General Updates and News

[Dmajackson]

I don't know exactly what the proposed changes are but this could have a major impact on the development appeal of Downtown Dartmouth.

Public Information Meeting - Case 18783
Mon, January 13, 2014, 7pm – 9pm
Alderney Gate Public Library, 60 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, NS, Canada (Helen Creighton Room)

Case 18783 HRM initiated review of the Downtown Dartmouth MPS and LUB to consider amendments to policies and standards regarding building height, form and design within the Downtown Business and Waterfront Designations.

[MeEtc]

Is it gonna be like this forever?

Until the federal government has some spare money to invest in theor own property, or the stones start falling to the street again, its going to stay like this indefinitely.

[mcmcclassic]

There is a sign up at the intersection of Windmill and Victoria Rd. for this (sorry about the large image):

http://imageshack.com/a/img7/3558/bwrl.jpg

I assume this would replace the lighting place that is currently there.

[TheOldskoo]

There is a sign up at the intersection of Windmill and Victoria Rd. for this (sorry about the large image):

http://imageshack.com/a/img7/3558/bwrl.jpg

I assume this would replace the lighting place that is currently there.

Long time lurker, when I saw this, I figured now is better than any time to register.

This is actually a rebranding of the lighting store and the kitchen showroom within it, and expansion of the already existing building.

[Dmajackson]

^Welcome to the forum TheOldSkoo.

For anyone unfamiliar with the site it's on Windmill Road directly across from the iron manufacturing site (at Victoria Road). It's former Fire Station #12 (now on Highfield Dr).

Not much can be expected in this area so simply having a modern building is great in my mind.

Hopefully HRM gets off it's lazy bum and extends the sidewalk up to the intersection, and widens Windmill Road.

[Jstaleness]

wrong thread

[halifaxboyns]

I don't know exactly what the proposed changes are but this could have a major impact on the development appeal of Downtown Dartmouth.

Public Information Meeting - Case 18783
Mon, January 13, 2014, 7pm – 9pm
Alderney Gate Public Library, 60 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, NS, Canada (Helen Creighton Room)

Case 18783 HRM initiated review of the Downtown Dartmouth MPS and LUB to consider amendments to policies and standards regarding building height, form and design within the Downtown Business and Waterfront Designations.
I would guess that this is the next stage of the height rules for Downtown Dartmouth until the Regional Centre Plan is done. If everyone recalls, the first step came with the changes to the downtown viewplanes. Since most of Dartmouth was impacted by the brightwood viewplane; there wasn't much of a height concern. Now that the viewplane is gone and the other viewplanes have been updated/amended - there needs to be some rules for height.

[JET]

glad to hear the lighting store is staying, it's a great store

[ns_kid]

Is it gonna be like this forever?

"Forever" for the 60-year old Ralston Building is probably something like two to three years. The current tenant has already called tenders for a new building for occupancy in 2015. I've been told by an official within Public Works that the land at 1557 Hollis is likely worth more with the Ralston demolished than with the building still standing. The structure's concrete cladding and the anchoring system that holds it in place needs to be completely replaced at a cost of several millions of dollars.

The Ralston is hardly a beauty, though it does have a certain 1950's early Soviet aesthetic that's kind of interesting. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a "good example of early modern design", by architect A.F. Duffus.

[mcmcclassic]

"Forever" for the 60-year old Ralston Building is probably something like two to three years. The current tenant has already called tenders for a new building for occupancy in 2015. I've been told by an official within Public Works that the land at 1557 Hollis is likely worth more with the Ralston demolished than with the building still standing. The structure's concrete cladding and the anchoring system that holds it in place needs to be completely replaced at a cost of several millions of dollars.

The Ralston is hardly a beauty, though it does have a certain 1950's early Soviet aesthetic that's kind of interesting. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a "good example of early modern design", by architect A.F. Duffus.

I don't know how many thousands of dollars of material I have sold contractors that work on the Ralston over the years...

The contractors all say the building is hell to work on and should just be demolished.

[teddifax]

I think this building has been under renovation for at least 10 years, at least it feels like it!

[Drybrain]

I don't know how many thousands of dollars of material I have sold contractors that work on the Ralston over the years...

The contractors all say the building is hell to work on and should just be demolished.

I've heard people on construction/contracting say similar things about the Dennis Building. But just because a structure has been badly maintained doesn't mean it isn't worth saving--what both of these buildings need is a proper, full overhaul. Unfortunately, that would cost more than the measly patchwork renovations governments tend to spend on their non-marquee buildings.

[Dmajackson]

Today's been a mixed day of good and bad so hopefully this will turn the attitudes back towards optimism.

BIRD CONSTRUCTION will be constructing the Armoury Expansion on North Park Street. The new armoury will be 2 floors / 118'000 sq ft and fill in the southern portion of the property. Construction will start next fall with construction wrapping up in 2016.

Source : "Bird Construction Wins Big Armoury Job" (December 17th, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

[RevenueRealty]

I agree that it would be a great addition to Halifax. A lot of cities have zoos, well, an aquarium is just another version of a zoo for seafaring creatures, which would be a fitting focus for a coastal city such as Halifax.

I see a dual purpose as both a tourist attraction and an educational/research facility for locals. As a bonus, an aquarium would allow our children to appreciate sea life for more than what we see on our dinnerplate, and thus encourages an enlightened view of our oceans and the associated environmental struggles within (you can't put a price on that).

Last time I was in Monterey, I had to go to to the aquarium 2 days in a row as I couldn't get enough of it. If we could have anything close to this in Halifax I think it would be an attraction that people would come for miles to see. :2cents:

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

It's easy to have a great aquarium like Monterey when you have HP hollers behind you.

[OldDartmouthMark]

It's easy to have a great aquarium like Monterey when you have HP hollers behind you.

HP hollers?

[TheNovaScotian]

I agree, an aquarium would fit in nicely near BIO. Considering the clout it has in the oceanographic community it could be something special.

Years ago someone had a thread about it, i think it was hijacked or just full of holes.:D

[kph06]

Halifax Regional School Board maintenance building at Bayers and Connaught came down today. I wonder if development would be limited by the widening project and it's proximity to such a busy intersection, current design standards would probably greatly limit driveway access to that site.

[counterfactual]

Halifax Regional School Board maintenance building at Bayers and Connaught came down today. I wonder if development would be limited by the widening project and it's proximity to such a busy intersection, current design standards would probably greatly limit driveway access to that site.

When you say "came down" what do you mean? As in, literally, the building was demolished?

[kph06]

When you say "came down" what do you mean? As in, literally, the building was demolished?

Yes, a couple excavators demolished the section closest to the intersection, another part looked to be still intact, not sure if that's next or not. I should have been clearer, but I was trying to post that from a waiting room down in Bridgewater on my phone, every time I went to post I lost my connection. So each re-write got shorter and vaguer.

[counterfactual]

Yes, a couple excavators demolished the section closest to the intersection, another part looked to be still intact, not sure if that's next or not. I should have been clearer, but I was trying to post that from a waiting room down in Bridgewater on my phone, every time I went to post I lost my connection. So each re-write got shorter and vaguer.

No problem. What is the demolition for? Bayers expansion? I thought that had yet to be decided by Council...

[HalifaxRetales]

HP hollers?

I think he meant Dollars

[Keith P.]

I saw that demolition today, was a bit nostalgic. I tool Industrial Arts (do they still offer that?) classes there in 1969 or so, built a desk lamp. My buddy built a coffee table.

I can't see them doing much with the site for a while. The adjacent lots still have houses, apparently occupied, and the opposite corner has a 1950's 3-storey apartment building.

[Dmajackson]

Looks the the rumoured Thornridge @ Belmont project off of Alderney Drive will be going ahead. Annapolis Group (a subsidary of Thornridge Holdings) is planning to build a $20-million, 72-unit, 5-storey condominium building. Prices will be in the $200'000 range for circa 700 sq ft. Pre-sales will be launched soon with occupancy in Fall 2015.

Source : "David Hennigar Family Plans $20-million Condo Building" (December 20th, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

The funny thing about this is I just removed this project from the developments list yesterday! :haha:

[ILoveHalifax]

I saw that demolition today, was a bit nostalgic. I tool Industrial Arts (do they still offer that?) classes there in 1969 or so, built a desk lamp. My buddy built a coffee table.

I can't see them doing much with the site for a while. The adjacent lots still have houses, apparently occupied, and the opposite corner has a 1950's 3-storey apartment building.

I was by there Wednesday and noticed it coming down. One step closer to widening Bayers Rd.

[Jonovision]

Looks the the rumoured Thornridge @ Belmont project off of Alderney Drive will be going ahead. Annapolis Group (a subsidary of Thornridge Holdings) is planning to build a $20-million, 72-unit, 5-storey condominium building. Prices will be in the $200'000 range for circa 700 sq ft. Pre-sales will be launched soon with occupancy in Fall 2015.

Source : "David Hennigar Family Plans $20-million Condo Building" (December 20th, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

The funny thing about this is I just removed this project from the developments list yesterday! :haha:

Is this where they tore down the building last year on the corner of Alderney and North?

[RevenueRealty]

HP hollers?

Hewlett packard the original backing came from David Packard and he continues to give them a lot of money because his daughter runs the place.

[JET]

Looks the the rumoured Thornridge @ Belmont project off of Alderney Drive will be going ahead. Annapolis Group (a subsidary of Thornridge Holdings) is planning to build a $20-million, 72-unit, 5-storey condominium building. Prices will be in the $200'000 range for circa 700 sq ft. Pre-sales will be launched soon with occupancy in Fall 2015.

Source : "David Hennigar Family Plans $20-million Condo Building" (December 20th, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

The funny thing about this is I just removed this project from the developments list yesterday! :haha:

tell us more, please

[counterfactual]

Nice positive piece in the Chronicle Herald today, on new developments downtown in the core, many of them starting up next year:

Metro dotted with cranes as developers promote bold designs
December 26, 2013 - REMO ZACCAGNA BUSINESS REPORTER

A new Halifax-Dartmouth cityscape began to take shape this year as several major urban residential and commercial projects either started or were nearing completion.

