As reported on Yahoo News, a request to increase surface parking in downtown Moncton by the company that owns the Blue Cross Centre was rejected by city councillors in a 7-4 vote Tuesday.

Slate Office REIT wanted to rezone 20 Record St., to allow a 365-space parking lot. It was rejected over concerns about the environment and how it could affect future requests to add more surface parking in a section of the city where such lots already accounts for about 40 per cent of the area.

Jeremy Kaupp, a director of asset management with Slate, said the company needed the parking to retain Blue Cross Centre tenants and to allow for growth.

The office complex along Main Street includes offices of Medavie Blue Cross, the Royal Bank of Canada, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Moncton’s public library.

“I think the potential growth is imminent with the approval of this plan, otherwise they may look elsewhere,” Kaupp told councillors before the vote.

Kaupp left city hall immediately after the vote and didn’t stop when reporters followed him outside to ask him questions.

Jim Scott with Trace Planning and Design worked with Slate on its plans.

“It’s unfortunate one of your biggest downtown building owners is not able to provide for their tenant base, and there will be a cost to that,” Scott told reporters, later saying it could cause Slate to lose clients.

City staff had recommended approving the rezoning despite it going against city plans to reduce surface parking in favour of denser developments that incorporate parking garages.

Keep reading on Yahoo News

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