted on a $100/yr mandatory bus pass last week (story (http://thebruns.ca/content/2009-03/bus-pass-declined-unb-undergrads)) - 908 for, 955 against. I was disappointed, but not really surprised. I didn't see much on-campus campaign for or against, though the Student Union website had a reasonable thought-out pro-con list (http://www.unbsu.ca/images/bus%20pass%20arguments.pdf). Didn't get the feeling Fredericton Transit was doing anything to drum up support for it - I don't see much transit marketing at all generally, but if they were going to get $100 x 5500 full-time students = $550 000/yr you'd think they'd put some effort in designing some kind of proposal.

The idea of a bus pass comes up every few years at UNB....I was a student there last time and I voted against it for one simple reason: I don't want to subsidize other people's bus rides.

mylesmalley

Apr 2, 2009, 3:31 PM

I'm not disappointed at all. I voted against it! :D

As it's been pointed out, this money would really just go to subsidizing the small minority of students who live a long way from campus. Most students either live on site or adjacent to campus. Hell, I live all the way up on Priestman and my walk is only about 10 mins to class.

Secondly, the routes to and from campus are pretty poor in my experience. The bus authority wouldn't commit to improving service if the plan went ahead either.

Third, the cost! $100, really? I don't know what the regular bus passes cost but for the average student who would probably hardly ever use it, that's the cost of 20 cab rides around town. I'm pretty sure the busses don't go out to the airport either, so thats no help on the high cost of a ride from Lincoln.

Third, tuition is already hard enough to pay for. If my fees are going up by $100, i'd much sooner see it going towards hiring professors or fixing the dilapidated buildings on campus.

kirjtc2

Apr 3, 2009, 2:38 PM

http://harvest.canadaeast.com/image.php?id=271878&size=500x0
(The Daily Gleaner)

Coming soon: the construction of the Richard J. Currie Centre on the University of New Brunswick campus is progressing. Above, workers work amongst the rebar and concrete forms.

cl812

Apr 3, 2009, 6:00 PM

I dont know if anyone noticed or not, but there is a second tower crane up in the city at the Shannex seniors complex construction site. I think that must a record for the city, 2 and i would think possibly a third at the convention centre or the new kileel office building downtown.

cl812

Apr 5, 2009, 1:52 AM

Community college a 'key strategic priority' for expanding the economy
Published Saturday April 4th, 2009
A3
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com

The largest chamber of commerce in New Brunswick is throwing its weight behind a call for a new Fredericton campus of the New Brunswick Community College.

On March 27, Dale Dunphy, president of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter to federal Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities Minister John Baird, urging funding support for the project.

"We believe that the community college in Fredericton is a key strategic priority for the community and expanding our economic capacity," Dunphy said Friday.

Earlier this week, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault said the provincial government has applied for a new national federal funding program for the Fredericton campus estimated to be worth between $15 million and $20 million.

But there's no guarantee that the province will get any of the new federal funding for community colleges and work on the new Fredericton campus won't begin this year without it, he said.

Chamber CEO Anthony Knight said the organization wrote the letter to reinforce the government's application.

"We wanted to certainly reiterate the level of priority that the community college is for the business community," he said.

The chamber released a copy of Dunphy's letter to Baird, which says Fredericton businesses continually report difficulty in finding suitable candidates for trade and technologist positions.

"The presence of a community college in Fredericton would provide local employers with access to a greater pool of skilled labour which would in turn increase productivity, efficiency and help alleviate existing shortages in the city's workforce," he wrote.

"Funding for this project would also generate significant short-term stimulus to our local economy and provide a wise investment in Fredericton's economic recovery.

"We urge you to consider the social and economic benefits that this project would bring to our community and ask you grant Minister Arseneault's request for funding to construct a community college campus in Fredericton."

The chamber president also sent copies of the letter to Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Minister Keith Ashfield, Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, the premier and Fredericton's MLAs.

----

UNB students take pass on city's transit pass
Published Saturday April 4th, 2009
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

University of New Brunswick students have voted against negotiating a universal bus pass deal with Fredericton Transit.

Fredericton Transit manager Sandy MacNeill said he was contacted by UNB Student Union vice-president external Jon O'Kane with the results earlier this week.

"The numbers were 955 to 908 against. It represents about 30 per cent of the student body, the undergraduates, who turned out for that vote," MacNeill said.

"We're going to continue to provide a quality service to the campus and the student population."

St. Thomas University students purchase a $100-a-year student pass, with university administration chipping in $25 of the total cost. The pass gives STU students unlimited year-round access to the transit system.

UNB students could have had the same deal, although UNB administration said it didn't have the financial means to underwrite any of the bus pass cost without hiking tuition.

Negotiations with UNB have been ongoing for a number of years and the city is willing to resume talks at different junctures with UNB's student leadership.

"I'm sure we'll talk about it again," MacNeill said.

The university's graduate student association held a separate vote. The results of that vote haven't yet been released.

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N.B.'s share of gas tax to double to $46 million
Published Saturday April 4th, 2009
A6
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com

Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside said he's delighted that New Brunswick is getting twice as much in federal gasoline tax transfers if that means his city is also getting more.

"I am very pleased that we are getting more money," he said.