It looks to be more of the same next year, with several cranes continuing to dot the ever-evolving skyline.

In August, the province signed off on a Halifax Regional Municipality request to allow underground construction to move ahead on the $500-million Nova Centre project on the former Halifax Herald lands bounded by Argyle, Sackville, Market and Prince streets.

Joe Ramia, chief executive officer of Rank Inc. of Halifax and wholly owned subsidiary Argyle Developments Inc., submitted a request that regional council approve an updated design for the project, which will include a publicly funded convention centre.

Work is underway on filling the massive hole in the heart of the urban core. The initial work includes building two underground parking levels and the lower floor of the convention centre.

It has been estimated that final approval of the updated design could be received by March. The facility is set to be completed early in January 2016.

Across the harbour, developer Francis Fares has begun construction on the third mid-level building of his massive King’s Wharf project going up at the former Dartmouth marine slips. Construction of the fourth building is expected to begin in the spring, Fares said.

Earlier this month, he submitted a request to the city to amend the project’s development agreement, changes that would add 400 units and increase the maximum allowable building height, as well as the addition of three more buildings, including a second tower that could be as high as 134 metres above sea level, or at least 40 storeys.

If approved, the changes would push the development close to $1 billion.

Halifax will get its gleaming, high-tech central library at Spring Garden Road and Queen Street next year.

Across the street, work is continuing on the first of two nine-storey mixed-use buildings, a joint project by the WM Fares Group and Banc Developments Ltd. involving two Clyde Street parking lots purchased for $14.7 million in 2011.

Meanwhile, WM Fares Group will complete a mixed-use development that includes a 13-storey condominium and a five-storey commercial building on Dutch Village Road.

Also set for completion sometime next spring will be the $65-million redevelopment of the former Citadel Inn lands on Brunswick Street by SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts of Vancouver. The company is building two 15-storey hotels, a Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites, and a 17-storey rental apartment building.

A stone’s throw away, Nassim Ghosn, head of Grafton Developments Inc., is building a seven-storey, glass-enclosed mixed-use building at 5447 Rainnie Dr. Demolition of the previous two-storey office building, which housed an H & R Block, occurred in November.

The $25-million RBC Waterside Centre at 1871 Hollis St., downtown’s first new office building in 20 years, is near completion, with the first tenants moving in in the first quarter, Scott McCrea, chief executive officer of Armour Group Ltd., said in an email.

Once open, they will have 60 per cent of the building leased, McCrea said.

Downtown’s second new office space, the $26-million expansion of the TD Centre tower, is expected to be completed in the fall, said Wolfgang Thiel, head of TDB Halifax Holdings Ltd.

Once finished, there will be an extra 100,000 square feet and three floors of class A office space to the 18-storey building at the corner of Barrington and George streets.

But Thiel said the entire building is being renovated, with all tenants from the second to fifth floors moving into their new digs by the end of January.

“There are tenants in the building which already moved into their final spaces,” he said in an interview.

“Most people think we have an old tower and a new tower, but the only thing left from the old tower is the concrete structure. Everything else, every single detail, is brand new.”

Meanwhile, Thiel, who also heads Robin Halifax Holdings Ltd., the company that owns the Royal Bank Tower and the block on which it stands, submitted his application to the city earlier this month to redevelop the site.

Thiel is proposing to build a 500,000-square-foot, twin-tower development, called 22nd Commerce Square that will bound Granville, George, Hollis and Duke streets.

If approved, it will include a 96-suite boutique hotel, a public atrium and a restaurant and conference centre in a restored Bank of Commerce Building, as well as 88 condominium units, 200,000 square feet of office space, street-level retail space along Granville, Duke and Hollis streets and underground parking for 300 vehicles.

A proposal to construct a pedway crossing Granville Street between George and Duke streets to connect with the TD Centre building has also been submitted.

“Everything is done and goes the normal way through January and February, and hopefully in March, we see the approval,” Thiel said, adding that construction would begin early in 2015.

Work on demolishing the interior of the five-storey, 60-year-old Bank of Canada building at 1583 Hollis St. has started.

In its place, Jim Spatz, head of Southwest Properties Ltd., is planning to build a 21-storey mixed-use building that will accommodate nearly 300 apartment units and 450 to 500 people.

“So we’ve started that project, and we hope to be starting excavation and construction in the spring.”

Spatz said he hopes to begin work in the fall on the $75-million Cunard Block mixed-use redevelopment that would include a 16-storey tower, 250 apartment units and commercial and public space at the corner of Lower Water and Morris streets.

A proposed 10-year, $500-million project on a 25-hectare Rockingham property, where the Sisters of Charity Motherhouse once was, is still in the planning approval phase, he said.

The Barrington Espace redevelopment will be completed in the spring, said Louis Reznick, a Toronto develper who heads Starfish Properties Ltd.

“We will be starting tenant improvements after the holidays,” Reznick said in an email. “We have anticipated occupancies for late spring and early summer, and all is on schedule.”

Demolition of the historic Roy Building, across the street, will also begin in the spring, with a mixed-use 22-storey luxury condominium planned to take its place.

Construction of a new six-storey retail and office building at 1592 Barrington St., the former Tip Top Tailors building, has started and is expected to be done in the fall, Reznick said.

source: http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1176030-metro-dotted-with-cranes-as-developers-promote-bold-designs?from=most_read&most_read=1176030

[OldDartmouthMark]

Hewlett packard the original backing came from David Packard and he continues to give them a lot of money because his daughter runs the place.

Thanks for clearing that up! :tup:

[worldlyhaligonian]

Anybody read that article in the Coast about "the year of suck"? I am positive that 2013 was an excellent year for Halifax... a turn around.

I think the only person that sucks is the author. They should take their negativity out of Halifax... we should revoke this dude's f'n citizenship, because it ain't very Canadian, that is for damn sure. And he isn't actually Canadian in my opinion.

[RyeJay]

Anybody read that article in the Coast about "the year of suck"? I am positive that 2013 was an excellent year for Halifax... a turn around.

I think the only person that sucks is the author. They should take their negativity out of Halifax... we should revoke this dude's f'n citizenship, because it ain't very Canadian, that is for damn sure. And he isn't actually Canadian in my opinion.


Yes, you are conveying your disagreement with the author; however, a Canadian value, I think, is to respect the opinions of others regardless of nationality.

2013 wasn't perfect...so there is room for criticism.

Personally, I thought 2013 was great for Halifax! I'm not expecting, though, that every article I come across to further reinforce what I already believe.
We don't need to punish people we disagree with.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Yes, you are conveying your disagreement with the author; however, a Canadian value, I think, is to respect the opinions of others regardless of nationality.

2013 wasn't perfect...so there is room for criticism.

Personally, I thought 2013 was great for Halifax! I'm not expecting, though, that every article I come across to further reinforce what I already believe.
We don't need to punish people we disagree with.

Disagreement is different that pure negativity. I'm sorry, but when somebody moves here and all they really do is speak poorly of it... that's not my bag man.

I've lived in almost every Canadian province, of anywhere, NS needs less of these types. Really though, its not about where you are from, its what you bring.

Negativity gets us nowhere. According to this author, we're all morons in Nova Scotia and that corporate interests are destroying everyone's well being. Simply untrue. I don't need to agree or accept this individual's weak commentary and especially because they have no "real" perspective. I'm born and raised NS, and am temporarily away. He has no place to comment on the people and place. His buddy's might tell him he's part of it, but he isn't. Plain and simple.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Yes, you are conveying your disagreement with the author; however, a Canadian value, I think, is to respect the opinions of others regardless of nationality.

2013 wasn't perfect...so there is room for criticism.

Personally, I thought 2013 was great for Halifax! I'm not expecting, though, that every article I come across to further reinforce what I already believe.
We don't need to punish people we disagree with.

Yes, that is a Canadian value, 100 percent. But its not a Canadian value to accept ignorance and all ideas because somebody has them. This is why people like Romeo Dallaire are great Canadians.

Dude is from the US. I don't really care what he has to say because he "has an opinion". There are really bad opinions. They have as much value as their content.

This guy is negative Nancy.

[RyeJay]

Disagreement is different that pure negativity. I'm sorry, but when somebody moves here and all they really do is speak poorly of it... that's not my bag man.

I've lived in almost every Canadian province, of anywhere, NS needs less of these types. Really though, its not about where you are from, its what you bring.

Negativity gets us nowhere. According to this author, we're all morons in Nova Scotia and that corporate interests are destroying everyone's well being. Simply untrue. I don't need to agree or accept this individual's weak commentary and especially because they have no "real" perspective. I'm born and raised NS, and am temporarily away. He has no place to comment on the people and place. His buddy's might tell him he's part of it, but he isn't. Plain and simple.


I would be open to criticisms, even from people who have never left China.
Tim Bousquet's "negativity" has an audience, which is permissible.
He's allowed to publish if he so chooses.

And I'm free to ignore most of his work -- which I do.

Part of me, though, is thankful that he's allowed to criticise. For instance: I support the Nova Centre, but I do want to pay attention to opposing accounts. The debate about how to spend public dollars isn't going to stop, even if you manage to prevent one American from typing a string of words together on his computer.

Would you discount what I've just said to you if I told you that part of my extended family tree includes American Loyalists? ;)

[worldlyhaligonian]

I would be open to criticisms, even from people who have never left China.
Tim Bousquet's "negativity" has an audience, which is permissible.
He's allowed to publish if he so chooses.

And I'm free to ignore most of his work -- which I do.

Part of me, though, is thankful that he's allowed to criticise. For instance: I support the Nova Centre, but I do want to pay attention to opposing accounts. The debate about how to spend public dollars isn't going to stop, even if you manage to prevent one American from typing a string of words together on his computer.

