As most locals already know, a couple weeks ago, Irving and the Saint John Port Authority announced their plans for development along the waterfront. Irving wants to build a new world headquarters on the site of Long Wharf. With that would come development of public green space. Since this is right next to Harbour Passage, it’s not a bad idea to be improving the quality of the parks and green space in the area.
In this artistic concept courtesy of the Irving press release, you can see what the development will look like. Right now, most of this space is a big ugly concrete field. Since this is currently active port space, this deal is conditional on the former sugar refinery site being transferred to the Port Authority to use instead. There’s no loss. In fact, there’s a gain. The area would continue to act as a secondary cruise ship terminal, keeping the other space always free for other purposes.
Here, you can see the building as an artistic rendering from the ground level. Instead of a high rise, the use of a low-rise structure is more practical and will not block out too much view of the harbour. The press release also cites various environmental considerations leading to the choice of this type of structure.
Exactly why is anyone opposed to this? Some people suggest that Irving should build a taller building or that the location is bad, and they should use the old Centracare site instead. How stupid. It’s clear to see why a large company like Irving would want its headquarters centrally located in a prestigious spot of the waterfront. It’s also obvious to me that this city isn’t yet big enough to be in a position to start demanding high rises when all we need is more appropriately sized low rises.
Some people think it’s a good idea, but a bad location because we’re “losing valuable port space”. That isn’t true at all though because the sugar refinery space would open up as new space. In fact, I think that space would be even more valuable for the port’s purposes since ships could avoid entering the main part of the harbour and dock at the entrance instead.
Those who know me well know that I’m often not the hugest Irving fan, but let’s be realistic, this is a good idea. I hope it goes through. What do you think?
Tags: irving, n.b., saint john, uptown
Hear, hear!
It’s important to have a quality, functioning port, but I think keeping active port uses on a piece of real estate as prominent and as central as Long Wharf at the expense of uptown office jobs and public greenspace is not the best course of action. Irving’s proposed project will keep close to 1000 jobs in the city’s centre, improve public access to the waterfront and cruise ship facilities, be LEED certified, won’t look like a fugly monolith, and includes a commitment to improve the adjacent Fort Latour historic site. Say what you will about the Irvings, but I don’t think NIMBYism is the wise way to go here. I’m confident that this project along with the forthcoming development planned for the Coast Guard site will really make the heart of Saint John an even more inviting place to be, and I think it would be a tragedy to lose it to an outlying community, or even to a non-south/central peninsula area inside the city limits. From an urban planning perspective, this proposal is a great one, and we should definitely be supporting it.
I completely agree that this development is a win-win for the City of Saint John and think the current council is making a critical error so early into its mandate. I understand that Mayor Court doesn’t want to be run by the Irving’s as he felt his predecessor was, but let’s get real. As one of the city’s biggest employers, does he want to see IOL pick up and move stakes to Halifax or another Atlantic city who would greet their $30 Million investment? If council continues to stall on decisions such as this, a decision that will only benefit the economic growth and development of the city, for the next four years, Mayor Court will find himself in the history books beside former Mayor McFarlane under the heading “Single Term Mayors”.
Irving World Headquarters…
…definately has an ominous ring to it, don’t you think? …like a James Bondian man-made island that rises from the sea …or a hollowed out mountain where Austin Powers goes to conquer Dr. Oil.
To the topic at hand…
So many cities are trying to humanize their waterfront… just ask them in Toronto what they would think of a rationally scaled development that integrates down-town with the harborfront (they’ve been trying since the sixties); but it’s not surprising that Saint John hesitates on this, given the love-hate relationship with “the family.”
As a matter of public planning, land-use, and architecture; it is difficult to bring this city to the harbor, given the weather and high tides… so a large, enclosed space that puts a lot of people close to the water in a functional way seems like a good idea… and a much nicer presentation for the cruise ship crowd. Just think, instead of a bunch of old tin warehouses, they get to pull up to the world’s largest Blue Canoe convenience store.
How Irving!!
How Saint John!!!
And who is suggesting a sky-scraper for Saint John? …common y’all, that is sooo pre-911!
But seriously, this looks like a great development that will define Saint John is a very positive way… and of course the Irving’s will get it through council after Ivan the Mayoral shows that he’s not kissing too much ass over at the Golden Ball (did I just say that??) In political terms; Mayor Norm fell on the LNG sword because nobody wants a titanic gas bomb in their back yard, especially without being asked… but left-turn-crazy-Ivan gets to be the hero who rebuilt the harborfront after he waits a few weeks to show the masses just who is the boss when he’s alone in his office!
Distraction to get over the pain of LNG… new downtown… new digs for the family… happy mayor, happy city, happy Irving …everyone is happy!!
And finally, for the Irvings, anything would be an improvement over that recycled parking garage and adjacent high-rise port-a-potty they call home right now. I mean, puleeeese… you can’t plot to take over the world from a place like that and have anyone take you seriously.
Keep on blogging, Paul… one of the best reads on the internet!!!