The announcement that New Brunswick's share of the federal gasoline tax transfer was doubling to $46.4 million a year and that the first installment was coming three months early was made Friday morning by federal Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson, who's also the government's regional minister for this province.

Thompson said the move is to jump-start infrastructure projects.

Advancing the first payment for the year by three months means the city will get funding in April and that's also good news, said Woodside.

The mayor said he got a call about the change Friday morning from Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Minister Keith Ashfield, who also represents the riding of Fredericton for the Conservative Party.

But Coun. Mike O'Brien, chairman of the city's finance committee, said he still wants to see confirmation that Fredericton's share of the gasoline tax revenue is doubling, too.

"The present five-year agreement ... was $9.7 million that we received," he said. "This is the final year of it.

"This year we are receiving $1.9 million in July and another $1.9 million in December."

The city is spending that money on infrastructure and water projects, said O'Brien.

"What we knew we were getting over the next five-year program, which was 2010-14 ... was $15.7 million," he said. "We built that into our revenue projections.

"What we are trying to find out is if that is literally doubled right down to each municipal level."

If so, $15.7 million becomes $31.4 million, said O'Brien.

"That is a great thing. It's phenomenal," he said. "But we have no confirmation of that yet."

He said he hopes to know over the next few days.

Woodside said it's too soon to say what the city might do if its gasoline tax transfer is doubled.

"There are a number of places where that (extra) money can go," he said. "Our finance organization will be looking at that."

frinkprof

Apr 5, 2009, 8:19 PM

I can see the points about the U-pass (universal transit pass) not being practical. I'm a huge proponent of transit, but in my 3 years here have never taken it. I purposely sold my car before I moved here and got a place close to campus, and the rare time where my feet can't take me where I'm going, cabs are readily available, convenient, and cost effective.

Nevertheless, I voted for the U-pass on principle. I think it would be good to know I could hop on the bus for cheap when I want. That being said, hopefully they come back with a proposal that involves better service to campus.

Also, a route going up down Regent and Prospect would serve me well and I'm not sure why one doesn't. The York <=> Priestman <=> Prospect routing is puzzling to me. Also puzzling is the lack of service on Regent between Beaverbrook and Montgomery, although I guess it's a tradeoff in order to serve campus.

kirjtc2

Apr 11, 2009, 3:04 PM

Is the Princess Margaret Bridge safe?
Published Saturday April 11th, 2009

Bridge | Province hands over engineering reports
A1
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com

Never-before-published engineering reports obtained by The Daily Gleaner show the condition of the steel and concrete in the 50-year-old Princess Margaret Bridge is much more serious than the provincial government has publicly acknowledged.

Some of the steel supports beneath the sidewalks on the bridge are so badly rusted that they might not support the weight of a truck if one mounted the curb after an accident.

The concrete of some of the sidewalk slabs has deteriorated so badly that nets and plywood barriers are hung beneath the bridge to catch rubble breaking off and prevent it from falling onto people and vehicles below.

Most alarmingly, several of the main steel beams that hold up the bridge are so badly corroded that they should have been repaired two months ago.

All this information is contained in an independent engineering report dated Feb. 11, 2008, and obtained by The Daily Gleaner using the province's Right to Information Act.

Transportation Minister Denis Landry said the Princess Margaret Bridge is safe because the weight limit for trucks was reduced from 62,500 kilograms (62.5 tonnes) to 43,500 kilograms (43.5 tonnes) in November.

"The bridge is very safe," he said. "When I need to cross the bridge, I do cross it."

Landry also said his son lives on the north side and drives across the Princess Margaret Bridge every day.

"If I (did) have some concerns, I would tell him to go to the Westmorland Street Bridge," he said. "I don't have any concern about him crossing that bridge."

The province has announced it will spend $12 million repairing the bridge, starting this year.

When the weight reduction for trucks was announced, The Daily Gleaner immediately requested any and all engineering studies that have been done on the safety of the Princess Margaret Bridge. The newspaper was told there was no overall engineering study.

After Christmas, a Right to Information application was filed by The Daily Gleaner.

At the end of March, the newspaper received more than 700 pages of documents, including several engineering studies, one of which is entitled Structural Condition Survey, Princess Margaret Bridge, dated Feb. 11, 2008.

That study was done by Eastern Designers and Company Ltd.

"The condition of the deteriorated sidewalk concrete and its corroded support truss is of considerable concern," states the engineering report on page eight.

"At some locations it is doubtful that the sidewalk could support the weight of a truck that has mounted the curb."

The report said 40 per cent of the steel trusses that support the sidewalk must be completely replaced and 50 per cent require significant repairs.

"If repairs are not undertaken promptly, the deteriorating concrete sidewalks will soon become unsafe even for light pedestrian traffic," stated the report.

Fred Blaney, executive director of engineering services for the Department of Transportation, said the province takes the engineering report's warnings seriously, but it's not as bad as it sounds.

"There would not be a catastrophic failure," he said.

"The truck would not go in the river."

Blaney said the major steel beams that hold up the bridge are located underneath the sidewalk and would catch any truck that went through the sidewalk.

The report also said concrete slabs that make up the sidewalk are in poor shape.