Would you discount what I've just said to you if I told you that part of my extended family tree includes American Loyalists? ;)

Well, mine includes empire loyalists... but quite frankly is the phrasing that really bothers me. If somebody came from the UK and started spouting off about how we don't know what we're doing, I'd counter with the fact that where they are coming from isn't exactly perfect. We're trying in NS.

The opposition to things is valid, but when you come to Canada and then start saying that the people are all "sheep" that need to "bow down to the convention centre"... its disrespectful to the people from here. He frames his voice like its one of the people, but he doesn't represent the majority or even respect the majority when it comes to the language he uses.

That's what bothers me. If he had something constructive to say, it would be different.

Sorry man, but I can choose to ignore it, but I want to speak up when this guy is influencing people (oftentimes with falsified information / lies). Just sayin'. I want to be negative against the negativity. People like this hold Halifax back.

[ILoveHalifax]

People like this hold Halifax back.

There are a lot of others who have/do hold Halifax back because of their negativity, the radio talk show hosts who cannot find anything positive to discuss, some of our councillors who rally against development because it is part of their personal agenda.
I don't care where these people come from, we have enough negative thinkers of our own.
When these people have a public forum they sway a lot of other people. Look at all the negativity around the games a few years ago.
Having lived in a number of other cities, provinces, and states, I would say we are as progressive as any and more progressive that many.

[Keith P.]

I think the only person that sucks is the author.


Bousquet seems to have a very distorted view of the world and the city. I'm glad we don't actually live in what he thinks is his reality. People need to call him out more for his bias and outright untruths that he publishes.

[counterfactual]

Yes, that is a Canadian value, 100 percent. But its not a Canadian value to accept ignorance and all ideas because somebody has them. This is why people like Romeo Dallaire are great Canadians.

Dude is from the US. I don't really care what he has to say because he "has an opinion". There are really bad opinions. They have as much value as their content.

This guy is negative Nancy.

Yeah, I read through the piece. It's very snarky. Sniping about this and that thing, often spinning things in the least charitable way possible.

I'm surprised he's so negative. After all, this was the year that this city rid itself of the Bedford Plague. That is, Peter Kelly. And he played a central role in that.

No matter my disagreements with Bousquet on policy and politics-- and there are many-- I think the city owes him a debt for his investigative work on the Kelly file.

Now, admittedly, there were a lot of dumb decisions this year by Council-- tearing up Chain of Lakes Trail for a sewer pipe to run sewer from Timberlea to downtown is one of them...-- and unfortunate happenings, but they were small and, in a year, with a city of almost half a million, you're going to get bad decisions from time to time.

On the whole, agreed, this was a great year for Halifax; from gaining Mike Savage; ridding Peter Kelly; gaining some great new Councillors like Waye Mason; getting the Convention Center going; finishing off the new Library (mostly); a bunch of awesome new developments proposed for downtown; some sense (emphasis on some) on HRM Council about benefits from investing downtown and curbing sprawl.

I think Bousquet is mostly bitter about the Convention Center. For some reason, he hates that thing with a passion, and I just don't know why.

But Bousquet's opinion on the Center is not necessarily a "foreign" or American one. In fact, it's as Nova Scotian as the Bluenose. I know a lot of people outside of Halifax, in rural areas, who resent the development and Halifax's (seeming) good fortunes. Also plenty Haligonians who hate it too-- mostly the STV / Heritage crowd, and their allies, people who often self-identify as "progressive" but are actually profoundly conservative when it comes to developments and progress and change in the city.

Bousquet is wrong about the Convention Center. He'll eat his words when it's a success.

PS: I do agree with Bousquet that the city buying up houses along Highway 102/Connaught on the one hand, and then pretending that the decision hasn't already been made about the Bayers widening is bullshit. Looks bad, like "the fix" is in for any Council votes later. Like HRM staff are already sinking costs into the project so that it can later be spun as a fait accompli when presented to Council. IMHO, HRM Staff did this with the Bloomfield development, after staff basically rigged the selection criteria so the Provincial bid would win over a much higher quality and much better development proposal from Louis Lawen. They were like "sorry, we need to award it at this point!" Even though Council didn't like it.

I think the forthcoming Light Rail report, and any ideas on rapid public transit, should be considered before any more new major / multi-million dollar road widening projects are pursued. Or, at the very least, the two things would be twinned: if the City embarks on spending tens of millions on Bayers/102, it should, at the same time, embark on a major Light Rail project. I'm all about compromise. :)

[Keith P.]

One can disagree about actions or policies without being bleak and dark and sour constantly. Bousquet is all of those things yet he never articulates an alternate position that one can argue. That is what makes him so tiresome and irritating.

[worldlyhaligonian]

One can disagree about actions or policies without being bleak and dark and sour constantly. Bousquet is all of those things yet he never articulates an alternate position that one can argue. That is what makes him so tiresome and irritating.

Exactly. So irritating when things are moving forward, its like sore loser syndrome.

Anyway, the convention centre already looks like it will be a success. Unlike the theory that "conventions" are dying, I can already see it being a success with the lifestyle type of conventions as well as trade fairs.

I want to see LRT as well... this is an area where people should be voicing their opinions. Although I believe the road widening is just as important (e.g. for improving bus flow through that corridor, a fact that is seemingly neglected by the armchair experts).

Halifax's downtown developments will help to stop sprawl, no thanks to the opponents. I can't wait for Bank of Canada and the Alexander to start up.

Great things coming down the pipeline, lets hope the leadership can steer more toward SME growth... but still, even some of the questionable corporate support is needed because our competition (other cities) does as well.

[someone123]

One can disagree about actions or policies without being bleak and dark and sour constantly. Bousquet is all of those things yet he never articulates an alternate position that one can argue. That is what makes him so tiresome and irritating.

I agree. Tiresome is the right word -- I don't bother reading the articles anymore. If the flaws in Halifax and NS could be solved by whining and defeatism they'd have disappeared long ago.

[counterfactual]

One can disagree about actions or policies without being bleak and dark and sour constantly. Bousquet is all of those things yet he never articulates an alternate position that one can argue. That is what makes him so tiresome and irritating.

That is certainly true. His constant bleating about Halifax never, ever, in our wildest imaginations, being "World Class" is the most tiresome...

[counterfactual]

I agree. Tiresome is the right word -- I don't bother reading the articles anymore. If the flaws in Halifax and NS could be solved by whining and defeatism they'd have disappeared long ago.

haha. So true.

[someone123]

Here's an interesting shot with a few different construction projects. I didn't really think the Citadel apartment building would be visible from the waterfront:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5479/11632109745_974b10be4e_b.jpg
Source (http://www.flickr.com/photos/yusraat/11632109745/)

[worldlyhaligonian]

Neither did I.

TD is almost reaching the top!

[someone123]

TD is almost reaching the top!

Too bad they're not adding an extra 10-15 floors to TD. It'll still be a big improvement though.

[Empire]

Neither did I.

TD is almost reaching the top!

If the TD expansion is 23fl. above Granville they will be jacking the crane twice more and the building will be 4fl. above the height of the existing building.

[fenwick16]

If the TD expansion is 23fl. above Granville they will be jacking the crane twice more and the building will be 4fl. above the height of the existing building.

Based on the following document - https://halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/17186AttachmentB-SupportingInformation.pdf (on page 53/61 of the pdf document) - an office floor level 19 will replace the existing mechanical penthouse (where the TD logo is), and two additional office floor levels, floors 20 and 21, will be added. So it will be 21 floors above Barrington Street, which is 3 floors of office space above the existing 18th office floor level. It will appear to be 22 - 23 floors above Granville Street (but part will be a fake facade so in reality it will only be 22 floors above Granville Street).

[Empire]

Based on the following document - https://halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/17186AttachmentB-SupportingInformation.pdf (on page 53/61 of the pdf document) - an office floor level 19 will replace the existing mechanical penthouse (where the TD logo is), and two additional office floor levels, floors 20 and 21, will be added. So it will be 21 floors above Barrington Street, which is 3 floors of office space above the existing 18th office floor level. It will appear to be 22 - 23 floors above Granville Street (but part will be a fake facade so in reality it will only be 22 floors above Granville Street).

Thanks, won't the new mechanical penthouse be on the new 21st. (23rd) floor of the new tower? On pg. 16 under design challenges a bullet item states "Demolishing existing mechanical penthouse after start-up of new penthouse followed by the construction of the new upper floors". I assume these new upper floors are 19, 20, 21 on the existing building.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Thanks, won't the new mechanical penthouse be on the new 21st. (23rd) floor of the new tower? On pg. 16 under design challenges a bullet item states "Demolishing existing mechanical penthouse after start-up of new penthouse followed by the construction of the new upper floors". I assume these new upper floors are 19, 20, 21 on the existing building.

I was unaware of this. Will it then appear to be the tallest building in that cluster? :cheers:

[fenwick16]

Thanks, won't the new mechanical penthouse be on the new 21st. (23rd) floor of the new tower? On pg. 16 under design challenges a bullet item states "Demolishing existing mechanical penthouse after start-up of new penthouse followed by the construction of the new upper floors". I assume these new upper floors are 19, 20, 21 on the existing building.

The following document gives more detailed information - http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/hac/documents/H00356Attachments.pdf. The floor plans show the new mechanical room as part of the addition on the main floor behind the Macara Barnstead facade. So it appears as though the main floor mechanical room will replace the one in the current rooftop mechanical penthouse (just the elevator enclosure seems to be on the new rooftop).

Yes I believe that floors 19, 20 and 21 are the ones that replace the current rooftop mechanical penthouse. In the document link, the floor layout for floors 19, 20 and 21 are not shown (only the floor layouts up to floor 18 are shown) but the three new floors appear to be new office space based on other references in the document.

[Dmajackson]

HRM Planning is hoping to start working on the proposed Heritage Conservation Districts of Schmidtville and Barrington South this year. These distrcits will NOT come with maintenance funds like the Barrington Street are did. Apparently both neighbourhoods have residential densities of around 12'000 ppl.

