[St. John's] Metro East End Development

[Engibeer]

Originally Posted by jjavman

I wasn't a fan of the glass annex, but the hyperbole from this guy is ridiculous.

https://www.thetelegram.com/news/loc...torian-379257/

Have to say, I would have given the piece more of a chance if it hadn't included his urban historian lumberjack photo up top.

[rthomasd]

Didn't know which forum is best for downtown, so posting here, move if needed.

New concept and higher building for Atlantic Place Garage.
The City Council LUAR is - http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...022%202019.pdf

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by Engibeer

Have to say, I would have given the piece more of a chance if it hadn't included his urban historian lumberjack photo up top.

Hah

[goodgrowth]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

Didn't know which forum is best for downtown, so posting here, move if needed.

New concept and higher building for Atlantic Place Garage.
The City Council LUAR is - http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...022%202019.pdf

This will probably be an unpopular opinion but...I kinda like it...or at least am OK with it.

I like that it attempts a different design and would add something unique to the skyline.

The fact is the parking garage as it is is such an eyesore to the downtown...and right in the middle of the harbor-front no less... that something has to be done..

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by rthomasd

Didn't know which forum is best for downtown, so posting here, move if needed.

New concept and higher building for Atlantic Place Garage.
The City Council LUAR is - http://www.stjohns.ca/sites/default/...022%202019.pdf

I like it, and it compliments the ALT Hotel.
Shit storm to follow I'm sure!

[statbass]

Originally Posted by jjavman

I wasn't a fan of the glass annex, but the hyperbole from this guy is ridiculous.

https://www.thetelegram.com/news/loc...torian-379257/

Well, I guess everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But you know what they say about opinions....

[statbass]

Originally Posted by jjavman

I like it, and it compliments the ALT Hotel.
Shit storm to follow I'm sure!

I'm not sure if the design had changed since it was first proposed, or my taste has changed because I kind of like the look of it as well. I agree that it does compliment the ALT hotel nearby. I remember the cladding over the existing parking garage was my biggest gripe before. Has there been changes made to it? It does look better to me this time around.

I still have an issue with the height. It's the same height as Atlantic Place and it gives it that large wall feeling. Even if it were only 2 or 3 stories taller to offset the heights a little bit. Of course, like most of us on this forum I'd love to see this building 15-16 floors high, buy we all know that's not gonna happen.

Shit storm to follow for sure, that's the status quo around here it seems.

[Marty_Mcfly]

I don't know how I feel about it, that's for sure. I agree with stat about it needing to have an offset height from AP, however we all know that they're not going to be granted more height, and any less and I don't think they could create a financially viable hotel.

[PoscStudent]

I like the AP proposal, it’s a big improvement. It’d be nice if the garage portion could be windows as opposed to a screen but that might not be possible due to ventilation. I don’t know?

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by PoscStudent

I like the AP proposal, it’s a big improvement. It’d be nice if the garage portion could be windows as opposed to a screen but that might not be possible due to ventilation. I don’t know?

It might be possible to create faux windows with a pattern on the screen, but just looking at the renderings, particularly the 'cross harbour one, gives quite a difference in contrast to the "POS" that's there now. The addition of some colour, combined with the screening, helps out greatly in mitigating the drab, institutional look of the expanse of brown brick.

[Horsell]

And yet another AP garage proposal! Is anyone else getting tired of this? Sometimes I feel like I’m just getting beaten down on this, just go build something already.

Having said that, I must say that this is a pretty funky looking design, too bad it is what it is and where it is. One positive I do see, or don’t see as much, is that ugly garage. I do hope the screen does have the effect of hiding that hideous structure.

Regardless of the height, color and design of this latest proposal I still feel that the best solution in the long run would be to allow for the demolition of the garage and start from the ground up. I hope the City is looking at this through a “climate change lens” and will rethink the perpetuation of an “automobile society”. I find it ironic that we just had a study released promoting mass transit yet we seem hell bent on keeping this blight on the landscape/harbour front.