"The concrete has spalled (cracked and peeled off) and is in danger of dropping debris on highway and pedestrian traffic below," said the report on page four. "Netting and plywood ... has been erected to capture debris falling from the deteriorating sidewalk slabs."

Almost all of the original sidewalk concrete will have to be replaced soon, said the report.

The engineering report also noted that the bridge's 1.2-metre-wide sidewalks don't meet current highway planning standards.

A bridge structure on a major arterial roadway shouldn't permit the passage of pedestrians, stated the report. If it does, the sidewalk should be separated from vehicular traffic by a sturdy traffic barrier, it said on page six.

But the report said there's no room for such a barrier on the narrow, two-lane Princess Margaret Bridge.

"The low observed volumes of pedestrian traffic suggests that there may be little need to provide for pedestrian traffic on this bridge structure," stated the report.

A possible solution would be the elimination of the sidewalks, the report said.

"It is something we are keeping an eye on," Blaney said about the sidewalks.

"We do regular inspections of the bridge. If the bridge became a concern, we would shut it down."

The Princess Margaret Bridge roadway sits on seven plate girder spans, nine deck trusses and one 23-metre through-truss navigation span, all made of steel. Some of that steel is deteriorating.

"Already, corrosion has progressed to the point where a number of major truss members have experienced a significant reduction in strength," stated the engineering report.

The report separates the supporting steel into three categories: Condition A, which only needs sand blasting and repainting; Condition B, which has suffered 15-25 per cent corrosion damage and needs further detailed study and analysis; and Condition C, which is the most serious.

"It is estimated that Condition C members have experienced a 25-35 per cent loss of material in the region of greatest corrosion damage," stated the report. "A section loss of this magnitude will require a major repair effort."

About two per cent of the steel girders in the bridge fall into Condition C, including two on the upriver side near pier six, and three on the downriver side between piers four and seven.

"Repairs to Condition C members should be carried out as soon as possible and certainly within the next 12 months," stated the report.

The report is dated Feb. 11, 2008, or 14 months ago, and the tenders for the repairs haven't been awarded yet.

"The bridge is safe for the weight that is on it," said Blaney.

"The public should not be alarmed. We are holding regular meetings (about) the bridge."

On Monday, The Daily Gleaner will look at how and when the Department of Transportation intends to repair the Princess Margaret Bridge, as well as how much it will cost.

caveat.doctor

Apr 11, 2009, 10:39 PM

The idea of a bus pass comes up every few years at UNB....I was a student there last time and I voted against it for one simple reason: I don't want to subsidize other people's bus rides.

I'm not disappointed at all. I voted against it! :D

As it's been pointed out, this money would really just go to subsidizing the small minority of students who live a long way from campus. Most students either live on site or adjacent to campus. Hell, I live all the way up on Priestman and my walk is only about 10 mins to class.

Another reason why I think Transit needs to put more effort into the proposal - it's hard to fight that "if it doesn't help me, I'm not helping" mentality. Other than coming up with a more useful product, promoting Transit as a "public good" might've gotten more support too. From my experience, I wouldn't say Queen's students (or any other university with a bus pass programme - where most students also live on/near campus) are inherently more generous or civic-minded than UNB students, but when promoted properly, services in the public interest can generate mass support, even among people who don't necessarily personally benefit. Good citizenship, civic pride and all that jazz.

-

Two new building pics around Downtown: the Knights of Columbus building now has its signage up

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3431894457_d526e636a1_o.jpg

and I only just noticed this apartment building just south of the Sobey's (spotted it from the parking lot)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3431894851_8637bd44c8_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3432709872_e5302bcb4d_o.jpg

Looks like they deleted the ground-level decor on the final product, but at least they didn't just blank-wall stucco the sides and rear of the building. I'm impressed that new rental apartments are being built at all; most of the cities I've seen, only condos go up.

-

I also only just noticed the extras on the NB Archives building - not much to notice from a distance

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3431892331_94334b2de7_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3561/3431892025_7228895baf_o.jpg

but closer up there's some detailing

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3416/3431894115_9e221a881f_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3388/3432093393_35c7328572_o.jpg

-

There was a little blurb in today's Gleaner about Jane's Walks (http://www.janeswalk.net/participating_cities) - named in honour of urban activist Jane Jacobs, "a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves", tours about history, architecture and such - going on 2-3 May in cities across Canada... except Fredericton.

But maybe some of you locals (who actually know the city) might be able to host one (contact info (http://www.janeswalk.net/what_is_cce/press_room)) - I'd totally be there in a heartbeat.

mylesmalley

Apr 11, 2009, 11:29 PM

Your point is quite valid, Caveat.doctor. I normally am a strong supporter of projects that are of benefit to the community as a whole, even when I'm not a direct beneficiary.

My real beef with the proposal was just how few people would actually stand to benefit from it. If the program had made it easier for students living off campus to get to school, I would have been more supportive. A route to the major apartment complexes, better access to Regent Mall or downtown etc. None of that would have happened. All this program would have done is give the bus agency a half million dollars, and a free ride for those students who already used the bus.

