[Saint John] Irving Oil HQ - Kings Square South | 59m | 11 Floors | U/C

[michael_d40]

Might as well kick start a thread for the proposed Irving Oil Home Office on Kings Square.

Anticipated start date for construction: Spring 2016
Anticipated completion within 18-24 months
Height - 59 meters

Size - 300,000 square feet housing 1000 employees.









Source: http://homeofficesj.ca/renderings/

[nwalbert]

Looks awesome!! So glad to see such a large development taking place and continuing the momentum that uptown has right now.

[magee_b]

The building will employ the latest building design technologies and systems, ensuring a high level of environmental performance. In addition, the building will be registered with the Canada Green Building Council, targeting certification under their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green building rating system.

http://homeofficesj.ca/project-updat.../building-info

Glad to see the aim is to have the building fall under LEED certification. Will be interested to see the actual details of this.

[KnoxfordGuy]

It looks like the Chipman Hill Suites building on that block is going to remain which is awesome! I was worried it was going to be bulldozed.

[UptownJeff]

Originally Posted by KnoxfordGuy

It looks like the Chipman Hill Suites building on that block is going to remain which is awesome! I was worried it was going to be bulldozed.

I believe that Chipman hill property is a designated historic building and is protected.

[UptownJeff]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

I believe that Chipman hill property is a designated historic building and is protected.

I see in the TJ that IO has purchased the property from Chipman hill suites.....wonder what the plans are!

[michael_d40]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

I see in the TJ that IO has purchased the property from Chipman hill suites.....wonder what the plans are!

Chipman Hill Suites will continue to be business as usual there. Just instead of owning the building, they will be leasing it from IOL.

[kwajo]

I really wish it had ground-floor retail of some kind, it'll be dead on that corner after 5:00 pm [but at least better lit than it is now].

But hey, I can see my living room window in those renderings, yay!

[Ire Narissis]

Originally Posted by kwajo

But hey, I can see my living room window in those renderings, yay!

Sounds like you'll be the go-to person for updates as construction progresses, Mr. Front Row Seat.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by kwajo

I really wish it had ground-floor retail of some kind, it'll be dead on that corner after 5:00 pm [but at least better lit than it is now].

Blue Canoe or Subway?

[kwajo]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Blue Canoe or Subway?

How about Julius Pizza Two

[Franco401]

Beautiful. Reminds me of the Beaverbrook Hotel/Crown Plaza in Freddy.

[Wolkenkratzerliebhab]

Irving has realeased, via YouTube, the introductory video of it's new office; link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsnyeEebJIg

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

Are you talking about the old Woolworths - I don`t believe that Commerical Properties owned that.

Originally Posted by michael_d40

http://www.partnersglobal.com/proper...et-saint-john/

Could have sworn it used to be on CP. There's posts referencing it using the hashtag #91king. Either way.

Originally Posted by michael_d40

Perhaps instead of possibly tearing it down (which could bean option, They could keep theft cade and turn it back into a parking garage for the employees at the new Home Office. Not ideal. But better than tearing it down if it were to come to that.

Do we have any idea if Home Office has any underground parking or any transportation plan at all for its employees? I would be curious to know, if they are consolidating their SJ workforce, where all these employees are planning on parking Uptown. There are already parking issues on the Lower Peninsula that the Parking Commission and City Hall have been trying to address recently in regards to Uptown employees using parking spaces in residential areas.

Uptown already has a plethora of parking garages, one of which is not utilized. I can't see it being wise to have another. I'm only going to assume there are hurdles for Golden Ball to be torn down that they must jump through in the event it comes to that.

[UptownJeff]

[QUOTE=JHikka;7340229]Could have sworn it used to be on CP. There's posts referencing it using the hashtag #91king. Either way.

I was thinking the Irving owned `Commercial Properties`which is corporation that owns 44 Chipman Hill and Centerbeam Place - what you are referring to is a real estate company that is not connected to Irving. They are merely representing the seller.


Do we have any idea if Home Office has any underground parking or any transportation plan at all for its employees? I would be curious to know, if they are consolidating their SJ workforce, where all these employees are planning on parking Uptown. There are already parking issues on the Lower Peninsula that the Parking Commission and City Hall have been trying to address recently in regards to Uptown employees using parking spaces in residential areas.

I beleive it was announced there would be no parking built for employees and they would utilize existing lots and locations - I mentioned previously that using the new parkade with with either shuttle services or a covered pedway from the parkade to Harbour Station may also be a solution.

[kwajo]

[QUOTE=UptownJeff;7340263]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Could have sworn it used to be on CP. There's posts referencing it using the hashtag #91king. Either way.

