Halifax Developments [Archive]

Black Slacks

August 22nd, 2006, 12:29 AM

This is all really great. Thanks for posting, HaliGuy and all.

Does anyone have pics of Dartmouth Crossing lately? It seems to be coming along slowly but surely - I guess a lot of the ground work is done now and we'll start to see more buildings popping up soon. Big-Box development is not my favorite but I think it'll be interesting to see how this one shapes up.

Also, does anyone know where RIM is locating? Did I miss that? I originally heard it was in Bayers Lake somewhere.

Wow, I feel so ignorant - I knew nothing of the Queen's Landing development (in my defense, I haven't really been living in Halifax this past while), It looks great; they're really adding a lot. As bluenoser said - this, combined with whatever happens at the Salter St. landing and also with the Keith's brewery development - all this in the same general area is so good to see. Plus, there's more potential, as mentioned with the lot next to the Ralston building and TexPark not too far away, also King's Wharf across the way. A lot of surface level parking lots/gravel pits are finally being converted into something.

It looks like Queen's Landing would involve tearing down that bioscience building, as well as a couple of others. No big deal I guess, that office building's not so beautiful and has little or no historical value at this point.

Again, being out of the loop, I don't know of the final design for the Salter St. Landing. I vaguely remember the design that was chosen but that seems like awhile ago. What sorts of things will be there? I was really for the waterfront outdoor skating rink idea.

The Brewery Market complex looks awesome on the Lower Water St. side with all the stone, but the Hollis St. side looks pretty bland at this point. I'm not sure how it'll finish up, though.

The complex on North Barrington looks pretty cool. Anyone have a rendering or know what it's called?

Good stuff all around!

Ashok

August 22nd, 2006, 12:32 AM

great threads guys !! This section needs more of these.

HaliGuy

August 22nd, 2006, 03:17 AM

Haligonian

August 22nd, 2006, 03:45 AM

I believe that RIM has opened offices in the XWave building for now, but they will probably be building their own office park eventually.

The buildings for Dartmouth Crossing will probably be pretty simple and won't take that long to construct. Site preparation took a while because as far as I know there was nothing out there but a hole to begin with.

I don't normally mention suburban developments on the forum. Pretty much everything within the 102 from Halifax to Bedford is in the process of being developed.

I really don't know when a Midtown decision will come, whether or not that might permit immediate construction, or what the chances are.

Other developments not mentioned are the seawall projects. One pier is being renovated by NSCAD and there is a new brewery down there, amongst other things.

The Queen's Landing project probably won't be started for a few years. There's no way that all of these things can be built at once. Ideally, we will see the United Gulf and Salter waterfront (that area is in much worse shape) developments along with a development of the Spring Garden lands come fairly quickly.

Penhorn

August 22nd, 2006, 03:50 AM

Here's the Midtown development...can't say I really like how it looks, although it's better than nothing. Maybe it'll look better in real life.

http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/keddy/keddy/projects/commercial_retail/midtown_top.jpg

Wishblade

August 22nd, 2006, 03:51 AM

I was just wondering too if anybody knew when construction on armoury square was to start? Im assuming in September?

Penhorn

August 22nd, 2006, 03:52 AM

I was just wondering too if anybody knew when construction on armoury square was to start? Im assuming in September?
Whoa, fast posting. Probably around then - I can sort of see something in the photo that says something like "Fall 2007 occupancy", so September sounds about right.

Haligonian

August 22nd, 2006, 04:00 AM

I think the Midtown would look okay. The big problem that some people have is that the South wall will be blank, or maybe have fake windows. However, it makes little sense for them to put windows on that side since somebody else owns the lot next door and could easily put up a similar building.

I like the art deco styling of the proposed signage and the proportions of the bottom part but I'm not a fan of the upper half. I would have been happier to see an eight storey building quickly approved and constructed.

Armoury Square looks like a nice project but they have been trying to sell units there for a long time.

skyscraper_1

August 22nd, 2006, 04:53 AM

Isnt there a massive suburban development in or near clayton park for 18,000 people?

bluenoser

August 22nd, 2006, 04:53 PM

Bedford West maybe? It's supposed to fill in the area between Bedford, Park West and Hammonds Plains. The best part: no height limits.

I can't find any new renderings of the Salter St. project but from what I understand it's the same as before except they got rid of the tower for now so that the approval process wouldn't be as complicated. The design was a bunch of "Miami-ish" postmodern low/midrises (I think 4 to 10 storeys) which will either contrast nicely with Bishop's Landing next door, or else clash horribly with it. I'm hoping for the former.

HaliGuy

August 22nd, 2006, 05:25 PM

Isnt there a massive suburban development in or near clayton park for 18,000 people?

There's a new development at the top of the hill around that big CBC transmission tower that could be what you're thinking of. Its the last vacant land in the Calton Park area.

HaliGuy

August 22nd, 2006, 05:26 PM

ILoveSkyscrapers

August 22nd, 2006, 08:42 PM

Great information, I love seeing all the new development in Halifax. I’ve always believed Halifax was a great city just waiting to happen. And now it is. :applause:

bluenoser

August 23rd, 2006, 04:59 AM

Not really a building, but it is still construction:

http://www.hfxskatepark.org

Penhorn

August 24th, 2006, 08:06 AM

The July 2006 NS Construction Activity report (http://www.gov.ns.ca/finance/publish/conact/ca0607.pdf) is out, some exciting stuff's inside!

Penhorn

August 29th, 2006, 10:06 PM

Court asked to quash towers proposal

By STEVE PROCTOR Business Editor

The fight to stop a $150-million hotel/condominium complex at the former Tex-Park site in Halifax is headed to court.

The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia and MLA Howard Epstein have jointly asked the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to quash Halifax Regional Municipality’s decision to approve a development application for the project, slated for a site between Hollis and Granville streets.

Documents filed with the court earlier this month suggest the deal with United Gulf Developments, approved on March 21, should be set aside because the consultation process leading to the approval "breached procedural fairness" and deprived the public of an opportunity to comment on the project in an informed and rational way.

The filing says four relevant documents were unavailable to the public prior to public meetings and that councillors heard representations from the developer after the public hearing was closed. The documents also say two councillors based their approval on "irrelevant considerations," specifically the suggestion that council had to approve the deal since it sold the developer the land in 2004 with full knowledge a developer intended to build a 26-storey tower.

A legal response from the municipality asserts that all relevant documentation was available prior to the hearings. The 25-page response says a tender document and a purchase and sale agreement cited by Heritage Trust as "unavailable" were not relevant to consideration of the application. Two other documents, a wind study and a shadow study, had been available to the public for close to a year, the documents indicate.

It contends a briefing with developers following the public sessions was for clarification purposes and no new information was provided.

An Aug. 11 response submitted by a lawyer representing United Gulf, seeking to have the application dismissed, said the municipal council made no error in law and breached no rules of natural fairness. The brief characterized the lawsuit as a case where the applicants opposed the project in general and were looking for a mechanism to stall development.

The United Gulf brief says the most reasonable and effective way of dealing with the issue is through an appeal to the Utility and Review Board, a process that is now underway.

In April, four groups, including Heritage Trust, appealed the municipality’s decision to approve a development agreement for the site.

A date for the Utility and Review Board hearing is expected to be set next week. The Supreme Court application is likely to be heard in December.

( sproctor@herald.ca)

Penhorn

August 29th, 2006, 10:25 PM

The Life Science Research Institute will be built on a parking lot off Spring Garden Road by Dalhousie University, Capital Health, and the IWK hospital.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/dal1.jpg

Black Slacks

August 29th, 2006, 10:40 PM

Black Slacks

August 29th, 2006, 10:47 PM

^^ The Life Sciences Research Institute looks good, I guess. I like it except for the part at the top (vents?). The building matches exactly the colours of my new tent, ha.

Unfortunately, this building doesn't seem like it'll have a lot of exposure - not a whole lot of traffic at Summer and College, though it should be somewhat visible from University Ave. or maybe Spring Garden.

It would be nice to see the rest of that surface level parking lot developed, although I'll admit that Dal has a parking problem

HaliGuy

August 30th, 2006, 01:55 AM

Terrible. In most ways, though, there's nothing surprising about what they're doing; it's just what they do. The latest in a series of hurdles to get this thing underway.

I like the part where United Gulf calls it "a case where the applicants opposed the project in general and were looking for a mechanism to stall development."

All we can do is hope it's dismissed, along with almost everything else these people bring up.

I really do hope it's dismissed. This is really getting out of hand. I hope that the Midtown wins their appeal to the Supreme Court. It will be a precedent decision. One that will hopefully keep these Heritage groups down and let the city develop. Then maybe they will foucus on protecting actual hetitage buildings.

bluenoser

August 30th, 2006, 05:21 AM

Documents filed with the court earlier this month suggest the deal with United Gulf Developments, approved on March 21, should be set aside because the consultation process leading to the approval "breached procedural fairness" and deprived the public of an opportunity to comment on the project in an informed and rational way.
Because no informed, rational person could ever approve of these incongruous monstrosities?

skyscraper_1

August 30th, 2006, 03:28 PM

Documents filed with the court earlier this month suggest the deal with United Gulf Developments, approved on March 21, should be set aside because the consultation process leading to the approval "breached procedural fairness" and deprived the public of an opportunity to comment on the project in an informed and rational way.

Sounds like sour grapes to me...you lost, get over it! Plus the public had plenty of opportunity to comment on the project. I guess "informed and rational way" means their way.

Jonestowncultinpicto

August 31st, 2006, 04:49 AM

Sounds like sour grapes to me...you lost, get over it! Plus the public had plenty of opportunity to comment on the project. I guess "informed and rational way" means their way.

True enough about the time alotted for public debate. Now if the commonwealth gmaes could come under the same type of microscope as this privately funded project!!!!

Jim jones

skyscraper_1

August 31st, 2006, 04:57 AM

True enough about the time alotted for public debate. Now if the commonwealth gmaes could come under the same type of microscope as this privately funded project!!!!

Jim jones
I certainly agree with you Jim. Although I slightly favor the games I would like to know the price tag.

Jonestowncultinpicto

August 31st, 2006, 06:42 AM

I certainly agree with you Jim. Although I slightly favor the games I would like to know the price tag.

and that is the sad irony of the two situations. A 150 million dollar private development being hamstrung by red tape while A committee of civil servants can have a publicly funded business plan to the tune of 795 million by their last admission without public debate or even open presentations before the HRM council.

If anyone believes the final cost would not exceed 2 billion then could I interest you in some bog land in the cape breton highlands. LOL
Historically it has been shown that sports festivals always exceed original cost estimates by a minimum cost of three times. With montreal it was a factor of 12 times the cost before interest and debt servicing took place for the 30 years following the games. The final tally would be on an order of 30 to 40 times the original cost estimate by the time the debt was retired in 2006.

The city of Ottawa's domestic bid committee came up with 950 million for their original estimate and they have many more of the facilities in place today. So how this attitude of "it will be different in Halifax" does not cut it and the secrecy just adds fuel to the fire.

Theres good reason the canidates for the councillors race in bedford had the reaction on the doorsteps in regards to the commonwealth games. IT is that the public does not trust the same people who said amalgimation would save the taxpayers money in 1997.

jim jones

HaliGuy

August 31st, 2006, 02:13 PM

and that is the sad irony of the two situations. A 150 million dollar private development being hamstrung by red tape while A committee of civil servants can have a publicly funded business plan to the tune of 795 million by their last admission without public debate or even open presentations before the HRM council.

If anyone believes the final cost would not exceed 2 billion then could I interest you in some bog land in the cape breton highlands. LOL
Historically it has been shown that sports festivals always exceed original cost estimates by a minimum cost of three times. With montreal it was a factor of 12 times the cost before interest and debt servicing took place for the 30 years following the games. The final tally would be on an order of 30 to 40 times the original cost estimate by the time the debt was retired in 2006.

The city of Ottawa's domestic bid committee came up with 950 million for their original estimate and they have many more of the facilities in place today. So how this attitude of "it will be different in Halifax" does not cut it and the secrecy just adds fuel to the fire.

Theres good reason the canidates for the councillors race in bedford had the reaction on the doorsteps in regards to the commonwealth games. IT is that the public does not trust the same people who said amalgimation would save the taxpayers money in 1997.

jim jones

Don't bring you're anti Commonwealth Games rhetoric this this tread please Jim.

Thank you.

Penhorn

August 31st, 2006, 04:07 PM

The "Amalthea Centre" render has been taken down and replaced with a plain "AMALTHEA" sign. Hopefully some sort of redesign in in the works:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/picture2.jpg

Also, not really construction, but I noticed three apartment buildings off Barrington Street are being painted, probably to make it look a bit less dreary:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/picture1.jpg

jonovision

August 31st, 2006, 04:47 PM

I really like what they have done with Ocean Towers. They've also added some nice lighting at night that really makes them stand out.

HaliGuy

August 31st, 2006, 05:55 PM

I really like what they have done with Ocean Towers. They've also added some nice lighting at night that really makes them stand out.

Yes, it looks a lot better than before. It doesn't look so much like the Projects which I guess they use to be.

Black Slacks

August 31st, 2006, 07:47 PM

Also, not really construction, but I noticed three apartment buildings off Barrington Street are being painted, probably to make it look a bit less dreary:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/picture1.jpg

It's not easy to make all that concrete look better but they're doing a pretty good job.

This is the type of thing I'd like to see for Fenwick. Maybe some cleaning (sandblasting?), replacing windows, maybe some sort of paint. If all the balcony railings were replaced with glass...

That building could have potential, at least to look better - it just needs a little TLC. I think that would be appropriate with the construction of the new Fenwick buildings beside it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Fenwick_Tower_Sunset.jpg

bluenoser

September 1st, 2006, 12:17 AM

Historically it has been shown that sports festivals always exceed original cost estimates by a minimum cost of three times.
Always? Every single time?

I really like what they have done with Ocean Towers. They've also added some nice lighting at night that really makes them stand out.
Now they look more Miami and less Pyongyang...

Wishblade

September 1st, 2006, 01:01 AM

Now they look more Miami and less Pyongyang...

Yeah, you know I never really realized how awful those buildings looked until they did all these refurbishments. It's really quite startling. Now if they would only do something for Fenwick we'd be set lol.

Haligonian

September 1st, 2006, 06:52 PM

When I was last in Halifax they had done some minor things to those buildings. I didn't think they planned to change the exterior that much. They certainly do, or did, have a pretty bad reputation. It's good that they're being fixed up a bit.

The architects of the LSRI were somewhat limited in what they could do because the building contains lab space. The building will actually be pretty visible from Spring Garden Road because of the tower-in-the-park condos nearby. It would be great if they built something up to the street and got rid of the plastic gazebo (the public gardens are across the street!) but it's probably not going to happen.

Keith P.

September 1st, 2006, 11:58 PM

Yes, it looks a lot better than before. It doesn't look so much like the Projects which I guess they use to be.

Still are though, at least image-wise. The best investment you could make in those buildings would be several hundred pounds of high explosives, strategically placed.

bluenoser

September 2nd, 2006, 01:30 AM

Hey I think they're ok. My friend's brother lived (still lives?) in one of them and he's made it out alive so far

Haligonian

September 5th, 2006, 03:46 AM

I've been wandering around the city a bit and I have seen some construction sites.

Gladstone Street looks pretty good, although they haven't started putting the cladding on the first tower. The houses are meant to look like traditional ones built about a century ago in the area and are actually very nicely proportioned, even though they are made out of modern materials. In fact, they are better than some of the actual 100 year houses nearby. I think the street will look very good when everything is finished. There will also be a midrise South of the houses that should fit in well.

The nearby Hydrostone Suites look a bit stranger. Not the end of the world, but not very good either.

There are many other minor construction projects in the North End that have gone unnoticed in this thread. There are a few townhouses nearly finished on Creighton Street that were designed by Bryan MacKay-Lions, for example. There is also something come along for a corner lot nearby and I think I saw something being built around North Street or so. Some nearby areas really aren't great but I think the area is improving. Brunswick also has its townhouse project and Barrington has those two buildings.

I had a look at Salter's Gate and my opinion there is kind of mixed. I think it looks decent from Lower Water Street, but it leaves something to be desired on Hollis. I think it will certainly be better when the windows and some more detailing is done. However, I just don't like precast cladding that much. I also dislike the design of the windows, the low ceilings, and the setback. The bottom part, as I said, is decent, with some ironstone and some interesting features. On the whole I think it will definitely be an improvement. I hope that the developer comes forward with a new plan for the other end of the block and also restores Keith Hall...

skyscraper_1

September 5th, 2006, 09:20 PM

Still are though, at least image-wise. The best investment you could make in those buildings would be several hundred pounds of high explosives, strategically placed.
I dont think blowing up the NIMBY's will solve the problem Keith.... :shocked:
:jk:

Penhorn

September 5th, 2006, 11:50 PM

bluenoser

September 6th, 2006, 04:47 AM

^Ahh that made me dizzy, and not in a good way.

Black Slacks

September 6th, 2006, 09:34 PM

I had a look at Salter's Gate and my opinion there is kind of mixed. I think it looks decent from Lower Water Street, but it leaves something to be desired on Hollis. I think it will certainly be better when the windows and some more detailing is done. However, I just don't like precast cladding that much. I also dislike the design of the windows, the low ceilings, and the setback. The bottom part, as I said, is decent, with some ironstone and some interesting features. On the whole I think it will definitely be an improvement. I hope that the developer comes forward with a new plan for the other end of the block and also restores Keith Hall...

My thoughts exactly. The Hollis side is downright ugly at this point. It looks like the same architects from the Sheraton across the street, only worse. The way the windows are spaced out, I hope they plan to have some sort of design between them (perhaps ca. early 20th century?) or it will look like some sort of bland 1970s apartment building.

In any case, it will be interesting to see how the two sides flow together (or don't). I really like the Lr. Water St. side - they seem to have matched the stone pretty well to the original brewery building.

Speaking of which, what is going in the bottom (Water St.) section? I don't actually know much about this project.

Black Slacks

September 6th, 2006, 09:38 PM

Look at this thread:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=364123

Haha, that's an awesome thread. Might as well do something with all that concrete wall.

It makes you wonder how anyone ever thought it was okay to build something that boring looking to begin with?

