[Moncton] Downtown Developments

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by tmacdougall

In a recent Facebook post, Moncton city counselor Dawn Arnold has been quoted as saying, "This centre will completely revitalize the west end of our downtown. There are many developers in that area simply waiting to see what is going to happen…sometimes a City has to take the first step to get things going."

In your opinion, what developers are simply waiting and what are the projects do think could move ahead after the development of the downtown multifunctional centre?

Two I can think of for sure:

(1)- Crombie REIT - they own the terminal plaza development right next door, and recently renovated 1234 Main Street to house Tangerine Bank (amongst others). They also want to renovate 1222 Main Street as well. In addition, they retained ownership of that portion of the old Highfield Square property where the Sobeys used to be. I don't think they would have done that unless they had plans for it. I suspect that when 1222 Main is renovated, that they will connect it to 1234 Main and extend the property to also include a mixed use development where the old Sobeys used to be. All these properties are closely adjacent and immediately next to the west side of the proposed events centre property.

(2)- Aquillini Group - they own the entire block where the Crowne Plaza Hotel is located. Again, I suspect a large mixed use development incorporating the existing hotel. I have no idea what their ultimate plans are, but the Aquillini's are well respected major developers based in Vancouver. They own the Vancouver Canucks as well as the arena they play in. They are a serious development company.

Otherwise, the old Coast Tire property across the street is being held by a developer awaiting interest. Also, the property on the southwest corner of Vaughn Harvey/Main has also recently been purchased by a developer as well. All these properties are awaiting final decision on the events centre.

The events centre may end up costing $100-150M to build, but it seriously could unlock an additional $250M in private development in adjacent properties.

[pierremoncton]

There's also an expected second building at 25 Dominion, and a bit farther south, a proposed six-storey office building at the northeast corner of Assomption and Vaughan Harvey.

[NBNYer]

Originally Posted by pierremoncton

There's also an expected second building at 25 Dominion, and a bit farther south, a proposed six-storey office building at the northeast corner of Assomption and Vaughan Harvey.

That office building was purportedly ready to start construction anytime. That was quite a while ago now. Yet another failed project for downtown??

[Monctoncore]

I think a lot of it has to do with finalizing paper work, engineering etc. I am sure they have lots left to do before they can really hit the ground.

[BlackYear]

I visited Zio's Pizza on Sunday for my monthly pizza fix. Owner said they are breaking ground in April. Reason for the delay, winter construction cost savings.

[Monctoncore]

So I have been interested in the 55 Condo's, so I have been in contact back in forth with them asking question etc. The recent email, I had they explained they are looking at are looking at occupancy for summer of 2016, so they must be getting close to breaking ground.

[MonctonRad]

Interesting article in today's T&T:

Can downtown Moncton become a retail hub?
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Times and transcript
By: Eric Lewis
http://22864.vws.magma.ca/index.php?&article_id=14071

An interview with Adam Conter, a senior sales associate for real estate firm CBRE Limited:

“With Moncton, we have a real interesting city,”he said.“You have an old-style downtown that used to connect quite actively to an active Via Rail station. You’ve got a city that has grown exponentially through suburbanization and a thing called sprawl. And you’ve got the opportunity to be located in central Atlantic Canada,which is attracting a great deal of industrial business,a great deal of big-box retail,and it helps Moncton compete,to a certain degree, for regional office space.”

“There is no true, intense block of retailers (between the CN overpass and Champlain Place),and one of the reasons is for that is it’s just had a long, hard road during Moncton’s growth,” Conter said. “It became cheaper by the square foot to obtain the right type of space for a retailer to go out in the Mapleton, Mountain Road area.Now we’re left with some older stock (downtown),with some landlords still hoping to get older rates.So the downtown allure is not commanding the money that downtown landlords feel is fitting of their property.”

Moncton is competing with other small- and medium-size centres in Atlantic Canada to attract retailers that have become more demanding. They’re looking for higher ceilings,larger store fronts,loading areas – things not always available downtown – and parking, the latter of which has long been considered a problem in downtown Moncton.
“Which is a little silly because 41 per cent of downtown Moncton is surface parking,”Conter said.

personal note - there may indeed be an ocean of surface parking in the core, but it is by and large inaccessible and bootable parking for downtown office workers that shoppers and restaurant patrons can't use.

Still, Conter, who was in Halifax when he spoke with the Times & Transcript this week, said the vacancy rate in downtown Moncton is about the same as downtown Halifax despite that city’s (Halifax's) reputation for having a more vibrant city centre.

personal note - well, that's interesting.......

In addition to the work already being done, Conter said there is one big project that could drastically change downtown Moncton’s future – the proposed entertainment centre, which, if Moncton city council gets its way, will take the place of the former Highfield Square, which is currently in the middle of demolition.

“The quicker that that (events centre) can be designed, committed to and have that groundbreaking, the quicker that international and national retailers as well as regional head offices will start to look at Moncton in a different light.

