Moncton Artisan Village

In March I posted about the Moncton Artisan Village which is housed in a former warehouse space. I got a chance to visit Moncton and snapped this photo of the building. It’s a cool space, and worth checking out.

Artisan Village

I visited Moncton yesterday and cam across a pretty cool space in the downtown. Located at 465 Main Street is an artist workshop and gallery. The converted warehouse space features a group of artist studios where they can create and teach. The operators envision having a cafe up and running and they already showcase the works of multiple artists.

Learn more about it here: http://www.artisanvillage.ca/

Downtown downturn – it’s the poor!

I keep returning to this article on the CBC to read comments on what Downtown Moncton needs to attract more foot traffic and business.

Apparently panhandlers are the problem.  If these impoverished folks didn’t ask for spare change, people would shun Wal-mart, Costco et. al. and spend their shopping dollars downtown.

One comment leaving citizen wrote about how bad the pan-handling problem is in their mind: there are folks outside of churches asking for change.

Hopefully the churches hear the call for change on their doorsteps and provide more than coins.

</bleeding-heart limousine-liberal rant>

Downtowns. What of taxes?

The same CBC article (Group seeks ways to revive downtown Moncton, topic of last post) has also drawn out comments about imbalanced taxes when comparing the suburbs to downtowns. 

I know there is a business improvement area fee in many downtowns, but what else is at play here.  I suppose land is more valuable, due to denser development. 

Still, if being downtown is less desirable than it once was, perhaps assessments could go down in the future. 

Presumably an identical building downtown and in the non-central city would have similar assessments, and similar tax rates (excluding BIA fees).

Improving Downtowns. Is parking culprit in Moncton?

When I lived and worked in Moncton five or six years back I was only a few blocks from my office in the Blue Cross building and didn’t have a car.  Parking wasn’t a problem for me, but reading the comments associated with a story on the CBC entitled ‘Group seeks ways to revive downtown Moncton’ it appears that a lack of parking, or a perceived lack of parking is particularly irksome for some would-be downtown frequenters.

Paid parking in the central city is pretty common.  Still, it seems many resent having to pay to park, and would prefer to shop where such costs are non-existent. 

People commenting on this story also complain that they have to walk from their cars to their destinations.  I find this criticism strange, in that Big Box parking generally requires more walking than downtown parking when I visit the retail hub of Moncton-Dieppe.

Parking alone is not the culprit.  Population shifts and popularity of one stop shopping and big box retail are more likely contributors to the decline of maritime downtowns. 

This is a fun debate to watch the comment section of.  Lots of opinions on what could be improved. 

Hopefully PlanSJ is able to get this sort of interaction on specific and broader issues as our municipal plan takes shape.

Endangered Heritage

Looking into the Fredericton Train Station renewal I discovered that this property was put on the 2005 “Heritage Canada Foundation Top 10 Most Endangered Places List.”

The 2005 list includes two Atlantic Canada locations – the train station and Citadel Views and Historic District, Halifax, NS.

Here are the 2005 Atlantic list entries:

Towers Threaten Citadel Views and Historic District, Halifax, Nova Scotia

United Gulf Development Ltd. has applied for a development agreement to permit the construction of two 27-storey towers on the site bounded by Hollis, Sackville and Granville Streets in downtown Halifax that, if constructed, would threaten a historic district and views to the landmark Citadel Hill.

City council recently approved in principle the designation of the city's first planned heritage district, the Barrington heritage conservation district, made up of 26 low-scale registered heritage buildings about one-eighth the height of the proposed towers that would overshadow the area (the density would be three times greater than allowed in the high density residential R-3 zone in Halifax). The proposal also contravenes policies of the Municipal Development Plan including those that protect views from Citadel Hill and stipulate that new construction should “reinforce” the proportions of adjacent heritage buildings.

The heritage community has come out strongly against the plan and although the city's heritage advisory committee has recommended against the project to city council, the planning department is in favour of the development. The matter now goes before city council on February 28. Should the city support the development the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia will likely appeal the decision to the utility and review board.

York Street Train Station, Fredericton, New Brunswick

Once a busy transportation hub, today Fredericton's York Street railway station stands abandoned and dilapidated. Its windows are boarded up, its roof is in serious disrepair, the decorative brackets are rotten, and much of the brickwork has been vandalized with spray paint.

In response to such deterioration and the apparent neglect by its current owners, J.D. Irving Limited, the Friends of the Fredericton Railway, a small community group of architects, engineers and developers, was established to raise community support and financial assistance to restore the1923 Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) station – one of only two railway stations left on the Fredericton Branch Line and one of the last remaining brick stations in New Brunswick.