Penhorn

September 6th, 2006, 11:00 PM

I saw a construction site today at the corner of Barrington and Cornwallis streets. They were working on the basement levels of the building. Anyone know what is it, or how tall it'll be?

Haligonian

September 6th, 2006, 11:00 PM

HaliGuy

September 7th, 2006, 12:05 AM

I saw a construction site today at the corner of Barrington and Cornwallis streets. They were working on the basement levels of the building. Anyone know what is it, or how tall it'll be?

Its condomium development called Spice Condo's....I think its only suppose to be around 10 stories.

Penhorn

September 7th, 2006, 04:00 AM

Its condomium development called Spice Condo's....I think its only suppose to be around 10 stories.
Ahh - here's the Spice website:
http://www.polycorp.ca/spice/
"The best features of urban design" - sounds like a good sign.

Haligonian

September 7th, 2006, 03:18 PM

According to the Herald, Armoury Square will begin construction next week.

Tower component:
http://www.armourysquare.com/images/tower.jpg

Rowhouses on the side street:
http://www.armourysquare.com/images/town_homes.jpg

It should be a nice addition to the area.

I have yet to see a rendering for Spice, but it is by the same developers who built the Mont Blanc development near the MacKay bridge.

Black Slacks

September 8th, 2006, 12:27 AM

Speaking of which, what is going in the bottom (Water St.) section? I don't actually know much about this project.

The project includes a 125-room Marriott hotel, 38 apartments, two retail spaces (6500 sq. ft. total), and underground parking. Presumably the space at the corner of Lower Water Street and Salter is for retail. Here is an image of the sign that they have up on the site:

http://www.pbase.com/halifaxphoto/image/66419808/medium.jpg

Here's what I guess will be one entrance to the hotel, or maybe another retail space on the right:
http://www.pbase.com/halifaxphoto/image/66314832/medium.jpg

..and here's the unflattering Hollis Street view:
http://www.pbase.com/halifaxphoto/image/66314831/medium.jpg

It will certainly look better when windows and railings are added and the building just generally looks more complete, but precast pretty much never looks good when used in large quantities.

I do think it will be a little better than the Sheraton though because it has a somewhat nicer street presence. The Sheraton has a blank wall running along Hollis.

Thanks for the pics - I didn't get the chance to check it out too much last time I was in town. It does look more interesting than the Sheraton, now that it's taking some more shape, but we'll see what happens. I wish they could've used more of the stone, but it's probably super expensive. Lots more than precast concrete!

On a side note: What's with all the Marriotts in downtown lately? They already built their ugly 'flagship' hotel on Grafton, and isn't the casino hotel a Marriott too? Now another one at Brewery Market? Oh well, whatever.

Black Slacks

September 8th, 2006, 12:29 AM

According to the Herald, Armoury Square will begin construction next week.

Tower component:
http://www.armourysquare.com/images/tower.jpg

Rowhouses on the side street:
http://www.armourysquare.com/images/town_homes.jpg

It should be a nice addition to the area.

Isn't this the building that was going to have the flatiron-style corner? I thought that would've been really cool. Maybe it was a different project, though...

Haligonian

September 8th, 2006, 02:25 AM

This is a different project from the one with the triangular lot. This one's North of the Commons and the other one is near the Southeast corner.

Haligonian

September 8th, 2006, 11:43 PM

I was out wandering around a bit today and I saw a new construction site on Birmingham/Queen Streets. At one point a year or two ago there was a rendering up there for a five or six storey building. Not sure if that's what this would be, but there's an "office space for lease" sign up on the site as well.

HaliGuy

September 9th, 2006, 01:34 AM

Here's a pic of the Spice Condos construction site.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1019.jpg

Here's a pic on the progression of the Gladestone Towers. It looks like they are starting the second tower I seen the foundation for it.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1020.jpg

jonovision

September 9th, 2006, 05:27 AM

They've put a bunch of banners up along Alderney Dr. advertising the Kings Wharf development.

Haligonian

September 9th, 2006, 07:14 PM

Creighton Street townhouse project:

http://snowmannwedding.perso.cegetel.net/Pictures/View%20of%20front%20of%20four%20units%20(Small).JPG

http://snowmannwedding.perso.cegetel.net/index_clip_image002_0000.gif

Last time I went by there was some coloured panelling if I remember correctly. I also saw another construction site for an unknown building and they have one of those "development agreement" signs up on the corner for a small public housing project by the same group that infamously sold a unit to Dawn Sloane.

Jonestowncultinpicto

September 9th, 2006, 09:37 PM

Look at this thread:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=364123

Would have been cool if they had painted Ocean Towers like this!

http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/9581/housecolors07fz.jpg

That is in poland ???? penhorn It looks cool but suddenly the room is starting to spin LOL. I am getting vertigo LOl . Just a joke of course.

you should check out those pictures of the athletes village for the 2007 Pan Am games in Rio . the brazillians have always had a cutting edge for architecture in the 20th century and they are shoiwng it again with the apartments for the Pan Am games.

Penhorn

September 10th, 2006, 03:41 AM

Duffman at SSP posted a bunch of great photos of current construction sites in Halifax, including a nice one of the new NSCC campus in Dartmouth:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=2287309

Penhorn

September 10th, 2006, 07:24 AM

HRM urban design public consultations start tomorrow, here's the website:

http://www.halifax.ca/capitaldistrict/RegionalCentreUrbanDesignStudy.html

Penhorn

September 13th, 2006, 04:05 AM

There's a lot of interesting information here, regarding the future of various sites around Halifax and Dartmouth:

http://www.halifax.ca/capitaldistrict/documents/PublicFacilitiesReport.pdf

Penhorn

September 22nd, 2006, 05:07 AM

Article in The Coast today:

---

Grand plans
The city’s only full-time urban planner attempts to steer the HRM by Design planning study to success. Mike Fleury reports.

by Mike Fleury

September 21, 2006

Andy Fillmore was excited about last Tuesday. He and his two working partners from the Toronto-based design firm Office for Urbanism were scheduled to meet with the entire city council to discuss HRM by Design, a $200,000 planning project focused on downtown Halifax and Dartmouth—a chance to directly explain and promote the project, and hopefully, get councillors on board with the project’s vision.

“We were going to set the hook in their mouths for this project and really sell them—really get the ball rolling,” Fillmore recalls. “And then, they cancelled it. They thought their agenda was too busy and they cancelled it that night. They ended up debating those day-glow trailer signs. There’s another thing that, in theory, the design strategy would take care of. Unfortunately, they chose this long debate rather than the thing that could have solved the problem....” He catches himself, and pauses. Then he laughs. “A little bit of frustration may be seeping out there. But I’m trying to keep calm about it!”

He may not have made it to council (“We’re working hard to get a workshop with them” ), but Fillmore still spent much of last week explaining HRM by Design at a series of public forums and stakeholder meetings. The goal was to get the word out early—and often —in order to generate more public participation, which Fillmore hopes will carry through to the end of the project in the fall of 2007.

It may prove a difficult task. Although last week’s Monday night meeting in Halifax and Wednesday’s public session in Dartmouth were both relatively well-attended, the week’s Thursday night wrap-up drew a thin crowd: roughly 50 attendees, some of whom were members of the design team.

“We were a bit disappointed in Thursday night’s final showing,” says Fillmore. He says that especially on the Halifax peninsula, there may have been a bit of fallout after what happened on the Spring Garden and Queen development project, where the public was asked to participate in the planning process last spring, only to find out later that much of the discussed property had already been divvied up for development. When the news broke, Fillmore was also taken by surprise.

“It turns into people saying, ‘All those meetings were a waste of time,’ or ‘Those meetings were a sham,’ and that the whole thing was a done deal in the backroom before you even started the public process. I mean, that’s all not true, but it doesn’t really matter because that’s what people believe.”

In addition to the challenge of engaging a wary public, Fillmore is also trying to work past another troubling and familiar problem: On Thursday night, a pro-development audience member and a member of the Heritage Trust got into a heated argument over the direction of downtown development. Jennifer Keesmaat, a speaker from the Office for Urbanism, was eventually forced to intervene (as she put it, “in the name of civility” ).

“They’ve seen this dynamic before: Entrenched pro-heritage, anti-development views versus entrenched pro-development anti-heritage views,” says Fillmore, referring to his two colleagues from the Office for Urbanism. Their experience, he hopes, will be able to move this town beyond simply a polarizing argument about height versus heritage.

“The idea is to change the whole discussion. You’re not going to get anywhere trying to have that same discussion over and over again. It’s more effective to change the discussion. That’s what they were trying to do.”

Fillmore’s hope is that as HRM by Design moves forward, that discussion will eventually shift to more positive, constructive and general ways to direct development—not simply a debate over individual developments, but setting a better standard across the city.

“Take, for example, a [densely populated] downtown—one of the goals we’re talking about...A dense downtown eliminates the expensive servicing of the suburbs, it creates economic development, it reduces homelessness, it increases job rates, it increases the tax base...it is actually a panacea. It’s the only panacea that’s available to us,” he says. “You can try to micromanage and fix all of those problems individually, but this project is really what ties it all together.”

-----

I'm really disappointed council cancelled the meeting..hopefully they can squeeze that workshop in :hahaha: .

Penhorn

September 23rd, 2006, 01:02 AM

Here's a few more sites around the city:

Citadel High School: (look earlier in the thread for a rendering)
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/school.jpg

Nova Scotia Community College Dartmouth campus, almost done:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/nscc.jpg

Nice new terraced houses, thought they were public housing at first but they aren't:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/rows.jpg

And a render of the final product:
http://snowmannwedding.perso.cegetel.net/Architecture_clip_image002.gif

Someone asked a while ago to see a photo of Dartmouth, so here's one of the downtown area, it's nothing special though. There's a big project (Kings Wharf) set for the area to the right of this picture, and to the left (not seen) is Dartmouth's tallest building, a twenty-something storey office tower:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/dartmouth.jpg

Does anyone know the story behind these abandoned truck trailers? They're about 200 metres south of the Uniacke Square public housing, and they've been there for several years. I would've thought the city would have done something by now, not only about the trailers, but about the whole lot:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/trailers.jpg

Penhorn

September 23rd, 2006, 05:00 AM

Here's a "Spice" rendering. Sort of disappointing (the low height), although the colours make it look interesting, in a good way.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/spice.jpg

jonovision

September 23rd, 2006, 05:01 PM

The more I look at the Spice rendering the more I like it. I think it has the possibilty to be quite nice.

The article in the Coast summs up the HRM by Design experience perfectly. And I truly believe that they can make a difference in this city if they're given the chance. I really want to see a denser city myself.

Black Slacks

September 26th, 2006, 06:11 PM

Thanks a lot for the pics, Penhorn.

Citadel High is looking great! Hey, does anyone know of what's being planned for the two old high school sites?

I think Spice looks good - cool design in general and I like the colours for now. If they ever became unbearable, they could just be painted over!

Penhorn

October 7th, 2006, 05:58 AM

There's a new construction site in part of the parking lot of the Barrington Street Superstore, hopefully good news. Bad place for parking, right across from Cornwallis Park.

HaliGuy

October 7th, 2006, 04:34 PM

Walking by yesterday and I see in the paper today that the Armoury Square is finally under construction.

Haligonian

October 8th, 2006, 05:53 AM

There's a new construction site in part of the parking lot of the Barrington Street Superstore, hopefully good news. Bad place for parking, right across from Cornwallis Park.

How big is it? I've heard nothing of this. Certainly very interesting news, although it's possible that what they build there will be no better than the other things in that immediate area.

Penhorn

October 8th, 2006, 06:01 PM

I think about this much of the parking lot is fenced off:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h140/halpic/superstore.jpg

There are signs all over the fence with the name of the construction company or developer or something, but I forget what it was. "???group.com"
I have a bad feeling it's a gas station, I seem to remember seeing green tanks being installed in the ground.

skyscraper_1

October 9th, 2006, 12:25 AM

I am guessing that it will be a liquorstore expansion or a gas station as someone pointed out.

I will try to get some updated pictures of the YMCA Barrington Steet development this week so I will get a shot of this one too.

Keith P.

October 9th, 2006, 01:21 AM

I am guessing that it will be a liquorstore expansion or a gas station as someone pointed out.

That liquor store is only a year or so old so it isn't that. However if you recall, that site used to be a gas station years ago and it makes sense that SS might want to put one there since their only other one around is way out on Joe Howe.

Haligonian

October 9th, 2006, 02:13 AM

Almost certainly going to be a gas station. I'll be really surprised if it's something else.

I don't have anything against gas stations, but the quality of commercial development on the peninsula is not what it should be. The problem is that in many areas of the city, such as Young Street, it's really easy to build strip malls and gas stations and hard to build anything else. The same thing goes for Quinpool Road, more or less. This has to do with planning regulations, not just market forces and financing.

The Southern Queen/Barrington and Young Street areas could be really interesting parts of the city and are capable of accommodating lots of residents. The HRM should be targeting these areas for intensification (and by "targeting", I mean doing something such as fast-tracking a large class of development proposals, not merely studying what to do). Unfortunately, they seem largely incapable.

Black Slacks

October 11th, 2006, 12:15 AM

I don't know - I'd almost rather see an open parking lot there than a gas station - not only because of the area of the city but with it being right across from the park and all. At least the parking lot doesn't impose on the park. I can't see Superstore building anything else there, though, and blocking the view of their store as you drive down Barrington.

I agree that the quality of development is down in a lot of areas. The Queen St. and Barrington areas that you speak of - these are so ready for some big and classy developments but I also suffer from a lack of confidence in the planning strategies.

Anyway, yes I drove by the Armoury Square lot this weekend (at least I think it was that - there's a cool little alley on the side of it?) and activity has started. Also, Citadel High is looking big and great - some nice brick on the Hill side of it. I didn't hear, are they going ahead with building the auditorium? It looks like it, on the north side.

Black Slacks

October 11th, 2006, 12:29 AM

Black Slacks

October 11th, 2006, 12:33 AM

Also, does anyone know what's going on over at Granville St. just north of George? They seem to have demolished a building just to the left of this picture, behind the TD Tower.

http://static.flickr.com/100/266396623_6ef36b701b_b.jpg

As a side note, I've always believed that TD tower to have been designed with the intention of another tower being built right behind it - why else would they have no windows on the east (harbour) side of it? As it is now, it looks pretty ugly so I hope something goes in there - to the left and behind the pictured building.

Penhorn

October 11th, 2006, 04:52 AM

Also, does anyone know what's going on over at Granville St. just north of George? They seem to have demolished a building just to the left of this picture, behind the TD Tower.

As a side note, I've always believed that TD tower to have been designed with the intention of another tower being built right behind it - why else would they have no windows on the east (harbour) side of it? As it is now, it looks pretty ugly so I hope something goes in there - to the left and behind the pictured building.
That's where the Kelly building (abandoned since 1995) was until a few weeks ago. Hopefully they'll replace it with something interesting...the TD wall does look pretty weird.

Penhorn

October 11th, 2006, 04:56 AM

I didn't hear, are they going ahead with building the auditorium? It looks like it, on the north side.
I think I read they're going to build a shell for the auditorium, and then finish it once they get the money (?). I guess it's better than adding it on later. Also, I agree on the gas station. Just when I though we'd gotton rid of all the ones near in and near downtown... I'd much rather see small stores or something built there, for the train/cruise passengers.

ILoveSkyscrapers

October 24th, 2006, 11:34 PM

ILoveSkyscrapers

October 24th, 2006, 11:46 PM

Here's a pic I took of Citadel High while driving by and trying to carry on a conversation with my passenger... it doesn't really capture the pillars or the auditorium (?) or the rear obviously. Oh well.
http://static.flickr.com/118/266396620_cae665e5f5_b.jpg

That’s going to be some great school. What do you think will happen to the land the two old high schools are on? Both parcels of land are in an area with tall buildings. I’m hoping for two office towers for that area.

HaliGuy

October 24th, 2006, 11:51 PM

ILoveSkyscrapers

October 25th, 2006, 12:12 AM

Well it looks like downtown Halifax is closed for business. The Midtown lost their appeal. I reall hate these Heritage groups.>(

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2006/10/24/midtown-appeal.html

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!! Them no good for nothing heritage groups make me fucking sick.:rant:

I will spend my last dollar and breathe fighting every last thing they want to do. :evil: :evil: :evil:

WHY the hell do we have municipal politicians if that shitty Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia can change every rule? HRM says yes the utility and review board says no, over and over.

Because they don’t want to obstruct the view of Halifax Harbour from Citadel. Well get off your fat lazy ass and walk down the hill and you’ll see the harbour. For god-sakes Nova Scotia is practically an Island. Water everywhere!

Reddog794

October 25th, 2006, 12:39 AM

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!! Them no good for nothing heritage groups make me fucking sick.:rant:

I will spend my last dollar and breathe fighting every last thing they want to do. :evil: :evil: :evil:

WHY the hell do we have municipal politicians if that shitty Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia can change every rule? HRM says yes the utility and review board says no, over and over.

Because they don’t want to obstruct the view of Halifax Harbour from Citadel. Well get off your fat lazy ass and walk down the hill and you’ll see the harbour. For god-sakes Nova Scotia is practically an Island. Water everywhere!

As much as I'd like to agree with you, I do have to say that the amount of compliments, I've heard from tourists, about walking around our heritage properties, is quite reveiling about how people view our City, and culture. I'm not against high-rise development, but I would like to see it more controled. Focused is a better word. Leave southern Halifax lowrise, but take everything Duke, and going north, allow that area for high-rises. It would include Gottigen again with Downtown... but for any of those notions to work, they'd have to remove the Cogwells inter-change, and until that point they really only have one spot to put high-rises close to downtown... well save for Downtown Dartmouth.

Black Slacks

October 26th, 2006, 12:08 AM

Leave southern Halifax lowrise, but take everything Duke, and going north, allow that area for high-rises. It would include Gottigen again with Downtown... but for any of those notions to work, they'd have to remove the Cogwells inter-change, and until that point they really only have one spot to put high-rises close to downtown... well save for Downtown Dartmouth.

I fully agree with re-integrating the Gottingen area with the downtown, i.e. removing the Cogswell exchange. This would also open up more area for highrises without viewplanes and heights and heritage buildings to worry about, and it the whole area could be planned out from the start.

