Sonco: Why Not Give Us Something in Return?

Quality design is about trade-off and compromise. There are always alternative solutions to any architectural problem. But when I attended the commissioner’s public meeting for #1 Clift’s Baird’s Cove on the 11^th of March I was struck by the unwavering determination of the developer’s representative, Mr. Anthony Novac. It was an attitude that smacked of privilege. His presentation on the controversial Park Hotel design was “not up for debate” as the CBC inferred in their news headline of the following day.

The proposal to amend the St. John’s Development Regulations with respect to a text amendment to the Atlantic Parking Garage District and Atlantic Place Parking Garage Zone does, at least superficially, addresses many aspects of the Municipal Plan that the citizens of this community have endorsed. The provisions fall, strictly speaking, into the category of “Planning” and are ostensibly black and white: increase in permissible building height, increase in floor-area-ratio, and addition of proposed commercial/office use (in the downtown).

I for one, cannot argue against the merit of such proposals. They reflect sustainability goals, addressing density and other laudatory ideals about planning. However, this is an exceptionally narrow focus that distills important architectural concepts and questions conveniently down into coloured blobs on a map. This is the essence of the proposed amendment. When it is approved (as it probably should be for the reasons cited above) it will be used to defend architectural travesties and excuse the oversight of missed opportunities.

You see, the public’s arguments against such developments are not planning arguments per se. So it is with great likelihood that various aesthetic, community and sustainability arguments raised in objection to the proposal will be ruled out of context or out of order by the commissioner (Marie White).

On February 25^th 2012, I along with many other concerned citizens, gave up my Saturday for the Mayor’s Symposium on the new Municipal Plan.  I made numerous written contributions.  I participated in my Ward 1 Public Consultation Session on the evening of May 23^rd 2012.  I was enthused about the process.

In July of 2014, the DRAFT version of the Municipal Plan was released. Almost six years later it remains DRAFT. Glaciers will overtake us at a faster rate.

Vital however to this discussion, is that the draft Municipal Plan for St. John’s mentions “urban design” no less than seventeen times. It is perhaps a recognition of something that has been traditionally absent, but is touted in the “Envision” document as the means to “improve the quality of life … throughout the City”. The draft document further suggests that “quality” urban design can be assured through the development of “comprehensive urban design guidelines for new development”.

At the public meeting for the Park Hotel, Chief City Planner, Ken O’Brien, acknowledged to everyone in the room (to his credit) that no Urban Design Guidelines have been commissioned or developed in any way, and that there was absolutely nothing to prevent developers in St. John’s from building “anything they want to”.

Pause to let that sink in for a minute.

Now let me take you back to the meeting, in which, Mr. Novac, President of Sonco Gaming (appropriately) stated that the Park Hotel development would be something that the citizens of St. John’s would be proud of. Thinking that Mr. Novac really had no idea what would make the citizens of St. John’s proud, I asked him:

“What specifically, Mr. Novac, about this development will make the citizens proud?”

In short, he did not answer the question. (We here in Newfoundland are used to that.) Instead he launched into a discussion about his father, Michael Novac, former VP of Trizec and now President of Sonco. We peons who had gathered that night, I presume, were supposed to be impressed with the Trizec name drop.

I was not. I have the memory of an elephant.

I suspect Mr. Novac junior was not even born in 1974 when Trizec purchased the land west of City Hall and proposed a building with 350,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail space, a 300 room hotel and parking for 600 cars. Three towers: 28, 21 and 16 storeys in height. Where Mile One is now. Talk about scale and context!

Trizec did have one rather significant caveat however: the city had to build a harbor arterial road to support the development. To appease the corporation, the city built Pitt’s Memorial Drive ($57 million) complete with that horrible eyesore overpass that literally plunges into the heart of downtown like a dagger. But in November of 1976, Trizec backed out, ostensibly because a leasing agreement with the provincial government fell through. The City sued Trizec. After all, they built the damned road. The parties settled out-of-court. The City got to buy back the land back for the original price, but a bitter taste lingered in the mouths of all those who can remember the entire fiasco.

Trizec’s attitude throughout was that they knew what was best for St. John’s.

Based on his performance in the Park Hotel presentation, Mr. Novac junior has adopted a similar ingratiating stance.

But I digress. I tend to do that. I love urban economic history. Especially as it forms the basis of why Anthony Novac believes that we will be proud of the Park Hotel. He is, after all, the President of Gaming.

The main issue for me here is not the zoning change to create greater density (through upping the F.A.R.) or getting additional height. The whole process has been distilled into a Mickey Mouse planning exercise – which is the problem.

Let’s go back about seven years to Doc O’Keefe’s “envisioning” process. People asked for architectural controls to be put in place for new developments in the city. Hence the “Urban Design Guidelines” that do not, as yet, exist. Until these are in place, there is absolutely no criticism that can be levelled at ANY development (other than a regulatory / planning change) because any such observation is outside council’s current (and exceptionally narrow) purview.

But here are my thoughts (for whatever they’re worth):

Clift’s Baird’s Cove has the potential to be a great gift to the city. The only traffic it caters to is that which accesses and exits the parking garage. It has no other vehicular use. So if the developer wants air rights, a wise city father would ask them to remove the vehicular access to the garage from Clift’s Baird’s Lane and relocate it to Harbour Drive (where it should have been in the first place). Hell, give them air rights over the entire Lane if they are willing to do this.

Why?

Picture a canopy over the lane that would offer citizens the only pedestrian retreat in the entire downtown. Sonco could develop their entry to the hotel here, together with a restaurant that can spill out onto the newly created plaza. The Boca Tapas Bar can do the same. Opposite this, the Baird property can follow suit – an incredible commercial prospect! And because the Baird property houses a good portion of the visual arts community, Eastern Edge now also spills out onto the plaza, making this one of the most vibrant plazas in the country.

The notion of Clift’s Baird’s Cove becoming a plaza was first conjured in the “Harbour Charrette” in 2006. Ironically, this was a social engagement action on the part of architects and citizens that City hall actually banned! That’s right. The City forbade any support or attendance by any of its officials or staff. Shannie Duff (God love her) ignored Mayor Well’s edict and offered herself up as chair of the event.

So I am calling on the current city council not to TOTALLY BLOW THIS OPPORTUNTY. It is in a position to say “NO” to Sonco.

Don’t worry. They will come back and ask what the City wants. It’s called negotiation. Simply point out that the plaza idea is a huge win for both parties.

But true to our past performance, we are going to give it all away. Developer take all. Nothing will be forthcoming for the citizens of St. John’s unless we book a room at the Park Hotel.