Source : "Heritage Protection Coming For Schmidtville" (December 31st, 2013) - AllNovaSotia.com

[Empire]

The following document gives more detailed information - http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/hac/documents/H00356Attachments.pdf. The floor plans show the new mechanical room as part of the addition on the main floor behind the Macara Barnstead facade. So it appears as though the main floor mechanical room will replace the one in the current rooftop mechanical penthouse (just the elevator enclosure seems to be on the new rooftop).

Yes I believe that floors 19, 20 and 21 are the ones that replace the current rooftop mechanical penthouse. In the document link, the floor layout for floors 19, 20 and 21 are not shown (only the floor layouts up to floor 18 are shown) but the three new floors appear to be new office space based on other references in the document.

It appears that in addition to the elevator enclosures there is a 1263sq. ft. mechanical room on 20 & 21 of the new addition. On pg. 11 of the document they are showing louvers facing Granville on two levels. The sq. footage on 18 combined is 9222sq. ft. and on 20 & 21 the total sq. footage is 7959sq. ft. This would indicate a space of 1263sq. ft. perhaps for some mechanical services?

[counterfactual]

It appears that in addition to the elevator enclosures there is a 1263sq. ft. mechanical room on 20 & 21 of the new addition. On pg. 11 of the document they are showing louvers facing Granville on two levels. The sq. footage on 18 combined is 9222sq. ft. and on 20 & 21 the total sq. footage is 7959sq. ft. This would indicate a space of 1263sq. ft. perhaps for some mechanical services?

Or perhaps a secret floor to install a concrete communications bunker to monitor tenants and display crude war propaganda!!!!


Creepy Pictures From The Hidden 5th Floor Of A North Korean Hotel

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4e73577769bedd587d00003c-1200/the-5th-floor-of-the-hotel-is-a-concrete-bunker.jpg
The 5th floor of the hotel is a concrete bunker

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4e735bbb6bb3f7da12000014-480/north-korea.jpg
"Get revenge a thousand hundred times against the Americans."

http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-kim-jong-unkim-jong-il-hidden-fifth-floor-yanggakdo-hotel-pyongyang2011-12?op=1

[someone123]

Another shot with a few cranes:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bc0At2xIMAAN7nl.jpg:large
Source (https://twitter.com/MLimaBean/status/417991128349433857/photo/1)

[Nilan8888]

HRM Planning is hoping to start working on the proposed Heritage Conservation Districts of Schmidtville and Barrington South this year. These distrcits will NOT come with maintenance funds like the Barrington Street are did. Apparently both neighbourhoods have residential densities of around 12'000 ppl.

I don't know about Barrington South, but to think of Schmidtville as a Heritage Conservation district kinda ticks me off: I hadn't even HEARD the term 'Schmidtville' until sometime around 2005, and I'd lived in HRM for 28 years at that point. No doubt it was a known term to some of the people that lived in the neighborhood, but if there wasn't all this development right now, I hardly think we'd have heard it any more frequently now than back in say, 1985 or 1992. Which was not at all.

It ticks me off that people just started bandying the term about as if everyone had always known about it, and it's just silly. I'm sure there's the odd building worth saving in 'Schmidtville', but that entire area is precisely where Downtown will probably have to grow in the long term, and I don't see what's worth saving about the entire district.

[RyeJay]

HRM Planning is hoping to start working on the proposed Heritage Conservation Districts of Schmidtville and Barrington South this year. These distrcits will NOT come with maintenance funds like the Barrington Street are did. Apparently both neighbourhoods have residential densities of around 12'000 ppl.

Source : "Heritage Protection Coming For Schmidtville" (December 31st, 2013) - AllNovaSotia.com


Apparently, eh.
Is HRM going to ban redevelopments?

[JET]

I don't know about Barrington South, but to think of Schmidtville as a Heritage Conservation district kinda ticks me off: I hadn't even HEARD the term 'Schmidtville' until sometime around 2005, and I'd lived in HRM for 28 years at that point. No doubt it was a known term to some of the people that lived in the neighborhood, but if there wasn't all this development right now, I hardly think we'd have heard it any more frequently now than back in say, 1985 or 1992. Which was not at all.

It ticks me off that people just started bandying the term about as if everyone had always known about it, and it's just silly. I'm sure there's the odd building worth saving in 'Schmidtville', but that entire area is precisely where Downtown will probably have to grow in the long term, and I don't see what's worth saving about the entire district.

Given that many of those buildings are privately owned and many date back to the early 1800's, and are very well maintained, it is surprising that you see it as an area for development and not worth saving; those 3 blocks are quite unique in Halifax.

[Drybrain]

Given that many of those buildings are privately owned and many date back to the early 1800's, and are very well maintained, it is surprising that you see it as an area for development and not worth saving; those 3 blocks are quite unique in Halifax.

Entirely agreed. Nilaan's argument is like saying Corktown in Toronto should just be redeveloped 'cause it's nearly adjacent to the financial district, and they could put towers there instead. Could. Don't have to. The mistake here (I think) is talking about heritage as being about individual important buildings worth saving. Individually, the houses in the area are attractive but not super significant. The value is actually in the abundance of them, all in one place.

In any case, the buildings are in great shape and are owned mostly by individual homeowners with a vested in interest in keeping them around, so I doubt they're in any danger, conservation district or not.

[someone123]

There's value to the neighbourhood as a whole, but even setting that aside there are some exceptional buildings in Schmidtville. It's worth exploring. For example, there's a group of cottages from the late 1700's/early 1800's built into the block in an unusual way. There's also an old carriageworks building with a porte-cochère built into the facade. There used to be a lot of those in Halifax but they are mostly gone now.

Morris Street has a bunch of large houses with granite foundations from around 1800. Queen Street has lots of nice houses too. It really is a pretty nice collection, and it is fairly unique in Canada.

The same thing goes for the southern part of Barrington. There are not a lot of Henry House type buildings in Halifax or even in all of Canada.

[MPotter]

I am looking for a thread on this development at Duke and Ablemarle. This is the link: http://www.halifaxdevelopments.com/westhill-on-duke.php

Can anyone point me to it?

[fenwick16]

I am looking for a thread on this development at Duke and Ablemarle. This is the link: http://www.halifaxdevelopments.com/westhill-on-duke.php

Can anyone point me to it?

Although information has been posted regarding this development, I don't think there is a thread.

I see there is new information including floor plans in the link that you posted.

[Dmajackson]

It's a small project so this is the thread for Westhill on Duke (and its sister project near the Scotia Square food court).

Most of the conversation started around February 2013. General Updates and News - Page #214 (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=157134&page=214). Anything else can be found using the "Search This Thread" option on the top right corner of the thread (where your post is now). Just plug in key words like Westhill, Duke, Scotia Square, or Duke Tower.

And welcome to the forum MPotter! :cheers:

[counterfactual]

It's a small project so this is the thread for Westhill on Duke (and its sister project near the Scotia Square food court).

Most of the conversation started around February 2013. General Updates and News - Page #214 (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=157134&page=214). Anything else can be found using the "Search This Thread" option on the top right corner of the thread (where your post is now). Just plug in key words like Westhill, Duke, Scotia Square, or Duke Tower.

And welcome to the forum MPotter! :cheers:

Here's the Westhill info, for those who are Page Search Challenged: http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/130214drcWesthill.PDF

[ns_kid]

One aspect of the Westhill project that perplexes me is that, based on my review of the site plans, the project does not appear to incorporate the crumbling exterior courtyard/stairway that now separates the Albemarle offfice structure from the Scotia Square parkade.

If you've been in this area you know that for years the courtyard has been wasted space, largely blocked off to public access, with heaved and broken concrete. I had hoped Westhill might have filled in this area but that is not reflected by the site plans. Nor do I see any mention of any repair or redevelopment of the area.

I have sent a note to Crombie asking if they can shed any light on this question. Is anyone else aware? It seems unthinkable that the developer would proceed with an attractive upgrade to the Albemarle streetscape and leave this eyesore of a courtyard unimproved.

[counterfactual]

One aspect of the Westhill project that perplexes me is that, based on my review of the site plans, the project does not appear to incorporate the crumbling exterior courtyard/stairway that now separates the Albemarle offfice structure from the Scotia Square parkade.

If you've been in this area you know that for years the courtyard has been wasted space, largely blocked off to public access, with heaved and broken concrete. I had hoped Westhill might have filled in this area but that is not reflected by the site plans. Nor do I see any mention of any repair or redevelopment of the area.

I have sent a note to Crombie asking if they can shed any light on this question. Is anyone else aware? It seems unthinkable that the developer would proceed with an attractive upgrade to the Albemarle streetscape and leave this eyesore of a courtyard unimproved.

Agree. Also, while an improvement, still doesn't do anything to address the overall problem with Scotia Square, which is its poor interaction with the street. I think it's folly to think that having some kind of street level retail will prevent people from actually entering the mall itself. On the contrary, a more attractive exterior, with business space, will attract more food traffic overall.

[Nilan8888]

Given that many of those buildings are privately owned and many date back to the early 1800's, and are very well maintained, it is surprising that you see it as an area for development and not worth saving; those 3 blocks are quite unique in Halifax.


Entirely agreed. Nilaan's argument is like saying Corktown in Toronto should just be redeveloped 'cause it's nearly adjacent to the financial district, and they could put towers there instead. Could. Don't have to. The mistake here (I think) is talking about heritage as being about individual important buildings worth saving. Individually, the houses in the area are attractive but not super significant. The value is actually in the abundance of them, all in one place.

In any case, the buildings are in great shape and are owned mostly by individual homeowners with a vested in interest in keeping them around, so I doubt they're in any danger, conservation district or not.

Several points:

1. I did not say that the entirety of Schmidtville should be torn down, but I did question the need for the entirety of the community to remain.

2. Part of the reason I hold this opinion is because I personally believe 'Schmidtville' to be a term that very well might have been coined no earlier than 2004-2005, despite the age of the buildings within the community. If it did exist beforehand, it probably was mostly unknown to people that lived outside the community. I'm not partial to heritage districts being declared for regions labelled with a term that's barely 10 years old.

