[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed

[OldDartmouthMark]

Good news! I can hear peoples' ankles breathing a sigh of relief as I type this. :)

[eastcoastal]

I read that the Five Guys (burger place) that was scheduled to open in May is now pushed back to a July opening.

[ns_kid]

I read that the Five Guys (burger place) that was scheduled to open in May is now pushed back to a July opening.

That’s too bad...they would have made a killing during the Memorial Cup.

[terrynorthend]

I read that the Five Guys (burger place) that was scheduled to open in May is now pushed back to a July opening.

Meh. Five Guys has a lot of hype (and don't get me wrong, they make an excellent burger) but it seems like a big waste of a prime retail location. Was hoping for an Earl's or something akin.

[eastcoastal]

Meh. Five Guys has a lot of hype (and don't get me wrong, they make an excellent burger) but it seems like a big waste of a prime retail location. Was hoping for an Earl's or something akin.

Never been to a Five Guys... and really, whether it's Five Guys, the Keg, Earl's or something local, this building needs stuff visitors and us citizens will actually use (I'm looking at your lottery corp).

[terrynorthend]

Never been to a Five Guys... and really, whether it's Five Guys, the Keg, Earl's or something local, this building needs stuff visitors and us citizens will actually use (I'm looking at your lottery corp).

Agreed! Street front ALC and Service Canada do NOT belong on Argyle, for all the money we put into street upgrades.

[eastcoastal]

Agreed! Street front ALC and Service Canada do NOT belong on Argyle, for all the money we put into street upgrades.

I suspect those tenants are appealing to the landlords, who care about renting space and don't really care about the streetscapes beyond what they're forced to do by the city for a development agreement or because of bylaws. First there's just filling space, then, I would expect those kinds of government agencies are willing to sign long term leases.

In the case of the Convention Centre, it's been under construction and without tenants for a loooooong time, so I'm sure the developers care even less.

[IanWatson]

First there's just filling space, then, I would expect those kinds of government agencies are willing to sign long term leases.

Ten-year leases and you know they'll pay the bills. Dream tenants for landlords. Crappy tenants for the street. One of the reasons some regulation is necessary to look out for the public interest.

[Keith P.]

You cannot regulate economic reality.

[IanWatson]

It's not about regulating economic reality. "Trying to regulate economic reality" would be a planning rule that says something like, "you MUST build a tiny home park on that site".

The economic reality of this site is that passport offices and ALC offices are more profitable than restaurants or active retail frontages, but it doesn't mean that restaurants or active retail frontages AREN'T profitable (as evidenced by the many, many other restaurants and retail frontages in downtown, and indeed on the rest of Argyle). I don't blame the landlords, if given the choice, for choosing a passport office over something more street-friendly, but less profitable. But we, as a society, don't have to give them that choice. Do you really think if HRM had designated that stretch of Argyle as a pedestrian commercial street, that Joe Ramia would not have built the Nova Centre? Or that he would have built it and left that frontage vacant?

The economic reality of making cars is that it's cheaper to make one without seatbelts, side view mirrors, and airbags. But we, as a society, have said we value those things and have taken that choice away from manufacturers. And so it is with a million other things.

EDIT: To put it more succinctly, I agree: you cannot regulate economic reality. But you CAN regulate WITHIN economic reality. The economic reality of that site is that there are a range of things that would economically work there, not just passport offices and ALC offices. Regulations that chose to allow only part of that economically-viable range would be successful.

[Keith P.]

The only way urban planners could be assured of having their beloved curbside restaurants and cafes operating where they want them is for govt to run those things themselves. Nobody bases a business case for a new development solely upon getting a restaurant tenant given the very high failure rate and turnover of such operations. The mindset of urban planners to micromanage every aspect of potential development in certain areas based upon textbook theory is what leads to empty lots and stagnant development activity.

[IanWatson]

Do you honestly, HONESTLY believe that if those prime spots on Argyle had not been allowed to have an ALC office or other "dead" storefront use that they would have sat vacant?

[eastcoastal]

... The economic reality of making cars is that it's cheaper to make one without seatbelts, side view mirrors, and airbags. But we, as a society, have said we value those things and have taken that choice away from manufacturers...

This is true, and I am enjoying the comparison to uses that offer very little to the street and uses that encourage active use of the street.

