Changes in store for Assumption Place
Published Saturday January 30th, 2010
Assumption Life to seek new tenants once courts move to justice centre
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By Craig Babstock
Times & Transcript Staff
The Moncton justice centre is a much-anticipated piece of infrastructure scheduled to open in the city's downtown this fall.
ENLARGE PHOTO
VIKTOR PIVOVAROV/TIMES & TRANSCR
Work continues on the justice centre on Assomption Boulevard this week.
While the courthouse will be a new landmark for the city, it also represents major changes on the horizon for an existing landmark in downtown Moncton.
The second and third floors of Assumption Place currently house the Court of Queen's Bench and provincial court, along with office space used by judges, sheriffs, stenographers and other court staff. The first floor also houses a couple of courtrooms in the former NB Liquor outlet and there are other court-related services spread throughout the 20-storey building, such as Crown prosecutors offices, probation offices and victim services.
All of that will be emptied out this fall when the justice centre opens its doors.
"It will be a challenge, because we're looking at filling 50,000 square feet (4,500 square metres) of space," says Robert Moreau, vice-president and chief financial officer of Assumption Life, which owns the building.
Moreau says there is already approximately 350,000 square feet (31,500 square metres) of office space available in Moncton, so there's no shortage of available space. He figures when the courts move out in the fall, it could take as long as six months to do all the renovations necessary to prepare the space for new tenants.
"That's almost close to a million bucks in revenue (lost once the courts move) so no question there will be an impact," he says, adding the courts were in the building for approximately 35 years. "We're looking at new opportunities to fill the space and also this gives us the opportunity to look at our current tenants."
Some tenants are in smaller spaces than they would like and with so much space opening up, it will give Assumption Life the chance to better meet the needs of those clients.
Moreau also says they've begun talking to new tenants, but it will be difficult to sign people up until they have a precise date for when the new courthouse will open and the court-related services move out of Assumption Place. He estimates it could take as long as two or three years to fill all the space with new tenants.
"That's just being realistic," says Moreau.
Work on the $58-million justice centre is well under way on the site of the old Beaver Lumber property at the corner of Westmorland Street and Assomption Boulevard. The building is enclosed, the steel work is done and workers are focusing on things like the electrical systems, elevators and ventilation, according to Ed Doherty, Minister of Supply and Services.
"It's coming along very nicely," says the minister. "It's going to be a big impressive building once it's done, a signature building for the city."
Doherty says the project is on schedule for completion in the fall, but they won't know the exact opening date until the construction is further along.
Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc is eagerly anticipating the final product.
"I've been watching it grow daily from my office at City Hall and I'm looking forward to it," he says. "It's been in the works for a very long period of time."
The new courthouse will be a major change for that part of the city, while a second big change will follow in 2011.
The $40-million Southeast Correctional Centre is under construction on Lino Road in Shediac and scheduled for completion in spring 2011. It will replace the Moncton Detention Centre on Assomption Boulevard and will have 90 units and a maximum capacity of 150. The Moncton jail has capacity of 58 but is always way over.
Doherty says the jail's foundation is well under way and workers are just about to put the steel frame up. The main contract will be awarded in the spring.
It's believed the facility will open in the summer or early fall, once the Department of Public Safety does everything it needs to do to make sure the jail is fully operational. That means the current jail, which is situated on prime real estate, will finally close down.
Doherty says once the jail is closed, it's up to Public Safety to declare it a surplus property. Then it's handed over to Supply and Service for inspection and valuation and then offered to other government departments. If there are no takers, it's offered to the municipality and if there's still no taker, it's put up for general purchase.
"That's a very valuable piece of land," says Doherty.
The mayor says he would love to see that property developed into something people actually want to see downtown.
"What we need downtown is integrated development, consisting of commercial and recreational integrated with residential," says LeBlanc. "There are all kinds of options there and I look forward to talking with the province about what can be done with that property."
Assumption Life owns all the property around the detention centre, which is used for parking. Moreau says the company hasn't actively sought to develop that land once it becomes available, but he agrees it's a prime location. He says there's a perception there isn't enough parking in the downtown, so the future property owner could create a new parking lot, which would help attract more businesses.
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