Uptown Saint John to get new liquor store

There's more good news for the future of uptown Saint John, with the announcement Friday of plans for a new liquor outlet.

A new 9,500-square foot NB Liquor location is planned for the corner of Wellington and Union streets, a premium property in the heart of the city.

"It's great news in terms of taking an existing parking lot and doing a new development on it," said Paul Moore, vice president of Commercial Properties Ltd., the company building the outlet. "[It]is very consistent with a lot of the plans and desires of, I think the city."

The new store still needs city approval, but the corks are being popped by those who've been pushing for an uptown liquor store for years.

"The convenience of having a well-suited location, a store in the uptown area will be really positive," said Paulette Hicks, from the Saint John Hotel Association. "Both for the visitor, but certainly from an economic development perspective."

The new location will be across the street from several historic buildings, such as Loyalist House, so the plans are to attempt to blend it in with its surroundings.

If it's approved, construction is expected to begin in April, and be finished by the end of 2016.

Along with the construction of the new Irving Oil headquarters around the corner, Saint John's uptown should be busier than it's been in a long time.