Lofts in HRM

[phrenic]

Is anyone aware of any true loft apartments or condos in HRM?

And by true loft I don't mean "loft-style" or just condos with high ceilings, I'm thinking of former factory or warehouse buildings converted to residential units.

Can anyone think of a potential site for such a conversion? Has this even been tried in Halifax before?

[Keith P.]

Is anyone aware of any true loft apartments or condos in HRM?

And by true loft I don't mean "loft-style" or just condos with high ceilings, I'm thinking of former factory or warehouse buildings converted to residential units.

Can anyone think of a potential site for such a conversion? Has this even been tried in Halifax before?

Interesting question.

The first building that comes to mind is the one used by Halifax Shipyards on Barrington. Unfortunately, it's still in use... :shrug:

There are the old cargo sheds down at the other end of the harborfront.

There are some DND buildings on either side of the harbor that might be possibilities if they ever gave them up. Not sure what else though... I can't think of many old-style reinforced concrete factory buildings around here.

[someone123]

There's not a lot left to convert. A lot of waterfront buildings were torn down in the 70s and the rest are either still in use or were converted a long time ago.

Contrary to popular belief, there were a lot of factories in Halifax at one point (e.g. Clayton and Sons on Barrington and a bunch up around Robie/Young) but most are long gone. Kidston Glass and Starr Manufacturing in Dartmouth were torn down fairly recently but I don't know what they looked like.

[worldlyhaligonian]

http://www.theloftsatgreenvale.com/school-history.html

[hfx_chris]

Greenvale seems to be about the only possibility...

[Halifax Hillbilly]

A lot of factories were lost in the explosion which limits the loft potential. More of those types of buildings were probably lost during urban renewal in the 60s as well.

[terrynorthend]

The building on Barrington that has The Mercury Club (I think it may have been the National Trust building) is an office building that was converted into apartments or condos. Is there precedence for this elsewhere? Any ideas how this fits into the loft space question?

[keninhalifax]

A buddy of mine lives in a converted warehouse on Sarah Street in the North End. It's very 'loft-like', though I don't think I'd refer to it as a loft per sé, as when I think of a loft, I think of a building of a larger scale that has been converted.

[Keith P.]

The building on Barrington that has The Mercury Club (I think it may have been the National Trust building) is an office building that was converted into apartments or condos. Is there precedence for this elsewhere? Any ideas how this fits into the loft space question?

The Radisson Hotel was converted from an office building as well.

[Coldrsx]

what about modern lofts..

[someone123]

Many new buildings, e.g. Spice, are marketed as "lofts", but I don't think there are any clear rules defining what is or is not a loft.

[coolmillion]

If converted churches count, I can think of a few:
-the corner of Morris and Queen
-Robie street near Willow
-Brunswick street near Cornwallis
I think these are the most loft-like spaces in the city, although I have never seen them from the inside.

[Canopus]

Greenvale seems to be about the only possibility...

Is that even still happening for real?

There's no reason why "real" lofts couldn't be built though. Great place for it with the water views and so on.