[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[MonctonRad]

Big city council session (at least for the downtown) tomorrow evening.

Two items of note:

6.1 Rezoning – Harper Street Hotel – tabled at the August 21, 2017 Regular Public Council meeting – Objections received (5:05 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.)
Rezonage – Hôtel sur la rue Harper – point reporté durant la séance ordinaire publique du 21 août 2017 – Objections reçues (17 h 05 à 17 h 15)

6.2 Public Hearing – Former Moncton High School (PID 70556329) and Sports Field (PID 70626304) Rezoning Application – Objections received (5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.)
Audience publique – Ancienne école Moncton High (NID 70556329) et terrain de sport (NID 70626304) Demande de rezonage – Objections reçues (17 h 15 à 18 h 15)

Both the Heritage Developments MHS project and the proposed DoubleTree Hotel at Harper Lane/Main on the agenda (and both with objections). Should be an interesting time......


[Monctoncore]

I wonder what the objection was for the Harper Lane development? I wonder if it was the set back of the building? I think we all know what the objection was for the other project lol..

[David_99]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

I wonder what the objection was for the Harper Lane development? I wonder if it was the set back of the building? I think we all know what the objection was for the other project lol..

My theory is it's from the houses in behind the project, to stop the ruining of their view of the Running Room.

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by David_99

My theory is it's from the houses in behind the project, to stop the ruining of their view of the Running Room.

Ah! I have a feeling you are right, though I feel like the city would end up passing that, since it’s such a small neighbourhood.. would be similar to the complaints in Dieppe when horizon place was in the planning stages.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by David_99

My theory is it's from the houses in behind the project, to stop the ruining of their view of the Running Room.

It is from the houses in behind. They're mostly upset about the parking garage. They think it will ruin their neighbourhood (blocked view, unsavoury characters lurking around the parking garage, lack of any buffer etc, etc).

Let's get real here though - this "neighbourhood" is only a handful of houses of questionable merit on their own. If city council doesn't pass the DoubleTree Hotel proposal, I'll be thoroughly shocked.

I'm more concerned about the enraged citizenry near the old MHS sports field - they seem more organized........

[Mattyyy]

Moncton city council has given the green-light to the new Main Steet hotel as per the Telegraph Journal. Can anybody see this and give any details?

[MonctonRad]

Not much new really. Valmond met with the disgruntled neighbours and agreed to enclose the parking structure to make it more palatable to them. He also offered to buy the three affected properties at fair market value if this was not acceptable to them. I guess this was enough to gain civic approval.

A few new renders:

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Not much new really. Valmond met with the disgruntled neighbours and agreed to enclose the parking structure to make it more palatable to them. He also offered to buy the three affected properties at fair market value if this was not acceptable to them. I guess this was enough to gain civic approval.

How sure are we this is going to get built though? I just don’t have much faith in Valmond after a few failed attempts. I also see the double tree logo is blurred

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Not much new really. Valmond met with the disgruntled neighbours and agreed to enclose the parking structure to make it more palatable to them. He also offered to buy the three affected properties at fair market value if this was not acceptable to them. I guess this was enough to gain civic approval.

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

How sure are we this is going to get built though? I just don’t have much faith in Valmond after a few failed attempts. I also see the double tree logo is blurred

I love the Render but have little to no faith in any of Valmond's projects as well look at 25 Dominion the building that was suposed to be built on the other lot High St. never happend, and this is the second, or third project for the Harper land? I guess we will see once it happens but I have my doubts it will happen.


Also I seen the blured logo, and it does seem like the double tree logo but it might not be that, and just blured out in that way.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Scarface

I love the Render but have little to no faith in any of Valmond's projects as well look at 25 Dominion the building that was suposed to be built on the other lot High St. never happend, and this is the second, or third project for the Harper land? I guess we will see once it happens but I have my doubts it will happen.


Also I seen the blured logo, and it does seem like the double tree logo but it might not be that, and just blured out in that way.

I understand the cynicism, especially given Valmond's other proposals for this site, but I dunno, this just feels different. I honestly believe there may be something afoot this time.

Valmond's previous efforts were heavily tied to condo proposals, which need presales in order to get financing from the banks, or to federal office space (which moved elsewhere). This time, he is proposing a hotel. The renders seem pretty detailed. There is a possible brand name attached (DoubleTree), and he has gone to great lengths to appease the disgruntled neighbours. As such, this proposal seems a lot more solid.

I'm not saying that shovels will be in the ground in the springtime, but I am a lot more interested in this proposal than I was in his previous proposals; where after a rendering was released, nothing was heard again.......

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I understand the cynicism, especially given Valmond's other proposals for this site, but I dunno, this just feels different. I honestly believe there may be something afoot this time.

Valmond's previous efforts were heavily tied to condo proposals, which need presales in order to get financing from the banks, or to federal office space (which moved elsewhere). This time, he is proposing a hotel. The renders seem pretty detailed. There is a possible brand name attached (DoubleTree), and he has gone to great lengths to appease the disgruntled neighbours. As such, this proposal seems a lot more solid.

I'm not saying that shovels will be in the ground in the springtime, but I am a lot more interested in this proposal than I was in his previous proposals; where after a rendering was released, nothing was heard again.......

Good points, I guess over time you forget the finer points of his past endeavours. I’m kind of confused at the moment because I’m not sure what this all means, has his project been approved? I guess I just want more information, because if he actually does have a brand attached to this building, are there plans to break ground. I do agree that if he’s going to lengths to appease neighbours he must be getting close.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I understand the cynicism, especially given Valmond's other proposals for this site, but I dunno, this just feels different. I honestly believe there may be something afoot this time.

