Halifax Developments

[ILoveSkyscrapers]

Originally Posted by isaidso

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]

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

[isaidso]

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]

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.]

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]

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.]

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]

Halifax waterfront proposal, Take 2

By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
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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]

If any of you use facebook, an interesting group:

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

[bluenoser]

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]

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



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
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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]

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

[jonovision]

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]

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]

Anyone else visit the architectural exhibits at Pier 21? They are on display until the end of the month.

[bluenoser]

Cogswell stadium strikes chord
Sports facility popular choice with readers to replace interchange
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
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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 http://www.halifax.ca/capitaldistric...signStudy.html.

[bluenoser]

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]

Originally Posted by bluenoser

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]

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]

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
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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.