[Moncton] Centre Avenir Centre | 26.65m |~6 Fl | Completed

[felip_ars]

They probably saw what happened in Laval where they were planning to build a parking structure...the cost would have been around 20 millions! It's a lot of money considering that there's already close to 1400 parking spots withing 30 seconds of the Place Bell (half of them are free...the other half 7$).

In the end they decided to forget about it,and building an express bus lane that will probably go from Carrefour Laval (my guess) and stop at every Mall/Faubourg along the way (There's 2-3 depending of what will the suggested route.

In the end they are hoping (like Moncton) that people will use transit to get there. Either bus, subway or train.

[flyer99]

Originally Posted by felip_ars

They probably saw what happened in Laval where they were planning to build a parking structure...the cost would have been around 20 millions! It's a lot of money considering that there's already close to 1400 parking spots withing 30 seconds of the Place Bell (half of them are free...the other half 7$).

In the end they decided to forget about it,and building an express bus lane that will probably go from Carrefour Laval (my guess) and stop at every Mall/Faubourg along the way (There's 2-3 depending of what will the suggested route.

In the end they are hoping (like Moncton) that people will use transit to get there. Either bus, subway or train.

Well, of course, all we have available in this city is bus transit and it is not very good at the best of times. In the winter season when the events centre will be the busiest, Codiac Transit is pitiful, especially the schedule. If the City is hoping people will use bus transit they will have to rework their schedules and stick to them. For example, many routes are shut down when events at the centre let out. There needs to be a serious rethink!

[Monctoncore]

I have a feeling we will be hearing more from the city as we get into the fall. At the moment we are more than a year out from the grand opening, so there is time to figure out the parking issue that everyone is concerned about. The biggest worry seems to be walking in the winter, which actually has less to do with parking and more to do with the car culture that we live in, this idea that we should be able to drive there park in plain view of the building and walk 1-2 minutes to the door. As a city Moncton needs to push more development like this, where people walk more and drive less, this is where it all begins, just like a child learning to walk, there will be bumps and bruises, the city will learn and grow from their mistakes (ie. sidewalk clearing, transit issues, parking), nothing is perfect from the start. On the topic of booters, I don't think that will be a concern by September 2018, these parking lot owners like money, and they are not going to pass up an opportunity to make free money. Why hire a towing company to come and boot a car in your lot, when now they will have a reason to charge and make money twice, once off of the regular monthly customers and then off of the evening customers. Then add in that lot across the tracks, which the owners again are not going to turn down easy money.

[riverviewer]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

Why hire a towing company to come and boot a car in your lot, when now they will have a reason to charge and make money twice, once off of the regular monthly customers and then off of the evening customers.

How will the lot owners know who is working what shift in our 7/24 call center city?

"Sorry I was late for my night shift but my lot sold my spot again"

People pay for spots to ensure they are there when they need them.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by riverviewer

How will the lot owners know who is working what shift in our 7/24 call center city?

"Sorry I was late for my night shift but my lot sold my spot again"

People pay for spots to ensure they are there when they need them.

I appreciate your concern, but strict adherence to this policy means that your parking space can't be used by anyone else the 75% of the time that you personally aren't using it. This creates a "physiological dead space" (a medical concept - look it up). The net result is acres of unused and ugly surface parking in the core serving no useful purpose the majority of the time. This strangles the core, drives casual visitors to the downtown away and ultimately inhibits development. It's a bad, bad thing.......

Emphysema is a disease characterized by a lot of physiological dead space in the lung. The lungs expand and hyperinflate, but the majority of the space in the lungs is disconnected from functioning alveoli. This dead space does not contribute to gas exchange, which is the core function of active respiration. The dead space serves no useful purpose, makes the patient short of breath, decreases stamina and, when severe enough, inhibits gas exchange because it displaces and compresses the parts of the lung which still work.

The body lives because of active gas exchange in the lungs. If gas can't be exchanged because of dead space (emphysema), then the organism dies.

The city lives because of the ability of people to move into and out of the core (respiration). If people don't have easy access to the core (blocked surface parking - emphysema), then the city dies.

Blocked surface parking is evil. The Booters who enable this are evil. The answer is enclosed parking garages and redevelopment of the surface lots so that this space can become useful again. It's the only way.........

[riverviewer]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I appreciate your concern, but strict adherence to this policy means that your parking space can't be used by anyone else the 75% of the time that you personally aren't using it.

Emphysema is a disease characterized by a lot of physiological dead space in the lung.
....