“And the reason is, an investment like that into your downtown – well thought out, co-ordinated with the community – demonstrates that Moncton takes itself very seriously.”

Conter said the proposed centre, should it come to fruition, also shows that Moncton can work quicker and better than other regional centres the city is competing with.

“The momentum that council seems to have, if they can continue to push that forward, if they can continue to drive with this idea that Moncton is a great place and we have to take risks and we have to make investments, you’ll see some terrific things in the next 18 to 24 months in Greater Moncton”

personal note - excellent analysis indicating just how important the events centre will be for the future of the downtown core.

[Monctoncore]

Mr. Bourgeois, still seems to have his doubts, he was on the news this evening and mentioned how he's not sure anything will be done, because tax payers cannot take on the 95 million dollars.... I understand there is a need to be cautious, but every time he talks, he gives off a vibe that he knows something about this that others don't...
No tax payers cannot pay for the events center but I feel like they wouldn't be moving ahead this fast without having some kind security.

This is a must for downtown, because it will draw crowds and attract people to the core.

[L'homard]

I feel I must disagree on two points.
1) I've never seen such accessible parking as I've seen in downtown Moncton. Parking is everywhere. Just because it's behind the buildings doesn't make it inaccessible. I can arrive 20 minutes before a sold out show at the Capitol on a busy bar night night like a Friday or Saturday at a parking lot in the downtown, and be in my seat before show time. There is so much accessible parking downtown that other cities think we're nuts.
2) What I heard Daniel say on the news tonight was that MONCTON taxpayers can't absorb a $95 million cost of a downtown centre. I didn't hear him say we couldn't handle it with a healthy participation by the feds, province and the private sector, which is, and has been, the plan all along. But I was not listening that closely honestly and might have missed something.

[MonctonRad]

Carboni Italian Cafe has opened in the Marven's Building on Factory Lane.
http://www.carbonicafe.ca

The "Two Fat Guys" gave it a good review in the T&T today. It apparently serves primarily the lunchtime crowd, presumably concentrating on workers in the Marven's Building itself, but they also have a take out service as well.

[Monctoncore]

Looks like an Italian restaurant war is happening.... Gusto, this place and soon to be the zios spot, also add in Pastelli's and even Piatto's and we are starting to see a wide arrange of different places opening.

[David_99]

Originally Posted by Monctoncore

Looks like an Italian restaurant war is happening.... Gusto, this place and soon to be the zios spot, also add in Pastelli's and even Piatto's and we are starting to see a wide arrange of different places opening.

The funny thing is, the reason owner of GÜSTO (and Brooklin Deli) converted from City Grill was because of it's increased competition.

[MonctonRad]

Colour for the page:


A rare sighting of a passenger train at the VIA station downtown.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The owners of the Mongolian Red Pepper restaurant on Robinson Street have closed that business (a franchise), and will soon be reopening (in the same location) as a new independent Malaysian restaurant to be called Cinta Ria.

The theme of the new restaurant will be southeast Asian fusion, specializing in Indian, Malaysian and Chinese dishes. It sounds interesting.

The breadth and variety of cuisine available in downtown Moncton has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years.

Apparently Cinta Ria has now opened. Has anyone tried it???

[Demeshio]

I heard from a reliable source that Halifax based sportsbar, Bubba Ray's, has purchased The Overtime Sportsbar on Main St. Renovations are planned to bring the place to their standards.

http://www.bubbarays.com

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Demeshio

I heard from a reliable source that Halifax based sportsbar, Bubba Ray's, has purchased The Overtime Sportsbar on Main St. Renovations are planned to bring the place to their standards.

http://www.bubbarays.com

Well this would certainly be a positive development for the downtown. They seem to have a good menu too.

point #1 - I wonder when we might achieve restaurant saturation downtown?

point #2 - As a sports bar, I wonder why they wouldn't locate closer to the proposed events centre, or perhaps within the events centre? I would be surprised if there isn't space reserved in the plans for the events centre for an on site restaurant/sports bar.........

[MonctonRad]

Regarding the old Overtime Sports Bar - I noticed the other day that there appears to be some renovating going on in the interior of this building. Perhaps the rumour about Bubba Ray's is true.......

[L'homard]

Interview with Bubba Ray's founder is online at the T&T's website all afternoon, so it's confirmed. Sounds pretty yummy.

[MonctonRad]

This is the only item of interest in the agenda for the December 17th meeting of the Moncton Planning Advisory Committee:

Immeuble Vision Realty, 171 rue Lutz Street, Moncton (PID/NID 00686725) a variance to reduce parking lot screening from 2m to 1m and to substitute alternate landscaping in lieu of screening trees to accommodate an office building

This corresponds to the Tuttle Brothers Funeral Home downtown. Does anyone know what's going on here? Will this be new construction or just a renovation of the existing building?

[Monctoncore]

I think that is the building/office mentioned awhile back, it was two story, not sure exactly though.