[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The vacant space between the Sobeys and the NBLC at Vaughan Harvey & Main is apparently under development.

Originally, this was supposed to be used as expansion space for the Sobeys to expand to a Sobeys Extra format. This format however has fallen on hard times, and the current rumour is that the space will instead be used for a new Dollarama.

How many Dollaramas would this be for Greater Moncton? How many does it take for market saturation FFS????

They are now advertising for a new store manager and assistant manager for Dollarama, so I guess this is confirmed.

[MonctonRad]

As noted on another thread, the pieces of the tower crane used for FiveFive Queen are now lying on the old Bay parking lot where the Hyatt Place Hotel is to be built. Although not a guarantee that the tower crane will be used for the hotel construction, it does make one wonder......

Also, all the trees in front of the old Bay parking lot have been cut down. This is very sad, but necessary as the new hotel will extend right to the line of the sidewalk. The trees had to go.

Finally, I am very seriously considering starting a new separate thread for the Hyatt Place Hotel. This is a significant enough project for the downtown that I think it deserves it's own discussion.

Any new rumours as to what the branded restaurant will be for the hotel????

[flyer99]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

As noted on another thread, the pieces of the tower crane used for FiveFive Queen are now lying on the old Bay parking lot where the Hyatt Place Hotel is to be built. Although not a guarantee that the tower crane will be used for the hotel construction, it does make one wonder......

Also, all the trees in front of the old Bay parking lot have been cut down. This is very sad, but necessary as the new hotel will extend right to the line of the sidewalk. The trees had to go.

Finally, I am very seriously considering starting a new separate thread for the Hyatt Place Hotel. This is a significant enough project for the downtown that I think it deserves it's own discussion.

Any new rumours as to what the branded restaurant will be for the hotel????

I think a separate thread for this is a great idea.

I quizzed Craig O'Neill the other night about the hotel project but he wouldn't give details on the start date of construction or anything about the restaurant. He was pretty "tight-lipped".

[MonctonRad]

Revivd Juice & Kombucha Bar now open at 575 Main Street.
https://www.facebook.com/revivd.ca/

[MonctonRad]

Current status of the recladding of the Federal Building on Main Street across from the events centre.



Nothing but the best of materials. This will be a high quality project that will enhance this whole section of Main Street.

[MonctonRad]

Is anyone else concerned that there is still no sign of activity at the site of the Tannery Place South building in the Junction Urban Village.



We're getting close to the middle of June. I would have thought we would have seen some excavation work by now, especially since the building will include underground parking. I wonder if there is a delay???

The Cushman Wakefield website still lists availability for tenants as October 2019. That's only about 18 months away. If they are going to meet that deadline, construction should get underway tout de suite......

BTW - this latest site plan confirms our suspicion that if there is a "Tannery Place South", there must also be a "Tannery Place North".



Also, there is a new specific website for Tannery Place, showing floor plans for the apartments and 3D virtual tours. It's worth a visit:

https://www.tanneryplace.com

The image below shows both Tannery Place North & South together (presumably the rear view):

[Mattyyy]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Is anyone else concerned that there is still no sign of activity at the site of the Tannery Place South building in the Junction Urban Village.



We're getting close to the middle of June. I would have thought we would have seen some excavation work by now, especially since the building will include underground parking. I wonder if there is a delay???

The Cushman Wakefield website still lists availability for tenants as October 2019. That's only about 18 months away. If they are going to meet that deadline, construction should get underway tout de suite......

BTW - this latest site plan confirms our suspicion that if there is a "Tannery Place South", there must also be a "Tannery Place North".



Also, there is a new specific website for Tannery Place, showing floor plans for the apartments and 3D virtual tours. It's worth a visit:

https://www.tanneryplace.com

Absolutely. All they have been able to produce to date is a Goodlife gym - which really looks like a big box store that would have been better suited elsewhere. Seems like the project overall is somewhat desperate.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Mattyyy

Absolutely. All they have been able to produce to date is a Goodlife gym - which really looks like a big box store that would have been better suited elsewhere. Seems like the project overall is somewhat desperate.

To be clear, I don't think the Junction Village project is in trouble. I just think there is a risk of delay because there has been an absence of activity on site so far.

The marketing material available online for the Junction Village is increasingly complete and increasingly sophisticated. This means to me that this is a serious project.

In my years of being an interested observer regarding construction activity in the city, I have come to the conclusion that it is frequently difficult to get things built here. There have been many projects proposed which have never seen the light of day, and other that end up eventually getting built, but delayed a couple of years, or downsized from the original proposal.

I think this is simply a reflection of the fact that Moncton isn't quite "there" as far as being a prime construction and development market in the country. We're close (as indicated by the number of proposals that come forth), but financing and organizing the project here isn't as easy as it is in say, Halifax.

Halifax has more developers, promoters and financing capacity than Moncton does. Of course, the larger Moncton gets, and the more successful projects we end up getting built, the easier it will become to organize and finance future construction projects.

Things will get easier down the road.........

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Is anyone else concerned that there is still no sign of activity at the site of the Tannery Place South building in the Junction Urban Village.

The agenda for the June PAC for the City of Moncton has just been released.

One of the items to be addressed is a request to amend the plan for the Junction Urban Village to allow a private ROW through a portion of the lot that will house Tannery Place (the parking lot bit, to allow access to the adjacent lot at the north end of the development).