3. Another reason I hold this opinion is that while the buildings may be older (and thus worth saving in the individual, as stated) the community in general isn't terribly different from elsewhere on the peninsula. Do the houses here really look terribly different than if you just walked down to the south end of South Park? Because it doesn't look distinctive is part of the reason it probably hasn't been considered by many as all that separate.

4. Although Corktown is kinda-sorta the same relative distance from the financial district in Toronto-Halifax terms, the proportional sizes are WAY off. Schmidtville is only 3 small blocks, but those 3 blocks mean a heck of a lot more in Halifax than Corcktown's larger size means in Toronto, especially when it's a bit uncertain where Downtown would expand. Toronto's downtown is not flanked by areas that are not going anywhere and are just about the size of said entire downtown: The Citadel and Commons block westward expansion, and the Cogswell interchange blocks movement to the north. Sure, we're looking at remedying that by re-developing the interchange and changing up Gottigen, but that's going to take a long time. Heritage districts on the south side of downtown that are the size of 3 blocks? Toronto has the space for that and much more. Halifax? Not so much. Heritage districts are nice to have, but I think Schmidtville is just too big considering how close it is, and Halifax's downtown too small. I realize that the more south-end houses are a victorian style that isn't as old as it looks and dates back closer to the 30s and 40s, but generally the neighborhood looks nicer and is a better distance (not all that much further, but I think South Park and South street are a more natural border than Clyde and Morris streets, what with Victoria Park, Holy Cross Cemetery and the VG cordoning it off. I'd see more value in saving the Lucknow/Tower Rd. area. Maybe not quite as old on the whole, but set further back and heck, I'll just say it: it looks nicer.

[JET]

[QUOTE=Nilan8888;6392451]Several points:

1. I did not say that the entirety of Schmidtville should be torn down, but I did question the need for the entirety of the community to remain.

"I'm sure there's the odd building worth saving in 'Schmidtville', but that entire area is precisely where Downtown will probably have to grow in the long term, and I don't see what's worth saving about the entire district."

and I misread you how?

[counterfactual]

There's value to the neighbourhood as a whole, but even setting that aside there are some exceptional buildings in Schmidtville. It's worth exploring. For example, there's a group of cottages from the late 1700's/early 1800's built into the block in an unusual way. There's also an old carriageworks building with a porte-cochère built into the facade. There used to be a lot of those in Halifax but they are mostly gone now.

Morris Street has a bunch of large houses with granite foundations from around 1800. Queen Street has lots of nice houses too. It really is a pretty nice collection, and it is fairly unique in Canada.

The same thing goes for the southern part of Barrington. There are not a lot of Henry House type buildings in Halifax or even in all of Canada.

Where are those cottages, Someone? Do you mean the smaller semi-detached houses, like those on Wright?

I'm fine with recognizing Schmidtville as a heritage district. Perhaps, this city can spend a few dollars and actually put up some signage so that local people can understand a little bit more about the history.

HOWEVER, I would NOT support such a "heritage" designation if there is any chance for it to be used as a means to deter further development and densification around SGR, which is among the city's most successful focuses for re-development.

Case in point, were the usual NIMBY complaints about the underwhelming 9 storey post-bonus height of the Mary Ann proposal:

"Schmidtville neighbours object to proposed new building"

http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2012/06/13/schmidtville-neighbours-object-to-proposed-new-building

If this is the true aim behind this "heritage conservation" move, let's kill it now, in double time, please.

Heritage in this city has for too long been about stopping development rather than supporting common sense initiatives to help preserve actual living and common memory, including basic historical knowledge, of the city. Signage, information sites, etc, could all be used to greater effect all over the city.

[Drybrain]

Several points:

Although Corktown is kinda-sorta the same relative distance from the financial district in Toronto-Halifax terms, the proportional sizes are WAY off. Schmidtville is only 3 small blocks, but those 3 blocks mean a heck of a lot more in Halifax than Corcktown's larger size means in Toronto, especially when it's a bit uncertain where Downtown would expand. Toronto's downtown is not flanked by areas that are not going anywhere and are just about the size of said entire downtown: The Citadel and Commons block westward expansion, and the Cogswell interchange blocks movement to the north. Sure, we're looking at remedying that by re-developing the interchange and changing up Gottigen, but that's going to take a long time. Heritage districts on the south side of downtown that are the size of 3 blocks? Toronto has the space for that and much more. Halifax? Not so much.

I see what you're saying, but I'm unsure that downtown is going to do a lot of growing outward in coming decades. There's still loads of development room in the existing downtown-ish area: the waterfront, empty lots along Water Street and even further north, the Cogswell lands, and, let's not forget, downtown Dartmouth, which is full of empty and develop-able land. I think the financial district/downtown area as currently defined is going to remain basically within its current borders: basically, between the harbour and Citadel, SGR to Cogswell. (Lower Water would be an exception, with a lot of building potential down to Marginal Road. Also, virtually everything between Duke, Cogswell, Rainnie and Barrington can be demolished and redeveloped to a higher density, as far as I'm concerned, with the exception of the Citadel Hotel.)

But I don't see office towers plunking down on, say, Clyde Street for a very long time. More likely we'll see a growing up of the current downtown, and nodes of intensification elsewhere.

I'm just thinking of a place like Calgary, where the office district has barely expanded its boundaries in 25 years. Adjacent residential neighbourhoods are still residential, and most of the intensification is infill and upward. Even in Toronto, as soon as you cross west of University Avenue, the "downtown" just stops, abruptly, as it has for decades. The neighbourhoods (and various heritage conservation districts) begin. The only exception is the South Core office area, which has started seeing a lot of development--but this is almost analogous to Dartmouth's waterfront potential, and it took decades of constant robust growth for developers to start looking at those lands.

Anyway, it's academic--as was mentioned, Schmidtville is largely a homeowner-occupied residential neighbourhood. Commercial or downtown-ish development isn't even on the radar there.

[Nilan8888]

and I misread you how?

I didn't say you misread me. I was re-iterating the point.

[Drybrain]

Where are those cottages, Someone? Do you mean the smaller semi-detached houses, like those on Wright?



I'm even thinking of an important and attractive streetscape (http://goo.gl/maps/Y6Mxe) like this.

I know some people see that and think "skyscrapers!" but even in Toronto, a city we often look to as a reference point, the inner-city main streets still have lots of similar stretches (http://goo.gl/maps/SKFtE).

It's important to maintain these blocks to keep that architectural link to the past and promote a sense of aesthetic diversity. (If there were no other sites for growth I'd suggest otherwise, but boy howdy, are there ever other (http://goo.gl/maps/IEtps) sites (http://goo.gl/maps/umxeT) for (http://goo.gl/maps/M5P4x) growth (http://goo.gl/maps/hwgCR).)

[Nilan8888]

I'm just thinking of a place like Calgary, where the office district has barely expanded its boundaries in 25 years. Adjacent residential neighbourhoods are still residential, and most of the intensification is infill and upward. Even in Toronto, as soon as you cross west of University Avenue, the "downtown" just stops, abruptly, as it has for decades. The neighbourhoods (and various heritage conservation districts) begin. The only exception is the South Core office area, which has started seeing a lot of development--but this is almost analogous to Dartmouth's waterfront potential, and it took decades of constant robust growth for developers to start looking at those lands.


I'm not certain about Calgary, but this is not precisely true in Toronto. True, most of the downtown is by far west of University. But there are very large towers (commerical and/or residential... I'm not saying the towers theoretically built in Schmidtville would be office towers, after all) on the west side. The TIFF Bell Lightbox tower that has been completed is a fair walk west (they started that somewhere in 2006-2007), and that is pretty tall even in Toronto terms. There's a couple of others like that as well (although not as tall as TIFF). So when you're down around the King Street area and moving through the entertainment district, there's actually large towers going up west of Uni. Most are condos, but that's life in T.O.

[Keith P.]

If you examine the 3 blocks that comprise Schmidtville, the majority of the interior buildings are nice enough - there are some that have been redone with unfortunate things like octagon windows but generally they are OK. But the ones on the perimeter, excepting those facing Park Vic on the south end of Brenton, are all pretty shabby. The south side of Clyde is pretty awful for the most part, the north side of Morris is largely run-down student housing plus Mr. Chang`s resto, and the west side of Queen is hit and miss but has that ugly commercial building across from Altantic News on the corner of Morris. A lot of these could or should be knocked down for redevelopment. I fear that the planning restrictions the Friends want would severely limit what could be done with these sites, to the point where nobody will ever want to invest and lead to continuation of the ugly status quo.

[Nilan8888]

I should also say I'm more partial to a heritage district in south Barrington.

I mean, if they ever demolish the Henry House, there should be hell to pay.

[counterfactual]

I'm even thinking of an important and attractive streetscape (http://goo.gl/maps/Y6Mxe) like this.

I know some people see that and think "skyscrapers!" but even in Toronto, a city we often look to as a reference point, the inner-city main streets still have lots of similar stretches (http://goo.gl/maps/SKFtE).

It's important to maintain these blocks to keep that architectural link to the past and promote a sense of aesthetic diversity. (If there were no other sites for growth I'd suggest otherwise, but boy howdy, are there ever other (http://goo.gl/maps/IEtps) sites (http://goo.gl/maps/umxeT) for (http://goo.gl/maps/M5P4x) growth (http://goo.gl/maps/hwgCR).)

I don't mind the *idea* of that streetscape, but in reality, a lot of those houses are looking pretty shabby and run down. I'd say more than half could use a new paint job, and that's what we can see.

I would guess that most of those houses are old rentals primarily occupied by students, and thus probably pretty run down internally as well.

If our city's overall aim is to bring more people downtown to live, ending sprawl, I can't see these places appealing to families or young professionals.

Thus, I think it's short sighted to "designate" this space for heritage purposes, because I think inevitably it'll have an overall deterrent effect on development on many of the better sites, including those you've flagged in your post.

