[St. John's] Metro East End Development

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by Horsell

After the “great fire” of 1996 (??) there was an opportunity lost to develop that whole block from the corner to the church into something more substantial but what we have instead is a mish-mash of everything. I suppose in once sense it is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood but it could have been so much more. The timing just wasn’t right.

I hope the townhouses RJC has designed are a bit more attractive than the prison block they have designed for Temperance St. Can you screw up the design of a townhouse

Here is a design drawing from 2011:[IMG][/IMG]

http://thescope.ca/city/yourcity/st-...ptember-6-2011

Also, I don't think that side of the road was destroyed during that fire. It was 1992, not 1996. I think it was the former Dominion (where the current Central Fire Station is), the CLB Armory (which was rebuilt) and some others where Tim Horton's is now. I was only 9 at the time, so I can only vaguely remember it. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

[SignalHillHiker]

I love that little smash of buildings though. That Harvey/Longs intersection is one of my fave corners in the city.

[Arrakis]

The buildings where the Big R and Stoggers are now were also destroyed in that same Harvey Road Fire too.

Originally Posted by J_Murphy

Here is a design drawing from 2011:[IMG][/IMG]

http://thescope.ca/city/yourcity/st-...ptember-6-2011

Also, I don't think that side of the road was destroyed during that fire. It was 1992, not 1996. I think it was the former Dominion (where the current Central Fire Station is), the CLB Armory (which was rebuilt) and some others where Tim Horton's is now. I was only 9 at the time, so I can only vaguely remember it. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by Arrakis

The buildings where the Big R and Stoggers are now were also destroyed in that same Harvey Road Fire too.

Ok, thanks for clarifying. I'm just trying to visualize those buildings now and in my head it seems like they look older than they are.

[Horsell]

The only thing left standing on that side was Gin's restaurant, and he was probably hoping he could cash in on the insurance.

[Horsell]

I remember that proposal from a few years ago but it was met with great opposition due to the amount of glass and the "modern" design. I think it was intended to be condos or executive suites with ground floor retail.

[J_Murphy]

Originally Posted by Horsell

I remember that proposal from a few years ago but it was met with great opposition due to the amount of glass and the "modern" design. I think it was intended to be condos or executive suites with ground floor retail.

A modern monstrosity?

[Horsell]

I drove by the site of the new Micro Boutique hotel on the corner of Water and Temperance St. at lunchtime and noticed that some excavation work has taken place and they have uncovered old brick and stone foundations. I don’t suppose there were more than 4 “sisters” at some point? From what I have read in the past the city is supposed to have an archaeologist look at such excavations to determine if there is anything of historical value there. Hopefully this won’t cause any significant delays

[jthetzel]

Originally Posted by Horsell

I drove by the site of the new Micro Boutique hotel on the corner of Water and Temperance St. at lunchtime and noticed that some excavation work has taken place and they have uncovered old brick and stone foundations. I don’t suppose there were more than 4 “sisters” at some point? From what I have read in the past the city is supposed to have an archaeologist look at such excavations to determine if there is anything of historical value there. Hopefully this won’t cause any significant delays

I just drove by and noticed the brick foundations as well. Apparently the Newfoundland Historic Trust reports that an archaeological consult has been requested and retained.

https://www.facebook.com/NLHistoricT...646488/?type=1

[SignalHillHiker]

Awesome stuff. In that area it was almost certainly warehouse buildings, right? There are lots of photos of all sorts of buildings down there over the years, mostly industrial.

[jthetzel]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Awesome stuff. In that area it was almost certainly warehouse buildings, right? There are lots of photos of all sorts of buildings down there over the years, mostly industrial.

In this image of Temperance Street and Battery Road, the Four Sisters is under construction in the left foreground. Beneath it appears to be an industrial or warehouse building. Photo must be sometime between 1893 and 1901, probably 1897 (Garrett began work on Cabot Tower in 1897 after completing first two Sisters and beginning third).

(MUN Digital Archives Initiative: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/single.../id/2735/rec/1 )

A more recent photo (circa WWII at earliest) shows just a corner of the building beneath Four Sisters.