On the other hand, though, I appreciate the downtown complement of beautiful old heritage buildings and progressive new structures, such as the contrast of historic properties and 1801 Hollis - as long as heritage buildings aren't being torn down to build new ones. I think this type of development blends well together and from what I've heard from tourists, they like to see that, the mix of old and new.

Really, I'd like to see development in both of these areas.

Haligonian

October 26th, 2006, 06:02 AM

Districts with mixed buildings tend to be a lot more successful, because different buildings are suited to different businesses. There are a lot of tenants that simply can't or don't want to locate in older buildings and there are problems with fire codes, etc. when it comes to residents. If only 30% of downtown type businesses are good fits for heritage properties but they make up most of the space available then there will be problems.

Spring Garden Road is a great example of a mixed district. It has office buildings, residential properties, mixed-use developments, and buildings of varying heights. All of these things work much better together than the building mix on Barrington or Hollis.

I think heritage streetscapes are great but the city core needs to be grown to the point where it can adequately support something like a busy Barrington Street with lots of shoppers and quality businesses. That's just not going to happen unless some major development occurs nearby to bring in lots of people. 40 unit condos are not going to do it.

bluenoser

November 29th, 2006, 09:36 AM

Wishblade

November 29th, 2006, 06:47 PM

I noticed today that one of the big blank walls of the Aliant building is being used as a projection screen, sort of gives off a Times Square kind of vibe. Has anyone else noticed this/know how long they've been doing this?

I've never noticed this or even heard of it happening. what type of things were they projecting when you saw it?

bluenoser

November 29th, 2006, 09:16 PM

Aliant ads lol

jonovision

November 29th, 2006, 10:08 PM

I've noticed it all lit up for the past week or two, but I didn't know they were projecting adds on it!

HaliGuy

November 29th, 2006, 10:34 PM

Yeah, I noticed it last weekend...looks pretty cool..I like it.

Jonestowncultinpicto

December 12th, 2006, 03:54 PM

Well it looks like downtown Halifax is closed for business. The Midtown lost their appeal. I reall hate these Heritage groups.>(

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2006/10/24/midtown-appeal.html

You know what is very ironic about that situation . The governments of the day during the G8 summit in halifax paid for the midtwon tavern to have that lovely facade threatment that is so new england HO house it is not funny.

This movement in nova scotia to copy a style that did not exist here is very lame and has seemed to be a policy since the mid 70's. It is the architectual crack cocaine of the region . It destroys our true identity.

I beleive I recall the midtwon tavern being a building of the 1930's era facade with art noveau styling for panels. If you are a true preservationist movement you have to say the damage was done in the mid 1990's if not in the 1930's if the exterior was modernized then.

At least with preservation in Lunenburg it is historicallly correct . Halifax seems to have this problem of English facaded pubs when they was no history of that here until recently. It is not that I am opposed to what people do with their properties it is that these groups that dont have to pay the bills and wages for these businesses dont seem to get it.

The historical people should have intervened pre g8 summit . Recading in what is on the midtown tavern is whats needed not a bastardized cape cod
style. The people who were around for the georgian, victorian , and cape cod
styles originally are all dead and long gone.

I saw in juneau, skagway and stika alaska that they are keeping the historial
architecture with some new buildings being very modern and anything old being preserved . It is a great mix. In skagway you cant put up a modern building on the main street

Haligonian

December 13th, 2006, 12:14 AM

Opposition to the Midtown development had nothing to do with saving the building, which is not considered itself to have heritage value.

The problem that the Heritage Trust had and the reason why the proposal was defeated is that it is close to the Citadel and would have obstructed some views.

Reddog794

December 13th, 2006, 10:29 AM

True, but Jim has a point about the facade and how Heritage trust, doesn't really represent our Hertitage. What about some of the buildings in the North End. There used to a be large Jewish population in North End Halifax, with some fantastic Jewish Architechture, I know that might sound odd, but I mean the style features. And they are beautiful builds in they're own right. Or what about on the Dartmouth side? Are we not one city? I'm sorry I caught myself there.... gonna fall into another rant. There are many areas in the city that are neglected, and it seems we are starting to loose our image... I don't want to be Toronto....

bluenoser

December 13th, 2006, 07:23 PM

Are there any examples of Jewish architecture left in the North End? I don't even know what this would look like

HaliGuy

December 18th, 2006, 12:31 AM

Here's some updated pictures for a few contstuction sites in Halifax.

The Gladstone is looking good.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1038_2.jpg

This building on South St is starting to reach its max height.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1041.jpg

The building on the old YWCA site is progressing

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1042.jpg

The Seawall project is starting to take shape.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1043.jpg

Salters Gate is looking better. It is looking like it may be complete fairly soon.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1046.jpg

HaliGuy

December 18th, 2006, 12:34 AM

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1044.jpg

HaliGuy

December 18th, 2006, 12:34 AM

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1045.jpg

Haligonian

December 18th, 2006, 02:14 AM

South Street will probably turn out okay but the building looks so small for that site. The original 19 storey proposal would have fit in much better and, because of the way the site is positioned, wouldn't really have hurt anything. It would have been about 2/3 the height of Fenwick, a good ratio.

I am hoping that the waterfront development at the foot of Salter Street will go forward fairly soon, filling in that area a little more. Back in 2000 or so if you looked down Barrington to the water all there was in between was parking lots.

In that last picture posted looking down Salter, the waterfront proposal calls for a circular glass "winter garden" structure on the corner along with a long ~8 storey building going down to the water. In this rendering, Salter's Gate (the development pictured above) would be just to the right:

http://wdcl.ca/uploads/salterimage.jpg

Reddog794

January 7th, 2007, 09:45 PM

Are there any examples of Jewish architecture left in the North End? I don't even know what this would look like

There are heavy takes form the Star of David in alot of the woodwork around the windows and roofs. My Uncle took me for a drive around there once, and I keep going back. Halifax has alot more Heritage than just British influences, I'd hope we would get more in touch with our Carribean roots, and Middle Eastern influences, as well as European ideals. It's a shame we don't see more examples in our current developments. BTW great pics... I'm stuck in Saint John for schol, and haven't had a chance to see what's going on in Hali... at least there's progress.

Black Slacks

January 10th, 2007, 06:26 PM

The Seawall project is starting to take shape.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1043.jpg

Hey, does anyone know the scope of this project exactly? I see it as being good for upgrading the facade of this area but is there more to it? Are they opening up the interiors of these buildings? Also, I wonder what the facade will look like when completed?

Keith P.

January 12th, 2007, 04:07 AM

I understand that it will be the new site of the Halifax Farmers Market, moving from the Brewery.

bluenoser

January 12th, 2007, 06:53 AM

There was talk of building a new performance venue (Neptune-style) but I haven't heard much about that lately

bluenoser

January 12th, 2007, 06:56 AM

http://www.portofhalifax.com/AbsPage.aspx?id=1246&siteid=1&lang=1

Black Slacks

January 12th, 2007, 06:09 PM

Thanks for the link. This tiny image is the only thing I could find as to how it's supposed to end up looking:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/354230235_c14acc342b_o.jpg

Reddog794

January 12th, 2007, 11:10 PM

It's just like the CWG bid, they're going to surprise us! lol

NorthEnd

January 15th, 2007, 12:03 AM

For anybody who would like to share their opinion regarding the Texpark development, read the information below. You can also follow the link below.

http://www.nsuarb.ca/noticesOfHearing/documents/124998-v1-Heritage_Trust_-_Notice_of_Public_Hearing_000.pdf

On Monday, February 5 at 9:00 at the Board hearing room [Summit Place Suite 300, 1601 Lower Water Street B3J 3S3] the Utility and Review Board will begin hearings on the appeal of the development agreement for the United Gulf Development project (aka the Twisted Sisters) on the old Texpark site. Members of the public are permitted to observe the hearings. Please take particular note of the dates for notice of intention to speak and for written submissions.

UARB Hearings
On Wednesday evening February 07, the Board will hold a special session for members of the public wishing to speak on the project. To make a presentation you must notify the Board in writing [see address above] or 424-3919 [Fax], or uarb.board@gov.ns.ca [email] no later than Tuesday, JANUARY 16. The public may also make written submissions which must be received by the Board no later than Friday, JANUARY 26. [You can do both].

bluenoser

January 15th, 2007, 05:28 PM

Interest high in old school properties

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

More than 50 years of history will come to an end when Queen Elizabeth and St. Patrick’s high schools close at the end of the school year.

But the school doors may stay open on at least one of the buildings, says the spokesman for the Halifax regional school board.

"We haven’t made a final decision," Doug Hadley said.

When Citadel High opens its doors in September, the board will investigate whether the old schools are needed or if they will be returned to the city.

"Structurally, they have seen better days," Mr. Hadley said of the neighbouring schools near the Halifax Commons.

"But we think there still might be some life left in them."

School board programs like All City Music, Youth Pathways and Transitions, Flexible Learning, and adult English as a Second Language have been run out of Queen Elizabeth High for years.

"We do need a home for those programs and we might look at one of those buildings as a home," he said.

With sizable lots at prominent locations, both are hot properties, the councillor for the area says. "There have been a number of commercial interests, particularly in the St. Pat’s site," said Coun. Sheila Fougere (Connaught-Quinpool).

Among them is the Superstore, now located in the nearby Quinpool Centre, as well as film industry artists and local developers. "It’s a high-traffic, great, urban location," she says of the 3.5-acre St. Pat’s site on the corner of Windsor Street and Quinpool Road.

Just across Robie Street on its own six acres is St. Pat’s longtime rival, Queen Elizabeth High.

When space was needed for the school in the early 1940s, a parcel was taken from the Halifax Commons to accommodate it.

By rights, then, says Coun. Dawn Sloane (Halifax Downtown), the property should be returned to the city as green space.

"But unfortunately, I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen," she said.

While Ms. Sloane would love to see a hospital physiotherapy centre and a recreation centre built on the lot, the councillor notes that the province likely needs the space to expand the Infirmary site of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre next door.

bluenoser

January 15th, 2007, 05:28 PM

Redevelopment of government properties could reshape city

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

Halifax is on the verge of a dramatic makeover.

With about 20 acres (eight hectares) of govern-
ment-owned land slated for redevelop-
ment, things are about to get interesting.

"I have lived in this city my whole life and I can’t believe the things that have changed," Coun. Sheila Fougere (Connaught-Quinpool) said recently. "And I expect there will be a lot more."

There are about a half-dozen properties that could sprout new buildings in the next decade: the city-owned downtown parking lots on Clyde Street; a pair of old high schools near the Halifax Commons; and the former Halifax Infirmary hospital site on Queen Street.

"It’s an enormous amount of land . . . worth millions of dollars," Mayor Peter Kelly said.

While the city owns about 13 of the available acres and the province the other seven, the mayor said the governments have been talking about sharing potential development sites and the possibility of swapping some property.

"All of these lands present an opportunity for discussion," Mr. Kelly said.

The province has its eye on city-owned land at the former Birks site on Barrington Street for a new government office building as well as Queen Elizabeth High School on Robie Street for expansion of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre.

The city also has made no secret of its designs on the former Infirmary site for a new library.

"There has been extensive interest in a couple of these sites by the province," Mr. Kelly said.

However, both sides are on the same page when it comes to developing the land.

"Neither side wants to develop any of the land piecemeal," he said. "You want to have a comprehensive understanding of approaches and direction of all the stakeholders."

To that end, a $150,000 joint municipal-provincial land study is due to come back to council on Jan. 23.

Halifax native Andy Fillmore, who lived in Boston and Maine before recently returning to be the city’s first project manager of urban design, says he is hopeful council will approve the recommendation in the staff report.

"The thumbnail sketch is that we want to look further into the land transactions to enable the goals of the studies," he said in an interview.

The mayor says it might be awhile before any decisions are made.

"Council hasn’t had that debate yet," he said.

The Spring Garden Area Business Association feels that there has been enough talk already.

"This is taking a long time, this planning process and the resolution of these lands," said executive director Bernie Smith.

And there has been one disappointment already.

The recent evolution of the Morris Street side of the Infirmary hospital site into a parking lot for Dalhousie University’s Sexton campus was a surprise to the storeowners and homeowners in the area.

"The neighbours were saddened by that and, frankly, we were saddened with them," Mr. Smith said.

A parking lot was not something that people involved in the recent joint study wanted.

"That doesn’t feel like an interactive, lively, vibrant contribution," he said.

Mr. Fillmore agrees, noting that Halifax planners "were not involved in any way in that arrangement" and that it was "not the outcome we had in mind."

To show that they are serious about getting started on downtown redevelopment, city hall should bring in cranes and get started on its two downtown parking lots with mixed-use buildings, Mr. Smith said.

"I’m hoping that they (the lots) can be (an) early start on the situation," he said.

There are already preliminary designs in the works for the lot behind Shoppers Drug Mart, he said, outlining a development with underground parking, retail and professional space on the first and second floors, and residential units.

And there’s no shortage of retailers to fill the space.

Mr. Smith has a waiting list with upwards of 70,000 square feet already spoken for in the Spring Garden Road neighbourhood.

"We know that some things really want to come in here," he said.

Stores offering athletic and children’s clothing, hardware and high-end fashion are just some of the ones that have already expressed interest in the area, he said.

"I’ve been trying to get them in for years," he said, cautious to give out names for fear they’ll be snapped up by other commercial areas.

Such delays can make his job frustrating, "especially when you’re pushing like blazes and you can’t get movement.

"We’re trying really hard to get interesting things and we’re held up. We need to get (those developments) going."

Developing the Clyde Street lots would be like "testing the waters of demand" for further development along that corridor, he says.

"Those proposals were intriguing and they would add to the vitality of the Spring Garden Road area."

LAND BOOM

Available or upcoming land in downtown Halifax, with estimated value of the properties:

CITY-owned

Clyde Street parking lot 1:

0.8 acre, $963,100

Clyde Street parking lot 2:

1 acre, $2.15 million

Queen Elizabeth High School:

6 acres, $11.75 million

St. Patrick’s High School:

3.6 acres, $5.29 million

PROVINCE-owned

Old Infirmary (top lot): 2.9 acres, $6.85 million

Old Infirmary (bottom lot): 1.1 acres, $4.22 million.

•If a new library and a new justice centre are built, these properties become redundant:.

CITY-owned

Library, Spring Garden Road: 1.25 acres, $6.84 million

Courthouse, Devonshire Avenue:

1.28 acres, $2.44 million

PROVINCE-owned

Courthouse, Spring Garden Road: 1.25 acres, $6.08 million

Courthouse, Lower Water Street: 1.5 acres, $16.18 million

TOTAL

City: 13.93 acres, $29,544,100

Province: 6.75 acres, $33,330,000

Grand Total: 20.68 acres, $62,874,100

bluenoser

January 17th, 2007, 02:01 AM

Project aims to curb Halifax truck traffic

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

Councillors will be asked to take the next step in reducing container truck traffic in downtown Halifax when council meets today.

While a $160,000 study on the issue has already been completed, city staffers want councillors to approve another project that will develop a business plan for the construction and operation of an inland cargo terminal in Rocky Lake, near Bedford.

"The ultimate goal is to provide sufficient evidence to convince an agency, a private sector firm, or a partnership to construct and operate such a facility," says the report being presented at council’s regular weekly meeting.

The city is expected to make a $19,000 contribution toward the $133,000 cost of the project.

The rest of the cost will be shared with Transport Canada, which will contribute $57,000, and the Halifax Port Authority, CN and the province, all of which are expected to ante up $19,000 each.

Downtown councillor Dawn Sloane wants to get trucks carrying cargo containers — usually up to 270 a day — out of downtown.

"They go right through my district and that bugs a lot of people," Ms. Sloane said Monday. "There has been a lot of controversy."

Trucks rumble along Lower Water, Morris, South Park and Robie streets, she said.

Over the years, she has had "many complaints" about the truck traffic and the associated noise and traffic tie-ups.

"Even in high, peak times of traffic, you have these large trucks emanating lots of exhaust and people are in the cars and it just takes away from the attractiveness of downtown — to live, work or to play."

With a new inland terminal, containers on flatbeds would be shuttled back and forth from the waterfront to the inland terminal with diesel-electric locomotives.

Last February, council adopted in principle the findings of an independently prepared preliminary study commissioned by the municipality and Halifax Port Authority.

In that study, the consultant notes the inland terminal concept would help increase the efficiency of existing container terminals and lessen the need to build another.

The report said an inland terminal makes economic sense but does not need to be built until existing container operations are at capacity.

However, it does recommend proceeding with securing the Rocky Lake property. There is a quarry at the Rocky Lake location, so work must be done to integrate the two operations, said the study.

bluenoser

January 17th, 2007, 02:02 AM

New courthouse bad for business, merchants say
Proposed justice centre wouldn’t ‘add activity to the street’
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter

Retailers on the busiest shopping street east of Montreal don’t want a new courthouse to set up shop downtown.

"The province just removed one large building in the form of the Infirmary," noted Bernie Smith, head of the Spring Garden Area Business Association.

"Now, are we going to substitute it with another large building?"

There are plans in the works for a 200,000-square-foot Justice Centre to replace and combine several of the city’s aging courthouses.

One of the five potential building sites would see it located halfway down nearby Queen Street — not a welcoming thought for area storekeepers, Mr. Smith said.

"A building of that size tends to dominate," he said. "It’s huge. It would take most of the Infirmary site."

He said a public consultation and review process — a $150,000 study shared jointly between the city and the province — revealed that most people wanted a "live-work" environment, with green space, a library and perhaps artists’ boutique-type stores and housing.

"People want something that will add interest and vibrancy to the area," he said.

"And while we weren’t necessarily advocating huge amounts of retail, we did think that we could see some developments that would add activity to the street," he said.

"We want things that are bright and cheery and still operating and welcoming people into the evening."

It’s difficult to do that with a looming, 200,000-square-foot courthouse with a stony facade, he said.

"It has all of characteristics that are not desirable," he said.

The merchants want "interactivity" between buildings, he said, "not things that close down at four o’clock in the afternoon."

The chief judge of the provincial court, whose office is in the old courthouse on Spring Garden Road, said he questions the outcry.

"The last time I checked, this building already was on Spring Garden Road, so I’m not aware of the current location creating a problem in the area," Judge Patrick Curran said.

The courthouse, originally built to accommodate two courtrooms in 1860, is behind the times, he said.