I think the Mary Ann site is case in point. They're trying to develop a parking lot, and you have the "Friends of Schmidtville" trying to stop this modest low-rise proposal with the usual NIMBY concerns. Heritage designation will just give them a new tool to batter legitimate development on parking lots and other barren sites in and around SGR.

It'll be like 1990-2012 allover again. You would think with these changes in the works, that there were a scourge of developers running rampant all over downtown, smashing down heritage properties and the like!

Seriously, with all of the problems and challenges that we have in downtown Halifax, *this* is what HRM planners are working on?

How about those clowns implement one of the hundred "plans" HRM has approved to improve downtown? Like beautifying the rest of Spring Garden (including tree planting, wider sidewalks, buried power lines)? The Grand Parade and Province House and streetscape redesign? How about the Duke/George Street streetscape corridor plans specified within HRMxDesign? Where's the Regional Plan? Where the hell is the Central Plan?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

[Drybrain]

I don't mind the *idea* of that streetscape, but in reality, a lot of those houses are looking pretty shabby and run down. I'd say more than half could use a new paint job, and that's what we can see.

I would guess that most of those houses are old rentals primarily occupied by students, and thus probably pretty run down internally as well.

If our city's overall aim is to bring more people downtown to live, ending sprawl, I can't see these places appealing to families or young professionals.




The ones closest to Morris look a bit rundown, but not in a major way. Some are already designated, and the one at 1354 is pretty gorgeous in and out (http://www.thepadpicker.com/properties/queen1354_1.htm).

Seriously, these kinds of restore-able heritage properties are exactly what a large crop of young professionals are looking for. Some people want a spacey modern condo, but (yet again, from my TO perspective), the ultimate goal for a huge chunk of that demographic is a detached or semi-detached urban house--the "forever house", if you will. These buildings are SUPER desirable from a real-estate perspective, even if some are rundown.

All that said, I think the more likely route for Queen Street to take is for these properties to be slowly converted to commercial uses. It's already a traffic thoroughfare, and as an extension of SGR, I bet these will eventually be turned into storefronts, like the old houses on south Barrington. (I wouldn't really want to live facing Queen Street right around there.)

I agree with the rest of your post, however. The Schmidtville opposition to the Mary Ann condo is absurd. Their neighbourhood is way too central to be home to that kind of NIMBYism. As usual, the loudest heritage advocates tend to be less focused on conserving worthy buildings and more concerned with thwarting development, for God knows what reason.

[counterfactual]

One of the lingering questions I have about this whole "heritage conservation designation" debate is the history behind the claims. So I decided to do some digging.

I have no references to "Schmidtville" on Google Books NGram viewer https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Schmidtville&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1500&year_end=2012&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=[/url (by comparison, there are references to "Africville" on NGram Viewer dating back to the turn of the 20th century).

On a basic Google Books search about "Schmidtville" +Halifax, I found basically a handful of references, to "schmidtville" but also saw one to "Schmidt Town". here is what I was able to find:

Clyde Street, formerly known as Rottenburg Street, ran directly through what was then the heart of "Schmidtville", named after its developer Charles Schmidt (1805-1874).

Source: http://books.google.ca/books?id=lIRv_HNKBYUC&pg=PA44&dq=schmidtville+halifax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ICXHUpH6O7HlyAGLm4DICw&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=schmidtville&f=false

This 1930s article suggests Schmidtville was bounded by Spring Garden to the north, Morris Street to the South, Queen to the East and South Park to the West:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=zcMhAQAAIAAJ&q=%22schmidt+town%22+halifax&dq=%22schmidt+town%22+halifax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ISrHUuzFHoz8yAH9toGADA&redir_esc=y

Two points: the broader area we are today calling "Schmidtville" actually had an older name: Pedley's Fields, named after James Pedley (d 1807) the "master armerour" for Halifax for 46 years. One of Pedley's daughters married one Captain Schmidt (1754-1828), of the Royal Artillery, during the American Revolution.

However, Schmidtville is not named after him. It's named after his son, a lawyer, named Charles E.W. Schmidt (1805-1874), who developed the area.

Link: http://books.google.ca/books?id=lIRv_HNKBYUC&pg=PA44&dq=schmidtville+halifax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tifHUt_COaaIygHV7IHQCw&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=schmidtville%20halifax&f=false

In other words, the term "Schmidtville" can't be older than the mid 19th Century, seeing as how that is when Schmidt, grandson of the Pedley's would have played a role in developing the area.

Moreover, judging by this 1911 snippet in the NS Historical archives, it seems that the term was already following out of use by the late 19th and early 20th's century:

"Schmidtville-- a name which many inhabitants of Halifax, not much past middle age, [U]were accustomed to hear constantly until the last twenty five years. In the course of time the inheritors of this property determined for certain reasons to sell it. The land was laid out in lots with streets running through them, and in honor of their ancestors the heirs called one street Birmingham because Mr. Pedley — one of the ancestors of the family — was born in Birmingham, England." [emphasis mine]

http://books.google.ca/books?id=z1IzAQAAIAAJ&q=schmidtville&dq=schmidtville&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3jDHUsvDNIifyQHXhIHICw&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBDhQ

So, by 1947, local residents demanded renaming the central street in "Schmidtville" that being, Rottenburg Street to Clyde Street, after the "Scottish firth" (Rottenburg was originally named for the birthplace of family patriarch Captain Schmidt).

http://books.google.ca/books?id=lIRv_HNKBYUC&pg=PA44&dq=schmidtville+halifax&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tifHUt_COaaIygHV7IHQCw&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=schmidtville%20halifax&f=false

So, the earlier historical name for the area seems to be "Pedley's Fields". Somehow, I'm guessing "Friends of Pedley's Fields" doesn't have the same ring to it?

But: Let's get the history right.

[halifaxboyns]

I'm just thinking of a place like Calgary, where the office district has barely expanded its boundaries in 25 years. Adjacent residential neighbourhoods are still residential, and most of the intensification is infill and upward. Even in Toronto, as soon as you cross west of University Avenue, the "downtown" just stops, abruptly, as it has for decades. The neighbourhoods (and various heritage conservation districts) begin. The only exception is the South Core office area, which has started seeing a lot of development--but this is almost analogous to Dartmouth's waterfront potential, and it took decades of constant robust growth for developers to start looking at those lands.


That's not exactly correct - given that I've been working in the Planning Department here in Calgary for over 6 years. Calgary's DT is quite well defined, there is the typical office core (which is 9 St on the West Side, 3 Avenue on the north; 3rd Street (SE) on the East side and CPR tracks behind 9 avenue as the south defining line). But just to the north east (up to the river) is also the communities of Chinatown and in the north west side (to the river) is Eau Claire. Then there is the Downtown West End Community and the East Village.

Eau Claire was mostly industrial, while Chinatown was commercial/industrial. When the industrial moved out and residential moved in. Eau Claire has all high density residential and migrating to be more mixed use (including office). Shaw Court (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.050485,-114.074803&spn=0.001485,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.050634,-114.074965&panoid=prBhOQA-8ZLNHUHZlAokNg&cbp=12,333.96,,0,0) is in the community of Eau Claire and that is resoundingly office, as is Centennial Place (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.050621,-114.074509&spn=0.001485,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.050621,-114.074509&panoid=Hf6zR-KZG4sm-xa5kao0Zw&cbp=12,73.57,,0,-11.81), the Canterra Tower (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.050523,-114.071564&spn=0.001492,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.050523,-114.071564&panoid=THR6JXne-9XBXHy84s9p5g&cbp=12,41.8,,0,-34.94) and the soon to be 3EC place (hotel, residential and office) (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8515916017_7ff02f5032_z.jpg).

The office core has changed over time, it hasn't been the same. The Suncore Tower was done in the last 10 years, as was the second Bankers Hall. The recent addition of the Bow, with the Brookfield Centre (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.047501,-114.065307&spn=0.002985,0.004823&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.047501,-114.065307&panoid=cDW0oRkIPMG_Fs6akligEQ&cbp=12,233.59,,0,-6.51) site, Telus Sky (http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/51db2efbe8e44ef94e000006_big-unveils-telus-sky-tower-in-calgary_telus_sky_calgary_image_by_big_04-528x456.jpg) and a few other new office towers under review will change the office core dramatically. Also, the recent addition of Eight Avenue Place (http://www.ellisdon.com/documents/10157/406993/Rendering/1010474b-b3cf-4d27-90c9-8d87fc4faf48?t=1383070609000) also increased the amount of office space in the 'office core'. But a good number of small office buildings are starting to crop up in the Beltline (South of the CPR Tracks) and are going up along 10 Avenue - so where office is going, is not sticking to just the 'office core'. The policies for Eau Claire and the Beltline (along 10 Avenue) actually encouraged this - where we are starting to see more desire for mixed use in the 'office core'. So that clear definition is starting to change (Telus Sky and Brookfield being two applications I can name off the top of my head).

Of course the East Village is going through a complete redevelopment with new mixed use buildings, a new hotel and our new library will all be located there (in addition to the Cantos Music Centre (http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/09/23/cgy-cantos-design.jpg)). The West Village hasn't had much uptake yet, but there are applications in and with the new LRT station because of the West Leg, I suspect it will take off soon.

[counterfactual]

The ones closest to Morris look a bit rundown, but not in a major way. Some are already designated, and the one at 1354 is pretty gorgeous in and out (http://www.thepadpicker.com/properties/queen1354_1.htm).

Seriously, these kinds of restore-able heritage properties are exactly what a large crop of young professionals are looking for. Some people want a spacey modern condo, but (yet again, from my TO perspective), the ultimate goal for a huge chunk of that demographic is a detached or semi-detached urban house--the "forever house", if you will. These buildings are SUPER desirable from a real-estate perspective, even if some are rundown.

All that said, I think the more likely route for Queen Street to take is for these properties to be slowly converted to commercial uses. It's already a traffic thoroughfare, and as an extension of SGR, I bet these will eventually be turned into storefronts, like the old houses on south Barrington. (I wouldn't really want to live facing Queen Street right around there.)