Something like this could be holding up construction. This is a simple matter, but undoubtedly the lawyers wouldn't let construction proceed while a minor issue like this is still on the table.

This is a rubber stamp issue. The PAC meeting is on June 27th. Once this is addressed, perhaps construction will commence shortly afterwards........

[MonctonRad]

The June PAC was pretty light. This was the only other bit of news with any real interest:

A proposal for some town home infill on Botsford, just south of Mountain Road near the Theatre l'Escaouette and the Centre Culturel Aberdeen.

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The June PAC was pretty light. This was the only other bit of news with any real interest:

A proposal for some town home infill on Botsford, just south of Mountain Road near the Theatre l'Escaouette and the Centre Culturel Aberdeen.

I actually like the look of these, the one by the Catholic Church on botsford is really nice and is a great addition to downtown.

[MonctonRad]

According to CBC Radio this morning, the projected opening date for the new Codiac RCMP HQ has now been pushed back to 2022.

Sounds like there is still oodles to do on this project (consultations regarding space requirements, architectural drawings, even site selection).

Even 2022 may be optimistic.........

[David_99]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

I actually like the look of these, the one by the Catholic Church on botsford is really nice and is a great addition to downtown.

When the three rundown buildings behind The Red Satay on Lutz were for sale last year, I was hoping whoever bought them would demolish
them and construct a similar building to the one you mention on Botsford. Even include the Satay restaurant for the first floor. I hope for
additions like this to help the "St George Beautification Project" trickle down to the side streets.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by David_99

When the three rundown buildings behind The Red Satay on Lutz were for sale last year, I was hoping whoever bought them would demolish
them and construct a similar building to the one you mention on Botsford. Even include the Satay restaurant for the first floor. I hope for
additions like this to help the "St George Beautification Project" trickle down to the side streets.

Did the building on Lutz actually ever sell they went up for sale, and never sold 3-4 times before this last time. Maybe more time because the owner has tried to sell them for sale by owner a few times at least.

[MonctonRad]

This new apt building on Dieppe Blvd is now topped off at five stories.



I wonder if they will recycle the tower crane here to Tannery Place, just like they recycled the FiveFive crane to the Hyatt Place Hotel. The timing seems about right..........

[MonctonRad]

Reid's Newsstand & Cafe on Main Street is undergoing renovations, which will be complete next month.

When finished, there will be many more food options (including ready-to-cook food for take-out), and a whole lot less reading material.

The owner of the business is apparently doing this in anticipation of the opening of the events centre across the street, but the gradual contraction of magazine publishing in favour of online sites is probably contributing to the decision).

[flyer99]

Note to MonctonRad: Was it decided to put up a thread for Hyatt Place? I believe it was you who suggested this. Thanks!

[Ammn_guy]

I caught a few minutes of the council meeting last night.. the presentation of the new core development plan which is now complete and being brought into by law.

Very interesting presentation which feels like it has some foot hold already based on councilors comments..

The idea of forming a development corporation to partner and lead the way on a few projects like Moncton market/parking garage seem to excite some councilors.

Interesting tidbit that i did not know is that planning for Robinson court to be re-opened to traffic in the next few years, to help with downtown flow.

Seems like if the market was to move it would kick off the street redevelopment in the assumption parking lot.

With the need of the new rcmp station and our second rate farmers market, it presents some opportunity to act on some of this plan.



https://globalnews.ca/news/3528231/r...n-the-horizon/

[MonctonRad]

Here is the link to the pdf of the (very detailed) Downtown Core Community Improvement Plan:

http://www.moncton.ca/Assets/Residen.../DMCIP+ENG.pdf

Main take aways:

1) - a reconstructed street grid south of Main Street will occur
2) - the era of the surface parking lot in downtown Moncton is coming to an end, get used to it.
3) - most parking will be enclosed, and incorporated into new buildings within the core. This will be shared use parking (DT office workers in the daytime, patrons of performance venues and restaurants in the evening).
4) - the city market will almost certainly be relocated to Downing Street, and be co-located with a parking structure and perhaps a relocated city library.
5) - there will be lots of new residential construction south of Main Street, including a brownstone district and several larger apartment buildings, with one envisioned for the NW corner of Assumption/Downing. If this vision is correct, then the new Codiac RCMP HQ will not be located next to the law courts. Perhaps it will be built on the vacant lot on the NE corner of King/Main.

proposed downtown development vision:


Downing Street from the south (proposed)


Current parking situation in the core


Envisioned parking situation in the core - note that the surface parking has all but disappeared.


There's a lot to digest in this document. While how much of this comes to pass is debatable, there is no question this gives an idea of where the city wants to go in the next 25 year. at the very least, I expect the completion of Downing Street, the relocation of the city market to Downing, and a sincere effort to reestablish the street grid south of Main.

City Market proposal on Downing Street

[Taeolas]

Downtown Moncton will almost be unrecognizable if/when that plan ripens. Sounds like a lot of good improvements all around, and not much to complain about, other than this should have been a Year 2000 plan so it would be mostly in place by now.

What are their priorities to start?
I wonder how they will encourage developers to actually develop the parking lots into buildings?
How soon will the first garages go up?