Do you think there are any differences where cars are essentially consumer products - we buy, use and discard them for the most part - but streetscapes aren't consumed to the same extent. Or, maybe streetscapes ARE consumed?

[OldDartmouthMark]

FWIW, seat belts and airbags were determined to be safety items and thus were mandated by the government years ago. The equivalent in buildings would be the requirements for sprinkler systems and electrical circuit breakers, for example.

In the Argyle case, though, it would seem that this should fall under zoning laws.

I think it would be reasonable, since considerable public funds were invested to make Argyle Street a pedestrian-oriented experience, to require tenants to operate some kind of business that is in keeping with the theme of the street. Argyle street is a special location and thus should be treated as such.

This is done all the time, all over the city, so it shouldn't have been rocket science to make it happen on Argyle. It sounds to me that it just wasn't thought through carefully enough by the city, and now it's too late.

[planarchy]

Do you honestly, HONESTLY believe that if those prime spots on Argyle had not been allowed to have an ALC office or other "dead" storefront use that they would have sat vacant?

I think the more important question is why ALC, as a government organization thinks its ok and necessary to lease prime retail space, when they can have space in an office tower for half the price. It looks so silly walking by this - its just a standard office space, with no obvious public component that requires a retail location.

[pblaauw]

The Sutton Place Hotel Halifax (https://www.suttonplace.com/hotels/sutton-place-hotel-halifax-hal) now has it's own webpage, and an official address at 1700 Grafton Street. I look in that "storefront" every time I go through the site, and can't picture it as a hotel lobby.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Grafton Street? Does that part of Grafton Street exist anymore?

I thought that Rogers bought it...

[pblaauw]

Grafton Street? Does that part of Grafton Street exist anymore?

I thought that Rogers bought it...

:shrug:

[OldDartmouthMark]

https://globalnews.ca/news/3773035/rogers-buys-naming-rights-to-halifax-plaza-on-site-of-former-public-street/

Rogers Communications announced Wednesday it acquired naming rights to an outdoor plaza at the Nova Centre, a million-square-foot complex that includes the new Halifax Convention Centre, office space and a hotel.

The Halifax plaza – it will be surrounded on both sides and above by the Nova Centre – was previously part of Grafton Street, a downtown public thoroughfare running parallel to the base of the Halifax Citadel.

In a private meeting three years ago, Halifax council voted to sell the one-block section of Grafton to Argyle Developments Inc., the developer behind the Nova Centre.

The sale defied the city’s own urban planning rules, which cautioned against merging street blocks.

[Jonovision]

They gave up on pavers all together.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33966522468_b499a3c047_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TKviKJ)20190512_204106 (https://flic.kr/p/TKviKJ) by Jonovision23 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/36229421@N02/), on Flickr

[OldDartmouthMark]

What is that - exposed aggregate?

Either way it looks like an improvement.

[Jonovision]

What is that - exposed aggregate?

Either way it looks like an improvement.

It's just concrete with different pigments in it.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Thanks. It should be easier on the ankles... :)

[Hali87]

A couple photos from the other night:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40919156703_a6603373d4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/25kTnFM)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/25kTnFM) by Hali87 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/72021271@N05/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47833575752_c10659b1a9_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fSTzzj)
(https://flic.kr/p/2fSTzzj) by Hali87 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/72021271@N05/), on Flickr

[OldDartmouthMark]

They gave up on pavers all together.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33966522468_b499a3c047_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TKviKJ)20190512_204106 (https://flic.kr/p/TKviKJ) by Jonovision23 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/36229421@N02/), on Flickr

Was through there on the weekend, and found some poured concrete (some with exposed aggregate) and some pavers. Looks like they mostly decided to cover the vehicle traffic areas with concrete and frame it off with pavers. Only noted it in passing, so that's all the detail I can add at the moment. Also looks like a vestige of an NS flag in there, though it's not completely obvious when you are at street level.

Overall not a bad area, but definitely not as bright and inviting as the rendering had us believe it would be.

Unfortunately it looked like Gahan didn't have their place ready in time for the Memorial Cup either. That would have been a lucrative weekend as all surrounding bars/restaurants were extremely busy.

As a side note, I did not witness any extreme traffic jams caused by Argyle Street being blocked off... ;)

[Keith P.]

As a side note, I did not witness any extreme traffic jams caused by Argyle Street being blocked off... ;)

Nobody drives downtown any more, it's too hard to get around and it's clear HRM doesn't want motorists to patronize DT businesses and events.

