[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[David_99]

I'm wondering where those 200 new employees are going to park.

[Monctoncore]

Somewhere. Downtown can't stop expanding just because people have to walk a few blocks to park.

[pierremoncton]

New sketches for MH35:













Source: T&T - https://www.telegraphjournal.com/tim...ew-designs-old

I don't have time to give details now. Essentially, the library would be moved to the first floor, in a configuration similar to what MonctonRad suggested. Interesting that the regional library is part of the move, which hadn't been addressed before AFAIK.

Also - Facebook page with two new videos posted today: https://www.facebook.com/mh35moncton

[mylesmalley]

What do they mean by 'regional library'?

[pierremoncton]

Provincial arm that manages all the libraries in Albert, Westmorland & Kent (16 total at one point; not sure that's current anymore). Presently, it's located on the second floor of the Blue Cross Centre overlooking Mechanic and is accessible from the public library. It houses a collection of its own which is distributed to public libraries, so direct access to the largest public library makes things pretty efficient.

To note is that the $1 lease doesn't apply to the regional library; that's paid separately by the province.

[MonctonRad]

Thanks for the updated renders and schematics pierre.

I'm glad they were so quick accepting my suggestions!

Seriously though, this new set of drawings would appear to address some of the significant issues that the library board has with the MH35 proposal. It might be difficult to resist the political pressure to make this happen.......

[Scarface]

If this project was 100% would the Province not have removed the listing for the Old Moncton High School? It's still listed for sale for 1 million dollars. On a separate note the MH35 group seem to be in a strange mindset they din't want the school to be sold for fear the facade would be covered up, and they want to cover it up with what seems to be steel framing surrounding glass panels, and coloured pillars. Also seems like the lower level windows where blocked off to make way for a planter bed.

[Patapouf26]

As mentioned before (and by many here), I'm still not a huge fan of the front glass atrium and I can also criticize the yellow/green (neon?) library entrance, but I still think it's a very decent project for the core of the city. Plus, it'll save one of our prized buildings.

[Patapouf26]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

Somewhere. Downtown can't stop expanding just because people have to walk a few blocks to park.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Scarface

If this project was 100% would the Province not have removed the listing for the Old Moncton High School? It's still listed for sale for 1 million dollars. On a separate note the MH35 group seem to be in a strange mindset they din't want the school to be sold for fear the facade would be covered up, and they want to cover it up with what seems to be steel framing surrounding glass panels, and coloured pillars. Also seems like the lower level windows where blocked off to make way for a planter bed.

Where is it listed?
And yeah that's what bugs me about the whole project. They want to preserve the facade by covering it up, thus making it worse. You can't appriecate the facade on the corner without being able to see the tower and they are putting the roof of the expansion lobby right in the middle of the tower. I understand they need an area to act as a lobby for the theatre, but I HATE the design of it. Why couldn't they make the expansions fit in with the rest of the building. Enchace the gothic revival architecture, not cover it up!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Patapouf26

As mentioned before (and by many here), I'm still not a huge fan of the front glass atrium and I can also criticize the yellow/green (neon?) library entrance, but I still think it's a very decent project for the core of the city. Plus, it'll save one of our prized buildings.

The "glass box" remains my biggest concern too, but I acknowledge the need for a lobby space for the Atlantic Ballet Theatre. I just don't know how you can reconcile these two issues........

This is such a big project (at least $21M), and there is so much debate on it, I wonder if the MH35 project doesn't deserve it's own thread.

[Monctoncore]

It probably does need its own thread, because it seems like there could be a lot of debate on here

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

Where is it listed?
And yeah that's what bugs me about the whole project. They want to preserve the facade by covering it up, thus making it worse. You can't appriecate the facade on the corner without being able to see the tower and they are putting the roof of the expansion lobby right in the middle of the tower. I understand they need an area to act as a lobby for the theatre, but I HATE the design of it. Why couldn't they make the expansions fit in with the rest of the building. Enchace the gothic revival architecture, not cover it up!

It's still listed as surplus land on the provinces data base here:
Listing: http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/de...y_surplus.html

Information sheet: http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/D...43infoeng2.pdf

I thought maybe it was just taken time to take down the info but the province has sold other properties in the past years, and it has been removed from the site once it was no longer available.

[josh_cat_eyes]

How big of a lobby would you need for the theatre?

[MonctonGuy]

Hi,

First time poster, but have followed the forum for quite awhile...

Where to start with MH35...

So, not to divulge too much, but Medavie Blue Cross probably isn't expanding by 200 people in Moncton. MBC is and has been going through an expense management exercise for the last year or so. At one time this meant a lot of scrutiny over any hiring of an employee, especially hiring new, off the street. As well, they also went through a period of shedding some positions over the last period. The extended health benefit market is extremely cut throat... Even if MBC expanded by 200 people, there is still room at the Millennium Blvd office, they just renegotiated a lease for that office and last I recall hearing there is 1/2 the floor not in use. The lease for the Main Street office however is coming due in 2018 (30 year lease started in 1988) and there has been talk about whether to decamp or not; but there is a substantial cost to just up and moving an office and a lot of the employees like working out of the Main Street location. Especially during the summer months...

We have Chris Collins stating it's time to make the right decision and save the building... if the building was once deemed too far gone to save as a school, that it was not safe, would cost too much to fix... why is there now funds to save the building? If there is money to save the building, it should have been used to save it to function as a school... he's using the City of Dieppe as a pawn in the political game of chess... pitting Dieppe vs Moncton... The Liberal government (ok, maybe just Collins) is playing games...