"This is not a modern building and it’s not up to dealing with modern conditions."

He said the courthouse, now configured for six courtrooms through several additions, is desperately in need of more space and raises significant security concerns.

"We don’t have any way of getting people who are in custody to and from the courts, except by way, at least in part, of the public hallways."

"In a congested building, that’s not a very good idea."

With that in mind, the chief judge of the provincial court said that judges are primarily concerned about solving space and security issues.

"Our main concern in the provincial court is that we have a new building and where it is (located) is pretty much secondary."

The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia said the concept for the new justice centre is that it will house every court imaginable.

"Every level of court will be in the one building, . . . so it’s going to be big," Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy said in an interview.

He imagines something in the range of 32 courtrooms to accommodate the Supreme Court Family and Trial Divisions, Court of Appeal, Federal Court and provincial court, but said quickly "this is not for sure yet."

The 35-year-old Upper Water Street courthouse, where he has his office, is inadequate and "showing its age," he said.

"The situation we have now, particularly at Spring Garden Road . . . is that (the buildings) just can’t handle it anymore."

Like Judge Curran, Chief Justice Kennedy said he’s not sure why there is criticism about its downtown placement.

"I think downtown is where it belongs. Traditionally, that’s where courthouses are."

Reddog794

January 17th, 2007, 03:08 AM

They have a point, with Spring Garden being the hot spot right now in the retail biz, for DT Hali, it would be a bad idea to take possible tax revenue land, and put a gov. building. what about the corner of Barrington and.... shoot I can't remember the street... and I feel dumb here, but it's got the TD building at the corner, and freaklunchbox is on the otherside. There's plenty of space, and no stupid view plain!

Wishblade

January 17th, 2007, 03:42 AM

bluenoser

January 17th, 2007, 04:01 PM

Inland terminal needed?
Cerescorp. VP says south-end site has lots of room to grow
By TOM PETERS Business Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

The development of an inland container site may be an answer to reducing truck traffic through Halifax, but the timing for such a facility is a contentious issue.

Halifax Regional Municipality approved in principle a study last year that an inland terminal would increase the efficiency of the port’s two container terminals and reduce the need to build a third facility.

There is also the argument that an inland terminal would get some of the nearly 300 trucks travelling daily to and from the south-end terminal, operated by Halterm Ltd., out of the downtown core. The idea would be for all the destined truck traffic to go to an inland site, proposed for Rocky Lake, near Bedford, where trucks would be loaded.

Regional council now wants to go ahead with the development of a business plan at a cost of $133,000 for an inland terminal. It was to be discussed at last night’s council session.

But one terminal operator says the terminal isn’t needed, and if it was built it could reduce the port’s competitiveness.

Calvin Whidden, vice-president of Cerescorp, which operates out of Fairview Cove, says an inland terminal would mean double-handling of containers and that means extra costs and time.

"Cost in Halifax is one of the most critical elements, if not the most critical, we have to deal with and additional handling to a container will increase costs. No question," he said.

In the "door-to-door world we live in" he said time is of the essence.

"We have trucks that come in for a container that is not even off the ship and once it comes off ship we take it, land it and load to truck immediately," he said, suggesting that would not occur with an inland terminal.

He said his terminal does not experience truck problems and has plenty of room to grow.

Mary Brooks, a transportation specialist at Dalhousie University’s faculty of management, said inland terminals "become viable when you get to the point where the volume is high enough that the current business modal doesn’t work."

She acknowledged that Halifax still has plenty of capacity and can handle incremental growth.

"But if somebody were to decide tomorrow to dump 6,000 boxes all at once instead of the usual incremental top-off traffic, then we would have the problem: How do we manage to move that out of the city?" she said.

"But when you get to a certain point where the cargo is being dumped off and the volume is large enough, the question becomes whether or not that mix of truck and rail works . . . and really, ideally, if you are the city, you want to get those trucks off Lower Water Street."

Ms. Brooks said there is a double-handling issue with an inland terminal but that "does not look so bad when you have the bigger volume."

"You want to put everything on the rail and get it out of the area."

She said the cost of double-handling disappears once volume gets really big.

The study last year said the "tipping point" was 750,000 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent units). In 2006, the port handled about 530,000.

But Ms. Brooks said waiting until volumes are up before building an inland terminal might not be a good idea if a major shipping line decides to use Halifax as an off-load point.

"They will go somewhere else; they won’t wait for a facility to be built," she said.

The Halifax Port Authority and CN will contribute to the development of a business plan.

Mark Hallman, railway spokesman, said CN, as a major stakeholder in the Halifax area, "simply wants to see what comes out of the study."

"I think it would be premature to draw any conclusions about CN’s thinking about this terminal."

He said CN’s contribution to the project would not be cash but "in kind, an investment in CN manpower."

Michele Peveril said the port authority’s involvement is important because the port needs to look at all the options as it plans to grow.

"The original inland study did suggest it would make economic sense to consider an inland terminal once the port reaches capacity, so in that way we foresee this second study will look at timing to make this sort of project a possibility," she said.

Ms. Peveril said the authority is very much aware of the truck issue. "We are trying to move the majority of containers, which we do (about 70 per cent) via rail and short sea shipping, and as we grow we anticipate we will continue to move most containers through those routes versus truck traffic."

Black Slacks

January 17th, 2007, 11:22 PM

Black Slacks

January 17th, 2007, 11:29 PM

I would tend to agree that the courthouse might not be the best thing to take up those lands. I don't know, perhaps if it could be set back a bit, or more on the Morris St. side, or have a sizeable building but with a big concentration on street-level activity, which would obviously have nothing to do with the courthouse that takes up a lot of the building.

In this schematic from Environmental Design & Management Ltd. (who studied the development of the area as a whole) you can see how small the real commercial strip of Spring Garden actually is, and how much could be done to support the area from the side streets.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/354040845_ec96dc1a9c_o.jpg

I'm not pushing for the library and courthouse buildings to be torn down necessarily, but as for the gaping empty spaces, something needs to be done - something nice and well thought-out, something that will materialise sometime this decade!

Reddog794

January 19th, 2007, 12:30 PM

Interesting that the Rocky Lake Quarry was chosen as the best location for this terminal.

You know what else could solve this problem? A third harbour crossing and/or a NW Arm crossing, but much preferably the former.

Now this sounds crazy, and I've been called that before, both by my friends, and myself, but I heard about a curse put on the city, it was lifted but, I remember a Mi'kmaq friend of mine saying that it was about brides three, and that's why they won't build a 3rd bridge. But what about a tunnel? Nah, sorry I forgot the underneath the city is straight bedrock, but is it possible? I'm not a geologist... although I'm taking geology in school, I still ahve no grasp of the exact geology under Halifax.
http://www.booth.k12.nf.ca/projects/Mi'kmaq/97know9.htm

Didn't Maersk also discuss a new Ocean Terminal? Imagine a new inland ocean terminal, so that way you could get rid of Halterm and Cerex, and turn all that into res. and com. It would be crazy expensive but... the amount of money the region would make in the long run... wow.

Sorry if i seem unrealistic but, I'm kind of running around in my head right now, because it's 6:30 am, and I can't sleep. Plus I'm kind of studying LA and it's progression as a west coast terminus for shipping, so this is kind of exciting to think that big here! Who knows, maybe Halifax will become that important of a port?

bluenoser

January 19th, 2007, 04:59 PM

Twisted Sisters appeal to begin Feb. 5

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

An appeal hearing questioning city hall’s approval of the Twisted Sisters downtown hotel and condo will go ahead as planned next month.

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board released a decision Thursday, dismissing a jurisdictional issue that would have derailed hearings scheduled to begin Feb. 5.

After a public hearing last March, regional council approved the plan by United Gulf Development Ltd. for a 27-storey, $150-million-dollar facility at the old Tex-Park site in downtown Halifax.

Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, the Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage, Heritage Canada Foundation and the Peninsula South Community Association appealed council’s decision to the board in early April.

Those groups have said the proposed towers will be too high and will detract from nearby heritage properties. But supporters say the condominium and hotel development would help rejuvenate Halifax’s downtown.

Last Wednesday, a panel of three review board members heard preliminary arguments in advance of the appeal.

One dealt with the jurisdictional issue raised by Howard Epstein, a New Democrat MLA who used to sit on regional council and represented the district of Connaught-Quinpool.

Mr. Epstein said the board lacked the jurisdiction to hold a hearing at any time. But the three-member panel dismissed his argument and said it will release the reasons for it at a later date.

Other issues included in the preliminary hearing included a challenge on the admissibility of testimony from nine expert witnesses slated to testify for the heritage groups.

Lawyers for United Gulf and for the city both objected to the proposed expert evidence.

While the board will allow the testimony from all the witnesses, including Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia president Phil Pacey and his wife, author Elizabeth Pacey, its 10-page decision says that it will "limit the scope of the evidence to be provided by particular witnesses."

Another appeal was filed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court by Heritage Trust and Mr. Epstein, who said regional council didn’t follow proper procedure at the public hearing last spring and they want a new hearing.

Both sides appeared in Supreme Court before Christmas and are still awaiting a decision from Justice Suzanne Hood.

Black Slacks

January 23rd, 2007, 02:13 AM

This brings knots to my stomach. I don't know if I can bear to follow the proceedings or hear the Supreme Court decision...

I hope that everyone's doing all they can to support the cause - attending meetings, writing letters, etc. - everything helps!

Black Slacks

January 23rd, 2007, 02:20 AM

Now this sounds crazy, and I've been called that before, both by my friends, and myself, but I heard about a curse put on the city, it was lifted but, I remember a Mi'kmaq friend of mine saying that it was about brides three, and that's why they won't build a 3rd bridge. But what about a tunnel? Nah, sorry I forgot the underneath the city is straight bedrock, but is it possible? I'm not a geologist... although I'm taking geology in school, I still ahve no grasp of the exact geology under Halifax.
http://www.booth.k12.nf.ca/projects/Mi'kmaq/97know9.htm

I hadn't heard about this local legend but interesting, I guess. As for a tunnel, what about one of those tunnels that runs along the sea floor, so they don't have to dig so much? Maybe that would be more feasible? Also, it wouldn't marr the sky above the harbour (not that the other ones do, they look great - this area is just more downtown than the others).

Didn't Maersk also discuss a new Ocean Terminal? Imagine a new inland ocean terminal, so that way you could get rid of Halterm and Cerex, and turn all that into res. and com. It would be crazy expensive but... the amount of money the region would make in the long run... wow.

I know that would seem crazy but I wouldn't mind entertaining the idea. I think at the time they were originally conceived, those terminals must've been far enough outside the 'city' but now they're in the way. To recapture that space and link up the downtown with Point Pleasant... wow, it's cool to daydream.

Haligonian

January 24th, 2007, 08:55 PM

The MacDonald bridge was actually the "third bridge" across the harbour. There were two earlier bridges that are now gone. That's where the curse legend comes from.

Reddog794

January 25th, 2007, 08:46 AM

Okay cool, I knew there were bridges before. Did they also have a curse lifting ceramony when they open the MacKay?

skyscraper_1

January 25th, 2007, 05:34 PM

I have heard about the other bridges. Does anyone know when they were built? Are there any pictures of them?

HaliGuy

January 26th, 2007, 02:37 AM

Here's a pic of the crane that just went up at the Armoury Sqaure site.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_0981.jpg

HaliGuy

January 28th, 2007, 01:56 AM

Wishblade

January 28th, 2007, 02:36 AM

Here's a few pics I got of the RIM construciton site out n Bedfrod. It is well under way with crane up now.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_0984.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_0983.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_0982.jpg

Now somebody correct me if Im wrong, but if this is indeed a 16 story building, would it be the first high rise office building built in Halifax since the 1980's? Because the last I can think of is 1801 Hollis. Not sure about the date on Metropolitan Place though.

Penhorn

January 28th, 2007, 03:14 AM

Now somebody correct me if Im wrong, but if this is indeed a 16 story building, would it be the first high rise office building built in Halifax since the 1980's? Because the last I can think of is 1801 Hollis. Not sure about the date on Metropolitan Place though.

Last office highrise built was Purdy's II. Kind of sad :lol:. Thanks for the pictures Haliguy.

bluenoser

January 28th, 2007, 08:07 PM

When was Founder's Square built? I guess that barely counts as a highrise, though.

bluenoser

February 5th, 2007, 04:46 PM

A bunch of articles re: texpark

Halifax’s arrested development

STÉPHANE MASSINON
The Daily News

Heated discussion filled Council chambers when the so-called Twisted Sisters towers were up for debate. The 27-storey towers had ardent supporters on each side. It’s been almost a year since its approval, but another appeal begins today, so the project is no closer to getting started. Developers are trying to change the face of downtown Halifax. Can they?

Downtown Halifax has great potential, developers say. But it also has red tape. Lots of it.

“In a lot of large companies that are doing business all over Canada, the view is that Halifax has absolutely tremendous potential,” says Kevin Riles, president of the Urban Development Institute of Nova Scotia.

“But it’s over-regulated, things take too long to get developed and it’s not development friendly. There’s a lot of developers in real estate that would love to come to Halifax, but the time things take to get approved, or the uncertainty more than anything, is a problem, particularly with that appeal process,” Riles says.

Riles speaks for many of the area’s developers and his words point to a growing discontent about building in the heart of the city. He’d like to see more people living downtown — and so would city hall — but getting there is proving to be a challenge.

Today, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board is starting a public hearing into the so-called Twisted Sisters development project, one that received majority support from city hall, but has been entangled in appeals ever since.

A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge is also about to deliver a verdict on an appeal based on whether Council acted within its procedural rules, while the URB will decide if the project meets the Municipal Planning Strategy.

“In that particular case, the concern among many is it’s on an old parking lot, it’s not next to any heritage and it’s not in a viewplane. So if there was one area in the city of Halifax (where) you think height would be considered, that would be the area,” Riles says.

These appeals come on the heels of a Nova Scotia Court of Appeal decision to not allow a proposed 17 storey hotel over a new Midtown Tavern.

“Every major development in the downtown recently has been appealed, in some cases rejected,” Riles says.

But not everyone agrees with him. Downtown Halifax Coun. Dawn Sloane says when trying to change the face of downtown, you have to be careful.

An eye-sore will be around for a long time.

Still, Riles says getting a project approved is too lengthy. An approval process that once took an average of six to nine months in the former cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, now takes a year-and-a-half, he says. That’s in part due to a group of people that he says want to “encapsulate Halifax and keep like it was in the 1970s.”

What irks him is not opposition, but more that an appeal process meant to protect the little guy is now used by special-interest groups that have philosophical differences with development.

“At the end of the day, you could have an entire community behind a project, you can have council support it unanimously and somebody comes out and appeals it. Even if that’s a frivolous appeal, that could take you six months to a year to get it knocked out. It’s the uncertainty and the ridiculousness of it.”

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Dawn Sloane was one of five people on council to vote against the Twisted Sisters.

She insists Halifax isn’t anti-development; it’s just that many of the big projects that have come to council lately don’t live up to current planning rules.

What she wants to ensure is that the city avoids eye-sores — such as the Maritime Centre, which she calls a “terrible mistake” — by sticking to the rules.

An iconic building that will bring more people to the city need not be 27 storeys. It can be shorter and fit in well with its environment and surrounding heritage buildings, she says.

“No, I don’t feel frustrated by the fact that people can appeal. That’s democracy. Unfortunately those that do not like democracy wouldn’t understand that is the way it is. The public has the right to appeal, to question whether a judgement has been done properly.”

Austin French, manager of planning services with HRM, says there should be more clarity on the way.

The city is working with developers and others in adding more detail to its policies with a process called HRM by Design.

“What we’re looking at for the future through the HRM by Design project is more definitive policy statements and clarity for the developer going into the process about what types of height and what types of relationships between existing buildings and existing streetscapes are acceptable to HRM. That leaves less to debate in the public forum and less concern that there will be a need for an appeal,” French says.

He adds that of the hundred or so development proposals brought to council in a year, a relatively small number are appealed.

“The policies we have now certainly work and they’ve been useful in a lot of ways and they’ve brought about a lot of nice buildings. But it seems now that we’ve had them in place for a while, we’ve seen a certain pattern of things developing in HRM that it is reasonable now to get more specific, more detail in the policy and it should make things less contentious.”

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The ultimate cost of delay, according to Kevin Riles, is one that ends up being paid by anyone who’s thinking of buying in downtown Halifax.

Simply put, if developers can only build short, squat buildings, the cost to live in a downtown condo will go up because there are fewer units for sale. If developers have to carry the cost of lengthy delays and legal fees, they will have to pass those off elsewhere — to buyers.

“So what will happen is the downtown of Halifax and the peninsula will become elitist. Only people with a certain amount of income and a large pot of money can afford that. That’s not what we want,” Riles says.

Height would make living downtown, and close to it, more affordable. And if the building is designed correctly — he cites Summer Gardens, the Spring Garden Road condos where Saege restaurant is located — most people don’t notice how tall it is.

People typically only see the first few floors and if it’s aesthetically pleasing and practical, everyone wins.

smassinon@hfxnews.ca

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THE TWISTED SISTERS

• A $150 million project by developers United Gulf.

• Two 27 storey towers planned for the former Tex-Park site on Granville St. It would host condos, a hotel and have commercial space.

• In the Nova Scotia Supreme Court appeal, opponents argued the buildings would be out of scale with the rest of downtown, would block views from Citadel Hill and cast shadows on the downtown.

• On March 21, 2006, councillors voted 15 to five in favour of the project.

bluenoser

February 5th, 2007, 04:47 PM

Twisted Sisters would help revitalize downtown

PAUL MACKINNON
The Daily News

The debate around the “Twisted Sisters” will be the turning point in downtown development policies. Construction downtown has been stalled for several decades because the rules, as outlined in the city’s Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS), are too vague.

It was in the wake of the debate that the city initiated the HRM by Design project — which will, once and for all, establish a clear vision for what we want our downtown to look like in the next 50 years. Once clear guidelines are in place, the developments we want can happen expediently. If these guidelines had already been in place, perhaps Research In Motion would have built its new building downtown, where it should be.

The Twisted Sisters development will bring new residents, which is the only sure way to revitalize our downtown. In 1960, there were 30,000 more people living on the Halifax peninsula than there are today. We need to bring those numbers back, which does require more high-density residential units. The people who live in this development will walk to work (thus reducing congestion), attend the theatre, eat in the restaurants, and shop in the downtown boutiques. The people of HRM, regardless of where they live, deserve a strong downtown.

