Business Merchants pleased with Irving Oil's plan to build world headquarters on the waterfront
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Josh O'Kane
Telegraph-Journal
SAINT JOHN - Merchants in Saint John's uptown have some different views on how it should transpire, but many are strong supporters of Irving Oil's proposal to build its world headquarters on Long Wharf.
Dave Forestell of Slocum & Ferris in the City Market says the proposed building of Irving Oil’s world headquarters on Long Wharf is an ‘exciting turn of events.’
David Forestell, owner of Slocum & Ferris, a food vendor in the City Market, calls the potential development extremely positive for the city.
"It's a pretty exciting turn of events," he said.
"It's great for the uptown, it's really good for the waterfront, and it's great for Fort La Tour."
He also said developing the Irving Oil headquarters on Long Wharf would be positive for development in the north end.
It would also encourage development of people living in the uptown area and other surrounding neighborhoods, he said, which would foster small business in the area.
"People that historically move back into the uptowns and help redevelop the urban cores tend to really appreciate small businesses and tend to shop in those locations, so it's sort of good on two fronts. It's really good for getting new residents uptown, but also some of our biggest customers are people who work uptown."
Shelley Poirier, who owns the Wild Carrot Café in the City Market, agreed with that notion.
"It provides an additional anchor for business and development," she said. "It's progress and it shows that Saint John is on the move. It's a very welcome boost, especially for the small businessperson in uptown Saint John."
Poirier said Irving Oil's waterfront development proposal is an indicator of prosperity, and that when there is confidence in the city, it expands and it encourages more business to do the same.
"By bringing and capturing more people in the uptown core, it's just a trickle effect that echoes through all of the uptown businesses."
She said the Long Wharf site has been vacant for some time.
"Let's develop it. We've got this beautiful waterfront that is a diamond in the rough that we need to see grow and develop, and would just encourage so much more to happen in the city.
"It's Saint John's time. It's our time for the city to prosper. We need to take that perspective and look at it that way."
Jeff Lee owns Sebastian on Princess Street and said the Irving Oil development will bring more residents to the city's uptown core, which will in turn feed local small business.
"I think by living uptown, you're going to have more businesses to accommodate the people coming in town," Lee said.
Alden Vienneau, co-owner of Colwell's in Brunswick Square, is also excited about the potential development.
"Saint John's moving forward, and I've very excited about that new complex going up," he said. "It's a wonderful thing for the city."
Anne-Marie Mullin is owner of the House of Tara in Market Square and ran for a councillor-at-large position in May's municipal election. She called the development positive, but said the proposal needs to be examined carefully by common council and that an environmental study should be done on the Lantic Sugar site.
"We can't make a mistake on this one," said Mullin. "I'm certainly for it, as long as all of that is in place."
