Building spree on new St. John's developments valued at $1 billion
New residential and commercial developments in St. John’s are valued at more than one billion this year.
It’s a massive building spree worth more than any other year before, said Coun. Tom Hann who heads the city’s planning committee.
"We have unprecedented growth going on in the city,” said Hann.
“We’ve never seen anything like this before. Hotels, downtown office space, new subdivisions, and condominiums are on fire in this city."
Already in 2012, the city is 250 million dollars ahead of where they were this time last year. Hann said this kind of boom will trickle down into other city benefits.
"It gives us more money to do more things to fix infrastructure, the aging infrastructure we have. And to do more things like create parks, and green spaces, and walking trails."
The booming oil industry and mega-projects like the nickel processing plant in Long Habour are fuelling the growth.
“If you look back over the last ten years and look at what's going on now, it's astronomical,” said Hann.
Hann said the city expects the growth to continue. On the horizon is the multi-billion dollar development planned for the Southlands area, led by former premier Danny Williams.
Hann said more and more are seniors moving to St. John’s from smaller communities.
"You'll get a lot of seniors moving into this area because they have shopping, they have doctor’s offices, they have hospitals, and they have access to all of the services that they require."
Some residents said all the construction from the new developments has drawbacks.
"The traffic that they're causing is another. It's just too much traffic,” said resident Jamie Squires. “It's just crazy."
Connie Pittman lives in the city and worries about the increase in crime.
"You don't feel as safe living here as you used to years ago,” she said. “I know growing up our house was never locked up. Now, if you're home in the day time you lock up your house."
