[St. John's] Metro East End Development

[Horsell]

Let's hope they don't pull a "Loblaws" on us and leave it vacant for years on end like the old Dominion locations.

As much as I hate to say this, perhaps a nice renovation of the building into a "strip mall' format may better serve the area. It hard to say though if that will work because there are quite a few services in that area now. Let's hope someone will see the value in such a high traffic location.

[AllBlack]

I'll be sad to see it go. It's in my neighbourhood and I dread the thought of having to go to a relatively distant Power Centre for those quick stops for something I need in a hurry.

[Arrakis]

Yeah its too bad for sure. Maybe this will open the opportunity for a smaller chain to open. Home Hardware perhaps? Be a good spot for one.

Originally Posted by AllBlack

I'll be sad to see it go. It's in my neighbourhood and I dread the thought of having to go to a relatively distant Power Centre for those quick stops for something I need in a hurry.

[ajcoffey]

City Council to Decide on Proposed Boutique Hotel and Condos

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...46275&latest=1

[Horsell]

The question however is whether or not Council will accept the Commissioner’s recommendation to reduce the height by one floor, to five instead of six. What would that do to the viability of the project?

Oh what a tangled mess.

I would love to see the owners of the Classic Café reach some agreement to sell their property, thus allowing the developer to increase their footprint and perhaps making five stories viable. Classic Café could then be the main restaurant in the building. I realize that this would be hardship for them because they would be closed during construction but maybe the end result would be of benefit.

[Architype]

A news report said they will let it be approved at the six story height. I hope it doesn't get the Steele treatment, and bear no resemblance to what was originally proposed.

[statbass]

VOCM News
May 21, 2014

The Light House project, a development on Duckworth Street, will proceed as planned. St. John's city council voted unanimously last night to reject the Commissioner's Report, a lengthy document that suggested bringing the six-storey boutique hotel down to five. Councillor Jonathan Galgay says he's opposed to Commissioner's reports, because it's a lengthy process that delays council from doing its job. He calls it bureaucratic red tape, and says everything that came up in the report had already come up in letters and phone calls to council.

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...46314&latest=1

A step in the right direction. I'm glad council voted against the recommendation to reduce the height of the hotel by one storey. Come to think of it, that report seems to have been a complete waste of time and money. We really need the municipal plan approved to set out zoning laws and cut out all this bureaucratic red tape.

[PoscStudent]

Jonathan Galgay has criticized the long process of approving developments. Hopefully he can get changes made to speed up the process.

[Brandano]

Hi all. Newbie to the forum. I'm an east end resident located close to Torbay Estates. I'm all for the development here in the east end, especially the new Canadian Tire, Cineplex (are they still planning a new cinema? ) and other businesses but have a big concern about the traffic this will all generate. It's bad enough now trying to navigate to, around and from Stavanger drive. Imagine what it will be like if there is an apartment building, further new business, etc. I have emailed Danny Breen and he said a traffic study of the area a few years ago recommended that torbay rd between majors path and Stavanger be 6 lanes for starters but no action was taken. Back in 09 or 10, they leveled land there on the east side of Torbay rd only to put a digital sign there. I thought they were going to add a new lane. What a disappointment. The lack of ramps on the 3 overpasses is also causing bottlenecks. Heading west on the ORR, I can't get on torbay road. I have to exit on Aberdeen and get through traffic to get to Carrick drive and take Paddy Dobbin to torbay road.

In any case, I wish Council would do something to help keep traffic moving or divert it away from that area. It's also the major artery to Torbay. It's a horrible bottleneck only to get worse.

On another note, I like this forum. Great place for development news.

[Arrakis]

Welcome to the forum. Always interesting topics being discussed here in the various threads.

I was recently emailing Danny Breen (the Ward councillor for Torbay Road area) about the lack of traffic lights at Torbay/White Rose Dr/Hebron Way intersection. Says they are due to go in sometime this summer. For some reason however I don't think he has any idea when they will go in there.

Originally Posted by Brandano

Hi all. Newbie to the forum. I'm an east end resident located close to Torbay Estates. I'm all for the development here in the east end, especially the new Canadian Tire, Cineplex (are they still planning a new cinema? ) and other businesses but have a big concern about the traffic this will all generate. It's bad enough now trying to navigate to, around and from Stavanger drive. Imagine what it will be like if there is an apartment building, further new business, etc. I have emailed Danny Breen and he said a traffic study of the area a few years ago recommended that torbay rd between majors path and Stavanger be 6 lanes for starters but no action was taken. Back in 09 or 10, they leveled land there on the east side of Torbay rd only to put a digital sign there. I thought they were going to add a new lane. What a disappointment. The lack of ramps on the 3 overpasses is also causing bottlenecks. Heading west on the ORR, I can't get on torbay road. I have to exit on Aberdeen and get through traffic to get to Carrick drive and take Paddy Dobbin to torbay road.

In any case, I wish Council would do something to help keep traffic moving or divert it away from that area. It's also the major artery to Torbay. It's a horrible bottleneck only to get worse.

On another note, I like this forum. Great place for development news.

[delesseps]

From VOCM:

A group of residents in the Clovelly Trails area of St. John's are voicing opposition to an application to rezone a piece of land on Stavanger Drive to high density residential. Northern Properties is hoping to develop a four story, 71 unit apartment complex on the land previously zoned commercial.

http://vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=46394&latest=1

We need to call out the classist notion that owners of single-family dwellings deserve their own exclusive bubble. The stores on Stavanger Drive employ a lot of low-wage workers who should have the option of walking to work without needing to buy a property.

The only place in the neighbourhood that's frequently congested is the intersection of Stavanger Drive and Torbay Road. There are three other routes between the subdivision and points south of the ORR, and a bus route nearby. I doubt that anyone will be terribly inconvenienced.