For that much money, you could buy five 15-seat vans and hire drivers to shuttle students to wherever they wanted 24 hours a day. Not as good for the environment but we'd get a much better return on our investment and probably faster service.

cl812

Apr 12, 2009, 2:58 PM

cl812

Apr 13, 2009, 2:07 PM

Costco opponents, supporters get chance to express views
Published Monday April 13th, 2009
Store | Facility planned for Corbett Centre
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

A public hearing of objections will be held at city hall Tuesday as citizens get to state their case for or against a Costco store in Fredericton.

A handful of individuals and interest groups has signed up to address councillors.

As of late last week, city clerk Pam Hargrove was sifting through a lot of letters that her office received to be able to report how many support and how many oppose the project before Tuesday's council meeting.

Hargrove said letters and comments can still be submitted Tuesday and will be added to councillor information packages.

Groups such as the Friends of the UNB Woodlot and Fredericton chapter of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick are gearing up to fight the project. They oppose any development of the marshy area atop Regent Street and will have representatives at Tuesday's session.

City council is expected to follow its typical pattern on rezonings Tuesday night. Councillors will hear the public, then give automatic first and second reading to the rezoning bylaw.

Councillors make their final decision on the application April 27. They will either support the project or kill the concept on third reading.

Moncton-based engineering and planning company Terrain Group Inc. is applying on behalf of the University of New Brunswick for the rezoning to allow the store to be built on Regent Street at the Corbett Centre retail development.

UNB is the property owner that's leasing land to stores such as Winners, Home Depot and Dollarama.

It's working with its consultants, Trinity Development Group, and its partner, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, to add the Costco store.

Costco signed a letter of intent with UNB last fall, but it hasn't announced a construction date.

Costco Canada spokesman Ron Damiani has said the company continues to have an interest in entering the Fredericton and Saint John markets.

The provincial Environment Department has asked the developers to submit modified plans to manage storm water or surface runoff from the additional big-box store site at Corbett Centre.

A student group in late March called for an immediate moratorium on further development of the woodlot. Students handed a 650-signature petition to outgoing UNB president John McLaughlin. Incoming UNB president Eddy Campbell has been made aware of their concerns.

Mayor Brad Woodside sampled public opinion in March after he launched his Costco For Fredericton site on Facebook. Woodside quickly saw more than 6,000 members join the site and 1,300 people express their opinions.

The majority of those who joined the Facebook group supports a Costco store. Fredericton has many shoppers who are members of the wholesale, bulk grocery and household goods store and who routinely drive to Moncton to pick up buys.

Opponents of the development suggest the store should seek a different location.

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Bridge repair work expected to start soon
Published Monday April 13th, 2009
Problems | Princess Margaret Bridge not aging well
A1
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com

The Liberal government has budgeted $12 million this year for critical repairs to the aging Princess Margaret Bridge and expects to award tenders for that work within a month.

But doing the work will require that the bridge be closed for months, probably at night.

"The sooner the better," said Transportation Minister Denis Landry, about when the repair work will start. "We don't have any choice. We will start the work. But we still have to talk to the municipality ... about work that is going to be done through the night.''

Landry said the department doesn't want to close the bridge during the daytime.

Fred Blaney, executive director of engineering services for the Department of Transportation, said city council will be briefed Thursday on a proposed closure schedule for the bridge repairs.

He declined to go into any detail about the schedule before then.

"There will be some requirements for closures but traffic patterns will be taken into consideration," he said. "We will not shut the bridge down (completely)."

He said tenders for Phase 1 of the repair work to address the most serious concerns will be awarded within a month.

As The Daily Gleaner reported Saturday, the bridge has serious problems with its railings, the steel supports that hold up the sidewalks and some of the main steel beams that hold up the deck of the bridge.

In November, the province slashed by one-third the weight allowed on the bridge and Landry insisted the bridge is safe for that weight.

"I trust my staff," he said.

In this year's repairs, all the bridge railings will be replaced. They're too weak to stop a vehicle from plunging over the side of the bridge in case of an accident.

Blaney said new, much stronger, barriers will be installed, either steel or concrete, that will be reinforced with steel rebar connected directly to the bridge deck.

There are also problems with some of the bridge's rocker bearings that connect the main body of the bridge to its 22 concrete piers.

Imagine two pencils lying on a table and a book resting on the pencils. The bridge's rocker bearings are the equivalent of the pencils.

The rocker bearings let the bridge move back and forth a little bit as the steel structure expands and contracts in the heat and the cold, said Blaney.

Without those bearings, the bridge spans could roll off their piers.

"The expansion bearings at the truss spans (approximately 30 roller nests) are in poor condition and will require major rehabilitation or replacement," states an engineering report dated Feb. 11, 2008, and obtained by The Daily Gleaner under Right to Information legislation.

"With the exception of the through-truss navigation span, all of the roller nests supporting the Princess Margaret Bridge have experienced alignment difficulties including bent or missing linkage bolts, bent or broken alignment lugs, misaligned rollers and a general build up of dirt, grease and corrosion by-products," states the engineering report.

The bridge will have to be jacked up and the old rocker bearings removed and new ones installed.

The corroded steel beams that hold up the bridge deck will be replaced but the province hasn't yet decided how to fix the sidewalks.

A consulting engineer's report says a modern highway bridge wouldn't even have a sidewalk.