Working together with the Fredericton Heritage Trust and the Fredericton Trails Coalition the Friends have developed a business plan for the station that identifies a cost of $1.5 million to bring the station back to its former condition. The plan includes the involvement of J.D. Irving Limited but despite numerous communications with them over the last two years, the group is no closer to achieving its goal of restoring the station. The City of Fredericton has shown some commitment by purchasing portions of the right of way leading to the station.

Currently, the city is in negotiations with an undisclosed source and the Friends have not met for several months.

The Heritage Railway Station Protection Act of 1985, has done much to protect Canadian railway stations, but it cannot protect them from demolition by neglect. This station is deteriorating rapidly and needs the support of the community, the city, and most importantly its owner before it is too late.

The 2009 list includes the Moncton High School:

Moncton High School is one of hundreds of historic schools from the first half of the 20th century that are under siege in communities across Canada.

The future of this landmark building—an outstanding example of Normandy Gothic Revival style architecture in New Brunswick—is at risk due to the province’s lack of commitment to maintain and invest in existing schools.

Why it matters
Moncton High School (MHS) was built to last. The cornerstone was laid for this imposing 3-storey sandstone structure in 1934, and its arched bays and massive wood entrance doors have seen thousands of students come and go over the years. The school’s character is further revealed in the wood panelling, carvings, vaulted plaster ceilings and other historic details that abound throughout the building.

Known as “the castle” it is considered to be one of the most important architectural landmarks in downtown Moncton and a symbol of permanence in the city.

Why it’s endangered
In September 2007 the District Education Council (DEC) requested a complete Master Plan for “major upgrades, renovations and /or replacement of Moncton High.” The resulting document, released in January 2009, acknowledges the building’s uniqueness and recognizes that much of the original exterior and interior elements and craftsmanship should remain intact. In particular, the auditorium, with its seating area, balcony, stage and decorative finishes in place, is singled out for its heritage value and identified as a space that should not be modified. However, the report goes on to recommend extensive and costly renovations to the building, amounting to $48 million. Conversely, construction of a new facility has been estimated at $25 million.

New schools are expected to have a life cycle of 30 years. MHS has already served the community for 75 years, and is made of materials with many more years of service life. The $25 million cost estimate for a new school does not include many elements that exist at MHS, such as the auditorium. Economics aside, the environmental impact of abandoning this building and replacing it with a new structure would be staggering.

While the decision about the future of MHS rests with the Province, Moncton City Council has come out firmly on the side of “protect and preserve.” In February it unanimously passed a resolution urging the provincial government to “take all reasonable steps” to restore MHS and to let the community have its say on the future of the building.
Where things stand

Moncton’s Heritage Preservation Review Board is raising awareness about the significance of the building and the need for public consultation. The Board hired Jim Bezanson, a professional planner and architectural consultant, to review the structural investigation component of the Master Plan. His findings, which question the extent of costly structural changes recommended, were presented to the DEC and School District 2 in June 2009. As a result, the staff recommendations in favour of new construction presented to the DEC that evening have been removed from the table. The DEC chair has asked staff to “go back to the drawing board.”

The Save Moncton High School Facebook Group is rallying students, teachers, alumni and concerned citizens to work towards finding solutions which would help save this historic landmark.

The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rothesay, New Brunswick is listed as one of the “2008 Worst Losses”:

PAVED PARADISE FOR A PARKING LOT
After more than 60 years of service, the old church was torn down last June to make way for a parking lot to service the new church built across the street. “We need more parking so we decided that it might be a better use of the space,” explained Rev. Michel LeBlanc. Historic places of faith are in danger across North America.

Bouctouche commuters

I haven’t posted online yet, but I heard a news story that Bouctouche is considering a transit link or shuttle to Moncton.  According to Google Maps the trip is 56 km or around 36 minutes. 

The trip is further than Hampton to Saint John (which is around 33.7 kilometres) but according to Google Maps the trip is only marginally longer in time than the 33 minute ride from Hampton to SJ.

While the cost of driving a further route may complicate things, it seems reasonable that the proposal might succeed considering the apparent success of the Hampton Commex Route.

Tannery Court Moncton

I was in Moncton over the weekend to take in a concert and drove by Tannery Court.  Not that building aesthetics address local neighbourhood concerns about concentration of poverty in South End Saint John, but seeing the building did make me a little less concerned about the quality of Avide’s work.

I failed to snap a photo, so this is Bing Maps’ photo of the development.

Skateboarding entrepreneur comments on “misunderstanding of skateboarding”

A letter to the editor of Here (August 20) from Ross Smith, an entrepreneur who works with skateboarders, responds to criticisms of skateboarders in the Moncton area.

Highlights:

“It's frustrating to read articles that set out to comment on how we fit into traffic, but end up clearly being about simply disliking skateboarders.”

“In this age of concerns over overuse of automobiles and rising obesity rates, banning a viable form of active, green transportation is ludicrous. Many people don't simply skate for transportation, but practice tricks.”