[eastcoastal]

... HRM doesn't want motorists to patronize DT businesses and events.

I hear all motorists are curmudgeonly patrons anyway. ;)

[OliverD]

Nobody drives downtown any more, it's too hard to get around and it's clear HRM doesn't want motorists to patronize DT businesses and events.

Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.

[Keith P.]

Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.

Exactly!! :P

[ns_kid]

It’s been delightful seeing downtown so crowded over the last several days as people take in all of the Memorial Cup activities. Because of the weather, last night’s concert moved to Rogers Square. I didn’t get there but the reports I heard said it was crowded. Walking along Brunswick Street after the game late Sunday night I eavesdropped on some visitors admiring the Nova Centre. “That’s really pretty,” they concluded. On the flip side we did dinner at the Rockbottom on Spring Garden Friday night. I would say it was less busy than typical and the wait staff were surprised. It may be Argyle Street’s gain drew some business away from other neighbourhoods...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Nobody drives downtown any more, it's too hard to get around and it's clear HRM doesn't want motorists to patronize DT businesses and events.

That must be why I had such an easy time driving around the downtown! We should encourage HRM to continue doing what they are doing... :haha:

[OldDartmouthMark]

It has been fantastic to see the Argyle Street pedestrian areas and the Nova Centre being used as intended this weekend. Visited the fan zone in NC and it was interesting to see it from the inside for the first time - very large and spacious and the windows allow some great views even though it was just one level up. The streets were alive with people and I did not witness anything negative, just a lot of people using the facilities as intended, and having a great time.

Things were definitely busiest around Argyle, but also noted that the restaurant in The Maple (The Mercantile Social, which was very good, btw) was quite busy. A little further down on the waterfront things were slower, but still well attended, despite the cooler weekend that we had.

Also tried out the newer additions on Brunswick and was pleased to see things going well at Orso Pub and Grill around game time. FWIW, 2 Crows is worth a try for some tasty brews, if you're into that kind of thing.

All in all a good experience and nice to see the Nova Centre doing what it was meant to do.

[atbw]

All in all a good experience and nice to see the Nova Centre doing what it was meant to do.

I'm glad to see Rogers Square actually getting used if that's the case. I think with more restaurants opening up in it I'm coming around to it a little more. I wish they'd swap the purple street-level lighting and warm white roof lighting. The dash of purple on the skyline would be really interesting, and the warm light below would be a win for me.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I'm glad to see Rogers Square actually getting used if that's the case. I think with more restaurants opening up in it I'm coming around to it a little more. I wish they'd swap the purple street-level lighting and warm white roof lighting. The dash of purple on the skyline would be really interesting, and the warm light below would be a win for me.

I agree, that would be an improvement.

[atbw]

I agree, that would be an improvement.

With the green light on the Alexander it would add a bit of fun to the skyline. That purple is just not at all flattering to anybody walking up the street, though.

[Keith P.]

I wish they'd swap the purple street-level lighting and warm white roof lighting. The dash of purple on the skyline would be really interesting, and the warm light below would be a win for me.

A lot of LEDs have multiple colors native to the device and they can change colors simply with a switch. I wonder if doing a color change here (which I agree with) would be that easy.

[OldDartmouthMark]

It occurred to me while walking on the waterfront, that whomever decided the location of the BMO branding on the Nova Centre...

https://i.imgur.com/LEOxcWa.jpg?1

...knew what they were doing...

https://i.imgur.com/tyci2oo.jpg?1

Source: my photos

[q12]

Jurassic Park 2.0 in Halifax's Rogers Square.

CBC News Video:
https://twitter.com/cbccolleenjones/status/1134269823960190982


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D76zb6AUYAAUVcg.png

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D73IUbrXsAA8qaQ.jpg
https://twitter.com/tjhfx/status/1134282942170259457

[OldDartmouthMark]

Cool! It is quite a phenomenon that has caught on.

[Keith P.]

Cool! It is quite a phenomenon that has caught on.

I guess the bandwagon must have been just out of frame. :D

[OldDartmouthMark]

Yeah, call it what you may, but I think all the excitement that people are showing is great. And you can't blame them because even if you are not a diehard basketball fan, the games have been very exciting and fun to watch. :tup:

[someone123]

Yeah, call it what you may, but I think all the excitement that people are showing is great. And you can't blame them because even if you are not a diehard basketball fan, the games have been very exciting and fun to watch. :tup:

I guess this type of criticism tends to be from people who want credit for being fans before a given team was popular. But looking at it from the perspective of the team the bandwagon fans are still a positive.

