[Fredericton] Justice Building | 32.9m | ?fl | Approved

[Taeolas]

This project is going to be among the tallest in the city, and a major project downtown on King Street, so it certainly feels like this should have it's own project thread.


This is a new building, located on King Street between Regent and Carleton streets. (The old SMT Bus Terminal site). It will be located midway along the block.

The corner of the block is tentatively earmarked for the new Playhouse, while the Brunswick Street side of the block is planned for a commercial/residential development.

Completion of the 110,000 sqft Justice Building is tentatively planned for 2025.

Timeline

* June 2021: New Justice building announced.
* October 2021: PAC approves a height variance to 32.9m tall.
* December 2021: Parking lot closed, site preparation started.
* April 2022: First piles going into the ground at the courthouse site.
* January 2023: Steel framework going up.

[Taeolas]

As noted above, Council has approved a height variance for the new building, and set the height of the building at 32.9m

Height variance approved to go to 32.9m This is a height similar to Frederik Square (AKA TD Tower) on the other end of Downtown.

The building itself is technically only 6 stories tall, but each story is taller than normal for the courtrooms. This is to allow better sightlines, raised platforms for the judge and jury and better overhead camera placements.

In order to get approval for the height variance, a plaza will be set up in front fo the building.

Architect Daniel Ling of Montgomery Sisam, one of the architectural firms involved in the project, said the requirement will be met by a plaza at the entrance to the building, with a public space that will include trees and benches.

"The intent is to create a number of masonry benches along the north edge of the plaza, so when someone steps up the sidewalk into the plaza there is a space for seating," Ling said.

"The intent is to create some human scale as you're in the plaza, so there's a sense of place. So the intent would be to have trees as part of the design of that plaza that has a canopy that is maybe at a one-storey height at almost the same height as the canopy of the building to provide some shade, but also to give it a sense of scale."

Construction is expected to start shortly (End of November, 2021)

[Taeolas]

Thanks for updating the subject.

As noted as well the project is slated for 6 floors, but they'll be extra tall floors to allow space for the Judge and Jury platforms.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Thanks for updating the subject.

Don't think we've had a Fredericton-specific build thread in a while.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Don't think we've had a Fredericton-specific build thread in a while.

As far as I know, this is the second one, after the Wagoneers project.

With construction starting in a month, and completed by 2025, we should be able to get some decent progress updates over the next little while. Especially if/when the other parts start coming online. The downtown location would also make it handier for posting updates.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

As far as I know, this is the second one, after the Wagoneers project.

With construction starting in a month, and completed by 2025, we should be able to get some decent progress updates over the next little while. Especially if/when the other parts start coming online. The downtown location would also make it handier for posting updates.

Hopefully this doesn't actually take a full four years to build.

[cdnguys]

I’m not from Fredericton - I’m always curious about designs/styles and was wondering if anyone can offer commentary on it. Looks like maybe it’s paying homage to centennial building and playhouse ??

[IMG][/IMG]

[cdnguys]

Found this description by architect

The new Fredericton Justice Building is the first purpose-built project of its kind in the city since 1880. This courthouse will take its place alongside many important civic buildings that form part of an institutional precinct in the city centre.
The simple, solid mass of the courthouse is designed in deference to its judicial function and was inspired by the enduring, timeless quality of the many institutional buildings – the Legislature, the Fredericton Region Museum (formerly the Garrison, part of the military compound), the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and the Christ Church Cathedral among them – that have long distinguished Fredericton as a capital city and centre for government, education, military, art and faith. Contemporary applications of stone, brick, copper and concrete work in concert to create a mature, refined expression of traditional building materials and techniques that characterize much of the downtown core.
The new six-storey courthouse will fill a marked void along King Street near Regent and continue the existing street frontage. A cantilevered canopy runs the length of the King Street facade to create a more pedestrian-friendly scale at grade. The building’s main entrance sits off a new, landscape forecourt and drop-off loop. The forecourt enhances the urban condition, the arrival sequence, and the relationship between building and street.
Unobstructed access to daylight is a primary organizing element on each of upper levels. The second floor, largely dedicated to administrative functions, locates a mix of open and closed offices around the perimeter of the floor plate providing staff with excellent daylight and engaging views. On levels 3 through 6 – the courtroom floors – public circulation runs the length of the north elevation so as to enjoy views of the towards the Legislature and the St. John River; judicial chambers and lounge spaces are positioned along the south with unobstructed south daylighting and views toward the university on the hill; and courtrooms are situated along the east and west facades, looking out to downtown Fredericton.
Material applications create a durable, cost effective, high-performance envelope that is a suitably dignified, contemporary expression of local traditions and democracy. Inside, wood finishes will balance the need for a robust, high-traffic civic building with the flexibility and adaptability of an evolving judicial system.

[Taeolas]

As mentioned in the main Fredericton thread. I was going to park in the lot where the Justice building will be tonight, and I was surprised to find the entrances closed off and the site fenced in, with an excavator in place. So it would seem site preparation has started there.

[Freddypop]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

As mentioned in the main Fredericton thread. I was going to park in the lot where the Justice building will be tonight, and I was surprised to find the entrances closed off and the site fenced in, with an excavator in place. So it would seem site preparation has started there.

Ground prep has begun. Digging was in progress when I was by there earlier today

[Taeolas]

Not much to see so far, but here's a view of the site prep going on:

[Taeolas]

From the main Freddy thread (and a twitter post):

Originally Posted by OliverD

First piles going into the ground at the courthouse site.



Via Twitter: https://twitter.com/thomjeff/status/1511753304673599497

[Taeolas]

Steelwork is going up for the new Justice building, and it's starting to take shape. While it isn't getting a tower crane the crane they are using is visible across most of downtown.

There are some pictures of it taken by Jeff Thompson on the Freddy Facebook group. (Sorry can't easily link images into posts at the moment)

[Taeolas]

Steel Frame is going up:

Originally Posted by OliverD

As seen on Twitter:

On a side note, I was downtown this past weekend, and the steel framework going up is very visible from Officers Square. This new justice building is going to have a major presence in the downtown core of the city.

It's also hugging the sidewalk along Queen street a lot closer than I had expected it to.