Construction to begin on Main Street tower

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A construction crane was moved into position on a vacant lot off east Main Street this week, in anticipation of a landmark construction project that could become the tallest building in Moncton.

Bill Budd, director of planning for the City of Moncton, said this week developers have approval to build up to 30 storeys, but the final height will be determined on soil studies and other work that has not yet been completed.

If the building does go to 30 storeys, it would be rise above both the 20-storey Assomption Building and the Aliant Tower, both constructed in the 1970s, to become the tallest in the city. At the west end of the downtown, a six-storey apartment building is now rising at the intersection of Main and Vaughan Harvey Boulevard.

City council voted to approve a 30-storey building for the east Main Street site at a public hearing July 17. Council heard objections from neighbours who  raised concerns about traffic safety and how the size of the building could change the city.

The proposal for the vacant lot at east Main and Harper Street calls for a mixed use building with a maximum height of 30 storeys, and a total of 288 residential units, 10 of which would be two-storey town houses. It is expected to have ground floor retail and restaurant space. There would be underground parking and parking on three levels behind the commercial space. Budd told the public hearing in July the approved rezoning gives the developer the flexibility to go as high as 30 storeys but it could be lower.

Budd told the public hearing that traffic on Main Street is already heavy but a traffic study indicates the extra cars from the building would have a minimal effect. The building would put some neighbouring properties into shade, he said. And despite the proposed height and proximity to the airport, NAV Canada had no safety concerns. The building will be close to shopping, services and is expected to become an iconic gateway to the downtown core.