(I've criticized the coverage of this but I was talking more about journalists or observers who see an event and then say that "everyone" in a city, province, or country likes some sports team or band. Plus there's the tendency to hunt around to find supporters of cultural phenomena in a certain Canadian city, while most others get different treatment. Maybe Halifax-based media should start telling all Atlantic Canadians that Wanderers FC is their top sports team after talking to a couple of fans in Summerside and Corner Brook. :haha:)

The Nova Centre covered area needs some kind of diffuse LED lighting embedded into the ceiling. They could do tile patterns or something like that. Fremont Street in Las Vegas is an example of the effect they should go for.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Agreed. I can see people who followed the team through the rough years almost resenting new fans who jumped on the bandwagon once the team became successful. But for the most part I view this as a positive thing as it provides extra support for the team that they can feed off of emotionally, and additionally it tends to bring people together with a common interest - something we as a society really need nowadays with all the crazy extremist politics going on in the world.

I think when anything becomes popular, you will get the people who jump on to be part of the group, and you will get people who feel excluded because they aren't part of it. It's not unique to sports, though. You don't have to look any further than the fashion world or even the world of whatever ridiculous hairstyle is popular to see the very same thing.

One thing about sports, though, is that it is purely for entertainment purposes and there are not really any 'real world' consequences for liking or not liking it. There are some who IMHO take it a little too seriously, but then that's a societal norm as well.

The media these days will jump on anything that will generate revenue, as their market is ever shrinking (partly through revenue lost due to social media) and somewhat under attack (partly by those extremist politicians). In a sense, it's almost to be expected that they would spend a lot of time promoting the Raptors phenomenon as it has become really big, and as a result is feeding it to make it bigger. In a few weeks, though, nobody will be talking about it and they will have moved on to something else...

Agreed with lighting in the Nova Centre tunnel... it's not a bad space but definitely would benefit from some improved indirect lighting.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Hotel planned for Nova Centre won't open until 2020 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hotel-planned-for-nova-centre-won-t-open-until-2020-1.5209979)

[ns_kid]

Hotel planned for Nova Centre won't open until 2020 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hotel-planned-for-nova-centre-won-t-open-until-2020-1.5209979)

Disappointing to be sure, but hardly the scoop Pam Berman seems to frame it as. Halifax Retales reported this three months ago, picked up the next day by the Halifax Examiner. Also not a surprise to anyone walking by the hotel. The unfinished interior framing has been clearly visible through the windows and unchanged for months. It’s comforting that the chain continues to promote the property on its website but I don’t have a high degree of confidence in this brand to deliver the five-star experience they promise.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Basically a nothingburger, without any clear explanation of the claim it will have tax implications for the city.

I posted it just as a note that the hotel opening will be delayed. As long as it opens within the next year I'm OK with it.

[someone123]

A shot showing some of the businesses that have moved in. This reminds me of the discussion of how big the delay can be between the substantial completion of construction and full occupancy. We still don't really know what the area's going to be like because the hotel hasn't opened yet.

https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/vp/b1182bc6bddbb7925b3e7aca65f8d368/5E286B8A/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/72650471_138773867434244_5005180898872580864_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=108
Source (https://www.instagram.com/p/B3fhqrrnM0X/)

[OldDartmouthMark]

I think the Argyle and Sackville sides have come along nicely. I can say from personal experience that the new Gahan is a nice space - open, well decorated with some decent views of Argyle Street below from its window seats. Of course it doesn't hurt that its food and beer are pretty decent as well.

IMHO, the Nova Centre appears to be an overall plus for the area, and will be interesting once the hotel opens.

It's not without its flaws, however, as the Prince Street side has virtually nothing to offer passers-by except the entrance to Rogers Square (Grafton Street reimagined). The Market Street side is a total dead zone, though maybe that will change when the hotel entrance opens up on the southwest side. The Sackville Street side is a little more inviting and well lit, though.

The Rogers Square area is a disappointment currently. It still feels dank and dark and and kind of odd with the video screens providing a good portion of the lighting, but with typically not much of interest playing on the video and audio devices. I almost expect a Max Headroom (look it up) kind of character to appear...