"A possible solution would be the elimination of the sidewalks," states the report.

There are also problems with the concrete on the piers of the bridge.

Final test results aren't in yet, but one solution might be encapsulating the old concrete inside new concrete, states the engineering report.

Blaney said Phase 1 repairs will be done this summer and fall and the requests for qualifications are out for Phase 2 repairs.

Future phases of repairs will include fixing steel that's not as badly damaged as the spans being replaced this year and repainting the bridge.

DOT wants the bridge to last another 50 years.

"We are dealing with what the report said we should deal with," said Blaney. "This is a pretty vital link."

----

Concrete may contain air pockets
Published Monday April 13th, 2009
Concerns | Princess Margaret Bridge needs repairs
A3
By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
llewellyn.stephen@dailygleaner.com

The concrete deck and 22 piers that hold up the 50-year-old Princess Margaret Bridge may have the same flaw that has plagued the Mactaquac Dam for years.

It's called alkali silica reaction or ASR and it can create air pockets inside concrete.

In a worst-case scenario, it can cause serious expansion and cracking problems

that can lead to major structural problems or even necessitate demolition, according to the website understanding-concrete.com.

ASR is caused by a reaction between the hydrioxyl ions in the alkaline cement pore solution in the concrete and reactive forms of silicia in the aggregate.

It creates a gel that increases in volume by taking up water and exerting expansive pressure.

The Department of Transportation commissioned Atlantic Infrastructure Monitoring Inc. of Upper Sackville, N.S., to do a $17,000 study of the concrete bridge

deck with ground-penetrating radar in July 2008.

DOT also ordered another study by a Fredericton company called Gemtec to drill six core samples two metres deep in several piers. That analysis cost $50,000.

Fred Blaney, executive director of engineering services at DOT, said in a recent interview the province is awaiting the final test results.

"It is a condition and you manage it," he said, if test results show the bridge has ASR. "It is not going to suddenly crumble and fall down."

But documents obtained by The Daily Gleaner seem to indicate that the department already knows there is at least some damage to the bridge piers caused by ASR.

An email dated Oct. 29, 2008, between two DOT officials states, "(name blacked out) was able to confirm that ASR was present in this core and was causing damage. The gel was extruding from cracks in the aggregate," the email continued.

"This indicates that the ASR was causing damage."

The email goes on to say that the DOT official will be meeting with an individual to map out a strategy for a more extensive program to define the ASR involvement and look at how extensive the ASR reaction is within the main mass of the pier and what pressure is being exerted by the expansion.

caveat.doctor

Apr 14, 2009, 1:37 AM

For that much money, you could buy five 15-seat vans and hire drivers to shuttle students to wherever they wanted 24 hours a day. Not as good for the environment but we'd get a much better return on our investment and probably faster service.

Funnily enough, there was a system like that when I was undergrad. It too, however, was poorly promoted, and lasted all of 2wks. The one time I used it me and 5 others were rushing from rez caf to class 10min late (about 1km, uphill); this white unmarked van coming in the opposite direction slams on the brakes, yells "WANT A RIDE!!!" in a thick Quebecois accent (this was in Montreal). He reverses, up a one-way, dodging traffic - in Montreal, "one-way" only refers to the direction the car has to point. We had no idea about the service, we just thought it was a random crazy delivery guy. The other problem was despite the efforts of the death-wish drivers to beat Downtown traffic, it was still faster to walk anywhere anyway. Good effort though.

Anyway, the "no" vote does put students in a better position for next time there's a vote; hopefully Transit isn't discouraged from the loss, and will actually come back and /try/ next round.

-

Costco opponents, supporters get chance to express views
Published Monday April 13th, 2009
Store | Facility planned for Corbett Centre
A3
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

A public hearing of objections will be held at city hall Tuesday as citizens get to state their case for or against a Costco store in Fredericton.

A handful of individuals and interest groups has signed up to address councillors.

As of late last week, city clerk Pam Hargrove was sifting through a lot of letters that her office received to be able to report how many support and how many oppose the project before Tuesday's council meeting.

Hargrove said letters and comments can still be submitted Tuesday and will be added to councillor information packages.

...

Opponents of the development suggest the store should seek a different location.

Though the Corbett Centre is a disappointment right now (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4017803&postcount=827) and probably needs the Costco to justify its existence, I threw something together and sent it in - never wrote anything like this before, but something to do on a day off, and they did say they're still taking letters:

My name is c.d and I am a physician recently moved to Fredericton. I read in today's Daily Gleaner that Council will consider tomorrow the placement of a Costco in the city's south end, and you are still accepting submissions.

For reasons of public health, and based on personal experience with urban planning best practices in varied places from Kingston to Toronto to Victoria to Vancouver to Singapore, I suggest Council reject such placement in favour of a more central location.

Let me make clear I don't oppose the establishment of a Costco in Fredericton - on the contrary, I believe it will be a useful addition to the city's retail scene, and in particular know many of my patients desperately need any opportunity to find cheaper options for their shopping needs. However, because a Costco would be such an important commercial "magnet", its location in the city must be carefully considered.

