Saint John's north end poised for transformation

Dozens of apartment houses in the tight grid of streets making up Saint John's old north end will soon change hands in what could be part of a major transformation in the community.

The buildings, currently registered to Phillip Huggard Properties Ltd., are being sold to Fredericton-based PMV Canada Inc., as part of Huggard's bankruptcy proceedings.

Most of the Phillip Huggard buildings are older, wooden two- and three-storey, multi-unit apartment houses. Among them are 33 in the north end and another 14 in the Waterloo Village area.

I think that we could see a beautiful mixed income community thriving again.- Kit Hickey, Rehabitat Inc.

Some are occupied by tenants, but several have been boarded up in recent months, creating ghostly streetscapes along sections of Victoria and Main streets.

Some of the buildings are in disrepair and will be demolished, according to PMV Canada's chief operating officer David Loten.

"We'd like to fix up the ones we can, make them more livable, a little more presentable," said Loten.

"And the ones we can't fix, that are beyond repair, we'll have to take them down and do something new with the land."

Loten said in each case the company will do what's best for the community.

"If we benefit the neighbourhood and we made the neighbourhood better, it benefits us in the long run," said Loten.

'Land bank' project in the works

PMV's arrival on the Saint John scene is a welcome one for some Saint John non-profit groups.

Kit Hickey, the executive director at Rehabitat Inc., an organization that manages affordable housing units in the city, said PMV has consulted with her sector about its plans.

The company has also designated a representative to sit on a committee that is working to establish a so-called land bank in the north end.

The proposed land bank would purchase properties on a block of the old north end and develop new affordable housing units there as a means to spark further development nearby.

"Land banks have proven to really do a tremendous turnaround in distressed neighbourhoods," said Hickey.

The Rehabitat project could see 50 units — including walkups and townhouses — dovetailing with PMV's work on the former Huggard properties.

"We could see a neighbourhood that's been restored to its former beauty, a residential neighbourhood that was one of the more affluent areas of the city," said Hickey.

"I think that we could see a beautiful mixed-income community thriving again."

'Incredible place'

Saint John Coun. John MacKenzie, whose ward includes the old north end, said the neighbourhood's location, overlooking the St. John River and close to the uptown, makes a turnaround inevitable.

"I mean we're surrounded by water here. There's so many places here in the north end that you can live and see the water," said MacKenzie.

"It's incredible, it's an incredible place to be. We just have to put the right housing here to draw the right people back here. It's happened other places, it can happen here."

Andrew Grady sees that potential in the old north end.

He and business partner, Mathieu Laquerre, purchased and completely renovated a two-unit building at 92 Victoria St. and purchased a second building a few doors down at the intersection of Albert Street.

Grady, who is from Prince Edward Island, said he had no preconceptions about the north end when they bought the building in April. He now lives in one of the renovated units with his young family.

One of the difficulties has been getting financing because the major banks don't want to get involved, said Grady, who is a bank employee.

"Unfortunately, this street, from a lending perspective in parts of the city, just has a negative connotation with the underwriters," he said.

Grady got financing through a mortgage broker and is pleased with the way the renovations have gone.

Some residents worried

He said his new neighbours appreciate what his company, MADA Partners, is doing.

"Walking by, people will say, 'It's really nice to see what you've done.' That happens all the time," said Grady.

Tony Schlosser, a long-time north end resident, said he is a little worried by the surge in developer interest in the community.

"They'll try and put the rents up to get a better class of people in some ways, try and push out people like myself, or people with kids," he said.

"It's a balancing act. You can't just jump it right up."

Schlosser said the neighbourhood's demographics have changed dramatically in recent years with an aging population and far fewer children, but said he isn't going anywhere.

"After 27 years, it's a lot of memories. I've seen a lot of people come and go," said Schlosser.