[jjavman]

Originally Posted by jjavman

It might be possible to create faux windows with a pattern on the screen, but just looking at the renderings, particularly the 'cross harbour one, gives quite a difference in contrast to the "POS" that's there now. The addition of some colour, combined with the screening, helps out greatly in mitigating the drab, institutional look of the expanse of brown brick.

Upon reading the proposal a little closer, I found this blurb regarding the screen. "in lieu of designing a graphic as part of this project, we have decided to offer the City the garage screen as a blank canvas for possible involvement of the local Arts Community. Furthermore, if the City wants to engage an artist through a competition, we wish to have input into the final
selected piece. It is very important that the artwork compliment or enhance the architecture and colours of the new hotel.

The existing brick veneer and concrete block backup will be removed to accommodate the new garage screen. While the details of the screen construction are not yet finalized, the new garage screen wall assembly will be slimmer than the existing masonry construction. Therefore the new garage screen facade will not project past the existing brick wall and will stay within the existing property line".

[statbass]

VOCM News
November 25, 2019

That's a lot of votes against this project, it's going to be tough to get this one approved if there's this much resistance. Unless it's a reno or refit of an existing building, it's extremely difficult to get any development approved in east end DT. I think developers should focus on west end development and create density in this area. Not saying there won't be any resistance - but it'll most likely be met with less resistance than east end development.

A petition against the development of a condominium on green space in downtown St. John’s has garnered over twenty-five hundred signatures.

The green space behind the Anglican Parish Hall on Queen’s Road is the last naturalized forest space in the city’s downtown.

It’s home to centuries old trees songbirds and other small wildlife, and is part of the historic fabric of downtown.

The fate of this plot is up in the air as a proposal to re-zone it from open space to commercial mixed to make way for a 10-storey condominium.

Area resident, Matthew Graham started the petition. He says the proposed development could have many impacts. He says it would loom over the other houses in the neighbourhood and impact the skyline on the downtown. Graham says he doesn’t believe it would benefit the city.

[Marty_Mcfly]

"Natural forest" would imply that the trees there were always there. Norway and Sycamore maples are not native to the island, and have grown in that spot due to their prevalence in the surrounding neighbourhood and having their seeds fall into that back parking lot and being allowed to seed and grow due to neglect. It's a forest in the same manner that my neighbours unkept backyards are maple forests.

[jjavman]

I'd be very surprised to see this proceed now. The NIMBYs are very vocal on this one.

https://vocm.com/2019/11/28/big-turn...owntown-condo/

[Larla77]

Looks to be some activity around the old RONA on Hebron Way in the east end. Building still has for sale signs on it but I can see bundles of wires and other building materials inside. There was a small crane and vehicles in what was the lumber yard the other day. My mom gets her hair done nearby and rumor is that its sold.

[gerwal]

Originally Posted by Larla77

Looks to be some activity around the old RONA on Hebron Way in the east end. Building still has for sale signs on it but I can see bundles of wires and other building materials inside. There was a small crane and vehicles in what was the lumber yard the other day. My mom gets her hair done nearby and rumor is that its sold.

I saw a few Hickey's trucks down there about a month ago. I thought at the time that space would be too big for them, but you never know.

[Larla77]

Originally Posted by gerwal

I saw a few Hickey's trucks down there about a month ago. I thought at the time that space would be too big for them, but you never know.

I saw some Hickeys trucks there about a month after RONA closed (maybe less). I go to the dentist next door and had a great view of the yard. I assumed they had purchased the large shelving, etc from the yard part of RONA. Drove by again last night and there are more boxes of materials inside and the small crane truck was back outside. No permits yet though so could be much ado about nothing.

[statbass]

Not sure if this has already been posted but it looks like council approve (in-principle) the development of an 8 story seniors apartment complex in the East White Hills area of Quidi Vidi.

https://pub-stjohns.escribemeetings....ocumentId=3904

[jjavman]

https://vocm.com/2019/12/09/public-meeting-on-proposed/