“Moncton is home to many skilled skateboarders”

I commend this writer for his willingness to stand up for his sport and community.

Urban farming growing

I posted a few months back about Moncton’s urban farming trial.  Apparently urban chicken farming is becoming so popular in parts of the US that an industry has grown around it including custom “discrete” chicken coop products:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/swine-flu-stealth-chicken-coops-future.php

There are apparently also courses in urban animal husbandry:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/urban-farmers-and-repurposed-building.php

Moncton Planning Commission – Not Chicken

“Has anyone in this family even seen a chicken?” 
             - Michael Bluth

Awesomeness is about to go down in Moncton. 

The Greater Moncton Regional Planning Commission has approved a year-long trial to an urban farming group to raise chickens in the Moncton area.  This could make way for more urban farming in the Greater Moncton area, allowing people to have more involvement in bringing food to their dinner plates.

The Telegraph Journal quotes Roy McMullin of the group Post Carbon Greater Moncton as saying:

"This is about food security. This is about bringing back control to the people over a little bit of their food.

What we are hoping is that we can develop a bylaw. Not everybody will be interested, but I think it will help us go back to a life more similar to the way our grandfathers lived."

While the planning commission only passed the motion to allow for the urban farm experiment with 59% of votes in favour, this shows off that the commission is progressive and ready to let citizens try new things in defining how the communities under their jurisdiction live.

Saint John – its time for us to be bullish and see how chickens and other small urban farming operations can make our community a better place.

Moncton Waterfront

The folks talking at the Moncton Forum at Skyscraper Page have been talking about the waterfront development vision for Moncton. A planning document is online at

http://lin.ca/Files/9226/Gordon%20Kraushaar%20-%20Moncton%20Riverfront%20Walkway.pdf.

When I lived in Moncton in 2004 I was impressed by the waterfront trail system, being unaware of this amenity until I moved up there. Hopefully the folks in Moncton can continue to layout a great waterfront system of trails and public spaces.

Tannery Court: Examples from Moncton and Fredericton

There has been talk from the South End lately that Tannery Court is being developed by a group that doesn't understand our neighbourhood. With that in mind I visited Live Maps and took these screen captures to show the neighbourhoods in Moncton and Fredericton where Tannery Court developments have been constructed.

This dense, central neigbhourhood (where I lived while working in Moncton a few years back) is now home to Tannery Court's 40 unit Moncton apartment development. The neighbourhood is diverse and has a mix of new and old buildings and is close to many amenities.

The Fredericton Tannery Court is in a different type of neighbourhood. While there are some nearby services, this development is in a far more remote setting that the Saint John Tannery Court proposal.

Casino New Brunswick

I now know what the first casino in New Brunswick will look like. Sketches on the casino proponent's website show a lighthouse looking structure with a 5 storey hotel and a convention center.

On the outskirts of Moncton, in the Magnetic Hill area, the casino will have 600 slot machines (I think this is synonymous with VLTs), 20 table games, 8 poker tables, a convention space that seats 1,500 people and a 128 room hotel.

It is unfortunate for Moncton that this isn't going in their uptown, but it should still be a tourism and employment win for the city.

The project website has sketches and details, and there is already lots of chatter about the project at the Moncton Development Forum on Skyscraper Page.

Cool news for Moncton

The provincial government has announced that it will allow for the development of a "destination" casino in Moncton. They plan to allow this to operate as the only casino in the province and cut back on other VLTs around the NB (of course when the province's pockets start getting empty in the future who knows what will happen). This will be a cool way for Moncton to keep building on its concert and conference tourism business.

Hopefully now that a waterfront casino isn't in the cards for Saint John we start working toward something else cool as a entertainment focal point; I want to see an Imax theater in town with some sort of water themed exhibition (and entertaining movies too).

Shopping as attraction

I know people travel to shop - a lot of Saint Johners go to Moncton for Costco and other stores and many NB citizens go to Maine for deals. I am starting to expect that not only do people consider "where the good stores are" when they are going on a trip but also when they are choosing a city to live.

While it might be shallow for someone to pick a city based on which has the best selection of pants, the availability of amenities such as shopping must come into play for some people who are considering where to live. Also, for people unfamiliar with a city and its culture, the stores that are present or lacking might serve as a proxy for what "the place is like." Not having a large chain bookstore likely has been part of what makes Saint John seem "blue collar" to some people. When Indigo opens its doors I doubt people will move here in droves, but some will likely be interested to know it is here and it might be a factor in choosing to move here over another "energy hub."

Signature brands might be what we need to attract some people - Starbucks is here now, as is Indigo. Getting a Gap or Banana Republic might also help clinch Saint John as a place to be for some people. I imagine having a brew pub with craft beers marketed around the region would also give us some credibility with some potential Saint Johners.

While uptown is important and the waterfront could reinvigorate the city, we just might need some big brand suburban retailers to compete.