It appears the provincial government is making decisions to try and KILL downtown Moncton. Instead of looking to move things from the core, they should be looking to move things to the core! 4 streets north of Main Street is not downtown, it is on the the very edge... perfect for a school really... don't even get me started about the Casino location...

[MonctonRad]

Welcome to the forums!

First off, there is a new [Moncton] MH35 Project development thread to post discussions on the future of MHS.

Your post however deals more with the future of Medavie Blue Cross.

So, you're saying that the Medavie lease will soon be up with Slate Asset Management? Are you serious that they might in fact consider decamping completely from the Blue Cross Building? I know that would be unlikely, but that would be a huge blow to the downtown core!

There were some rumours about a new office/commercial development in downtown Dieppe, and that Medavie might be in play for that. I thought it might just be for a satellite office, like their building on Millennium Blvd. I get the impression now that it might be for the whole kit and caboodle!!

This cannot be allowed to happen. The downtown core of Moncton (such as it is) must remain intact!

I have no idea how the Moncton Public Library figures in all of this, but if Medavie wants that space, and if this is integral to their decision as to whether to stay or move, then I would throw my support unequivocally towards the MH35 project, and to the relocation of the Moncton Public Library.

It certainly seems like there is a whole lot of clandestine activity going on here. I hope Dawn Arnold is fully up to speed on this file............

[Monctoncore]

To lose blue cross would be a death sentence to downtown..

[Patapouf26]

Originally Posted by MonctonGuy

Hi,

First time poster, but have followed the forum for quite awhile...

Where to start with MH35...

So, not to divulge too much, but Medavie Blue Cross probably isn't expanding by 200 people in Moncton. MBC is and has been going through an expense management exercise for the last year or so. At one time this meant a lot of scrutiny over any hiring of an employee, especially hiring new, off the street. As well, they also went through a period of shedding some positions over the last period. The extended health benefit market is extremely cut throat... Even if MBC expanded by 200 people, there is still room at the Millennium Blvd office, they just renegotiated a lease for that office and last I recall hearing there is 1/2 the floor not in use. The lease for the Main Street office however is coming due in 2018 (30 year lease started in 1988) and there has been talk about whether to decamp or not; but there is a substantial cost to just up and moving an office and a lot of the employees like working out of the Main Street location. Especially during the summer months...

We have Chris Collins stating it's time to make the right decision and save the building... if the building was once deemed too far gone to save as a school, that it was not safe, would cost too much to fix... why is there now funds to save the building? If there is money to save the building, it should have been used to save it to function as a school... he's using the City of Dieppe as a pawn in the political game of chess... pitting Dieppe vs Moncton... The Liberal government (ok, maybe just Collins) is playing games...

It appears the provincial government is making decisions to try and KILL downtown Moncton. Instead of looking to move things from the core, they should be looking to move things to the core! 4 streets north of Main Street is not downtown, it is on the the very edge... perfect for a school really... don't even get me started about the Casino location...

Ok, so where is Chris Collins getting the 200 jobs figure from? If they don't need more space, what's this talk of expanding the building and why would the library need to leave (like MonctonRad asked)? Like you said, he could certainly be playing games by using these "facts" as to try to preserve what is already downtown - so that MBC doesn't decamp outside the city. Speaking of games, he told me, point blank on Friday, that this is situation is very "political".

So why would it be political? First, we have a major company (non profit though) that has plans we don't know the details of. They could be using whatever is planned to put pressure on our MLA for their benefit. Second, the major leaser of that companies' office space could also be doing they're own lobbying. Then, we have MH35's project that is relying on the relocation of a government service to insure it's success in a building that is owned by the government and by a government who wants to get rid of it asap (because of costs). Then, where does the city council come to play in this? Clusterf@ck comes to mind!

[MonctonRad]

Which is why Dawn Arnold has to get up to speed on this file PDQ!

This is a minefield with lots of nuance and subtlety. If it is not handled well, there could be big consequences for the downtown core - for MHS, for the Blue Cross Centre, for Medavie Blue Cross and for the public library.

What a mess to be thrown on her lap......

[mylesmalley]

This situation is entirely ridiculous

Does anyone seriously believe that Blue Cross is going to pack up their whole presence downtown and move to Dieppe (gasp!) (and where, exactly?) unless a public library gets forced out of a location for which they pay nearly nothing and moved to a less convenient and more costly site? Up to now it seems like everything about this project is based on conjecture and rumours. Oh and for some reason it'll all fall apart unless we act right now.

The conceptual plans for the redevelopment keep changing, and who exactly is going to be financing the project? Has anyone actually confirmed that they'd move in? Now there are conflicting rumours that Blue Cross is downsizing and yet somehow also expanding? $300k to maintain a building of that size is actually not that much money and is a tiny drop in the bucket. Let's not forget the supposed threat that U-Haul was going to turn it into a big warehouse. What exactly is the source of all the urgency?

The whole reason why we're in this stupid mess is that someone thought they found an easy way to solve the original MHS problem. They made a snap decision that has left us with a huge white elephant outside of the city that, with all the required infrastructure improvements, will almost certainly end up costing twice the worst-case refurbishment costs of the original building in the first place. Do we really want to make this mess even worse by jumping on another bandwagon?

Honestly, I think everyone needs to take three steps back and wait for all the parties involved to actually put some cards on the table.