City Seeing ‘Significant’ Residential Development

Saint John is seeing a “significant” number of new residential units this year, according to the director of the city’s One-Stop Development Shop.

Amy Poffenroth provided a mid-year update on development during the new council’s first growth committee meeting on Wednesday.

Poffenroth said the city has seen a “strong construction season so far” with just under 400 building permits valued at nearly $42 million issued as of the end of June.

While the value of those permits is consistent with the 10-year average, the number of them issued to date is trending higher, she said.

Poffenroth said residential construction is the “real interesting story” with 182 units created so far this year.

“That is 2.5 times the average over the last 10 years or so. Very significant and activity in the residential sector that we haven’t seen for a very long time,” said Poffenroth.

The increase in new residential units comes as Saint John saw its overall vacancy rate fall to 3.1 per cent in 2020.

Poffenroth said several major projects are under permit review while others have gone through the formal planning approvals and are awaiting building permits.

Among the major projects under permit review is a 60-bed nursing home at the Shannex Parkland Saint John complex in Millidgeville.

Poffenroth said there are also a number of other notable projects underway, including the Saint John Non-Profit Housing project on Wellington Row, a 28-unit building at 365 Main Street, and a project at 819 Millidge Avenue.

Construction is entering the final phases at the Telegraph Building on Canterbury Street and the 78-unit Calabria Estates project on Mountain View Drive, she said.

“It continues our strength in residential density with a potential for well over 500 units in the coming months or years as these projects come to fruition.”