A step forward for two 17-storey towers on the riverfront in downtown Moncton.
A first reading for zoning by-law amendments for the Gateway Towers was passed at Moncton City Council.
City Director of Planning and Development Bill Budd says this site represents a small part of Riverfront Park, “If the park still is able to function then it doesn’t impact the sports fields or the Riverfront Park Trail.”
The development would include 380 residential units, commercial units and underground parking.
Budd adds that the Downtown Core Community Improvement Plan acknowledges the close proximity of the Petitcodiac River and climate change impacts associated with sea level rise, intensifying storm
surges, intensifying precipitation events, and related in-land stormwater flooding.
City Council voted in June to sell the land to developer John Lafford.
Meantime, a local group is continuing to call for a moratorium and environmental and social impact study into the development.
Spokesperson Jean-Claude Basque says this project has been fast-tracked and the city has not followed the usual public process for selling municipal land, “In 2024, residents want to be better informed and more involved in what’s happening in their city, and they’re calling for a genuine participatory process for its future development,” concludes Jean-Claude Basque.
They say that having such huge buildings in a flood zone will reduce the ability of the whole area to withstand the consequences of climate change.
“In addition, the presentation noted that the increase in car traffic caused by the existing Three Sisters Towers and these two new towers could require turning the boulevard into a four-lane artery. This is very worrying,” Basque adds.
A public presentation is being scheduled for September 3. A public hearing is scheduled for October 7.
