Motorists are advised that snow removal and/or street widening operations are in effect tonight. Beginning at 12:30 am and continuing until 7:30 am, Friday, January 25, 2008 snow will be removed or plowed on the following street.

1. Duckworth Street

All vehicles must be removed from the streets noted during this time period. Any vehicles impeding the operation will be removed and impounded at the owner's expense. The impounding fee is $107.35 plus $3.00 for each day the vehicle is held in storage

Motorists are advised that snow removal and/or street widening operations are in effect tonight. Beginning at 12:30 am and continuing until 7:30 am, Wednesday, January 23, 2008 snow will be removed or plowed on the following street.

1. Water Street

All vehicles must be removed from the streets noted during this time period. Any vehicles impeding the operation will be removed and impounded at the owner's expense. The impounding fee is $107.35 plus $3.00 for each day the vehicle is held in storage.

St. John's City Council gave the green light, with conditions, for a site on New Gower Street to be renovated for a new Newfoundland Liquor Corp. (NLC) outlet.

The NLC plans to close down its historic store in the Murray Premises on Water Street and relocate to New Gower Street, next to the Convention Centre. The NLC said the current location has become impractical for business

Excerpt The Telegram, Tuesday, January 22. 2008

Langton Green project a step closer to reality with land expropriation

A high-end hotel first proposed for downtown St. John’s more than three years ago is a step closer to reality for a pair of developers. The last piece of the land puzzle for St. John’s based Langton Green Development and Halifax based Pacrim Hospitality Services will be completed once the city expropriates 19 Henry St.

The partners plan a four-storey, four-star Hilton Embassy Suites Hotel for the corner of Duckworth and Bell streets. “We believe that that’s the right product for St. John’s,” said Glenn Squires, CEO of Pacrim.

The partners envision 175 suites, two levels of underground parking, a restaurant and possibly a street-front pub for the estimated $30-35 million dollar development. But it all depends on getting final approvals from the city. Squires says acquiring all the land is a key element in moving forward, because the hotel has to be a certain size to be economically viable. “We think now, with the expropriation, we should be close on that.”

On Monday, St. John’s city councilors voted to issue an expropriation notice to Brendan Murphy, the owner of the Henry Street lot. “Assuming that we’re successful … it would probably take us from those approvals about three or four months to get the engineering work and the necessary stuff done,” said Squires.

“Hopefully, we would start around the middle of the year, if everything lines up the way we would like them to.” He estimates construction would take 18 to 20 months.

Sandra Case, president of Langton Green, says the company usually goes about its business quietly. “This seems to be one that has caught a lot of attention. Case isn’t worried about competing hotel projects also proposed for downtown St. John’s. “We feel there’s a lot of business for everybody that’s looking at these projects,”

And she figures the partners’ plan for about 100 parking spaces adds an appealing dimension to the Hilton Embassy Suites project. “We feel that there’s such a demand for additional parking in the downtown core that it will be a great complement to the area.”

Case has about 18 years experience both in the hotel industry and with a California brand-loyalty marketing-company specializing in luxury hotels. She returned to Newfoundland about five years ago and partnered with her father, Bill Case.

Langton Green has, in turn, partnered with Pacrim in assembling land for a recently built Super 8 Motel in St. John’s. Case says the average hotel stays in St. John’s are longer than elsewhere, partly because the city is located on an island.

“A suite would suit a longer stay more so than the average hotel rooms.” The average stay is about four to six nights. “People are realizing what a great place this is and our site is an excellent location. “It’s one of the last remaining vacant sites and it’s currently under-used in thriving downtown St. John’s. “We want to add to the gentrification of the downtown area with this project.”

Pacrim manages and/or owns about 60 hotels in Canada and the U.S. Among them: 20 hotels in Atlantic Canada, including the Radisson in Halifax; a variety of Holiday Inn and Crown Plaza hotels; and Gander River Outfitters.

Excerpt from The Telegram, Friday, January 18, 2008 by Moira Baird.

Peter Belbin (of Peter Belbin’s Steakhouse and Fort William Catering) has been elected as the new chair of the DDC. The downtown restaurant owner, who has been serving on the DDC Board for the past three years, was elected to the top position at the Board’s first meeting of the year held on January 16.

Former Chairman, Bill Mahoney (owner of the Murray Premises and Regal Realty) stepped down after dedicating five years to the position. Mahoney, will be staying on with the DDC as Immediate Past Chair for the final year of his term. Rounding out the DDC Executive are Vice Chairman John McCarthy (Benjamin’s Men’s Wear) and Treasurer Charlie Cook (Atlantic Place Parking Garage).

The DDC welcomes new Board member Gail Tucker, Manager of Corporate Communications with Fortis Properties. Also returning to the DDC Board are Phonse Miller (Gallery Shoes), Ron Fougere (Ron Fougere and Associates), Neil Hardy (The Altus Group), Janet Kelly (Auntie Craes), Mike Howard (The Model Shop) Catherine Perry (Perry and Power), and Susan LeDrew (Smyth, Woodland, DelRizzo, LeDrew).

Leaving the Board after serving over a decade with the organization is Anita Carroll of Posie Row.

The DDC Board of Management is comprised of twelve volunteer members whose aim is to make Downtown a better place to live, work, shop, and visit while preserving the historical and cultural character of the area. The Board meets the second Wednesday of each month.

For more information please contact the DDC office at 579-4139 or email info@downtownstjohns.com.