I agree with the rest of your post, however. The Schmidtville opposition to the Mary Ann condo is absurd. Their neighbourhood is way too central to be home to that kind of NIMBYism. As usual, the loudest heritage advocates tend to be less focused on conserving worthy buildings and more concerned with thwarting development, for God knows what reason.

I actually agree, that townhouse / semi-detached style of residence are definitely very attractive to young professionals, etc, in downtown core. My whole beef with these residences in particular, is that these would have to be seriously up-graded and restored to reach that level of appeal. Looks to me like most of these are owned by absentee landlords who obviously aren't willing to sink a penny to re-finish or even maintain them. Instead, they'll sit, rented by students, and continue to deteriorate.

I hope I'm wrong.

[halifaxboyns]

I think the Mary Ann site is case in point. They're trying to develop a parking lot, and you have the "Friends of Schmidtville" trying to stop this modest low-rise proposal with the usual NIMBY concerns. Heritage designation will just give them a new tool to batter legitimate development on parking lots and other barren sites in and around SGR.

How about those clowns implement one of the hundred "plans" HRM has approved to improve downtown? Like beautifying the rest of Spring Garden (including tree planting, wider sidewalks, buried power lines)? The Grand Parade and Province House and streetscape redesign? How about the Duke/George Street streetscape corridor plans specified within HRMxDesign? Where's the Regional Plan? Where the hell is the Central Plan?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

I disagree - heritage status should have no impact on the parking lot sites or anywhere along Clyde since it will fall into HbD. Once that was approved - it has it's own process, you follow it and get your approval in 90 days.

I am concerned though with the resources HRM's policy planning group has to get the centre plan and regional plan done. I heard through a number of 3rd parties (I do not take this as fact) that a number of other visioning projects had to be shelved simply to get the Regional Plan update done. The hope was to finish, get back to the other plans and get them done - then the Centre Plan, but because the Centre area is taking on such a heavy pressure for redevelopment those other plans may have to stay on the shelf to get the Centre Plan done.

That's simply not viable in terms of getting ahead of the game. Surely, HRM could provide a few more bodies (even 5 new FTE planning positions would be more than enough to get the Centre Plan going and likely do a couple of the shelved plans). But apparently the budget is tight...makes me glad that most of Calgary's planning department is funding by the fees we charge (since there is so much development, we don't have as much of a problem growing when we need too).

[Drybrain]

That's not exactly correct - given that I've been working in the Planning Department here in Calgary for over 6 years. Calgary's DT is quite well defined, there is the typical office core (which is 9 St on the West Side, 3 Avenue on the north; 3rd Street (SE) on the East side and CPR tracks behind 9 avenue as the south defining line). But just to the north east (up to the river) is also the communities of Chinatown and in the north west side (to the river) is Eau Claire. Then there is the Downtown West End Community and the East Village.

.

True, but a lot of the development you mention there (East Village, etc.) is neighbourhood-y rather than office uses. Plus, the East Village is a big exciting blank slate, but so is the Cogswell and all the waterfront space in Dartmouth.

Eau Claire I'd consider to be more along the lines of under-used space within Calgary's downtown, similar to the waterfront properties along Lower Water. I hope it's finally coming along--it was a dead zone when I last lived in Calgary.

But really, what I meant was just that most Canadian cities, even the fast-growing ones, aren't rapidly expanding the boundaries of their downtown business districts so much as building and re-building within them, and near-downtown residential neighbourhoods aren't being removed to make way for new towers, for the most part. In Calgary's case, I'd wager that all those single family houses in Sunnyside and Mission and Bridgeland and Ramsay--built to a noticeably lower density than the South End and North End--will be there for a long time to come.

[someone123]

But really, what I meant was just that most Canadian cities, even the fast-growing ones, aren't rapidly expanding the boundaries of their downtown business districts so much as building and re-building within them, and near-downtown residential neighbourhoods aren't being removed to make way for new towers, for the most part.

I think a big reason for this is that just about every North American city had a huge surplus of empty lots after 1940-1990 era demolition. This will change over the next few years (except I guess in the really unfortunate places). It has already happened in Vancouver -- the biggest area for new construction is south of False Creek, outside of the boundaries of the traditional downtown.

Presumably Halifax has 20 or 30 years worth of development land once you start talking about the waterfront and Cogswell, but that will eventually run out if the city keeps growing. I don't think the right solution will be to mow over all of the houses on the peninsula, but there is going to be more tension between new construction and existing neighbourhoods.

If you look at Halifax there's also been a slow but steady expansion in the downtown. In the 1960's, Spring Garden Road was not really "downtown" but today it is busier than Barrington. It only looks static over a 5 or 10 year time frame, and because the city today is growing back in to previously semi-derelict areas like Gottingen and the waterfront. Once you start considering a 20 or 30 year time frame the changes are noticeable. I bet the changes in Calgary over this type of time frame have been pretty enormous.

[someone123]

Schmidtville ... Rottenburg

Well, one thing's for sure: they have a history of picking great names.

[counterfactual]

Well, one thing's for sure: they have a history of picking great names.

:haha::haha::haha:

[counterfactual]

I disagree - heritage status should have no impact on the parking lot sites or anywhere along Clyde since it will fall into HbD. Once that was approved - it has it's own process, you follow it and get your approval in 90 days.

I am concerned though with the resources HRM's policy planning group has to get the centre plan and regional plan done. I heard through a number of 3rd parties (I do not take this as fact) that a number of other visioning projects had to be shelved simply to get the Regional Plan update done. The hope was to finish, get back to the other plans and get them done - then the Centre Plan, but because the Centre area is taking on such a heavy pressure for redevelopment those other plans may have to stay on the shelf to get the Centre Plan done.

That's simply not viable in terms of getting ahead of the game. Surely, HRM could provide a few more bodies (even 5 new FTE planning positions would be more than enough to get the Centre Plan going and likely do a couple of the shelved plans). But apparently the budget is tight...makes me glad that most of Calgary's planning department is funding by the fees we charge (since there is so much development, we don't have as much of a problem growing when we need too).

Definitely agree that HRM is lacking on planning capacity.

I mean, they haven't even re-hired a chief planner to replace Andy Filmore, who left a big gaping hole (Halifax owes him a great debt of gratitude for HRMxD):

http://www.halifax.ca/hr/jobs/ChiefPlanner.html

Any idea on why they haven't hired a chief planner? Just unable to attract talent? Low salary offer? Thankless job working for an unwieldy government bureaucracy deeply opposed to change?

Or, more likely, the HRM bureaucracy just not keen to hire another chief planner and risk having another Filmore, because he actually kicked the bureaucracy in the a** to change and move and get things done...

[counterfactual]

That's not exactly correct - given that I've been working in the Planning Department here in Calgary for over 6 years. Calgary's DT is quite well defined, there is the typical office core (which is 9 St on the West Side, 3 Avenue on the north; 3rd Street (SE) on the East side and CPR tracks behind 9 avenue as the south defining line). But just to the north east (up to the river) is also the communities of Chinatown and in the north west side (to the river) is Eau Claire. Then there is the Downtown West End Community and the East Village.

Eau Claire was mostly industrial, while Chinatown was commercial/industrial. When the industrial moved out and residential moved in. Eau Claire has all high density residential and migrating to be more mixed use (including office). Shaw Court (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.050485,-114.074803&spn=0.001485,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.050634,-114.074965&panoid=prBhOQA-8ZLNHUHZlAokNg&cbp=12,333.96,,0,0) is in the community of Eau Claire and that is resoundingly office, as is Centennial Place (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.050621,-114.074509&spn=0.001485,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.050621,-114.074509&panoid=Hf6zR-KZG4sm-xa5kao0Zw&cbp=12,73.57,,0,-11.81), the Canterra Tower (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.050523,-114.071564&spn=0.001492,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=51.050523,-114.071564&panoid=THR6JXne-9XBXHy84s9p5g&cbp=12,41.8,,0,-34.94) and the soon to be 3EC place (hotel, residential and office) (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8515916017_7ff02f5032_z.jpg).

The office core has changed over time, it hasn't been the same. The Suncore Tower was done in the last 10 years, as was the second Bankers Hall. The recent addition of the Bow, with the Brookfield Centre (https://maps.google.ca/?ll=51.047501,-114.065307&spn=0.002985,0.004823&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.047501,-114.065307&panoid=cDW0oRkIPMG_Fs6akligEQ&cbp=12,233.59,,0,-6.51) site, Telus Sky (http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/51db2efbe8e44ef94e000006_big-unveils-telus-sky-tower-in-calgary_telus_sky_calgary_image_by_big_04-528x456.jpg) and a few other new office towers under review will change the office core dramatically. Also, the recent addition of Eight Avenue Place (http://www.ellisdon.com/documents/10157/406993/Rendering/1010474b-b3cf-4d27-90c9-8d87fc4faf48?t=1383070609000) also increased the amount of office space in the 'office core'. But a good number of small office buildings are starting to crop up in the Beltline (South of the CPR Tracks) and are going up along 10 Avenue - so where office is going, is not sticking to just the 'office core'. The policies for Eau Claire and the Beltline (along 10 Avenue) actually encouraged this - where we are starting to see more desire for mixed use in the 'office core'. So that clear definition is starting to change (Telus Sky and Brookfield being two applications I can name off the top of my head).

Of course the East Village is going through a complete redevelopment with new mixed use buildings, a new hotel and our new library will all be located there (in addition to the Cantos Music Centre (http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2009/09/23/cgy-cantos-design.jpg)). The West Village hasn't had much uptake yet, but there are applications in and with the new LRT station because of the West Leg, I suspect it will take off soon.

Halifaxboyns, you've been working in the Calgary city planning department for 6 years? Why don't you come back home and takeover as Chief Planner here in Halifax?

http://www.halifax.ca/hr/jobs/ChiefPlanner.html

Now, I'm sure you get paid well in Calgary. In fact, you'll likely be taking a pay cut. Lots more work. Lots more responsibility. Probably less pay.

