About Contact
Milestones in the Evolution of Downtown Development Control and Heritage Conservation In St. John's
By Chris Sharpe, Wednesday, July 14, 2010
- 1967
-
- Opening of the Avalon Mall
- 1968
-
- Demolition of the main Royal Stores building at Prescott and Water
- City adopts a Zoning Bylaw
- 1969
-
- Opening of the Royal Trust
- Building on the old Royal Stores site
- 1971
-
- Ayres Limited closes its flagship store on Water Street. A second store, located in the Pitts Building, continues to operate.
- 1972
-
- March 21 Announcement of the Atlantic Place project - to be built on the former site of the main Ayre's store.
- March 22 St. John's Mayor Bill Adams claims Atlantic Place will "rescue downtown." The application received 'approval-in-principle' three weeks later.
- November 29 City Planner Gordon Rodgers recommends that the plans be "rejected in their present form"
- 1973
-
- Feb 16 Atlantic Place developer Andrew Crosbie releases a
brochure called "Atlantic Place: the project, the issues, the
facts."
The brochure claims, among other things, that the project "will provide the means of revitalizing Water St" and "tax revenue to the City will increase dramatically." Ironically, the brochure also notes that the project "is in line with the new look in downtown construction introduced some five years ago when the Royal Trust Building was erected."
- Feb 16 Atlantic Place developer Andrew Crosbie releases a
brochure called "Atlantic Place: the project, the issues, the
facts."
- 1975
-
- Completion of Atlantic Place
- 1976
- 1977
-
- Designation of Heritage Area and adoption of the Heritage Bylaw
- 1978
-
- Ayres closes its second Water Street store.
- Re-establishment of the Planning Office
- Restoration and redevelopment of The Murray Premises begins. The St. John's Heritage Foundation and business interests combine to create a new retail concept for the downtown.
- 1979
-
- Murray Premises opens
- 1980
-
- TD Place proposal
- Ayres application for 12 storey building (124,000 sq. feet). The City gives approval-in-principle for a 10-storey building granted in December.
- A.J. Planners commissioned by the City to prepare a report on development guidelines for the downtown.
- Planning Office prepares a draft Downtown Zoning Plan based on A.J. Diamond's "Proposed Central Area Development Guidelines" report.
- Appointment of Committee to Review the Heritage Bylaw. Report issued in August. Recommends max 10 storey height in the downtown; division of Heritage Area into 3 precincts.
- Adoption of revised Heritage Bylaw (September). Adopts 10 storey max height, Precincts, Light Angle of 60 degrees at 15 metres (up from 45 degrees as proposed by the review committee). CCO, CCR, CCM zones added to draft DT Zoning
- 1981
-
- February - TD application approved
- March - Downtown Zoning Bylaw approved (to give teeth to the Heritage Bylaw, it replaced the need for 'compatibility' with height and bulk regulations).
- July - demolition permit issued for Ayres/Pitts Building (with condition that façade be preserved)
- 1982
-
- February - on motion by Councillor Wells, seconded by Councillor Tilley, Council approves increase in FAR in the downtown to 5.0 (permitting CCO bonuses in CCR zone, subject to lot size, interior parking and amenity space provisions).
- Bank of Nova Scotia application for 10 storey, 25,000 sq. metre building, requiring demolition of Ayres, Dicks and Co., Baine Johnston and TD Bank buildings.
- 1984
-
- Adoption of the city's first Municipal Plan
- October - final approval of Bank of Nova Scotia proposal, including demolition of the façade of the Ayres/Pitts building.
- December - final plans for Bank of Nova Scotia building submitted.
- 1985
-
- Scotia Plaza completed
- 1989
-
- Adoption of a Development Scheme for Planning Area 1 ("Old St. John's"). This imposed a height limit of 4 storeys/15 metres and an FAR of 3.0 on buildings in the Commercial Downtown District.
- 1995
-
- 'Reconstruction' of City Staff: Planning Office amalgamated with the Department of Engineering. The Director of Planning retired, one of the two remaining senior planners and several junior planners were made redundant, and the senior planning position was downgraded to Manager of Planning and Development.
- 2000
-
- Downtown St. John's Strategy for Economic Development and Heritage Preservation
- 2001
-
- September - Fortis buys TD Building and 155 Water Street (former Board of Trade Building)
- 2003
-
- St. John's Heritage Area, Heritage Buldings and Public Views Study
- Municipal Plan Review, and adoption of a revised St. John's Municipal Plan which maintained the 4 storey/15 metre height limit and FAR 3.0 in the Commercial Downtown District.
- 2004
-
- Adoption-in-principle of the PHB Study
- Expansion of the Heritage Area to 217 hectares (536 acres) - a 65% increase.
- 2007
-
- Adoption of the Heritage Areas Standards (as recommended in the PHB Study)
- 2009
-
- Downtown Parking Study which recommends that 'on a case by case basis' the City consider granting permission for developers to exceed the 15 metres/4 storey height limit in the downtown.