The proposed placement in the city's extreme south end will exacerbate Fredericton's urban sprawl. Its pronounced disconnection from the city's centre of mass undermines an efficient, compact urban form. As a retail anchor, it will have a snowball effect and encourage further commercial encroachment in the area, forcing residents to travel even greater distances. The site is accessible only by car; it is beyond walking distance from any established residential community, and any potential bicycle routes force users through heavy, high-speed traffic.

Urban sprawl is associated with several public health risks. The Ontario College of Family Physicians recently completed a review of research illustrating the hazards cities impose on residents when they fail to restrain such development, and the benefits individuals and communities can enjoy when alternate plans are made. The complete "Report on Public Health and Urban Sprawl in Ontario: A review of the pertinent literature" is available at http://www.ocfp.on.ca/English/OCFP/UrbanSprawl/default.asp?s=1 and indicates:

- Urban sprawl leads to increased motor vehicular use not only because of greater distances, but also because it makes adequate public transit services less financially feasible;

- Greater dependence on personal vehicle use leads to an increase in air pollution. The effects of air pollution include increased respiratory diseases (such as asthma) and cardiovascular disease;

- Air pollution has also been linked to reproductive health problems and rare cancers (such as childhood leukaemia);

- Compared with people in more efficient and higher density communities, people in car-dependent communities walk less, weigh more and are more likely to suffer from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular problems;

- Longer commuting distances lead to increases in traffic fatalities (one of our population’s leading causes of death), injuries and disabilities to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists; and,

- People in sprawling communities are more likely to suffer from mental health problems due to long commutes, isolation and loss of social capital than people in better planned communities.

Four brief summaries emphasise the health impact Council should consider in its decision:

1) Air Pollution - http://www.ocfp.on.ca/local/files/Urban%20Sprawl/UrbanSprawl-AirPollution.pdf
2) Road Injuries and Fatalities - http://www.ocfp.on.ca/local/files/Urban%20Sprawl/UrbanSprawl-RoadInjuries.pdf
3) Obesity - http://www.ocfp.on.ca/local/files/Urban%20Sprawl/UrbanSprawl-Obesity.pdf
4) Social and Mental Health - http://www.ocfp.on.ca/local/files/Urban%20Sprawl/UrbanSpraw-Soc-MentalHlth.pdf

Because of the importance a Costco will have on the city's commercial scene and overall development, choosing its location provides an opportunity to implement good planning practice. Alternative sites should be considered, such as the Two Nations Crossing complex, or the abandoned train station Downtown - sites within close, convenient proximity to established neighbourhoods and readily accessible to the greater area.

They would make use of already-open areas, reinforce existing focuses of development, and are more consistent with a compact, environmentally-sensitive urban form. They are already reached by transit, would not require expensive extensions of city services such as sewage or refuse collection, or strain emergency response times due to distance. Moreover, they would not entail the ecological damage of the current proposal at the Woodlot.

Other cities, such as the ones I have lived in above, are actively curbing sprawl and directing projects away from suburban/decentralised development, with direct health benefits to the community, and I believe Fredericton can and should do the same. For example, Vancouver's EcoDensity (http://www.vancouver-ecodensity.ca/) and Kingston's Urban Growth (http://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/development/urbangrowth/index.asp) strategies have measures that would relocate projects like our Costco proposal.

In medicine, we often talk about "evidence-based" decisions: research and known outcomes must inform our treatment choices. And of course, to "first do no harm" to those for whom we are responsible. As a physician and city resident, I believe the same mindset should guide Council in its decision - and leads to the conclusion that this development, as currently located, is not good practice.

I will try to attend the hearing tomorrow evening, and would be happy to provide any further information anytime.

Thank you,

No idea if those alternative sites are actually feasible (I've never been to TNC - probably the same situation as the Corbett Centre?), but I think the point should come through.

Lamespotting

Apr 14, 2009, 12:40 PM

No idea if those alternative sites are actually feasible (I've never been to TNC - probably the same situation as the Corbett Centre?), but I think the point should come through.

I actually think that TNC is more "in the middle of nowhere" than the Corbett Centre. As for the train station, you'd be facing a storm of heritage advocates and NIMBYs who won't want it there. They had a hard enough time getting the Sobeys in a few years back.

As for the Corbett Centre location, it does offer a few advantages:

It's close to two highways. Many of the clients will be from out of town, that will keep traffic out of the rest of the city
It's already in the main shopping district, why not keep all the "drive-to" destinations in one place?
It may be far to walk, but not too many people would want to walk there anyway as they'd have to lug super-sized boxes of groceries down the hill

I have many more reasons on my blog: here (http://lamespotting.com/cat/fredericton/unbwoodlot/)

I do actually agree that urban sprawl is a bad thing, however, the entire municipal plan would need to be redone for that to be prevented. There would also need to be amalgamation of outside areas (Hanwell, Lincoln, Noonan, Douglas) to stop those 1 acre unserviced lots from being created. The biggest challenge would be to ignore the NIMBYs who keep high density development from happening.

caveat.doctor

Apr 15, 2009, 2:25 AM

I have many more reasons on my blog: here (http://lamespotting.com/cat/fredericton/unbwoodlot/)

I do actually agree that urban sprawl is a bad thing, however, the entire municipal plan would need to be redone for that to be prevented. There would also need to be amalgamation of outside areas (Hanwell, Lincoln, Noonan, Douglas) to stop those 1 acre unserviced lots from being created. The biggest challenge would be to ignore the NIMBYs who keep high density development from happening.

