Company Proposes Major Development on Saint John’s East Side
SAINT JOHN – Saint John could be getting a big development on its east side.
Saint John-based real estate company Horizon Management Limited plans to turn a 180-acre vacant property by Ashburn Lake Road and the Highway One Throughway into an upscale highway development. The company has applied to the City of Saint John for a Municipal Plan amendment and rezoning to permit the construction of a large-scale, highway mixed-use development in East Saint John.
The development will house services, business and commercial properties, community services stores, and multiple-unit housing. Over one-third of the parcel will remain undeveloped and will be set aside as green space and recreational land.
“I am confident City officials and local citizens will be impressed by the scope and quality of this proposal,” said Troy Northrup, owner of Horizon Management, in a release. “I think it’s fair to say this will be a one-of-a-kind, international-quality development that will encourage visitors and travellers to stop in greater Saint John. I believe we have an impressive, grand vision for the property that will create a dramatic, inviting highway gateway for the community.”
More detailed plans for the development will be released in mid-March when Horizon is scheduled to appear before the city’s Planning Advisory Committee.
Northrup said the development is designed to enhance the “region’s natural beauty” and “will help enhance people’s perception of the community as they enter it from the major highway running through the city.”
“We intend to make Saint John a ‘drive-in’ city, not a ‘drive-through’ city,” he said.
The final cost of the multi-million-dollar project has not been determined.
A portion of the land is currently included in the City of Saint John’s Primary Development Area. Horizon Management is seeking permission to add the remaining tract to the Primary Development Area and to rezone it from Rural to Commercial Corridor and Residential.
The company says the project will be a multi-year, multi-phase development that could eventually see some 500,000 square feet of new buildings constructed. They say the final configuration will depend on a number of factors including interest expressed by businesses and tenants attracted to the project.