Authentic heritage is important to the city. The turn-of-the-century architecture along Barrington Street is but one example of the unique style that defines us. Barrington Street deserves to be a designated Historic District, with strong protection against demolition. But protecting sensitive areas sometimes comes with the trade-off of taller buildings nearby. We don’t want a 27-storey building on Barrington, which would dwarf the three-to-five story mercantile shops. So we have to allow that to happen elsewhere in the downtown. The old Texpark sat between MetroPark and the Centennial Building. Neither are historic nor architectural gems. Authentic heritage must be protected, but room must also be allowed for freedom to create the great architecture of the 21st century.

Tall buildings do exist in downtown Halifax. But few were designed with careful consideration for the pedestrian environment. United Gulf was one of the first developers to really engage the community in the design process, and the end result is one that will be beautiful, and will work, from the ground up. We don’t need any more Maritime Centres — we need a bold statement of modern architecture that follows good urban design principles. This one would do exactly that.

Paul MacKinnon is the executive director of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission.

bluenoser

February 5th, 2007, 04:48 PM

We need to maintain our sense of history

HOWARD EPSTEIN
The Daily News

On an appeal to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, only one question is the focus: does the Twisted Sisters development reasonably meet the intent of the Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS)? So, did HRM get it wrong? We think so:

• Scale: The MPS emphasizes human scale as an important value. The towers are out of scale.

• Views: The MPS requires council to maintain views to the Harbour from Citadel Hill. The board and the Nova Scotia courts have ruled this means more than the specific view planes.

• Design: The MPS requires design that reflects the architectural heritage of downtown.

• Pedestrians: The MPS wants pedestrian circulation to be promoted. The towers will generate too much wind.

• Heritage: The MPS calls for enhancement of the city’s heritage features. It focuses on sensitive and complementary development, mostly through limiting height. The towers are too tall.

There is much more in the MPS, all to the same effect. All of these policies were before the URB in the Midtown Tavern case the previous year. The board found that proposal to fail the MPS. The twin-towers proposal has to fit exactly the same set of policies. We think it, too, fails.

What is not relevant?

• Aesthetics: This is not about whether anyone likes the proposed buildings. Densification: compact urban form is desirable, including on the peninsula, but can be achieved without building tall towers.

• Democracy: It is not undemocratic to appeal a council decision; eight provinces have appeal boards; they exist for good reasons; appeals are taken by developers as often as by residents.

• Architectural Attractiveness: The claim that these buildings would make Halifax a tourist destination is extremely implausible; where new buildings are an attraction it is because they are public buildings (eg: art galleries); these are not buildings for the public.

Why did council get it wrong? First, it sold the land to the developer in 2004 and to get the best price, it offered a tower.‚ Second, this was the first occasion the full council dealt with a development agreement application for the Halifax downtown; many councillors were not familiar with the relevant policies. Third, council ignored the URB’s ruling in the Midtown Tavern decision which would have guided it on the policies. Last, in their preoccupation with thoughts of the future, it forgot that it is the existing policies that have to guide decision making.

The MPS policies were generated through a wide public consultation process in 1978 and have occasionally been amended over the years. If council believes it is time to change the MPS, it could start that process. But 80 per cent of the public who commented to council opposed this development proposal. We believe the MPS still reflects what the public wants for the downtown.

Last point: What about economic development? No one wants the site to sit empty. Clearly, some development there is desirable.But a lot of buildings in the CBD are financial successes, at a much lower height (Four Points Sheraton, Cambridge Suites, Marriott Hotel, Prince George Hotel, Homburg Building). And a denser Peninsula could exist without further building at all. In 1970, 50 per cent more people lived on the Peninsula, all prior to the building of any but a few tall buildings here.

We have land for further development if it is needed. The success of our CBD will depend on the port, on our ingenuity, on our level of education, on our attractiveness as a tourist destination. What makes Halifax a tourist destination is the maintenance of our sense of history through respect for our buildings. Just as the MPS says.

Howard Epstein is MLA for Halifax Chebucto. He will represent three heritage organizations at the URB hearings that start today.

bluenoser

February 5th, 2007, 04:52 PM

Democracy dictates development in HRM

THE DAILY NEWS

Once again, into the breach. Signs of development are abundant in HRM, but so are hearings and appeals intended to thwart specific building projects. Today, the Utility and Review Board will begin public hearings on a particularly controversial project: United Gulf’s proposed twin towers, to be built on the site of the old Tex-Park garage in downtown Halifax.

Because of their sinuous design, the 27-storey towers are known as the “Twisted Sisters.” They would consist of condominiums, a hotel and commercial space.

Last year, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal turned down the Midtown Tavern’s equally contentious plan to build a 17-storey hotel on its site. The proposed hotel was deemed too tall for its location, close to Citadel Hill.

Opponents of the United Gulf project hope the URB will follow the court’s reasoning and quash the sisters. It’s yet another episode in the long battle between developers and heritage preservers.

Some developers are getting impatient with HRM’s regulations. Urban Development Institute of Canada president Kevin Riles complained that “the time things take to get approved, or the uncertainty more than anything, is a problem, particularly with that appeal process.”

Too bad, retorts Halifax Downtown Coun. Dawn Sloane. “That’s democracy,” she says. “The public has the right to appeal, to question whether a judgment has been done properly.”

Cumbersome and obstructing as the appeal process may seem to developers, it is still the lesser of two evils. The greater evil would be to have no appeal at all — no recourse from the prospect of new projects springing up with the speed — and esthetic value — of toadstools.

An ideal balance between new developments and the preservation of history is not easy to achieve. Still, change is inevitable. The downtown is ripe for development, and geography dictates that the direction of growth will be vertical rather than lateral.

If the Twisted Sisters don’t rise past appeal procedures, other buildings will.

bluenoser

February 5th, 2007, 04:54 PM

Twisted sisters hearings begin

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

A hearing gets underway in Halifax today that will determine whether a pair of glass towers will be built in Halifax’s downtown or if the designated lot remains empty.

Last March, regional council approved a $150-million condo and hotel project for the old Tex-Park site on the corner of Hollis and Sackville streets.

Council’s approval was necessary because planning strategies only allow buildings that are 40 feet (12.2 metres) high without any public consultation or hearing process.

The twin towers in United Gulf’s development reach 27 storeys — a pair of complementary glass and copper designs that curve up and out and have come to be known as the Twisted Sisters.

And while the nickname may have caught on, council’s decision didn’t.

A few weeks after the project was given the city hall thumbs-up in a 15-5 decision, a number of heritage groups, including Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, appealed the approval to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

To hear their arguments, the URB has set aside the next two weeks, including a session on Wednesday evening to hear from members of the public.

Mayor Peter Kelly remembers well the dozens of people who turned out to council chambers to speak for and against the contentious project and can recall the quandary he went through when it came time to vote.

"It was not an easy decision in terms of just saying yes or no," he recalled in a recent interview, noting he wanted to "analyze and visualize" the project’s impact before making a decision.

"Before the vote, I took the time to go down to the site."

"I walked around . . . and tried to step back in different locations to get the impact from the adjoining buildings in terms of the bulk and scale and architectural blending."

The mayor says he also went up to Citadel Hill to figure out how the two towers would impact the view planes from the star-shaped fortress.

Knowing he was going to vote against the project, Mr. Kelly says he decided to take the unusual step of speaking at the public hearing last March.

"I normally don’t speak at public hearings or at council that much, but this time I did make my comments known," the mayor said.

His mind was made up "when I read the MPS (municipal planning strategy) documentation, and in particular the protection of the view planes, the bulk and scale in the context of existing buildings, and the architectural detail in comparison to the other buildings and complexes in the area."

He said the development could provide the city with some "great signature buildings."

Just not there.

"It’s not the best location," he said.

"I see this more for the area of the Cogswell interchange," he said, referring to the 6.4 hectares the city will take over when the interchange is removed in the near future.

Under its mandate, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will only consider whether council’s decision is consistent with the municipal planning strategy. How council arrived at its decision is irrelevant.

In the meantime, United Gulf’s Granville Street lot — about 30,000 square feet commercially assessed at $1.98 million — remains empty, as it has been since the summer of 2004 when the Tex-Park was torn down.

skyscraper_1

February 5th, 2007, 10:31 PM

"I see this more for the area of the Cogswell interchange," he said, referring to the 6.4 hectares the city will take over when the interchange is removed in the near future.
no...the twisted sisters belong at the old tex park site. Something much larger and substantual belongs at the cogswell interchange....cwi removed in the near future....yet right!

Again with this nonsense about near by heritage proporties...I have been to the site many times looking for them and have yet to find one and the only view it will block is of the lovely oil refinery!

Joev

February 6th, 2007, 04:00 AM

The MacDonald bridge was actually the "third bridge" across the harbour. There were two earlier bridges that are now gone. That's where the curse legend comes from.

Okay cool, I knew there were bridges before. Did they also have a curse lifting ceramony when they open the MacKay?

I have heard about the other bridges. Does anyone know when they were built? Are there any pictures of them?

I lived in Halifax, and had never heard of earlier bridges, nor seen pictures, is this a myth like the curse??

Wishblade

February 6th, 2007, 04:34 AM

I lived in Halifax, and had never heard of earlier bridges, nor seen pictures, is this a myth like the curse??

There were earlier bridges that crossed the harbour and were destroyed. And the curse was really put on the bridges as well, but whether or not you believe in such things is up to you :lol:

Sorry I cant find a picture of the old bridges, but I do remember seeing pictures in a book I read in school.

Joev

February 6th, 2007, 04:51 AM

There were earlier bridges that crossed the harbour and were destroyed. And the curse was really put on the bridges as well, but whether or not you believe in such things is up to you :lol:

Sorry I cant find a picture of the old bridges, but I do remember seeing pictures in a book I read in school.

It's strange that there are no pictures, as I've seen many historic pictures of Halifax, and can find no trace of this on the internet (not to be confused with Halifax England). As I said I lived there for about 3 years, and had never heard of this. When the explosion happened (1917?) as far as I know there were no bridges. They would have interfered with port traffic. I'll challenge someone to provide proof. (Please take no offence).

Wishblade

February 6th, 2007, 05:08 AM

It's strange that there are no pictures, as I've seen many historic pictures of Halifax, and can find no trace of this on the internet (not to be confused with Halifax England). As I said I lived there for about 3 years, and had never heard of this. When the explosion happened (1917?) as far as I know there were no bridges. They would have interfered with port traffic. I'll challenge someone to provide proof. (Please take no offence).

Well it is to my knowledge (dont quote me on this) that the previous bridges only existed in the 1800's and very early 1900's? I believe there was a long period of time where there wasnt any harbour crossing at all.

Joev

February 6th, 2007, 05:30 AM

Well it is to my knowledge (dont quote me on this) that the previous bridges only existed in the 1800's and very early 1900's? I believe there was a long period of time where there wasnt any harbour crossing at all.

In the 1800's it would have been a pedestrian/horse & cart bridge, probably constructed of wood; if there was one it didn't last long. I won't belabour the point, but I find this interesting. :)

Keith P.

February 7th, 2007, 12:49 AM

I have seen pictures of at least one; if memory serves it was a low wooden structure across the Narrows. I believe it was rail-only.

Joev

February 7th, 2007, 07:49 AM

I have seen pictures of at least one; if memory serves it was a low wooden structure across the Narrows. I believe it was rail-only.

Thanks, that explains it - here is a quote from an article about it:

"The first effort towards bringing railway service to the area east of Halifax was in 1884. In that year a first railway bridge was completed by the Intercolonial Railway from Halifax to Dartmouth, across the Narrows of Halifax Harbour."

"In the summer of 1891 the government was made aware of the extremely weak condition of the bridge. On 7 September 1891, before improvements could be made, a mighty storm ripped two-thirds of the bridge from its footings."

"The government rejected suggestions that a land route around the Bedford Basin was preferable. and so a second bridge was completed in 1892. This bridge, like the first was poorly constructed and not braced. It lasted just over a year. About 2 am on 23 July 1893 almost two-thirds of the bridge slipped into the water and floated up into the Bedford Basin. 34 freight cars were left stranded on the Dartmouth side of the harbour."

Link:
http://www.trainweb.org/canadianrailways/articles/MusquodoboitRailway.html

bluenoser

February 7th, 2007, 04:44 PM

The third bridge was supposed to be destroyed by fire... coincidentally there was a fire on the Macdonald bridge the other day

jonovision

February 7th, 2007, 06:18 PM

Hey, just wanted to let everyone know that the school of planning at Dalhousie is hosting it's annual conference starting tonight and running through the rest of the week. The theme this year is "Making Great Streets". Most of it is being held at Pier 21, with the exception of the Thursday night events which will be in the Architecture and Planning building at DAL.
Here's a website with an outline of whats going on and a complete schedule:
http://planningconference.dal.ca/

Hope to see some of you there!

Haligonian

February 10th, 2007, 08:08 PM

jonovision

February 12th, 2007, 12:13 AM

They've started demolition on the small building on the waterfront right next to the Casino. I think I heard that it was sold in hopes of a large development happenning on the site.

Haligonian

February 12th, 2007, 03:24 AM

This is some kind of shed or something North of the casino?

Could be a nice site, but it is still cut off from everything by the interchange.

bluenoser

February 12th, 2007, 04:05 PM

Thrill of the chase
Opportunity key word in professional life of dentist-developer Gordie Rudolph
By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter

GORDIE RUDOLPH’S agenda gives new meaning to the term multi-tasking.

"It’s extremely enjoyable and hectic," says the busy dentist-developer, who owns a thriving, multi-office dental practice and is also deeply involved in a number of major commercial and industrial developments in the province. "The key is being associated with good people who can shoulder responsibility."

Born in Moosehead — "population 35" — in Halifax County, Mr. Rudolph, 47, attended Duncan MacMillan High School in Sheet Harbour before going to Acadia University and then the former Technical University of Nova Scotia, where he obtained a degree in chemical engineering.

After graduating from TUNS, he worked as an engineer with Michelin for a year and a half in Bridgewater, where he renovated a triplex in 1984, his first, but certainly not last foray in real estate development.

In 1985, Mr. Rudolph decided to change careers and entered Dalhousie University’s faculty of dentistry, working evenings as a cabbie to pay his way.

"I was looking for opportunities," he said in explaining his abrupt career shift, noting that dentistry allowed him to apply his scientific background in an independent business format.

"Dentistry is a good business model."

Dentistry also provided him with the means to expand his interest in commercial development, which he said grew out of his engineering background.

"I was always interested in development," said Mr. Rudolph, who played for the Nova Scotia provincial volleyball team at the Canada Games in 1979.

In partnership with his brother Doug he also owned the Halifax Jaguars, who won the Canadian senior men’s fastball championship in 1998 in Windsor.

After graduating from dental school in 1989, Mr. Rudolph opened dental offices in Dartmouth and Sheet Harbour, where he built a professional centre. He also established an ongoing business relationship with Archie Hattie, vice-president and general manager of the Jodrey family-controlled Annapolis Group Inc., one of the province’s most prominent real estate development firms.

Annapolis Group was behind the development of Bedford’s Paper Mill Lake and the recent Glen Arbour and Glenbourne residential developments. The company also initiated the recently sold Bedford West residential project.

"He’s a man of high integrity," said Mr. Hattie when asked to describe Mr. Rudolph, whom he’s known since high school and played volleyball with at Acadia. "We’ve been friends forever and he hasn’t changed. He’s a quick study and a hard worker."

The two men went through TUNS together, where Mr. Hattie studied civil engineering, and Mr. Rudolph participated in Mr. Hattie’s Montague Estates subdivision development in Dartmouth.

They were also involved in the controversial 17-storey Midtown Tavern hotel proposal that was quashed last year by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. The appeal court ruling came after an original HRM community council decision approving the hotel plan was appealed by heritage groups and others to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, which overturned the council decision.

Mr. Rudolph, a friend of the Grant family that owns the Midtown, said he might revisit the development, which was rejected because of concerns about its height and its effect on views from Halifax Citadel.

"Most definitely, I’m still interested, but there are some issues to be resolved before my participation is confirmed," he said, suggesting, as did Mr. Hattie, that there is a need for more specific development regulations concerning issues like downtown building heights.

"How high can you go?" he asked. "You can’t go 17 (storeys) — can you go 15 or 16?"

Mr. Rudolph also questioned HRM’s protracted project approval process, which he said can tie up large sums of money for years while developers wait for decisions that can then be appealed by groups like Heritage Trust, which led the charge against the Midtown proposal.

"They control development downtown," he said, noting there hasn’t been a new high-rise building taller than 10 storeys built in downtown Halifax since the early 1980s.

Mr. Rudolph and Mr. Hattie are also involved in plans, announced in 2003, to build a $350-million natural gas-fired power generator in Bedford to provide Nova Scotia Power with 385 megawatts of electricity by 2008.

Mr. Rudolph said work is still being done on the project, located on 24 hectares in the Bedford Industrial Park. But he said it hinges on acquiring an adequate supply of gas, something also needed to fuel development of a $5-billion petrochemical plant and liquefied natural gas terminal in Goldboro, Guysborough County proposed by Halifax’s Keltic Petrochemical Inc.

Mr. Rudolph, a Keltic investor and director, hopes that gas processed by Maple LNG, which bought Keltic’s LNG project rights in 2006, can be used at the Bedford power generator. The plant would require an estimated 55 million to 68 million cubic feet of gas per day, and Mr. Rudolph said it won’t proceed without an adequate supply.

"Gas supply and price will determine the feasibility of that project," he said, adding he is working with Maple’s European principals, 4Gas and Sun Energy Resources, to secure that supply. He is also considering alternative uses for the property, which is near the Bedford Commons commercial-residential development. "Another option is placing a development there more complementary to the Bedford Commons project."

Mr. Rudolph, who impressed Keltic president Kevin Dunn with his work ethic and quick intelligence — "He’s very smart, he’s a builder" — said he plans to scale back his direct involvement in his dental practice to focus on his other business interests, specifically the Keltic project. "I won’t leave the dental field entirely, but I’m becoming more involved in business and want more time for myself," he said, adding he’s confident the multibillion-dollar petrochemical project will proceed despite the challenges it faces.

