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  #81  
Old Posted Jan 31, 2009, 2:33 AM
braymondg braymondg is offline
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Angry Fitzroy Street Homburg Development, Charlottetown

Hi All

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

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.c...=210546&sc=101

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

Brian
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  #82  
Old Posted Feb 2, 2009, 2:21 AM
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Smile More Fitzroy St, Charlottetown Homburg Development



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  #83  
Old Posted Feb 2, 2009, 4:13 AM
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Nice looking building, do you know if there will be a direct connection to the parkade in behind? If so, that would make a direct all weather connection between this building and Confederation Court Mall and (with the pedestrian tunnel), Confederation Centre.
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  #84  
Old Posted Feb 2, 2009, 4:21 AM
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That is very nice looking.

I think thats the first time I've seen the flag flown at a constructon site before. Maybe its there for wind measurements?
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  #85  
Old Posted Feb 2, 2009, 2:05 PM
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Fitzroy St. Homburg Building

Hi All

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

Cheers
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  #86  
Old Posted Feb 3, 2009, 12:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by braymondg View Post
The flag may be for wind direction and also for display of the construction company that is putting up the steel frame. The Flag has a company logo on it with letters "MSE" on it.
Okay yes that would make sense then. I thought the flag was red and white so I kind of asssumed it was a Canadian flag. A company flag makes more sense though.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mayor said if the downtown area of a community has a substantial amount of vacant properties "it’s hard to attract new businesses. If you bring in a potential developer and they see that, they intend to back off."
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  #87  
Old Posted Feb 5, 2009, 8:06 PM
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Fitzroy st.

Hi All

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

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

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

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

Cheers
P.S. I found out why I lost the info, the connection time out. $^@$%
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  #88  
Old Posted Feb 5, 2009, 8:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by braymondg View Post
Hi All

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

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

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

Don't worry much about finding the information again. I was just trying to get a general idea of the rate.
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  #89  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2009, 2:22 AM
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Homburg Hotel, Charlottetown

Thanks Bedford_DJ

Hi All,

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



Cheers
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  #90  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2009, 2:40 AM
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I didn't realize that the new hotel was actually going to be built on top of the old Holman's store......I thought it was going further down the block, roughly where the old Sally Shops used to be (now I'm dating myself ).

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

What are your thoughts BraymondG
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  #91  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2009, 4:05 AM
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^Re the hotel: In the rendering is the back part of the building supposed to be darker in colour like that?

Overall I'd say it looks good for Charlottetown. And judging by the lower quality of the rendering I think the real building will look better then that when completed.
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  #92  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2009, 5:46 AM
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It's nice to see some development in PEI, but IMO there isn't that much inspiration to be found in these buildings to make people want more.

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

Last edited by Architype; Feb 7, 2009 at 7:19 AM.
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  #93  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2009, 6:55 PM
braymondg braymondg is offline
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Hotel size overpowering.......

Hi All,

MonctonRad, as you can notice, (see overhead image) the National Bank building will be close by, just behind the hotel. You can see this now that I've moved the building in the picture from the original Queen St location to Grafton St.

It will certainly be taller than the other buildings but I think it will compliment the area as it is 3 stories higher than the BDC building on Kent St and 4 stories higher than the National Bank building. As you approach the downtown on Universty Ave. you will be able to see the new hotel 4 stories over the top of the National Bank. So, I think it will all blend in well.
I've included a picture of the National Bank building after it's facelift. I'll be glad to see all that "dirty" looking white exterior disappear. It's showing it's age.
I also included a image of what the ol Holman building looks like now. I'll be glad when they start replacing that old gray look.


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

Cheers
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  #94  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2009, 2:24 AM
braymondg braymondg is offline
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Fitzroy St. Update & QEH

Hi All

Here is the latest on the Fitzroy St building. As you can see they have started the steel on the other half of the building. Seeing this, I can see that this is going to be a big building.


Also, I have provided some photos of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This first photo is at the back and will expand Emergency services greatly.


The second photo is of the front of the Hospital. All toll the expansion will cost ~ $53 million and will be over a few years.


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

Cheers
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  #95  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2009, 4:09 AM
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^Interesting so the QEH is getting an ER upgrade as well. The QEII in Halifax and one of the Moncton Hospitals are also getting ER expansions and Truro is getting a new hospital with an ER.

I think if I have my numbers straight Halifax is doubling from 35'000sq ft up to around 70'000sq ft. I don't about the other expansion sizes though.
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  #96  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2009, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ View Post
^Interesting so the QEH is getting an ER upgrade as well. The QEII in Halifax and one of the Moncton Hospitals are also getting ER expansions and Truro is getting a new hospital with an ER.

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

Maritime emergency rates must be going through the roof!
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  #97  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2009, 1:16 PM
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Charlottetown QEH Expansion

Hi All

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

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

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

Cheers
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  #98  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2009, 2:35 PM
braymondg braymondg is offline
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Smile

Hi All

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

Business gathering blames city for empty downtown buildings

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

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

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

"It's not an acceptable response."

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

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

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

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

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

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

The mayor promised more action within the next month.

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

---------
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  #99  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2009, 3:02 PM
braymondg braymondg is offline
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Smile More on the Stratford Towers.

Hi All

More on the Stratford Towers.



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

Cheers
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  #100  
Old Posted Feb 26, 2009, 5:03 PM
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Great news!!
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