The city lives because of the ability of people to move into and out of the core (respiration). If people don't have easy access to the core (blocked surface parking - emphysema), then the city dies.

Parking is needed first for money making tax-creating endeavours (inhales). Secondly for tax-supported entertainment (exhales).

Jobs are the oxygen that fills the city's lungs.

[flyer99]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

I have a feeling we will be hearing more from the city as we get into the fall. At the moment we are more than a year out from the grand opening, so there is time to figure out the parking issue that everyone is concerned about. The biggest worry seems to be walking in the winter, which actually has less to do with parking and more to do with the car culture that we live in, this idea that we should be able to drive there park in plain view of the building and walk 1-2 minutes to the door. As a city Moncton needs to push more development like this, where people walk more and drive less, this is where it all begins, just like a child learning to walk, there will be bumps and bruises, the city will learn and grow from their mistakes (ie. sidewalk clearing, transit issues, parking), nothing is perfect from the start. On the topic of booters, I don't think that will be a concern by September 2018, these parking lot owners like money, and they are not going to pass up an opportunity to make free money. Why hire a towing company to come and boot a car in your lot, when now they will have a reason to charge and make money twice, once off of the regular monthly customers and then off of the evening customers. Then add in that lot across the tracks, which the owners again are not going to turn down easy money.

Keep in mind a couple of things. In Moncton, which can have some very harsh winters, walking in winter is inherently dangerous for everyone... even if you can find a cleared sidewalk. Imagine the trouble seniors will have attempting to find a parking spot and walking 10-15 minutes at a minimum. And please, let's not use the old "oh just let them find someone to drop them off and pick them up". That's a bit old and many seniors don't have anyone like that and that's why they use their cars. How many seniors use public transit? Not many. Will their philosophies change? Most likely no.

Also, those that rent spaces in private lots know that their spot is guaranteed for them 24/7 365 days a year. Where do you think THEY will park to see an event downtown? Their paid-for space. My club rents 20 of its parking spaces on a monthly basis. Noone else can use them, ever. These people use their spaces to go to Riverfront Park, attend events like Ribfest, see fireworks, etc.

The statement "the city will learn and grow from their mistakes" I will agree with. Hopefully it will before it is too late. Right now the city seems to be just hoping the parking issue goes away.... by the time they understand that it won't the events centre could be in BIG trouble.

[flyer99]

Oh, FYI, the outdoor webcam for the events centre is back up. Hopefully it stays up for awhile. It's interesting to watch the plaza being built.

[Colouratura]

Originally Posted by Patapouf26

If winter scares someone, then that person needs to get dropped off at the door by a friend or family or take public transit. If not, stay home. I've never had any problem finding a spot DT for any occasion.

Moncton's transit system is not an option for evening events. Codiac Transpo doesn't have the greatest routes and they do not run late enough for people to get home. Plus come winter time you are often left having to stand on the road to wait for a bus in residential areas of the city because of the snowbanks not allowing access to the bus from the sidewalk(if there even is one plowed). Codiac currently has a shortage of drivers for their runs. Who knows if they would have the budget or be willing to rearrange schedules to run later.

Or if I live in say Shediac, a friend isn't likely going to drive me in to the event, go home and then do the return trip later.

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by flyer99

Keep in mind a couple of things. In Moncton, which can have some very harsh winters, walking in winter is inherently dangerous for everyone... even if you can find a cleared sidewalk. Imagine the trouble seniors will have attempting to find a parking spot and walking 10-15 minutes at a minimum. And please, let's not use the old "oh just let them find someone to drop them off and pick them up". That's a bit old and many seniors don't have anyone like that and that's why they use their cars. How many seniors use public transit? Not many. Will their philosophies change? Most likely no.

Also, those that rent spaces in private lots know that their spot is guaranteed for them 24/7 365 days a year. Where do you think THEY will park to see an event downtown? Their paid-for space. My club rents 20 of its parking spaces on a monthly basis. Noone else can use them, ever. These people use their spaces to go to Riverfront Park, attend events like Ribfest, see fireworks, etc.

The statement "the city will learn and grow from their mistakes" I will agree with. Hopefully it will before it is too late. Right now the city seems to be just hoping the parking issue goes away.... by the time they understand that it won't the events centre could be in BIG trouble.