The fact that it is also an entrance and exit to the parking garage takes away from it being pedestrian friendly as well. If you don't watch out you invariably will be in the way of a vehicle trying to get in/out of the building. I expect that traffic to increase exponentially once the hotel is opened.

On the parking topic, I decided to try it out last month, as I figured it's a convenient location, and hey... why not? What I found was a somewhat cavernous parking garage that had no clearly marked directions to be able to get to an exit that you could actually use. There were a couple of elevators that would have taken you into the Nova Centre but were not available to use for the public, so we, along with a group of other confused people who also chose to park there but couldn't find a way out, found ourselves walking around trying to understand how we could get outside. Finally, I had to use the speaker to security to ask how to get out, and even then it was not so easy to find the elevators that take you up to the bank area in Rogers dank dark hole, apparently the only exit acceptable to use for the general public. I shudder to think how one would get out of there in the event of an emergency.

With all that said, it is a nice, large parking garage, and knowing the layout will make things easier in the future. Make sure you bring your credit card, because that's the only accepted method of payment, and make sure you're OK with spending $20 to park there for a few hours. It's definitely not the cheapest place to park in the downtown.

But yes, the Argyle Street section at the southwest corner of the building is coming along nicely with restaurants and pubs. The rest of Argyle Street is taken up by the Convention Centre entrance and the BMO (which seems like a strange location for a bank), so there's not much of interest as the Convention Centre is always closed to the public, and I don't go to Argyle Street to do my banking.

[Keith P.]

The fact that it is also an entrance and exit to the parking garage takes away from it being pedestrian friendly as well. If you don't watch out you invariably will be in the way of a vehicle trying to get in/out of the building. I expect that traffic to increase exponentially once the hotel is opened.

On the parking topic, I decided to try it out last month, as I figured it's a convenient location, and hey... why not? What I found was a somewhat cavernous parking garage that had no clearly marked directions to be able to get to an exit that you could actually use. There were a couple of elevators that would have taken you into the Nova Centre but were not available to use for the public, so we, along with a group of other confused people who also chose to park there but couldn't find a way out, found ourselves walking around trying to understand how we could get outside. Finally, I had to use the speaker to security to ask how to get out, and even then it was not so easy to find the elevators that take you up to the bank area in Rogers dank dark hole, apparently the only exit acceptable to use for the general public. I shudder to think how one would get out of there in the event of an emergency.

With all that said, it is a nice, large parking garage, and knowing the layout will make things easier in the future. Make sure you bring your credit card, because that's the only accepted method of payment, and make sure you're OK with spending $20 to park there for a few hours. It's definitely not the cheapest place to park in the downtown.


Not that I've tried very hard because I avoid downtown as much as possible these days, but I never could find a way into that garage. I assumed (incorrectly, obviously) that Rogers Square was pedestrian-only. I have yet to see signage either, though again, it isn't something I've actively been looking for recently.

The lack of directions for people inside the garage is troubling. I can't understand that deficiency.

I used to deal with the BMO branch on SGR and Queen, then its replacement across the street until that became too much of a pain to find parking. It was suggested I switch to their new main branch in Nova Centre. Uh, no. Apparently even the staff had big problems with the building there for the first year or so they were open.

[Hali87]

Recap video from the Hopscotch Festival a few weeks ago:

0kE9KjYTwDI

Rogers Square has been working unexpectedly well as an event space but in the day-to-day I agree it's pretty underwhelming so far.

[someone123]

I still haven't been there since it opened but in photos it doesn't look well lit. I expected a lot of diffuse lighting and some interesting LED installations.

Either way it's pretty unique as a permanent covered outdoor and quasi-public space.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Recap video from the Hopscotch Festival a few weeks ago:

0kE9KjYTwDI

Rogers Square has been working unexpectedly well as an event space but in the day-to-day I agree it's pretty underwhelming so far.

Although I didn't attend, I hear it worked well during the Raptors' championship run, so there's a positive. There's still lots of potential for the space, with some layout/detail/lighting improvements, IMHO.

[hired_goons]

I tracked down this thread specifically to see any updates on the Nova Centre hotel. Thanks for the link, Mark. Sutton Place. Nice.

[teddifax]

Sutton Place webpage states: Happily accepting reservations from July 1, 2020 onwards.