(MUN Digital Archives Initiative: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/single...id/4003/rec/26 )

To get an idea of earlier foundations in the area, here's a photo that is labelled as looking west from Temperance Street after the 1892 fire. I can't tell if that road that abruptly corners into Water Street in the foreground is Hill o'Chips, Temperance Street, or a road in-between the two that no longer exists. Most likely Hill o'Chips, in my opinion.

(MUN Digital Archives Initiative: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/single.../id/3171/rec/2 )

[SignalHillHiker]

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

[Waterlooson]

Great photos!

[JCE]

Since it has been so slow around the forum lately. To give a couple visuals, I snapped a couple shots of some of the construction going on in the east end with my phone.

Holiday Inn Airport


Mix Office/Commercial buildings Hebron Way

[BittyT]

Thanks for the pictures! Always nice to see the progress!

[jthetzel]

Originally Posted by jthetzel

At the Temperance Street Public Information Session tonight, the owner of three of the Four Sisters homes made a public comment and was well received. She stated that she has "given keys to a contractor" for renovation of the buildings. She went on to clarify that she intends two of the buildings to be restored as residential units and the lower building (closest to Water St) to potentially become a restaurant. A restaurant, she advocated, would allow public access to the buildings' interior architecture.

Renovation permits have been issued for three of the Four Sisters (31, 35, and 37 Temperance Street, see page 91 of http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...%2C%202015.pdf ).

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by jthetzel

Renovation permits have been issued for three of the Four Sisters (31, 35, and 37 Temperance Street, see page 91 of http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...%2C%202015.pdf ).

I must have missed that info on the four sisters; that's really exciting to hear!!

[Horsell]

On the Agenda at the Council meeting today is a memorandum regarding the lifting of the moratorium on development in Quidi Vidi Village.
I don’t mean to be an alarmist but there seems to be something fishy about what is going on here.
From a little digging I have done something doesn’t quite fit. This moratorium was first issued in July 2013. In December of that year a proposal was called for a study of the area to make recommendations on what appropriate development would look like. A DRAFT report, dated August 2014, was prepared by the successful bidder, Tract Consulting, and presented to the City, one would assume around that time. On Aug 11, 2014 building permits were issued for the new duplexes being built on Quidi Vidi Rd (46a, 46b and 44), an area identified in the QVV Overlay report as being in the QVV zone, and presumably within the terms of reference of the report. Why was this development allowed to proceed when A) there was a moratorium in place and B) there was a draft consultant’s report either in the hands of the city or its deliver imminent?

[jthetzel]

Originally Posted by Horsell

A DRAFT report, dated August 2014, was prepared by the successful bidder, Tract Consulting, and presented to the City, one would assume around that time. On Aug 11, 2014 building permits were issued for the new duplexes being built on Quidi Vidi Rd (46a, 46b and 44), an area identified in the QVV Overlay report as being in the QVV zone, and presumably within the terms of reference of the report.

I think approval for that development predated the moratorium. The property was approved for subdivision July 2007 (page 7 of http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...023%202007.pdf ). Approval-in-principle for the development was given February 2013 (page 7 of http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...204%202013.pdf ). The moratorium of July 2013 likely applied to new proposals not already approved-in-principle. I suspect (but am not expert in these matters) that the August 2014 draft you note was to satisfy Department of Engineering compliance.

I think this Quidi Vidi Rd development along with the rejected Powderhouse Hill apartment proposal were catalysts for the moratorium and overlay plan. For example, later at the meeting which approved the Quidi Vidi Rd development, Deputy Mayor Duff moved for staff to develop a paper concerning heritage designation for Quidi Vidi Village (page 13 ibid.). But I agree with you that Council had the power to stop the Quidi Vidi Rd development if they wanted to, even after approval-in-principle.

[Horsell]

Originally Posted by jthetzel

I think approval for that development predated the moratorium. The property was approved for subdivision July 2007 (page 7 of http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...023%202007.pdf ). Approval-in-principle for the development was given February 2013 (page 7 of http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...204%202013.pdf ). The moratorium of July 2013 likely applied to new proposals not already approved-in-principle. I suspect (but am not expert in these matters) that the August 2014 draft you note was to satisfy Department of Engineering compliance.

Thanks for that additional information, I obviously didn't dig deep enough into this. My apologies.
I wonder how many other development proposals are out there waiting to move forward now.