Thanks - I agree with most of your points on your blog too, except that this is still urban sprawl at work. Just because it is within city limits doesn't mean it won't have the same effect as spreading development the other side of municipal lines - it's still basically as far away from the centre as you can get.

As for the Corbett Centre location, it does offer a few advantages:

It's close to two highways. Many of the clients will be from out of town, that will keep traffic out of the rest of the city

Yes, Corbett Centre is more easily accessible to out-of-towners, but that's exactly the "convenience" we need to discourage - by making it easy for the neighbours, it only enables them to sprawl more. If it's going to be built in Fredericton, and supported by Fredericton municipal services/taxes, it should serve Fredericton's plans first. Fredericton has a vested interest in making "life in the country" less appealing than it is.

It's already in the main shopping district, why not keep all the "drive-to" destinations in one place?
It may be far to walk, but not too many people would want to walk there anyway as they'd have to lug super-sized boxes of groceries down the hill

Being a retail anchor, it will encourage more commercial development in the area - including non-"drive-to" strip-mall storefront types that would be better placed closer Downtown, ones that people would like to have close by to walk to. Small business will be drawn out of the city, just to be close to the Costco. Thus, sprawl.

As for the train station, you'd be facing a storm of heritage advocates and NIMBYs who won't want it there.

It would take some effort to design a Costco to fit in the area and respect the character of the neighbourhood, but it's been done before - big box-type stores can be made to fit into Downtowns. I mentioned Ottawa's planning directives before - big red X for middle-of-nowhere single-use:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2598024693_3f8e69f2ab_o.jpg

there's also Vancouver: a Pier One as the first floor of an apartment building

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/ggphotographs/96-R2-3-vancouver/DSCF7331.jpg

and of train stations: Montreal turned its abandoned north-end train station into a development with an !ndigo bookstore, and now an haute-couture liquor store (http://artdecomontreal.com/2006/11/09/canadian-pacific-railwaycpr-park-avenue-station/en/). With the right design a big-box could be integrated into the site, and provide some drive to get that station restored and into something useful. Better than letting it rot abandoned as is.

And as you said in your blog, it's smarter land use:

Demand better use of the land we currently have. Demand that buildings downtown have minimum heights instead of maximums. Demand that the train station be torn down and replaced with high density buildings. It is actions like this that will slow down development by making the woodlot less valuable.

(BTW - thanks for the link to my blog. I guess that means maybe I should start writing again?)

-

The Council meeting went well (was anyone else there? I was the short Asian boy with glasses with a "McGill" sweater). The Mayor prefaced the open mic period with a "behave yourselves, mind your manners", and it pretty much turned out that way - straightforward, no frayed nerves or tension. I didn't realise a big-box store on the site was already approved by Council in '05; this was just supposed to be about some variance related to a gas station on the site. But even then, if there's any chance Council might approach urban planning differently today, it can still tighten the reins on what's yet to come.

I think the best speaker was Kerry Krawick (sp?), a UNB student who warned of the precedent an approval would set. Saying yes to even this small chunk makes it inevitable future developers will come up and ask for more; and when they do, future Councils will be locked into signing off.

Most everyone used an environmental argument - either because of the Woodlot's important ecology, or that the project encroaches on an 80m buffer that's required in the plan, or the dangers of having a gas station over wetlands that lead to our water supply, climate change and "death by a thousand small cuts" like this, etc. Some tried to remind them of the spirit of the "Green Matters" commitment Council made, to protect irreplaceable resources like wetlands and woodlots. You can always put a Costco somewhere else, but you can't rebuild a forest.

Someone mentioned big box stores just pacify us with cheap imported goods we don't need, but otherwise not much ideology or anything far out. Another speaker whose grandfather was a councillor recalled there were plans to develop Odell Park into housing way back when, but at the 11th hour Council rejected the proposal; the Mayor replied something like "Your grandfather certainly made the right decision then..." [pause] - and it looked like he was about to say something prejudicial to the Woodlot development - but continued, "and we would uphold the decision to keep /Odell Park/ today". Phew!

I thought by submitting a letter they'd automatically ask me to talk too, but they didn't, and when I went up to ask if I could, they said it was too late. Oh well. I would've liked to add this isn't just an environmental thing, since it seemed so one-horse-issue the way the speakers were talking. Plus Council seemed to appreciate hearing from people who've chosen to move to Fredericton, eg the students who were still deciding to stay or leave, people from away commenting how the city looks compared to elsewhere.

No doubt - Fredericton is sprawling. And urban sprawl is a health issue too; I definitely see people here less healthy than where I've worked before. 64% of men and 45% of women in Fredericton area are obese or overweight (vs 40% nationally); only 50% of residents themselves feel they're in good health. This is part of the cost that Council is imposing on citizens by allowing sprawl to continue.

("Fredericton area" = Health Region 3 data. I guess StatsCan doesn't collect much data specific to the city.)