But your city needs you, friend. It is time to do the honourable thing... :D

[ns_kid]

One aspect of the Westhill project that perplexes me is that, based on my review of the site plans, the project does not appear to incorporate the crumbling exterior courtyard/stairway that now separates the Albemarle office structure from the Scotia Square parkade. (...) I have sent a note to Crombie asking if they can shed any light on this question.

Joseph Driscoll, Manager of Real Estate and Planning for Crombie REIT, kindly and promptly responded to my enquiry. He wrote:

Although that area is not within the scope of the Westhill project, we plan to revitalize the breezeway area that leads down into Scotia Square after construction of the Westhill expansion is complete. The area will most likely serve as a construction staging area during the construction of Westhill. As a result, the area will not be worked on until after construction of Westhill is completed.

[Empire]

The ones closest to Morris look a bit rundown, but not in a major way. Some are already designated, and the one at 1354 is pretty gorgeous in and out (http://www.thepadpicker.com/properties/queen1354_1.htm).

Seriously, these kinds of restore-able heritage properties are exactly what a large crop of young professionals are looking for. Some people want a spacey modern condo, but (yet again, from my TO perspective), the ultimate goal for a huge chunk of that demographic is a detached or semi-detached urban house--the "forever house", if you will. These buildings are SUPER desirable from a real-estate perspective, even if some are rundown.

All that said, I think the more likely route for Queen Street to take is for these properties to be slowly converted to commercial uses. It's already a traffic thoroughfare, and as an extension of SGR, I bet these will eventually be turned into storefronts, like the old houses on south Barrington. (I wouldn't really want to live facing Queen Street right around there.)

I agree with the rest of your post, however. The Schmidtville opposition to the Mary Ann condo is absurd. Their neighbourhood is way too central to be home to that kind of NIMBYism. As usual, the loudest heritage advocates tend to be less focused on conserving worthy buildings and more concerned with thwarting development, for God knows what reason.

If the proponents of Schmidtville (I would guess 95% live there) really want their community to have a historical and visual impact then they can start by removing the cheap vinyl siding from these "historic buildings".

Clyde St. vinyl
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Halifax,+NS&hl=en&ll=44.64167,-63.577055&spn=0.000008,0.003782&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.211525,15.490723&oq=halifax&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+Halifax+Regional+Municipality,+Nova+Scotia&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.641707,-63.576915&panoid=RJiV4MqtSi23Ot6K3Vdbvw&cbp=12,100.96,,0,17.62

Birmingham St. vinyl
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Halifax,+NS&hl=en&ll=44.64067,-63.575698&spn=0.000008,0.003782&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.211525,15.490723&oq=halifax&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+Halifax+Regional+Municipality,+Nova+Scotia&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.640746,-63.575739&panoid=AL8CKE8JmLrCFoYn4Pj4dg&cbp=12,66.93,,0,-11.09

Morris St. vinyl & Mickey Mouse balconies
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Halifax,+NS&hl=en&ll=44.640682,-63.575423&spn=0.000004,0.001891&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.211525,15.490723&oq=halifax&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+Halifax+Regional+Municipality,+Nova+Scotia&z=19&layer=c&cbll=44.640682,-63.575423&panoid=0wuZBTE7xwBs2vMDnSGQwg&cbp=12,29.07,,0,0

[Jonovision]

Sorry, posted this in the wrong thread.

Another reminder of the public meeting coming up this Monday, January 13th regarding the changes to downtown Dartmouth and the allowable building heights. It's at 7pm in the Helen Creighton room at Alderney Landing.

I see downtown Dartmouth combined with Kings Wharf and Dartmouth Cove becoming our own little Vancouver style downtown.

[JET]

Sorry, posted this in the wrong thread.

Another reminder of the public meeting coming up this Monday, January 13th regarding the changes to downtown Dartmouth and the allowable building heights. It's at 7pm in the Helen Creighton room at Alderney Landing.

I see downtown Dartmouth combined with Kings Wharf and Dartmouth Cove becoming our own little Vancouver style downtown.

with the rumour of the possible mico brewery (maybe brew pub?) where the Tims was on Ochterloney, I think you may be right. The DDT is looking up!:tup:

[worldlyhaligonian]

If the proponents of Schmidtville (I would guess 95% live there) really want their community to have a historical and visual impact then they can start by removing the cheap vinyl siding from these "historic buildings".

Clyde St. vinyl
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Halifax,+NS&hl=en&ll=44.64167,-63.577055&spn=0.000008,0.003782&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.211525,15.490723&oq=halifax&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+Halifax+Regional+Municipality,+Nova+Scotia&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.641707,-63.576915&panoid=RJiV4MqtSi23Ot6K3Vdbvw&cbp=12,100.96,,0,17.62

Birmingham St. vinyl
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Halifax,+NS&hl=en&ll=44.64067,-63.575698&spn=0.000008,0.003782&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.211525,15.490723&oq=halifax&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+Halifax+Regional+Municipality,+Nova+Scotia&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.640746,-63.575739&panoid=AL8CKE8JmLrCFoYn4Pj4dg&cbp=12,66.93,,0,-11.09

Morris St. vinyl & Mickey Mouse balconies
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Halifax,+NS&hl=en&ll=44.640682,-63.575423&spn=0.000004,0.001891&sll=44.004261,-62.918551&sspn=9.211525,15.490723&oq=halifax&t=h&hnear=Halifax,+Halifax+Regional+Municipality,+Nova+Scotia&z=19&layer=c&cbll=44.640682,-63.575423&panoid=0wuZBTE7xwBs2vMDnSGQwg&cbp=12,29.07,,0,0

Thank-you for posting, this just proves my point entirely.

Maybe a ban on vinyl downtown would be a good policy? Its environmentally unfriendly, ugly and if you own a property downtown you can afford to clad it properly or you shouldn't own it.

[someone123]

[deleted due to copyright complaint]

[counterfactual]

[deleted due to copyright complaint]

Great news. That building-- the one with the beige paint, right? Ugly.

Fix it up.

[Dmajackson]

Good to hear. Espace is wrapping up construction on the same row of buildings and The Roy should be started soon. This appears to be the last building with a run-down exterior on the block.

In 2016 this entire block should be in great shape especially if the Urban Outfitters rumour is true. If HRM throws in a few benches, garbage cans, and bike racks the entire street will be about as good as it can get.

[someone123]

If HRM throws in a few benches, garbage cans, and bike racks the entire street will be about as good as it can get.

I think the city also needs to deal with all the diesel bus traffic, as well as the truck traffic in other parts of the downtown. They have a big impact on the livability of the area.

This isn't very far-fetched. Metro Transit could build some streetcar or electric bus lines to work into the new system. The trucks I guess would go into the rail cut.

Cogswell of course needs to go too, and it can tie in with the transit improvements. There's no decent downtown terminal at the moment.

[counterfactual]

I think the city also needs to deal with all the diesel bus traffic, as well as the truck traffic in other parts of the downtown. They have a big impact on the livability of the area.

This isn't very far-fetched. Metro Transit could build some streetcar or electric bus lines to work into the new system. The trucks I guess would go into the rail cut.

Cogswell of course needs to go too, and it can tie in with the transit improvements. There's no decent downtown terminal at the moment.

With some more height in these new developments, hopefully in the near term, the loud trucks and buses will be come less of an issue for liveability.

But it needs to be fixed for the long term, for sure.

You could have hybrid buses. I believe Boston has something like this. Within chunks of downtown, the buses run on electricity. But once they go beyond that area, the bus will stop, and the driver gets out to switch back over to diesel, and continues on.

Would that be so hard? Of course not. But any kind of change is hard in Halifax.

[counterfactual]

Good to hear. Espace is wrapping up construction on the same row of buildings and The Roy should be started soon. This appears to be the last building with a run-down exterior on the block.

In 2016 this entire block should be in great shape especially if the Urban Outfitters rumour is true. If HRM throws in a few benches, garbage cans, and bike racks the entire street will be about as good as it can get.

where is the Urban Outfitters rumour coming from? ANS?

And where is the suggestion it might end up? On Barrington in the Roy retail space? Spring Garden?

I think Bloor street, with a few really nice high end developments like the Roy, plus major facelifts for many of these buildings, has the potential to have a bit of a mini-Bloor St thing going on (the area from Bloor to Bay) where you get a nice combo of residential + nicer/high end retail shops that become destinations for younger shoppers.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I think the city also needs to deal with all the diesel bus traffic, as well as the truck traffic in other parts of the downtown. They have a big impact on the livability of the area.

This isn't very far-fetched. Metro Transit could build some streetcar or electric bus lines to work into the new system. The trucks I guess would go into the rail cut.

Cogswell of course needs to go too, and it can tie in with the transit improvements. There's no decent downtown terminal at the moment.

:iagree:

Are they still running the hydrogen fuel cell buses in Vancouver? Any word on whether they will continue to use/develop that technology? I think if they can keep the costs in line as well as the logistics of using hydrogen as a fuel source, this could be a good option for downtown Halifax.

Otherwise, San Francisco (and likely other places) has a great working electric bus line similar in concept to the bus-based trolleys they ran in Halifax up to the early seventies, with overhead wires used as a power source. Although Halifax's old trolleys could be somewhat troublesome with them skipping off the wires every now and then, the system in SF seemed to run trouble-free when I was there. There has been 40 years of development since we had them so it would be a good time to try again, IMHO. On second thought it occurred to me that Halifax has eliminated overhead wires in much of the downtown since then so this idea wouldn't work anymore...

The hybrid bus idea could work well also, as long as those buses had sufficient route time running on diesel outside of the downtown core to recharge their batteries. If the bus spends most of its time in the core, the power gained by regenerative braking would not be enough to achieve a sufficient level of battery charge without diesel operation, in my opinion.

[Dmajackson]

Staff is recommending that Regional Council approve the sale of the former Rockingham Community Centre (199 Bedford Highway) to Stockbridge Investors Group.

Staff Report - Sale of 199 Bedford Highway (http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/140114ca1117.pdf)