Premiere Executive Suites aims to be first off the mark.

A Halifax-based company has another idea to develop the almost empty lot on the corner of Water Street and Harbour Drive - a five-storey, extended-stay hotel with 150 rooms and underground parking. It's the latest hotel proposed for downtown St. John's.

And Premiere Executive Suites expects to formally submit its development plan to City Hall by the end of the month. "We think it'll be a unique design," said Gordon Laing, vice-president of Premiere Executive Suites. "We'll typically spend a little extra money on construction to make sure that something fits into the streetscape, and that's what our plan is here as well."

Laing says the proposed hotel would be four storeys along Water Street, but would gain an extra storey on the lower Harbour Drive side. City regulations restrict new buidlings in the downtown area to a height of 15 metres, or about four storeys.

"We're obviously going to be working with the city to try and get it in a format that will work for us from an economic point of view and also fit in with the city requirements," he said. "That's where the discussion is going back and forth right now."

As for the underground vaults circa 1860 that remain on the property, Laing says the company will follow the city's requirements. "We'll either incorporate it, if that's the requirement," Laing said. "But at the very least we'll incorporate the material.... whether it's part of a restaurant or part of the lobby, that type of thing, we're going to incorporate that into the hotel design. "Our architect feels confident that they can incorporate that look into the design of the hotel as well."

Laing also envisions indoor parking for hotel guests. "Right now, the plan is for two levels of underground parking." He figures the final design of the new hotel building is about three-quarters complete and will soon be submitted to the city.

"Around the end of the month is kind of our target." Laing says this is the company's first attempt to develop land at the corner of Water Street and Harbour Drive. But it's not the first attempt for Premiere's majority stakeholder, Southwest Properties.

Two years ago, Southwest was partnered with Harbourview Developments, a venture that included lawyer Tom Williams and businessman Ken Marshall, in a bid to build a nine-storey, high-end residential building on the same lot. That proposal was later withdrawn.

Southwest also owns the remodelled Atlantic Place in downtown St. John's and has also submitted plans to redevelop the old Newfoundland Telephone building on Duckworth Street into extended-stay hotel suites.

Laing isn't worried about the possibility of downtown St. John's becoming saturated with hotels - all aiming to take advantage of increased offshore oil activity.

"You always pay attention to that, that's for sure. "As long as they're in the planning stages we don't worry about it, so it's kind of important to be in the first few that are built. "But most of the research that we've done so far would say, at this point, that there's still an under-supply of hotel rooms in St. John's, and as the economy continues to cook along that there will be a need for more."

Excerpt from The Telegram, January 14, 2008 by Moira Baird

The Arts Community, area businesses, and other interested parties are advised that the building paper sheathing (Tyvek) installed on designated downtown utility poles for the purpose of placing advertising posters will be removed and replaced in 2008 on the following dates:

January 21st
March 17th
May 19th
June 16th
July 21st
August 18th
September 15th
October 20th
November 17th

You will note that the removal and replacement occurs on the 3rd Monday of each month (except February, April & December). Advertisers should also note that the removal and replacement of the Tyvek may take more than one day and the schedule may be delayed by adverse weather conditions.

Help us eliminate litter by ensuring that your posters are securely attached and by using only the designated poles which have Tyvek attached to them.

If you require additional information, please contact us at 3-1-1.

This program is made possible by the financial assistance of Newfoundland Power, the Downtown Development Commission (DDC) and the City of St. John's.

Motorists are advised that snow removal and/or street widening operations are in effect tonight. Beginning at 12:30 am and continuing until 7:30 am, Monday, January 7, 2008 snow will be removed or plowed on the following 11 streets.
1. Water St.
2. Duckworth St.
3. George St. (Queen St. to Water St.)
4. Adelaide St.
5. Queen St.
6. New Gower St.
7. Bates Hill
8. Church Hill
9. Cathedral St.
10. Holloway St. (Gower St. to Duckworth St.)
11. Prospect St.

All vehicles must be removed from the streets noted during this time period. Any vehicles impeding the operation will be removed and impounded at the owner's expense. The impounding fee is $108.30 plus $3.00 for each day the vehicle is held in storage.

Motorists are advised that snow removal and/or street widening operations are in effect tonight. Beginning at 12:30 am and continuing until 7:30 am, Friday , January 4, 2008 snow will be removed or plowed on the following 5 streets.

1. Cochrane Street
2. Prescott Street
3. Duckworth Street (from Prescott Street to Church Hill)
4. Casey Street
5. Prince of Wales Street

All vehicles must be removed from the streets noted during this time period. Any vehicles impeding the operation will be removed and impounded at the owner's expense. The impounding fee is $108.30 plus $3.00 for each day the vehicle is held in storage.

Motorists are advised that snow removal and/or street widening operations are in effect tonight. Beginning at 12:30 am and continuing until 7:30 am, Wednesday, January 3, 2008 snow will be removed or plowed on the following 10 streets.
1. Water Street
2. Harbour Drive
3. St. John's Lane
4. Holloway Street (from Duckworth Street to Water Street)
5. Temperance Street
6. Baird's Cove
7. Ayres Cove
8. Beck's Cove
9. Bishops Cove
10. Steers Cove

All vehicles must be removed from the streets noted during this time period. Any vehicles impeding the operation will be removed and impounded at the owner's expense. The impounding fee is $108.30 plus $3.00 for each day the vehicle is held in storage.