Though the debate was just about the gas station, sprawl's still an issue that needs to be addressed. (Since it's Hanwell/New Maryland/Lincoln/etc doing it too, maybe the province needs to take the lead on that.) I guess we'll see what happens when this goes to vote in 2wk.

-

About bus passes: UNB grad students are going for it (story (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/634542)). Doesn't seem like Transit had to do anything to win them over; from the story you'd think it's adding a burden: the Transit manager "expects the city will be able to absorb the graduate student ridership within the schedule, although there will have to be some tinkering."

magee_b

Apr 15, 2009, 4:53 AM

I think the best speaker was Kerry Krawick (sp?), a UNB student who warned of the precedent an approval would set

It was Kerri Krawec, who is part of a team that recently won a national competition based on a business proposal for a more environmentally friendly woodlot development approach
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/612898 (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/rss/article/612898)

cl812

Apr 15, 2009, 11:22 AM

Costco opponents make last stand
Published Wednesday April 15th, 2009
Development | City to conduct vote April 27
A1
By HEATHER MCLAUGHLIN
mclaughlin.heather@dailygleaner.com

Move it to another location. Don't build a gasoline bar. Don't build any kind of big-box store. Put a moratorium on any further development of the University of New Brunswick woodlot.

That's what the 38 environmental groups and opponents of big-box stores are telling city council about a proposed Costco.

Another five individuals, plus a group of citizens that signed a petition, stated their support for the development.

"This is an emotional issue for a lot of people," said Mayor Brad Woodside after the nearly two-hour public discussion. "You have been very respectful and I appreciate that very much."

Councillors gave first and second reading Tuesday night to a rezoning bylaw to allow a proposed Costco Wholesale store to be located at the Corbett Centre retail development on the University of New Brunswick woodlot atop Regent Street.

Much of the property needed for the store and its parking area is already within an approved zoning envelope.

But one corner at the Regent Street end of the property has to be added to the site plan for a proposed gasoline bar and that has put project developers at city hall's steps for tweaking of its zoning.

It won't be until April 27, when councillors vote on third reading of the zoning amendment, that the city's verdict will be delivered.

Coun. Bruce Grandy has asked for a staff report on surface water runoff and the potential impacts on the city's drinking water supply from the project prior to third reading.

Friends of the UNB Woodlot, the Fredericton chapter of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, UNB students and a couple of UNB professors revisited most of the same arguments that the public has heard about the development.

"Putting a gas bar next to a wetland probably isn't a good idea," said UNB Prof. Charlene Mayes. "It shouldn't be about how much risk we can tolerate, but how much risk we can avoid.''

She said councillors have a golden opportunity to uphold the environmental protection goals that are stated in the city's environmental plan.

"We need to consider whether it's right and correct to roll out the red carpet for them by allowing them to expand their project, expand their parking lot and construct a gas bar," said Julie Michaud of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

UNB Prof. Rick Cunjak takes his fish biology class to the Corbett Brook marsh area because the upper part of the brook is the only place where brook trout are found.

"What's the significance of brook trout? They're like a canary in a coal mine. They're a very good indicator of environmental sensitivity ... There's still something right here. Let's not mess with that," Cunjak said.

"What's the likelihood of a problem occurring with a gas bar? I don't know. I would say is it worth the risk?" Cunjak said. "I would suggest not."

Professors at UNB and St. Thomas University are working behind the scenes to try to change UNB's approach to the woodlot plan into a more environmentally sustainable model, Cunjak said.

Wolfgang Faig, retired dean of engineering at UNB, said groups and individuals that want to revisit UNB's plan for its woodlot had the opportunity to speak when the university prepared its woodlot plan.

"To hear that students didn't have input is incorrect," Faig said. "I'm a little frustrated to see now that members of the university community object while they could have objected all through the process."

Terrain Group Inc., the engineering and site planning group hired by UNB to plan the property layout, has been working with the Environment Department on modifications to minimize intrusion on the marsh.

"Previously on the site plan, we had shown encroachment in these areas (the 30-metre buffer zone) ... but the Department of Environment has prohibited any encroachment into those buffer areas,'' said Scott Fash, a planner with Terrain Group Inc.

"We've agreed and will be putting retaining walls so that the development will no longer be encroaching.''

The gasoline bar fuel pumps have to be moved an additional 30 metres away from the buffer, he said.

"There are significant monitoring programs that are going to be required by the Department of the Environment," Fash said.

"In terms of water supply, this wetland and the proposed gas bar is outside of the city's wellfield protection zoning."

In 2004, UNB adopted a land management strategy to turn half of its 1,526-hectare (3,815-acre) woodlot into future development lands. Because its land is an endowment from King George III dating back to 1800, the university can't sell it, but can lease it.

At the time the strategy was drafted, the university held stakeholder and public talks about the proposal.

"Forcing Costco out of Fredericton would be a tremendous loss for this city and its inhabitants. I would not like to see that happen," Faig said.

The first chunk of UNB woodlot carved out for development, kitty-corner to the Regent Mall, is home to large stores such as Michaels, Petcetera, Winners, Home Depot, Dollarama, restaurants and other smaller retailers.

Costco has long been an intended retailer for the site and the original development plan always included space for the store.