Yes winters can be very harsh, but winter won't change based on if there is a parking garage or not. No matter where you go coliseum or the new downtown centre, it's really no different. I have watched seniors slip on the coliseum parking lot, on the stairs leading up to the door etc. How do seniors attend sporting events in other cities with downtown arenas, they park and they walk. The only possible way to make this complex 100% senior friendly would be to build a parking garage connected to the building, which won't happen because this isn't a suburban arena. I believe in accessibility, but this arena is opening the door to Monctons biggest problem, people don't want to have to walk, everyone wants a parking spot that has clear visibility to the door.

The second concern is booters and private lots, which I think is the biggest problem, but like I have said in the past we are little over a year out from the opening. There is a lot of time to make deals with private lot owners etc., as well as time for a private developer to wake up and build a parking garage near the arena that blends in with its surroundings ( that option doesn't seem like its going to happen).

I think if people have concerns they need to continue to bring that to city council. Don't just ask for a parking garage, ask about the booters, the people who own their parking spots, what the plan is, because I have a feeling the people who own these lots downtown, saw the cities plan and if they didn't agree with it, I'm sure they would be letting them know. So contact them, they are usually great for emailing.

[flyer99]

Originally Posted by flyer99

Oh, FYI, the outdoor webcam for the events centre is back up. Hopefully it stays up for awhile. It's interesting to watch the plaza being built.

I see it's down again. Sad that a city this size can't keep a webcam going. Halifax and other cities have tons of them.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by flyer99

I see it's down again. Sad that a city this size can't keep a webcam going. Halifax and other cities have tons of them.

I think its the storm that knocked it out this time. So it's out of the cities hands but hope it ill be back up soon.

[flyer99]

Originally Posted by Scarface

I think its the storm that knocked it out this time. So it's out of the cities hands but hope it ill be back up soon.

It's been down for quite some time and has been freezing up for days.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by felip_ars

They probably saw what happened in Laval where they were planning to build a parking structure...the cost would have been around 20 millions! It's a lot of money considering that there's already close to 1400 parking spots withing 30 seconds of the Place Bell (half of them are free...the other half 7$).

In the end they decided to forget about it,and building an express bus lane that will probably go from Carrefour Laval (my guess) and stop at every Mall/Faubourg along the way (There's 2-3 depending of what will the suggested route.

In the end they are hoping (like Moncton) that people will use transit to get there. Either bus, subway or train.

The key difference here is that Place Bell is off of a major highway, not in a downtown urban setting, and is essentially in big box hell. It's a lot like the situation Moncton is finally getting itself out of with the Coliseum. Moncton doesn't need a parking structure for each of the 9,000 people in attendance for peak events....only one that fits ~500 vehicles. Just enough to meet demand without being too large or obtrusive.

[MonctonRad]

According to the T&T, seat installation will begin after Labour Day, with about 1,000 seats installed weekly until the job is finished.


View from the press box level; gives a good perspective of the size of the centre (T&T photo)

[MonctonRad]

A few more photos showing the current status of the events centre.











Here is the most recent construction update:
http://www.moncton.ca/Assets/Busines...+-+jun2017.pdf

INTERESTING FACTS
1) The round formwork seen in the plaza when driving by on Main Street is for the stage. This is a covered stage 600mm higher than grade and is approx. 93m2 in area.
2) The eight round precast concrete structures seen when driving by on Main Street are the locations of the metal trellis.
3) There is a dedicated Zamboni building located on the South side of the site facing the rail tracks. This building is approx. 65m2 in surface area and will be clad with masonry similar to the one found on Downtown Centre.
4) The exterior ice surface is recessed by 450mm and is approx. 930m2 in surface area.
5) There is a press conference/workroom and production/ show office on the event level (lowest level).

[flyer99]

Thanks for posting. The pics are awesome. One question: in the second to last photo I assume we are looking at the south end of the ice surface, there appears to be no seating to ice level like the on other three sides. Is this where the retractable seating will be or am I missing something?

Also, I contacted the City with regard to the outside webcam being frozen for over a week now. Their reply to me was as follows: "Thank you we will look into it, been having issues with it."

[MonctonRad]

Yes, there will be retractable seating at the south end of the arena. This is where the stage will be set up during concerts.

[flyer99]

Updated answer from the City on the event centre webcam being down for ages (from their FB Page): "Thank you. We are aware and are seeking a permanent fix. Our wireless connection is creating some challenges."

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by flyer99

Updated answer from the City on the event centre webcam being down for ages (from their FB Page): "Thank you. We are aware and are seeking a permanent fix. Our wireless connection is creating some challenges."

Yup, some of the pole wiring was relocated and the cam and networking had to be down for a while. We're seeking to get it back up and running.