The new courthouse in downtown Fredericton will be one of the tallest buildings in the city after a height variance was approved Wednesday at a special meeting of the planning advisory committee.

Work is expected to begin by the end of November on the $60-million courthouse going up on King Street between Regent and Carleton streets. The space is currently a parking lot. 

At 32.9 metres tall, the justice building will have the equivalent of 11 storeys, about the same height as Frederick Square, also known as the TD Tower.

But the building will actually have only six storeys to accommodate the courtrooms, which need to be higher than regular storeys. 

“The higher ceiling height allows proper lines of sight for the judiciary and the jury that sit on raised platforms and also allows for elevated camera mounting positions and video screens,” said Tony Dakiv, senior planner with the city.   

As a tradeoff for the extra height, the New Brunswick government will have to provide a “community benefit” under the city’s built-form design guidelines. The guidelines ask for a piece of public art or a community space in exchange for a  height variance. 

Architect Daniel Ling of Montgomery Sisam, one of the architectural firms involved in the project, said the requirement will be met by a plaza at the entrance to the building, with a public space that will include trees and benches.

“The intent is to create a number of masonry benches along the north edge of the plaza, so when someone steps up the sidewalk into the plaza there is a space for seating,” Ling said.

“The intent is to create some human scale as you’re in the plaza, so there’s a sense of place.

Keep reading on CBC News