I was thinking the Irving owned `Commercial Properties`which is corporation that owns 44 Chipman Hill and Centerbeam Place - what you are referring to is a real estate company that is not connected to Irving. They are merely representing the seller.


Do we have any idea if Home Office has any underground parking or any transportation plan at all for its employees? I would be curious to know, if they are consolidating their SJ workforce, where all these employees are planning on parking Uptown. There are already parking issues on the Lower Peninsula that the Parking Commission and City Hall have been trying to address recently in regards to Uptown employees using parking spaces in residential areas.

I beleive it was announced there would be no parking built for employees and they would utilize existing lots and locations - I mentioned previously that using the new parkade with with either shuttle services or a covered pedway from the parkade to Harbour Station may also be a solution.

Really? Don't the city's development regulations have minimum parking requirements in this zone, I could have sworn that was in PlanSJ. The renderings seem to show that they could be maintaining the parking entrance behind the Imperial that exists there now, perhaps expanding it to be a bit larger? As a resident who uses street parking in the vicinity, the parking is a sticky situation. There are huge amounts of surface/structure parking within a 10 minute walk of this new building's site, but a lot of commuters have shown a tendancy to prefer to park on-street and play the two-hour parking space shuffle than walking a few extra minutes.

If we're consolidating employees without on-site parking provisions, the city (or preferably Irving Oil) needs to heighten enforcement or increase incentives to get commuters to ride transit, bike or actually use parking lots and parking structures and leave street parking for residents and short-term visitors (such as shoppers).

[josh_cat_eyes]

Kind of bland looking don't you think? For such a big building, you'd think it might be a little more modern looking perhaps? But a huge investment nevertheless.

[UptownJeff]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

Kind of bland looking don't you think? For such a big building, you'd think it might be a little more modern looking perhaps? But a huge investment nevertheless.

Personally I love it. Understated elegance. Keep in mind it's in a heritage area and a modern glass tower wouldn't fit imo. To me it compliments the area and is very 1930s looking. It will age very gracefully....

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

Personally I love it. Understated elegance. Keep in mind it's in a heritage area and a modern glass tower wouldn't fit imo. To me it compliments the area and is very 1930s looking. It will age very gracefully....

I suppose you're right. It just already seems dated.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by UptownJeff

Keep in mind it's in a heritage area and a modern glass tower wouldn't fit imo.

Originally Posted by kwajo

Really? Don't the city's development regulations have minimum parking requirements in this zone, I could have sworn that was in PlanSJ. The renderings seem to show that they could be maintaining the parking entrance behind the Imperial that exists there now, perhaps expanding it to be a bit larger?

I find it extremely difficult to imagine that IOL would build a new Home Office and not include some form of indoor, underground parking. Nearly every building over 10 storeys here in Ottawa has some, especially those being used by government/business. The City should push them on this if there isn't any included.

Originally Posted by kwajo

As a resident who uses street parking in the vicinity, the parking is a sticky situation. There are huge amounts of surface/structure parking within a 10 minute walk of this new building's site, but a lot of commuters have shown a tendancy to prefer to park on-street and play the two-hour parking space shuffle than walking a few extra minutes.

Which they shouldn't be able to do, IMO.

Here in Ottawa it works very simply. To be able to park on the street in front of your home you have to buy a monthly (or tri-monthly) parking pass. This allows you to park for longer than just the posted two hours. Otherwise you can only park for a two hour max between 9 and 5. In Ottawa you will get a parking ticket if you go over, or park in a no parking zone. This prevents people who work downtown but live in the suburbs from parking in front of my apartment, which is a 10 minute walk from downtown.

All Saint John needs is similar rules and actual enforcement and people will be scurrying to parking garages in no time.

Originally Posted by kwajo

If we're consolidating employees without on-site parking provisions, the city (or preferably Irving Oil) needs to heighten enforcement or increase incentives to get commuters to ride transit, bike or actually use parking lots and parking structures and leave street parking for residents and short-term visitors (such as shoppers).

I'm always going to see biking as a form of transit as a no-go in Saint John. It's too large, spread-out, with too much change in elevation to make biking easy and consistent. It's not worth it. Unless you're living and working on the Peninsula I think it's a bit too difficult to manage.

My suggestion above would encourage employees Uptown from utilizing residential parking and would move them towards the parking garages. The last thing I think we should be doing is building another parking garage for a new building when we already have three in the area, one of which underutilized. The City should stand its ground on this.

As for transit i'm not sure what could be done outside of the current formula. King's Square is already a major station for most buses and Comex already runs between the City and suburbs. I would like to see the city put more funding into transit to allow for more consistent schedules and reliability, however.