"The outlook is quite positive," he said, acknowledging there are a number of factors beyond Keltic’s control that require close collaboration with its international partners. "We have to find a way to break into the market and compete globally."

Mr. Rudolph gives the distinct impression he relishes that challenge.

"It’s very rewarding when you take something from a basic idea to fruition," he said, noting, as did Mr. Dunn, that he’s the hands-on type who likes to be directly involved in his development projects. "I tend to be very active and take a controlling interest."

jonovision

February 13th, 2007, 02:44 AM

There's a third smaller crane being erected on the Gladstone site today. Wow, three cranes on one site...i didnt think that was possible in Halifax!?

RyanNSCAD

February 13th, 2007, 05:49 AM

There's a third smaller crane being erected on the Gladstone site today. Wow, three cranes on one site...i didnt think that was possible in Halifax!?

I saw that today, I love the sight of all these cranes going up around the city. If only there was on on the TexPark site....

My next day off I am going to take some photos of most of the sites are HRM, get a little compilation going.

Black Slacks

February 14th, 2007, 08:28 PM

A few more news items from around town:

----

Some airport notes:

- Air Canada is beginning direct service from Halifax - Holguin, Cuba

- American Airlines (Eagle) is starting weekend service from Halifax to Chicago O'Hare
http://www.herald.ns.ca/Business/558995.html.

- Halifax airport to get 24-hour customs service
http://www.herald.ns.ca/Business/558993.html

----

More big boxes... more 'suburban offices':

Chronicle Herald: Russell Lake West

http://www.herald.ns.ca/Search/558785.html

Russell Lake West includes plans for construction of 400 homes, several condominium buildings, rental apartments and a retirement campus for seniors. Peter Greenwood, Clayton’s vice-president of real estate, says the master plan also includes about 28 hectares set aside for commercial and some office development.

Anyone who drives buy the site already knows Sobeys Inc. is one of the anchor tenants for the new retail development simply because the grocery chain has a sign indicating it is the future site for a new store.

Chedrawe says he isn’t ready to reveal the name of the other anchor tenant yet, but word on the street is that it is a home improvement chain. He says he’ll be more comfortable revealing the names of the tenants next month when all the development agreements are signed and clients are willing to make their presence known.

Greenwood says Chedrawe’s Westwood Group also has options on two other parcels of land in the development, which Chedrawe says he plans to use to build suburban office space.

http://www.claytondev.com/russellsiteplanslots.html

http://www.cbre.ca/NR/rdonlyres/E9501C68-F18D-4193-BF4F-8F9CABCEFB5D/456658/TheShopsatRussellLakeBrochure1.pdf

----

CBC News: Halifax planner defends 'Twisted Sisters' development

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2007/02/13/twisted-sisters.html

----

Daily News: DND considering Armoury renovations

http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=10648&sc=89

----

Chronicle Herald: Stanley Park aid irks local officials

http://www.herald.ns.ca/Metro/558943.html.

I visited Stanley Park after the 'storm' and, to me, there was almost no damage in comparison. I felt that Point Pleasant was completely leveled. Stanley Park had a few trees down here and there but not a lot that I could see, anyway. By the way, PPP has a newsletter out now, available at http://www.pointpleasantpark.ca/

----

Chronicle Herald: Notes from Council last night:

- Bid resumes to build Dartmouth condos
- Metro Centre structure needs monitoring
- Wanderers canteen getting makeover

http://www.herald.ns.ca/Metro/558942.html[/QUOTE]

RyanNSCAD

February 15th, 2007, 09:58 PM

I grabbed a few shots of the major construction sites while I was out today. I wish I had more time, but I basically just pulled up, snapped a pic and then drove on to the next site, it was kind of like a scavenger hunt :lol:

Sorry for the dirty windsheild in a few pics.

Salters Gate
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00360.jpg

Barrington St.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00361.jpg

South St. by Fenwick Tower
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00362.jpg

The crane at the Armoury site.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00364.jpg

Two main cranes at the Gladstone site.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00365.jpg

The first Gladstone tower and crane
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00367.jpg

The first tower, with town houses and two cranes
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00368.jpg

First tower again
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00369.jpg

The new 3rd crane they just put up on the Gladstone site (not sure what the building is going to be)
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/JDM_AE92/DSC00370.jpg

ILoveSkyscrapers

February 16th, 2007, 01:12 AM

Great photos. Gladstone is coming along nicely.

HaliGuy

February 16th, 2007, 03:11 AM

Great photos. Gladstone is coming along nicely.

Nice pics!...I think the Gladstone is really starting to look good.

HaliGuy

February 17th, 2007, 03:13 AM

Nice pics!...I think the Gladstone is really starting to look good.

Here's a shot I took today from the Citadel looking north west towards the Gladstone development . Lots of cranes..you can see the new shorter one that went up last week on the left and the crane for the Armory square development in the fore ground.

HaliGuy

February 17th, 2007, 03:14 AM

Black Slacks

February 22nd, 2007, 12:42 AM

A few more construction site pics from around town...

Spice:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/397869484_21c742bc69_b.jpg

RIM starting to make its mark:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/397862449_2b510f5a67_b.jpg

Armoury Square:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/397869475_b359a4ffea_b.jpg

Armoury Square from another angle:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/397869479_08ce9b3db9_b.jpg

New football and soccer fields in Burnside:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/397876128_e78b07df5b_b.jpg

NSCAD Seawall Port Campus:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/397876119_c72372f47c_b.jpg

NSCAD up a bit closer:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/397869489_ad36c654fe_b.jpg

MSVU Motherhouse as it stands now (I think the refurbishing on the wing to the left is complete):
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/397882905_4a3cb4def3_b.jpg

Random condo building around Clayton Park West:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/397882908_91906e4f18_b.jpg

bluenoser

March 14th, 2007, 04:14 PM

MacGillivray wants new Metro Centre 2
Games bid or not, the old one's fading

Post a comment | View comments (2) | View latest comment
PHILIP CROUCHER
The Daily News

HALIFAX - Fred MacGillivray plans to push hard for a new Halifax Metro Centre to be funded from some of the government money allotted for the failed Commonwealth Games bid.

MacGillivray admitted yesterday the idea of a new Metro Centre for Halifax hasn't been talked about much in the last two years because of the focus on the 2014 Commonwealth Games venture.

But with the province and city pulling the plug on the idea last week, MacGillivray is focusing on some old battles, and at the top of his wish list is getting a new convention centre and Metro Centre for HRM.

"To continue what we're doing now, a new Metro Centre is very necessary," the Trade Centre Ltd. president and CEO said yesterday after a news conference for the 2008 world hockey championship in Halifax. "And more so than that is our convention centre. We do a lot of business in the conventions and meetings business - we're way undersized. People want to come to Halifax. We turn away, not as much, but close to as much business as we bring here, because we have limited facilities. So that's going to drive the agenda."

The federal, provincial and municipal governments had allotted a total of $900 million towards Halifax's Commonwealth Games bid. MacGillivray, who headed the Games bid, doesn't want to see that money walk out of the city.

'Ambition level'

"I think there certainly is a desire to do that from the city and the province, and they would have to meet with the federal government to see what their ambition level is," he said about giving money to the city's infrastructure.

"I've been pushing hard for years, and I'll continue to help our potential funding partners make a good decision on that regard."

The 10,500-seat Metro Centre was built in Feb. 1978, and according to MacGillivray, the facility is wearing down. It also doesn't meet the needs of the customer anymore, which if not corrected, will hurt HRM business in the years to come.

"If we want to go to the next level, it's a larger stadium," MacGillivray said. "Look at the sightlines in our facility. There is certainly a challenge for many of the events that we do ... (and) look at the canteen facilities. We can only serve up to 40 per cent of the customers ... The line-ups are just too long."

In a perfect world, MacGillivray would have a new Metro Centre of between 14,000 and 15,000 seats built within the next three to five years. It's estimated the cost would be $150 million.

"But that has to take the commitment of our potential funding partners, whether that be the city of Halifax, the province of Nova Scotia, the federal government," MacGillivray said. "But all of those things will get discussed, and I think hopefully, in a short period of time."

MacGillivray also spoke about the idea of a new outdoor stadium, but didn't give it the same priority as a new Metro Centre and convention facility.

I really hope that a stadium would be built before a new arena, what do you think would be the chances of this happening?

Wishblade

March 15th, 2007, 11:49 PM

hfx_chris

March 16th, 2007, 03:44 AM

At first I was thinking there's no point really, the Metro Centre is big enough.. but when Fred started talking about things like the sight lines within the arena (the skyboxes really block your view if you're way up in the upper bowl), and the canteen space (damn that concourse gets crowded during intermissions). I can see the need for a new arena now.
Plus, now that I think about it... I've never liked that one side of the arena that's just wall.. as in, the skyboxes wrap all the way around, except for that one side where it's just a giant, ugly wall. I dunno if anyone else ever feels this, but I hate seeing that wall on TV during events at the Metro Centre. heh..

Keith P.

March 16th, 2007, 12:02 PM

I think whomever designed the MC had never done an arena before. It is very strange in ways other than that blank wall... I always find access to the arena seats from within odd, with relatively narrow and steep stairwells if you come in from the lower level. The concourses have always been far too small for the size of the place. The skyboxes... well, Fast Freddy has only himself to blame for them since he had them put in. The place really wasn't designed to have those. I recall that when the place first opened in '78 a statement was reported that it was designed for expansion with upper level seating at either end, but I could never see how that could be done.

I think the need for a new arena is related less to the shortcomings of the MC and more to the need to expand convention space for the WTCC.

hfx_chris

March 16th, 2007, 04:27 PM

How could they expand it? The building is squeezed tight on both the Duke St and Carmichael St ends...

Haligonian

March 20th, 2007, 01:33 AM

They'd expand the WTCC back into the space currently occupied by the MC.

Personally I'd rather they just build a nice new convention centre in a new location.

Wishblade

March 20th, 2007, 01:44 AM

They'd expand the WTCC back into the space currently occupied by the MC.

Personally I'd rather they just build a nice new convention centre in a new location.

Well the only reason isnt the convention centre. Other arguments being brought up are that the current facility is aging and is too small and can't be expanded. I've heard tell of 15,000 up to 20,000 seats for the new one.

hfx_chris

March 20th, 2007, 02:21 AM

It currently only holds 10,000. 15k seems still too small, if they want to be totally future-proof. Closer to 20,000 sounds a lot better, taking into account future growth.

I was just looking over the Metro Centre website.
One of the listed benefits of the Metro Centre is:
"A black theatrical curtain which gives us the flexibility to go from 1,000 to 10,000 patrons."
It made me laugh.

In the meantime though, one thing the Metro Centre needs to get rid of, is that ugly screen outside facing the Duke/Brunswick corner.. that thing looks ancient.

bluenoser

March 27th, 2007, 04:47 PM

NEWS

Last updated at 9:08 AM on 27/03/07

Related Photo Galleries :

What if - 2014 Commonwealth Games in Halifax
Commonwealth games: the bid unveiled
Venues

The Daily News

l A semi-open-air stadium with a sail-shaped roof would have been the showcase of Halifax's Commonwealth Games bid. "It would have been visible from the land, sea and the air," Halifax 2014 CEO Scott Logan said, adding that the stadium would have been just as iconic as the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The stadium would have temporary seating for 50,000, scaled back to a permanent seating capacity of 25,000 after the Games, with the option to increase seating for certain events. A roofed warm-up track beside the stadium was also proposed. Total cost: $121.2 million.

- Commonwealth Park Multi-Sport Facility: Would include diving, swimming, badminton courts, basketball courts. After the Games, the basketball courts would be available for public rentals. The aquatic centre would be the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada, with two 50-metre pools and a seating capacity of 3,000. A temporary practice pool adjacent to the aquatics centre would have been moved elsewhere in HRM after the Games. Total cost: $159.4 million.

- Commonwealth Park Athletes' Village: Within walking distance of Commonwealth Park Stadium, and would have included a number of accessible housing units and assisted living units and affordable housing units. More than 900 open market housing units would have been available after the games. A seniors' facility and a hotel were also planned for the site. Total cost: $62.5 million.

Several sites throughout HRM would have benefited from winning the Commonwealth Games bid.

- Halifax Forum: Picked as the boxing venue and would have received $6.6 million in upgrades to seating, landscaping, electrical services and reflooring.

- Halifax Metro Centre: Selected for gymnastics competitions and the basketball finals, it would have received $1.5 million in renovations before the Games.

- Wanderers Grounds: Four international competition standard lawn bowls greens would have been installed on the site of North America's oldest lawn bowls club. After the games, two of the greens would be converted to a rugby pitch. Total cost: $3.4 million.

- Halifax Common: Field hockey venue and proposed venue for track cycling. Upgrades to the Common were estimated at $9.4 million.

- Halifax downtown: Venue for road cycling and marathon running. Paving, roadwork and landscaping planned to make the route Games ready estimated at $3.9 million.

- Mainland Common: Table tennis venue which would have been transformed after the Games to an indoor soccer field. Total cost: $8.4 million.

- Dartmouth Sportsplex: Weightlifting and wrestling venue requiring construction of a new entrance, lobby and general renovations. Estimated cost: $2 million.

- Lake Banook: Triathlon venue requiring upgrades to trails, roads and landscaping to accommodate spectators. After the Games, the renovations would make Lake Banook an attractive venue for future rowing, canoeing and triathlon events. Estimated cost: $1.2 million.

- Bull Meadow (near Mount Uniacke): Venue for the shooting competitions. The outdoor range would be extensively modified to the tune of $3.9 million.

- Martock: Mountain biking venue. Course work to prepare the mountain for the games would cost $1.2 million. After the games, an enhanced and expanded mountain biking course would be available to the public and for future bike events.

- Dalhousie University: Venue for women's netball competition and aquatics training. The existing Dalplex sports facility would be refurbished costing $700,000.

- Saint Mary's University: Venue for basketball and squash competitions. Renovations here would include the construction of a new multi-sport facility including room for a new ice surface. The cost is estimated at $3 million.

In addition, Halifax 2014 had plans to construct eight practice fields in various locations around HRM, likely near schools or existing sports facilities. The committee had 22 proposed sites for the eight fields ranging from Exhibition Park to Porters Lake, including Upper and Lower Sackville, Pockwock, Eastern Passage and Dartmouth Crossing.

Total cost of the construction of the practice fields: $3.4 million.

- Metropolitan Playing Field: The Lower Sackville facility was slated for $1.4 million in upgrades, including a new 400-metre track and throwing field. After the Games, it would have been a first-rate site for high school track and field competitions, regional and provincial championships and community soccer.

- Gorsebrook Field: Training for field hockey and improvements to existing facilities, including ball fields and soccer pitches. Estimated cost: $4 million.

- Citadel High School: The replacement for Queen Elizabeth and St. Patrick's high schools would get $300,000 for improvements to its gymnasium.

- The Courtyard: The Bayers Lake indoor tennis facility would be the badminton training venue. Temporary flooring would be installed at the cost of $50,000.

Other training areas were included in the training venues plan, but didn't require capital upgrades:

- Halifax West H.S.: basketball

- Mount Saint Vincent: basketball

- University of King's College and Sexton Campus: basketball

- Bedford Lawn Bowls: lawn bowls

- Stadplex (Stadacona): wrestling

- Fleet Centre: gymnastics

- ALTA Gymnastics Club: gymnastics

- Richard Dooley

Think there's anyone that could be lobbied to go ahead to build the stadium? I'd imagine that the architectural work has all been done and it's not as expensive as I would have thought..

http://www.hfxnews.ca/photos/TheDailyNews/gallery/353/CWP%20Stands.jpg

http://www.hfxnews.ca/photos/TheDailyNews/gallery/353/CWP%20View.jpg

http://www.hfxnews.ca/photos/TheDailyNews/stories/bridge.jpg

jonovision

March 27th, 2007, 06:28 PM

What a shame! That stadium would have been really nice. I like how they prettied up the power line towers in the rendering! I wonder if that's ever actually been done?

Wishblade

March 27th, 2007, 11:19 PM

What a shame! That stadium would have been really nice.

Doesnt have to be a shame. Really, theres no reason why this stadium shouldnt be built. For example, in regards to the CFL, they may not look at us seriously enough until we have the facility on the ground. Not to mention, it could save the commons a lot of concert heartache lol.

Wishblade

March 28th, 2007, 12:03 AM

I was on the bus today passing by the marine slips in Dartmouth this afternoon, and I think their about to tear it down to make way for Kings Wharf, because there were people around the site today, and I think there was some minor dismantling going on. Not too sure though.

Penhorn

March 28th, 2007, 12:22 AM

Augh, that's a beautiful stadium, what a shame. I really hope we can get some of these projects completed anyway (sooner rather than much much later).

jonovision

March 28th, 2007, 04:25 AM

I did notice some machine out on the wharf at the marine slips today actually. Are you sure it wasnt to do with harbour solutions?

bluenoser

March 28th, 2007, 04:38 AM

I also noticed the other day half of the parking lot next to Bishop's Landing was roped off, anything to do with the Salter St. project?

Haligonian

March 28th, 2007, 03:39 PM

I am not sure, but I thought that they still needed to get a development agreement from council before beginning construction.

jonovision

March 28th, 2007, 08:07 PM

I'm pretty sure all that work they;re doing there has to do with the harbour solutions. Most of the work they're doing is on the waterfront warehouse prperty anyway.

HaliGuy

March 29th, 2007, 05:27 PM

I'm pretty sure all that work they;re doing there has to do with the harbour solutions. Most of the work they're doing is on the waterfront warehouse prperty anyway.

I think you're right... its Harbour solutions work.

skyscraper_1

April 1st, 2007, 06:45 PM

******** impressions

POLITICAL correctness is impeding development in ******** Halifax, says Jim Spatz, chairman and CEO of Southwest Properties Ltd.

"For development ******** you have to have consensus and you have to think outside the realm of political correctness," he said in a recent interview at his bright, art-filled office in Bishop’s Landing.

His firm built Bishop’s Landing, an award-winning residential-retail complex on the Halifax waterfront, several years ago, despite concerns that it would restrict public access to the harbour.

"People have to understand that good development is a good thing," said Mr. Spatz, who noted that some of Bishop’s Landing’s most vocal critics now point to it as a model of sensitive ***** development — a model he says fits nicely with increasing calls for environmentally sustainable, so-called green developments.

