A Smarter Build: How Precast Innovation is Powering Progress on King St.
Total precast construction is a streamlined approach with the potential to fast-track one of the Saint John Region’s most anticipated new residential developments on King St.. Inside Strescon Limited, a member of OSCO Construction Group in Saint John, concrete components are constantly in production – poured, cured, and prepared for installation well before construction crews need them on site.
Total precast concrete systems are not new. New Brunswick has seen their benefits for over 50 years, beginning when Strescon first built using the product and process. The method has been a construction staple in Europe for even longer. However, in Canada’s residential sector, its use is accelerating as developers seek solutions that combine speed, strength, and sustainability without compromising on design.
With precast, multiple phases of construction can happen simultaneously. While a foundation is being prepared on-site, structural elements are fabricated off-site, ready for delivery and installation as soon as the site is ready. In Canada’s climate – a constant challenge for the construction industry – a total precast build offers a key advantage: it allows projects to be enclosed and protected from the elements in months rather than years. That efficiency is a game-changer for urban development in the Saint John Region.
Strescon, a regional powerhouse with national and international reach, has partnered with Architects Inc. and Ostan Engineering to bring the 99 King project to life.
99 King – a 15-level, 152-unit, total precast mixed-use residential tower featuring two large floors of commercial retail and underground parking – is set to rise in the heart of uptown. Led by local developer Percy Wilbur, this transformative project is reimagining a key corner of the city’s core, promising much-needed housing while making a bold statement on the uptown skyline.
The building will include more than 2,000 individual precast components, such as prestressed hollow core slabs, stairs, interior panels, and architectural panels featuring embedded red brick at the lower levels of the structure to align with the look and feel of uptown Saint John.
From the early stages of planning, it became clear that embracing a total precast approach offered a path forward that balanced financial predictability, design ambition, and construction efficiency.
“The concept itself, especially with the windows being in as you build, and it kind of almost being a finished product as you’re going up the superstructure, was very appealing,” says Wilbur. “And the cost is the cost – so you know that level going into it, which is really good, having that security.”
Precast’s speed and cost aren’t its only advantages. It also supports more sustainable construction practices, including reduced waste, fewer deliveries, less heavy machinery, and a smaller construction site footprint. That means less disruption for surrounding neighbourhoods while adding momentum to the project.
At 99 King, the total precast approach is expected to keep the project timeline on track, despite industry-wide challenges, helping ensure housing delivery remains on schedule.
“The 99 King Street project represents a bold step forward in urban revitalization for Saint John,” says Rebecca Patterson, District Manager of Strescon. “This 15-level development showcases the power of precast to transform a long-vacant site into a vibrant residential hub, with architectural finishes that respect the heritage of the uptown district while embracing modern design.”
From Saint John to projects across Canada and beyond, Strescon is setting the pace for modern construction. The work on 99 King underscores the power of precast concrete – not only for faster, smarter building, but also as a showcase of the Saint John Region’s strength in construction and manufacturing.
“We’re in a unique position to put an iconic building on an iconic piece of property,” says Wilbur. “I think we’ve achieved that working with Strescon – to design a building that fits in our community and meets the needs of our community.”
Story re-published with permission by: Growth Stories, Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency
Read more about our next level construction projects in our Connections Spring 2025 Newsmagazine, Fall edition to be releases December 1st, 2025.