Valmond's previous efforts were heavily tied to condo proposals, which need presales in order to get financing from the banks, or to federal office space (which moved elsewhere). This time, he is proposing a hotel. The renders seem pretty detailed. There is a possible brand name attached (DoubleTree), and he has gone to great lengths to appease the disgruntled neighbours. As such, this proposal seems a lot more solid.

I'm not saying that shovels will be in the ground in the springtime, but I am a lot more interested in this proposal than I was in his previous proposals; where after a rendering was released, nothing was heard again.......

Completly agree with this I have more faith in this project since he has got to this point instead of just a single render then nothing else, and as for the Condo's that needed presales, and also the Government offices that moved somewhere else I do agree. it's the same with his Dominion Street project I think he might have tried to push to much at one time because there where suposed to be 2 condo buildings back to back, and turned to 1 building, and rentals instead of condo's, and there are still 2, or 3 empty units at least from what I had seen back in October. Not sure if he had tenants in them but din't seem so.

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

Good points, I guess over time you forget the finer points of his past endeavours. I’m kind of confused at the moment because I’m not sure what this all means, has his project been approved? I guess I just want more information, because if he actually does have a brand attached to this building, are there plans to break ground. I do agree that if he’s going to lengths to appease neighbours he must be getting close.

It sounds like it has been aproved. If not the city got him to make changes before the aproval process can happen.

[MonctonRad]

One other thing - we now also have a dollar value for this project. Apparently this will represent an approximately $30M investment.

[Monctoncore]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One other thing - we now also have a dollar value for this project. Apparently this will represent an approximately $30M investment.

Yeah, that is a change from the original or I should say past proposals. I’m curious what is everyone’s thoughts on the height, would we prefer the lower end 8 floors, the middle or the highest which CTV news said was 13 or 14 floors.

[PEI highway guy]

I am hoping for 13 or 14 floors. Moncton , has traditionally built 8 to 10 storey buildings (with a few exceptions and a tower). As a growing CMA, it is time for some taller buildings to dot the skyline (of all 3 communities).

[MonctonRad]

November PAC is out. It's pretty light (not surprising - it's a slow time of the year).

This request caught my eye though........

Rob Kraft on behalf of/au nom de Fibre Center Facilities Limited, 770 St George Blvd, Moncton (PID/NID 00716043) to allow an automobile repair shop in a suburban commercial zone, subject to terms and conditions/ permettre l'aménagement d’un atelier de réparation d’automobiles, sous réserve de modalités et conditions (File/dossier : 17- 41593)

This is for the old ALC Building on St. George Blvd.

I'm not entirely sure this is an appropriate use for this property..........

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

November PAC is out. It's pretty light (not surprising - it's a slow time of the year).

This request caught my eye though........



This is for the old ALC Building on St. George Blvd.

I'm not entirely sure this is an appropriate use for this property..........

this is right across from the Lounsbury-Volvo Dealership, and opposite the St George Blvd Fire station corect? If this is the case Im with you, and don't see this as a proper use for the property. Unless of course they might be using the back parking lot/back side of the building for it but even then it would be a strange location for an automotive repair shop.

[HanSoloCup]

From what I know the old ALC building in question was hosting 1 or 2 tech start-up companies in the space out front nearest to Milner, the rest of the building was empty at the time but plans were to turn it into a space hosting servers (lots of servers). At the time there was negotiation for a company I believe out of LA (former Facebook people) who wanted to establish their servers here for a new venture they were staring up.

It seems the old ALC building is sitting on one of the portals of a fibreoptic superhighway that was discussed in the news about a year ago in a large press conference at City Hall.

Moncton is one of only a couple (maybe only us and another) in all of Canada that have such a portal and only a few more (similar) in all of North America.

Here's a link to better describe my ramblings about the fibreoptic superhighway : http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...hway-1.2800197

With all that said and done, allowing an Auto Repair shop to set up there seems silly considering what that property represents right now and potential investments in the future.

[MonctonRad]

Kate Letterick (CBC News) has tweeted that the Anglophone East School Board has voted to close Hillcrest School in the old west end.

This will mean that the student bodies for both Hillcrest and Bessborough will be combined when a new west end school is built. AFAIK, they still haven't decided on a location for the new school, but the parents most definitely don't want a repeat of the Moncton High School fiasco, and absolutely want the school retained in the west end. A neighbourhood school makes absolute sense in that it will be a combined elementary/middle school rather than a high school.

The most likely possibilities are that the new school will be built immediately next to the existing Bessborough School (like they did with Ecole Ste. Bernadette in the francophone district), or will be built off of Millennium Blvd in the Franklin Crossing development.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Kate Letterick (CBC News) has tweeted that the Anglophone East School Board has voted to close Hillcrest School in the old west end.

This will mean that the student bodies for both Hillcrest and Bessborough will be combined when a new west end school is built. AFAIK, they still haven't decided on a location for the new school, but the parents most definitely don't want a repeat of the Moncton High School fiasco, and absolutely want the school retained in the west end. A neighbourhood school makes absolute sense in that it will be a combined elementary/middle school rather than a high school.

The most likely possibilities are that the new school will be built immediately next to the existing Bessborough School (like they did with Ecole Ste. Bernadette in the francophone district), or will be built off of Millennium Blvd in the Franklin Crossing development.

I think there plan was to do the same as Ecole Ste Bernadette Since when the talks first started they had someone mesuring out the property. I think it would be really out of the way in the Franklin Crossing development. Also with the new housing planned in the Franklin Crosing Development I don't think there would be any space for a new school.