"People living in great numbers concentrated in the centre of cities is very green," he said.

"They don’t have to get into cars, nobody has to build roads, and all those people who make it hard to develop in the middle of a **** like Halifax, what they really do is force development to the outside of the ****, force people to drive cars."

Mr. Spatz, 58, who with his 93-year-old father Simon will be inducted into the Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in June, is one of Halifax’s pre-eminent real estate developers.

He was an emergency room doctor for almost 15 years in Montreal before returning to Halifax in 1987 to join the real estate firm his father founded after immigrating to Nova Scotia from Europe in 1950.

Mr. Spatz now oversees a business that owns more than $100 million in investment properties, including 30 apartment buildings in Halifax with more than 1,250 rental units.

"We continue to look for acquisitions and in particular we like acquisitions that have redevelopment opportunity," he said, like the former Moosehead Brewery property in Dartmouth that Southwest transformed into the mixed-use Windmill Crossing; the renovated Atlantic Place office complex in ******** St. John’s, N.L.; and the recently acquired Vantage Point Commercial Properties in Bayers Lake Business Park.

Southwest, which holds a majority stake in Premiere Executive Suites, a national chain of 650 rental units designed for business travellers, also owns the Bank of Canada ******** in Halifax and Bluewater Park in Bedford.

And Mr. Spatz maintains his partnership with developer George Armoyan in the Aspotogan Spa property, which they bought at a sheriff’s sale in the late ’90s.

"We did a land development there that is pretty close to sold out," he said, adding that they are still looking for buyers for the spa ********.

Southwest is currently partnering with *** Castle Hotels, owners of the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel in Halifax and operators of Nova Scotia’s signature resorts, in the construction of a Marriott Residence Inn in Moncton and a Hilton Hampton Inn hotel in Dartmouth Crossing.

"It’s just another kind of real estate," said Mr. Spatz, an avid skier along with his wife and their two teenaged sons, when asked if the involvement in hotels signalled a change in direction for the firm.

"Every type of real estate has its particular attributes (and) we bring a lot of experience in different kinds of real estate," he said.

Spatz says he has followed his father’s example by working with the best consultants and designers, like Halifax’s Lydon Lynch Architects Ltd., which designed Bishop’s Landing.

Kevin Riles, a real estate consultant and president of the ***** Development Institute of Nova Scotia, which represents more than 100 developers in the province, attributes Mr. Spatz’s business success to his vision and to his integrity.

"He’s proven he can take a project and turn it into something special," he said, pointing to Southwest’s transformation of the Sunnyside Mall in Bedford, which the company has since sold, as an example.

Mr. Spatz is also, like his father, a person of his word who has great business instincts, said Mr. Riles. "He has a good lineage," he said. "A handshake still works."

Southwest — the name comes from the fact that the firm originally owned properties in the south and west ends of Halifax is planning a 100-unit apartment on South Bland ****** in Halifax, adjacent to a six-storey apartment complex which was the first development project Mr. Spatz worked on when he returned to Halifax and the family business in the ’80s.

Despite his longstanding loyalty to the **** where he grew up — Southwest gave $100,000 to sponsor an international design competition to rebuild Point Pleasant Park following hurricane Juan — Mr. Spatz said he thinks that ******** development will remain a contentious issue unless some rigid perceptions, particularly among heritage groups, change.

"Everybody’s got to understand that there’s more at play than saving every last ******** that’s over a certain age, because they don’t all deserve to be saved," he said, noting that the things heritage advocates fight to preserve were once themselves *** developments.

"People need to get their heads screwed on to the idea that there’s not just one agenda. One agenda is preserving what’s important to us. A second one is creating an environment so that a good **** can continue to grow here," he said.

"The idea that it’s good to keep everything just the way it was, notwithstanding that the world grows, the population grows, people have to live somewhere, that’s really misguided and it’s just a small sliver of reality."

http://www.herald.ns.ca/Business/568060.html

isaidso

April 5th, 2007, 06:45 PM

That’s going to be some great school. What do you think will happen to the land the two old high schools are on? Both parcels of land are in an area with tall buildings. I’m hoping for two office towers for that area.

Cripes. When did that high school happen! Has QEH and St. Pats been knocked down? How many students is the new school built for? Football stadium attached? You've got a natural half of a bowl there. Would be fab watching football on the slopes of the Citadel Hill. Has the foot of the Citadel ever been considered for a stadium on similar lines as Molson Stadium in Montreal?

What about the site bound by Bell, Summer, and Sackville? The Central Common, or perhaps a shared Dal/SMU stadium on that green bound by Robie, South, and Inglis.

Keith P.

April 5th, 2007, 09:06 PM

The new Citadel High is still under construction. QEH and St Pats are still in business, at least for the rest of the year. St Pats appears to be about falling down and has had minimal maintenance the last few years, unfortunately.

I think the Citadel High site was an unfortunate choice. Once the Comun ity College was knocked down I think they should have left it vacant dfor a while and returned it to the Commons as it once was. The students could have been consolidated at QEH for a few years while SPH was demolished and a new school built there. The QEH site is earmarked for the hospital; god knows what they will do with it.

The site where the new school is located would be a fabulous choice for a stadium if it could be consolidated with the adjacent parcel where the skate park is now, which is largely a waste.

isaidso

April 9th, 2007, 01:11 AM

Thanks for the information, but why are they tearing down the nicest building on Quinpool (St. Pat's?) It is the last one they should demolish, not the first.

Sueb

April 9th, 2007, 02:40 PM

I saw that today, I love the sight of all these cranes going up around the city. If only there was on on the TexPark site....

My next day off I am going to take some photos of most of the sites are HRM, get a little compilation going.

Hi, I am new here. I have been reading this forum and am finding lots of info about what building is going on in Halifax :) . I had to comment on the cranes. Did you know 90% of the worlds cranes are in Dubai, UAE? Yup, can stand on my roof and see them. The National bird of Dubai is....THE CRANE :lol: thought I would share that.

ILoveSkyscrapers

April 10th, 2007, 08:41 PM

Thanks for the information, but why are they tearing down the nicest building on Quinpool (St. Pat's?) It is the last one they should demolish, not the first.

I had a good long look at the building today, it was the nicest building on Quinpool maybe 20 years ago but it’s taken a hard beating over the years. Not fit for a flea market. It’s time to tear it down and build something new on the spot.

hfx_chris

April 11th, 2007, 03:23 AM

I liked it when the Elmer's Glue logos were on the front doors.
I like how the exterior is practically falling off...

isaidso

April 11th, 2007, 09:24 PM

Granted, I haven't seen it in 6 years, but couldn't they renovate it? It's the last example of 50's high school architecture in Halifax. Grand, heavy, and certainly more impressive than anything on that street.

At the very least, they could maintain the building and incorporate it into a larger building on top and behind it. Learn from the mistakes Toronto and Montreal made. You can't ever get it back.

On another note, isn't there an interest in building the stadium anyway? There isn't one decent stadium east of Montreal. If Nebraska, population 1.7 million, can have an 80,000 seat stadium, the Maritimes, population 1.8 million, can surely have one 3 times smaller?

134,000(Maritimes) to 200,000(Nebraska) square kilometres.

The Maritimes is also much more compact than Nebraska, so travel distances are not an excuse.

Haligonian

April 14th, 2007, 05:19 PM

St. Pat's has not been maintained at all. It is literally falling apart. All of the nice older schools are private. The provincial government generally speaking does not seem to care about the city. They simply build whatever they want wherever they want and then let things fall apart. No special thought is given to how their actions affect adjacent areas because the bureaucrats who make these decisions are all from rural areas where none of that matters.

Keith P.

April 15th, 2007, 11:54 AM

That's not totally correct, as we have a strange way of dealing with school buildings in NS. The province funds and builds new schools, but then turns the facility over to the school board for ongoing maintenance. Over the years maintenance can be neglected until a new school is needed, and when that is done, the old school property becomes surplus and is sold by the municipality. Bizarre.

Haligonian

April 15th, 2007, 04:39 PM

I was mostly talking about site selection of new buildings constructed by the province. The new Citadel High site is not the greatest, and then there's the infirmary thing, problems on Barrington, the ugly parkades thrown up on Robie and University Ave, etc.

They are also ultimately in control of establishing this whole process that discourages proper maintenance of older schools.

It would be interesting to see how often schools in other parts of the country are replaced. Many schools here that are supposedly on their last legs are only 20-30 years old, while other provinces manage operate central high schools built in the 1920s. Generally speaking, other cities in Canada seem to have kept far more of their old institutional buildings than Halifax.

Keith P.

April 15th, 2007, 05:59 PM

I'm sure many other places have done far better. The problem here (not just with schools but many public buildings) are many:

- uninspired, cheap design
- specs set to bare minimum
- low-bid construction
- poor to nonexistent maintenance
- no sense of pride

Even a landmark building like Province House is a mess if you take a close look. Other buildings like provincial offices and schools can be far worse. Many of the schools built in the 50s and 60s in rural NS especially are just cheap wood-frame structures and without ongoing maintenance they literally rot away. A few years ago the old courthouse in Sydney was so badly maintained that they had long-temr water leaks that led to such a mold problem it couldn't be economically fixed and they had to build a new one. The problem lies squarely at the feet of Public Works, but when you have a bureaucracy that doesn't care you end up with this.

HaliGuy

May 1st, 2007, 05:44 PM

Halifax waterfront proposal, Take 2

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

A brand new development could be rising up from old parking lots on the Halifax waterfront before the end of the year.

The Centennial Group Ltd.’s latest proposal for the corner of Salter and Lower Water streets quietly received approval from two city hall advisory committees last week.

The next step is to appear before regional council to set a date for a public hearing, chairman and CEO Ralph Medjuck said Monday.

"We’re pleased with it," Mr. Medjuck said about the development, which includes a five-storey hotel with 96 rooms and a 142-unit residential building ranging in height from five to 12 storeys. The last three years have seen the proposal undergo adaptations to comply with planning staff requests for the development.

One of the first things to go was a CN Tower-like space needle.

"That was a shame because it could have been a great icon," Mr. Medjuck said of the innovative tower, which received a lot of attention when it was unveiled.

That was the first of eight changes to the development’s design. Other changes since then include pulling the buildings back from the waterfront boardwalk and adding a walkway to Salter Street.

Despite the modifications, the latest incarnation is not too different from the first design submitted a few years ago, he said. "Nobody would notice the changes. The building has been moved a little bit this way, a little bit that way, but the project is basically the same as presented.

"The man on the street wouldn’t see any difference."

Made of stone and glass, the buildings are surrounded by a one-acre park with walkways and fountains and are joined to neighbouring developments through an extension of the existing waterside boardwalk.

There’s also a pond that could accommodate wintertime skating, a garden in an indoor amphitheatre and 65,000 square feet for shops and restaurant that will face the boardwalk and park.

After almost three years in the planning stages, Mr. Medjuck is keen to see the development get underway.

"There’s a category on the calendar and it’s called As Soon As Possible!" he said, chuckling.

However, he realizes that other recent downtown developments — such as a hotel tower above the Midtown Tavern and a pair of 27-storey glass towers for the former Tex-Park lot — have been subjected to lengthy appeals.

"I know that’s the process and I support it, but it’s not without difficulty," he said, noting the process can be "long and expensive and disheartening."

Markets and interest rates can change over a number of years, affecting the costs.

"You can lose the will to do that.

"It’s very serious, so that might be why you don’t see as much development here as you do in other places."

However, Mr. Medjuck said his designers have been adhering to all of city staff’s requests for adjustments to the development.

"I’m optimistic that it will go through because I can’t think of anything that’s really appealable," he said.

As downtown Halifax’s councillor, Dawn Sloane sits on both the heritage and the downtown planning advisory committees.

She said the development passed through both committees easily.

"It’s the right height, so that doesn’t seem to be an issue and it falls under the view planes, and those are the kinds of things that we look at."

She likens the development to "a cruise ship run aground with a large park around it" and said it seems palatable.

Despite the appraisal, she was hesitant to give her own opinion on the development because she’s still waiting to hear back from her constituents.

"I’m reserving my comments."

However, she said the trick is not to mimic heritage properties, but to complement them.

"I think people have . . . more of an open mind, compared with before," she said.

"Before they were always saying, ‘Let’s play it safe and we’ll make it look like heritage.’ Now, people are saying, ‘Let’s do something a little newer and fresher.’ "

bluenoser

May 5th, 2007, 08:36 AM

If any of you use facebook, an interesting group:

http://dal.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2248041900

bluenoser

May 11th, 2007, 06:11 AM

I had a rugby practice at the Garrison Grounds today and I noticed that Armoury Square is about 2 stories above ground! Didn't get any pictures though.

bluenoser

May 11th, 2007, 06:17 AM

Ideal space to inspire creativity takes shape
Classes set for July at NSCAD’s Port campus
By DEBORAH MENSAH-BONSU

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/photos/xlarge/pp050907nscad_Metro_05-10-07_6057B5K.jpg
The smell of fresh paint and clouds of concrete dust still linger in the air. Workers in hard hats and heavy boots manoeuvre around thick cables and hanging tarps.

By July, students will be hammering, carving and sculpting in the open-concept rooms of this renovated 70,000-square-foot warehouse on the Halifax waterfront.

The new Port campus of NSCAD University combines wood, concrete, steel and glass to create an ideal space for arts such as metalwork, woodwork, stone carving and ceramics, said university president David Smith.

"It’s an incredible facility with wonderful architecture," he said. "It’s exceptionally well-designed and tailor-made for the requirements of the programs."

NSCAD University is hosting its annual fundraiser, Off The Wall, at the Port campus this Friday, when the public can get its first look at the new design, created by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Ltd.

Sunlight floods in through the wall of windows spanning from the floor to the top of the 5.4-metre ceilings of the drawing room on the second floor. The view overlooking Georges Island sitting in the still waters of the harbour will stir creative spirits, while movable walls in this and several other rooms allow for flexibility in the classroom.

Perforated zinc screens cover windows on the southwest end of the building to control the flow of light in the studio. Project co-ordinator Daniel Lucas said the 120 workers who built the campus faced their share of challenges. Supplies were difficult to transport into the building because it has few entrances, the second floor had to be made level and the main entrance to the building had to be redesigned halfway through construction.

"It was a difficult construction, but the project is still on schedule," he said.

Roughly half of the project’s $10-million construction budget was spent on the mechanical and electrical outfitting of the campus, such as ventilation, said Deborah Carver, NSCAD’s interim vice-president.

"The students’ safety is a priority," she said.

Along with the perks of a new facility, students may find new opportunities in a new location. The Centre for Craft and Design, Pier 21 and other up-and-coming ventures along the boardwalk place the Port campus in the middle of Halifax’s expanding arts, culture and tourism district.

"All the arts are coming together here and there are possibilities for the students to benefit from that," said Ms. Carver.

Port campus is NSCAD’s third in the city and challenges may arise when coping with its distance from the other downtown sites.

Taylor Hudgins, a third-year NSCAD film student, will be taking metal and wood shop classes on the new campus next fall.

"I think it’s a good idea, but it will be kind of far away," he said. "It’s like a 20-minute walk. But I do think change is good. The old campus has the traditional architecture and the new one is more contemporary. It’s blending two worlds and it’s important for an art school to be progressive."

Mr. Smith said establishing technological connectivity between the three campuses as well as timing classes and getting the students from one campus to another are issues the school still has to address.

"We’ll grow into it," he said. "We’ll be very flexible. We’re just at the point of exploring ideas."

Some possibilities include public transportation and bike stations, often seen in Europe, where students can hop on and off at designated areas.

The $14.5-million Port campus will house about 300 students in the coming fall. NSCAD’s foundation year will be held at the new site, so all first-year students get a chance to experience the advantages of the new campus, such as its state-of-the-art ceramics facility.

"It’s one of the best I’ve seen in the world," he said. "We give our students the tools for incredible technical, critical and creative thinking skills and we’re proud of them."

and on a slightly different note,

SMU looks at reinvention to maintain student population
Post a comment
LINDSAY JONES

Universities may need to reinvent themselves in order to survive, Saint Mary's University Associate vice-president registrar said.

"The university is rethinking what its role is in society," Paul Dixon said. "It's going to be forced to by the change in demographics in the next 10 to 15 years."

University enrolment is starting to go down and the trend is expected to continue, says the CEO of the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission Mireille Duguay.

The number of high-school graduates in the Maritimes will peak in 2008, then drop. A university-enrolment surge has been predicted in the next decade due to an increasingly knowledge-based economy, but Dixon isn't sure universities will fill that demand - not unless they rethink some of their programs. A bachelor of arts, for instance, looks much the same as it did 30 years ago, he said.

Dixon points to some traditional universities in Britain, which have successfully reinvented themselves with polytechnic type programs. He said universities that have rested on their laurels haven't done as well - something he worries might happen to Canadian schools.

"I hope Saint Mary's is one of the successful ones," he said. "A lot of us are trying to be in that club and time will tell."

Dixon also said schools need to do a better job of appealing to the two-thirds of high school graduates who choose not to go to university.

jonovision

May 11th, 2007, 05:11 PM

Here's a pic of the site I took wed morning.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/jonovision/SunrisewithRyan002.jpg?t=1178896178

jonovision

May 14th, 2007, 06:32 PM

An article from todays chronicle:

Waterfront project goes to council
Date for public hearing likely to be set
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER / Staff Reporter

A proposed development for the Halifax waterfront will move one step closer to becoming reality Tuesday when it goes before city hall to set a date for a public hearing.

The project, the latest incarnation from Centennial Group Ltd. for two Lower Water Street sites owned by the Waterfront Development Corp., has already been approved by two of council’s advisory committees.

The development includes a five-storey hotel with 96 rooms and a 142-unit residential building ranging in height from five to 12 storeys.

Made of stone and glass, the buildings are surrounded by a park with walkways and fountains and are joined to neighbouring developments through an extension of the existing waterside boardwalk.

There’s also a pond that could accommodate wintertime skating, a garden in an indoor amphitheatre and 65,000 square feet for shops and a restaurant that will face the boardwalk and park.

In April, the heritage advisory committee and the downtown planning advisory committee both gave the development the thumbs-up. A staff report going before regional council at its regular weekly meeting advises councillors to go ahead and plan a public hearing.