[delesseps]

Originally Posted by Brandano

Hi all. Newbie to the forum. I'm an east end resident located close to Torbay Estates. I'm all for the development here in the east end, especially the new Canadian Tire, Cineplex (are they still planning a new cinema? ) and other businesses but have a big concern about the traffic this will all generate. It's bad enough now trying to navigate to, around and from Stavanger drive. Imagine what it will be like if there is an apartment building, further new business, etc. I have emailed Danny Breen and he said a traffic study of the area a few years ago recommended that torbay rd between majors path and Stavanger be 6 lanes for starters but no action was taken. Back in 09 or 10, they leveled land there on the east side of Torbay rd only to put a digital sign there. I thought they were going to add a new lane. What a disappointment. The lack of ramps on the 3 overpasses is also causing bottlenecks. Heading west on the ORR, I can't get on torbay road. I have to exit on Aberdeen and get through traffic to get to Carrick drive and take Paddy Dobbin to torbay road.

In any case, I wish Council would do something to help keep traffic moving or divert it away from that area. It's also the major artery to Torbay. It's a horrible bottleneck only to get worse.

From a safety standpoint, I'd really prefer extending Hebron Way along the airport fence line to Major's Path, then on to Portugal Cove Road sometime in the future. The risk of vehicle-pedestrian collisions at an intersection increases with the number of lanes, and there are people trying to cross Torbay Road. Taking the bus to the Major's Path Clinic is already a nightmare.

[statbass]

Originally Posted by delesseps

From VOCM:



http://vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=46394&latest=1

We need to call out the classist notion that owners of single-family dwellings deserve their own exclusive bubble. The stores on Stavanger Drive employ a lot of low-wage workers who should have the option of walking to work without needing to buy a property.

The only place in the neighbourhood that's frequently congested is the intersection of Stavanger Drive and Torbay Road. There are three other routes between the subdivision and points south of the ORR, and a bus route nearby. I doubt that anyone will be terribly inconvenienced.

Agreed!

[Horsell]

Now that's a Public Meeting !

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...46494&latest=1

Let's see what Council does now, will they ignore the input from the meeting and any other meetings or will they bend to the wishes of a large group of fairly influential residents. Stay tuned.

[Malreynolds]

Originally Posted by Brandano

Hi all. Newbie to the forum. I'm an east end resident located close to Torbay Estates. I'm all for the development here in the east end, especially the new Canadian Tire, Cineplex (are they still planning a new cinema? ) and other businesses but have a big concern about the traffic this will all generate. It's bad enough now trying to navigate to, around and from Stavanger drive. Imagine what it will be like if there is an apartment building, further new business, etc. I have emailed Danny Breen and he said a traffic study of the area a few years ago recommended that torbay rd between majors path and Stavanger be 6 lanes for starters but no action was taken. Back in 09 or 10, they leveled land there on the east side of Torbay rd only to put a digital sign there. I thought they were going to add a new lane. What a disappointment. The lack of ramps on the 3 overpasses is also causing bottlenecks. Heading west on the ORR, I can't get on torbay road. I have to exit on Aberdeen and get through traffic to get to Carrick drive and take Paddy Dobbin to torbay road.

In any case, I wish Council would do something to help keep traffic moving or divert it away from that area. It's also the major artery to Torbay. It's a horrible bottleneck only to get worse.

On another note, I like this forum. Great place for development news.

Also a newbie...been reading here for 2 years but have never posted

does anyone know if Cineplex is still planning a movie theatre for the east end?

[delesseps]

Originally Posted by Horsell

Now that's a Public Meeting !

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...46494&latest=1

Let's see what Council does now, will they ignore the input from the meeting and any other meetings or will they bend to the wishes of a large group of fairly influential residents. Stay tuned.

By influential, we mean landed. The way VOCM tells it, people who attended the meeting are afraid of living next to people who rent. I wonder what they'd say if they were reminded there's already an A3 zone on the other side of the road.

[Townie709]

Originally Posted by Malreynolds

Also a newbie...been reading here for 2 years but have never posted

does anyone know if Cineplex is still planning a movie theatre for the east end?

Welcome to the forum!!

And I don't think anyone knows the status of this project. It was originally supposed to be open by now, but then empire theaters was bought by Cineplex and that messed everything up.. I don't know if anyone can give you an answer on that one. I've been wondering the same thing.

The future of this and countless other projects remains largely unknown..
(Deacon, Hilton, Tiffany Towers, Atlantic Place hotel, Star of the Sea, etc.)

Anyone with information please share haha

[JCE]

Originally Posted by Townie709

Welcome to the forum!!

And I don't think anyone knows the status of this project. It was originally supposed to be open by now, but then empire theaters was bought by Cineplex and that messed everything up.. I don't know if anyone can give you an answer on that one. I've been wondering the same thing.

The future of this and countless other projects remains largely unknown..
(Deacon, Hilton, Tiffany Towers, Atlantic Place hotel, Star of the Sea, etc.)

Anyone with information please share haha

Yeah who know when or if Cineplex will actually start. Although I did come across this updated map and it is still showing there, so thats a good sign. And there has been a lot of ground work/infill in that area.

[statbass]

^^^

Thanks for posting an updated map of Field Power Centre. It's nice to see that Cineplex are committed to building a theatre originally planned by Empire Theatres. That looks to be a pretty big Canadian Tire going up there.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by JCE

Yeah who know when or if Cineplex will actually start. Although I did come across this updated map and it is still showing there, so thats a good sign. And there has been a lot of ground work/infill in that area.

There is also a relatively new map for Harvey Power centre (across the street). No details of tenants though. I dont' know what happened to Banana Republic, I was looking forward to that.