It’s not the first proposal for the sites, a combined 1.8 hectares at the foot of Salter Street, which are now assessed at a total of $5.4 million.

According to the staff report on the project, there have been six proposals for 1521 Lower Water St. since 1974 and another three for the lot next door at 1505 Lower Water St. A similar design to the one currently proposed —albeit with a CN Tower-like space needle — was trotted out a few years ago.

Since then, Centennial Group Ltd.’s owner, Ralph Medjuck, says the project has gone through at least eight changes as his company-hired designers conferred with the city’s planning department to adhere to the municipal planning strategy.

It’s that strategy that dictates that regional council must schedule a public hearing before deciding for or against the project, because the proposed buildings are higher than the mandated 7.5 metres.

In a recent interview, Mr. Medjuck said his company is pleased with the design going before council.

Other local developments by the Centennial Group include the Lord Nelson Hotel, the Prince George and Cambridge Suites, as well as Embassy Towers and the Carlyle.

( apugsley@herald.ca)

bluenoser

May 22nd, 2007, 07:44 AM

http://www.wsuites.ca/index.asp

Does W Suites have any relation to the W chain of hotels, or is the name/logo similarity just a coincidence? There is no mention of the Barrington St. W Suites on the W Hotels website.

bluenoser

May 28th, 2007, 08:46 PM

Anyone else visit the architectural exhibits at Pier 21? They are on display until the end of the month.

bluenoser

June 26th, 2007, 08:16 AM

Cogswell stadium strikes chord
Sports facility popular choice with readers to replace interchange
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
ADVERTISEMENT

A brand new sports stadium would be the centrepiece of downtown Halifax if readers of The Chronicle Herald were city planners.

We asked for feedback after last Monday’s story on tearing down the massive Cogswell Street interchange. The system of downtown highway overpasses and ramps was built almost 40 years ago to align with a proposed Harbour Drive freeway that was abandoned because of enormous public opposition.

Future structural issues with the interchange, coupled with the city’s desire to remove it and develop the site, will eventually lead to its destruction.

Halifax Regional Municipality plans to hold a series of workshops in the fall on downtown development, especially relating to the Cogswell site, as part of the "HRM By Design" urban design project. But we thought we’d get things jump-started by asking for your opinions.

Dozens of readers sent in their ideas for the prime piece of real estate by e-mail or snail mail. A few thousand more took part in our online readers poll.

The majority were united in their desire to see a new centrepiece sports complex with seating for 25,000 to 40,000 at the Cogswell site. Some readers were so keen, they were ready to sign up teams for the facility.

"A major stadium, capable of being a feature venue for future Commonwealth (Games) attempts, a major hockey venue, the potential to host an NBA team," James Moore wrote.

Robert Paege of San Leandro, Calif., and Gerry Meade of Dartmouth both said a Canadian Football League team could be in the cards if a new downtown sports stadium is built.

"I am suggesting a roof for this facility because let’s make no mistake about it, protection from the elements will be a big factor in the number of fans who turn out for these events," Mr. Meade said. "We do after all live in the northern hemisphere."

Kevin Elliott of Calgary said Halifax, as a "vibrant city of 400,000," should have a great stadium to help attract "world-class events."

"Perhaps one day, the city could host the biggest annual event in Canada — the Grey Cup game — bringing millions into the local economy."

Brett Musgrave is pinning his hopes on the NHL salary cap making an expansion team for Halifax economically viable.

"This would mean lots of revenue for the downtown area," he said.

As for the design of the stadium, Scott Smith of Halifax suggested a good model is already available.

"What about keeping the stadium from the 2014 Commonwealth Games and just moving the location (from Shannon Park)?" he said.

"A stadium is something Halifax needs, and with that (Cogswell) location, it could boost downtown like the Metro Centre does."

Right alongside the sports fans among readers were the culture buffs.

A new performing arts complex would be a nice fit at the site, many readers said.

Such a centre would be a "wonderful draw for Halifax," Helen Jeppesen said, adding that it should be "large enough and nice enough to bring in the big names."

Others feel that putting any large complex downtown — whether for sports, arts or otherwise — would tie up traffic. Dan Samardzic wants the city to go the other way and create pedestrian-friendly streetscapes to entice visitors.

"I can already see the new cafes, shops and street entertainers there," he said. "Hopefully, new buildings in the area will have a little bit of charm and the beauty so present in the Granville Street area."

Another reader also likes the feel of the old buildings there.

"I would recreate as much of the original structures as possible and practical," Tom Parsons said.

He also feels that too much emphasis is put on dollar signs and he recommends steering clear of large entertainment structures.

"Instead, development should focus on good esthetics and quality of life," he said.

A little retail therapy might be in order, too.

J. Morris wishes that services, like a bank and a grocery store like Pete’s Frootique, could be re-established in the downtown for people living in the north end.

Philip MacLean is on the same page. He said commercial development is needed for area residents and for people who don’t have cars.

"I miss the old Woolco at Scotia Square, it was very convenient," he said.

But some people feel that any newfangled idea is wrong.

Almost one-quarter of the 2,434 online voters said the best idea would be to leave the interchange the way it is. A few wrote simply: "More parking."

Not Jo Marchand, who believes the downtown would benefit from the removal of a "concrete jungle that serves no real purpose today."

"I don’t think there is a single other development that would have a more positive effect on our city."

To get involved in future forums and workshops on the downtown, click on www.halifax.ca/capitaldistrict/RegionalCentreUrbanDesignStudy.html.

bluenoser

July 2nd, 2007, 11:57 PM

2 new cranes are being built at Fairview Cove, both bigger than anything that's already there. Just thought I'd mention.

Ps, does anyone read this anymore?

Wishblade

July 3rd, 2007, 12:01 AM

2 new cranes are being built at Fairview Cove, both bigger than anything that's already there. Just thought I'd mention.

Ps, does anyone read this anymore?

I read it from time to time. And are those new cranes here now? I read their supposed to be even higher capacity than the 2 big ones at Halterm.

bluenoser

July 3rd, 2007, 11:54 PM

I think the one big green one at FC is the same as the ones at Halterm.. the 2 that they're building are definitely bigger than anything in Halifax already

bluenoser

July 4th, 2007, 12:00 AM

Brewery tower proposal rises again
Public meeting will be held on "more formal," 21-storey design
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter | 5:46 AM
ADVERTISEMENT

The Brewery Market tower that forced city hall to change the way it scrutinizes downtown development is making a comeback.

A project for the south side of the Halkirk-owned property on the corner of Bishop and Lower Water streets is on city hall’s meeting agenda for tonight.

The development proposal was last heard from four years ago when it was nixed before a public hearing was even held.

At that time, the development was touted as a 23-storey tower for office space and residential condos, the councillor for downtown remembered during an interview Monday.

"Now it’s a 21-storey building but it’s a lot more formal looking than the last one," Coun. Dawn Sloane said.

The project appears to be more positive this time around, she said.

"But, as I say anytime I talk about the downtown, I want to wait until I hear from the public and I want to see how they feel about it because they are ultimately the ones that will have to look at it for over 50 years."

The development, which would rise above the current brewery market and sit next to Halkirk’s recently finished Salter’s Gate development, requires amendments be made to the municipal planning strategy and the land-use bylaws that govern the area.

Currently, the project, as proposed, goes against those planning guidelines, Ms. Sloane said.

An upcoming public information meeting will explain the changes, she said.

"My biggest issue is to make sure that we do follow the process properly, to make sure that there are public information meetings so that we do get everyone’s opinion on this."

The meeting will likely be held right in the Brewery Market, Ms. Sloane said.

"That way, if people have questions, they can go right outside at the site and take a look," she said.

"I think if it’s an innovative way to do it."

Four years ago, the condo-office tower was voted down by two councillors Ms. Sloane and Sheila Fougere (Quinpool-Connaught) at the four-member community council level because it violated municipal planning strategy guidelines.

Their decision in August 2003 eventually led council to wrest decision-making power over developments from the peninsula community council, while leaving the five other geographically-linked micro-councils free to decide on business or residential proposals.

"They said that the dollar amount attached to the (downtown) projects . . . made it necessary to have all the councillors have a say in it," Ms. Sloane said.

HaliGuy

August 23rd, 2007, 12:21 AM

Here's a pic of Armoury Square I got today. Its really coming along now.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j260/a_gallant/IMG_1145.jpg

HaliGuy

September 6th, 2007, 01:39 AM

N.S. premier wants to make Halifax a prime financial services centre Breaking News print this article
The Canadian Press

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald says he wants to make Halifax a recognized centre for the financial services sector.

The premier says he wants to see a development agreement with the city within the next year for land to be used to construct buildings to be identified as the home to companies that offer financial services.

MacDonald says the goal is to build on a strategy that has already seen companies such as Citgo, Butterfield and Olympia set up operations in the Nova Scotia capital.

He says a current lack of prime office space in downtown Halifax is a challenge the province is working to overcome.

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly says there are at least six potential locations that are prime for development should the demand materialize.

The premier says he will travel to New York on Thursday for meetings with a number of companies to pursue opportunities.

Wishblade

September 6th, 2007, 01:17 PM

Mayor, premier, work to build Halifax's Bay Street
City needs new developments to form 'financial-service district'

BRIAN FLINN
The Daily News

The province and the city are trying to decide which street should become Halifax's Bay Street.

Premier Rodney MacDonald said Halifax needs an office tower or even a cluster of buildings to show it's becoming a global financial-services centre.

"I would like to see some sort of a centre, some sort of a district, where the people of Nova Scotia or people coming into our province can say, 'That's the financial-service district,'" MacDonald told reporters yesterday.

"I think it would be an excellent marketing tool."

Avoiding delays

MacDonald said he's working with Halifax Regional Municipality to make sure the city's planning process doesn't delay development.

"I don't want to see this project being held up," he said.

Nova Scotia Business Inc. has attracted hedge funds and other financial companies to set up offices in Halifax over the past year.

MacDonald and NSBI president Stephen Lund are in New York today to meet with others.

Citco Fund Services, Olympia Capital and Butterfield Fund Services can receive almost $18 million in government incentives if they create 900 jobs over the next seven years.

The problem is, there is nowhere to put the new workers. Downtown Halifax hasn't seen a significant new office building in 17 years, and the vacancy rate is four per cent.

Tim Margolian, president of real-estate consulting firm J.J Barnicke Atlantic, said there are no large blocks of continuous space on the market.

Nine hundred workers could fill a new building the size of many of the existing office towers downtown.

Lund said putting financial services in a new development would help to attract more companies.

"We want to see a signature financial-services centre, a physical building," he said.

"If we're telling the world we're the next financial-services centre, we need to showcase it."

Lund said NSBI doesn't want to be the developer. It would prefer to "facilitate" development, bringing parties together.

HRM spokesman John O'Brien said city staff is assembling a list of potential sites that could be developed without lengthy public hearings.

Lots owned by the province, including Waterfront Development Corp. land, could hypothetically duck HRM's planning process.

"They don't have to follow our bylaws," O'Brien said.

Parking lot

Margolian said there are few private properties that could be developed immediately. A Sobey-owned parking lot immediately north of the Delta Barrington was approved for a large development years ago.

The 27-floor "Twisted Sisters" towers proposed for the old Tex Park site at Hollis and Sackville Streets could be converted from condominiums to offices if the developer wins an appeal later this month.

http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=59930&sc=89

Haligonian

September 6th, 2007, 05:10 PM

New Brewery tower rendering from the Herald:
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/photos/xlarge/Rendering_Bishop_Metro_09-06-07_LD62OKL.jpg

The same old people are making the same complaints. Nothing tall should be built around Government House.

Wishblade

September 6th, 2007, 05:58 PM

^Yet another pointless and baseless reason not to build anything brought to you by the naysayers of Halifax. What does it matter if something tall is built near government house? It's not like its going to affect it in any way.

And really, this is a great location to build a tall building because the viewplanes from citadel hill arent an issue on this piece of land. I guess if its not one thing, its another for these bumbling old fogies :ohno:

Haligonian

September 6th, 2007, 11:31 PM

One interesting thing they mentioned was that the old proposal is still working its way through the appeals process. Howard Epstein of course complained about it since he would rather have them wait another five years only to be shot down again.

Salter's Gate is not perfect but it is a reasonably good development and the new tower design seems to avoid some of the problems with the first phase. Obviously renderings can be pretty creative but I think the massing is ideal for that corner, and the lot as it is right now is hideous.

Government House is a beautiful building but it has its own grounds and is not going to be any less attractive if this new tower is built.

Wishblade

September 7th, 2007, 04:41 PM

Just a quick question I thought I'd ask.

With all this talk lately about urban revitalization and the consequences if we don't do something soon to move residents and businesses to the regional center, does anybody think that this may affect the URB desicion in the united gulf case? Judging from the talk lately, its sounding more and more like people are realizing the city needs developments like it.

HaliGuy

September 7th, 2007, 07:48 PM

HaliGuy

September 7th, 2007, 08:00 PM

Does anyone know when their suppose to start the Salters Landing development on the waterfront?

worldlyhaligonian

September 8th, 2007, 12:42 PM

Whats the deal with the SkyscraperPage Forums being down?

I hope that UG and this brewery proposal go through, I want those lands to be filled up so future development can focus on key sites like Cogswell. If stronger heads prevail, the next 10 years for Halifax will be siginificantly different than the past 10 years.

Reddog794

September 28th, 2007, 12:57 AM

Wishblade, thanks for the news article, I'm stuck in Saint John, with almost no internet, and random week old heralds to keep me up to date. What is everybodies opinion of this plan? This would be one more block in the road to success. What street would you pick? I'd say start from Duke st. and go north along Barrington, or maybe Hollis.

Haligonian

September 28th, 2007, 07:00 AM

The UG appeal was rejected by the URB, meaning that the approval of the towers by HRM council stands unless the Heritage Trust appeals the rejection of their appeal of the original council decision.

There are some PDFs up at http://www.hrmbydesign.ca that describe various changes that could take place in the city in the future. Most new office space would probably be built in the Cogswell area, but there are no hard plans to tear down the interchange at the moment.

Reddog794

September 28th, 2007, 11:19 AM

You'd figure with all this talk about an Atlantic Bay St. The removal of the interchange would be at the forefront.

worldlyhaligonian

October 21st, 2007, 01:41 AM

The new SSP forums would be great if they were working properly at all times.

Any new news/pics?

oceanmdx

October 24th, 2007, 05:31 PM

Since RIM is developing a large presence in Halifax, I'd thought you'd want to know that RIM is now Canada's largest company by market cap.

skyscraper_1

October 25th, 2007, 01:44 AM

wow, that is great news for RIM. I am glad they chose Halifax to set up shop, a great asset for the city.

mr.x

November 17th, 2007, 11:49 AM

Just for the record.....

Abuja lost the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Glasgow won.....so Jim Jones, if you're still around, in your face! :D

cormiermax

June 16th, 2008, 10:13 PM

Halifax council OK's 19-storey downtown condo
Last Updated: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 | 9:21 AM AT Comments12Recommend7CBC News
A 19-storey condominium and commercial development for downtown Halifax has been endorsed by council.

Halifax regional council voted 21-1 Tuesday in favour of the building at South Park and Brenton streets. Only Dawn Sloane, the councillor for the area, rejected it.

The endorsement comes despite concerns from some residents who fear the development will affect Schmidtville, a nearby neighbourhood that's about 200 years old.

In a public hearing before the vote, some people told council the tall building would keep the sunlight out of parks in the area or turn Brenton Street into a wind canyon.

However, there were a number of supporters who argued that it's the right time and location for such a development.

Developer Wadih Fares is thrilled council overwhelmingly supported the condo project, which also includes street-level shops and underground parking.

"What can I say? We are very pleased, to say the least," he said.

Fares expects construction to begin this fall.

cormiermax

June 19th, 2008, 03:36 AM

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/1784/n65843505332391915226br9.jpg
By maxcormier (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/maxcormier) at 2008-06-18

this is the tower...looks great to me

cormiermax

June 19th, 2008, 03:40 AM

his is the second phase of the Halkirk proposal for the Keith's brewery lands (Southern end). Phase I was Salter's Gate, which has now been completed.

This is the second incarnation of this proposal.

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3308/renderingbishopmetro090ka5.jpg
By maxcormier (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/maxcormier) at 2008-06-18

Rhino

August 2nd, 2008, 11:53 PM

well since NO ONE posts here really at all now, I will do what I can from the other side of Canada : fr. Halifax news net

New subdivision of 419 housing units approved by community council

A proposed development described by Coun. Brad Johns as the largest single development he has ever dealt with was given the green light by North West Community Council last week.

The Sunset Ridge subdivision lands encompass about 70 acres in Middle Sackville between Highway 101 and Sackville Drive to the west of Lindforest Court. Concerns about sewer and water capacity, transportation, the environment and traffic were among the issues brought forward by residents in the past.

But last week Johns said he was satisfied with assurances by HRM planning staff that all concerns had been adequately addressed. He said the developer had made several concessions, and axed a plan that would have resulted in the construction of 40 houses with 40 separate driveways filtering out onto Sackville Drive.

"A key concern was whether this density or housing type was uncharacteristic for Sackville," Johns said. "When staff came back with their report, they provided adequate answers to all the questions and concerns I had."

Although the density of the development will be slightly greater than the neighbouring Millwood subdivision, it will be less dense than the nearby Armcrest subdivision.

Johns said his concerns about the mix of housing planned for the site have also been quashed in recent months. A number of older residents have left or are planning to leave his district because they couldn't find suitable housing. Johns said when long-time residents decide to downsize, the lack of housing options is forcing many to leave the community.

"There are no housing choices other than single family or mobile homes in Sackville," he said. "I wouldn't support this type of development everywhere, but when lifelong residents of Middle Sackville are being forced to relocate because there are no housing options, it's time to look at alternate choices."

The Armco Capital Inc.'s development will permit a residential subdivision with a total of 419 housing units. Those units would include 128 single unit dwellings, 108 semi-detached housing units and 55 townhouses. In addition, it calls for a local commercial development and 128 apartment units contained within two four-storey, multiple-unit buildings.

Johns said Armco can initially complete about 45 per cent of its Sunset Ridge subdivision. The remainder can only go ahead following completion of the future Beaver Bank bypass