[someone123]

Sign is up:

https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/101281804_258805652030145_5229822718985015423_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=d_KwbSgC8S0AX_W8_ka&oh=c3c6311ae50cc8e82166c421e0f0318f&oe=5EFCF75C
Source (https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0f_1bnFgD/)

[HalifaxRetales]

Sutton Place webpage states: Happily accepting reservations from July 1, 2020 onwards.
Now Sept 8

[Jonovision]

I walked by the other day and looked into the new lobby and it looks to be of a quality we don't see in Halifax. For one, most of it is completely covered in white marble.

[someone123]

I walked by the other day and looked into the new lobby and it looks to be of a quality we don't see in Halifax. For one, most of it is completely covered in white marble.

I was curious to hear how the Halifax one would turn out. There are a few around Canada. The one here in Vancouver is, I think, a bit higher end than any existing larger than boutique sized Halifax hotel. It's what I might describe as a traditional-looking medium-high-end hotel (I think around $300 a night), with somewhat frilly decor rather than sleek modern stuff.

[MonctonRad]

It's what I might describe as a traditional-looking medium-high-end hotel (I think around $300 a night), with somewhat frilly decor rather than sleek modern stuff.

It'll be hard to get any Maritimers to spend $300 a night for a weekend shopping trip to Halifax. Here's hoping the Nova Centre has a line-up of tony international conventions ready to go to keep this place alive.........

I've spent $300-400 a night at hotels before, but only because they were for major North American conventions that I could write off as a business expense. Usually these were in major cities or tourist resorts. Will Halifax be able to compete? I hope so.........

[JHikka]

It'll be hard to get any Maritimers to spend $300 a night for a weekend shopping trip to Halifax.

Pretty obvious at that price point that it's not geared towards mom and pop going to town. It's for business travellers.

[someone123]

I dunno what the rates will be compared to Vancouver. A similar hotel in Halifax tends to be a bit cheaper, all else being equal.

There's a certain amount of demand for higher end rooms that just happens as cities get bigger, although I am sure part of the idea behind this hotel was convention traffic. Some people stay in whatever hotel is nicest, and $300 a night is hardly ultra-luxury territory. I'd imagine that when a hotel chain like this opens up they take a fairly long view of the business; this hotel has been planned for years, and will not be operating until the fall.

If anything Halifax has had a conspicuous lack of a nicer hotel for a few years. Some developers have complained that there's been too much construction of small downtown hotels when there should have been a new major destination hotel (maybe 500-1,000 rooms) similar to what the Nova Scotian or Lord Nelson were when they opened. It is too bad they couldn't build a taller tower on this site. The Nova Centre pretty much used up the available envelope.

[someone123]

Incidentally this makes me think of just how long it takes to go from demolition and excavation to a fully-occupied development. For the Nova Centre it will be 5 years or more.

In an area like Spring Garden Road which is being built out now (Margaretta, Brenton Suites, Doyle) we may not see the full impact of the added density on foot traffic and businesses for a couple of years.

[Wigglez]

I was curious to hear how the Halifax one would turn out. There are a few around Canada. The one here in Vancouver is, I think, a bit higher end than any existing larger than boutique sized Halifax hotel. It's what I might describe as a traditional-looking medium-high-end hotel (I think around $300 a night), with somewhat frilly decor rather than sleek modern stuff.

We have a Sutton going up here in Winnipeg. It's a 5 star hotel attached to the convention center and arena - the kind of place NHL players will be staying for games.

[Colin May]

I spent several weeks in the Grand Hotel,Yokohama. Late 1967 and into 1968. Don't have a clue what it cost. I was sent there and just signed a chit for every meal and drink. Great food, nice steaks. Sat next to New York bankers and shipowners every night for 3-4 weeks and had a lovely view of the waterfront gardens and park. Tough life.

[Keith P.]

Once Americans can come and visit that $300 a night rack rate becomes $180US less whatever deals are offered on sites like Trivago, so I wouldn't think they would find it outrageous at all.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I've payed close to that for a non-business trip if the location was important, and this is probably one of the best locations in the city for being right in the middle of things and probably with the best views of any hotel currently. If one was coming to town to attend an event at the Scotiabank Centre and wanted to stay in a nice place, closest to eating and drinking establishments, it would be ideal.

Another aspect is how difficult it can be to book a hotel room in Halifax at times. I recall a couple of years ago we had 4 associates visiting from abroad, who wanted to extend their business trip for a couple of days, and their hotel was completely booked up. On checking EVERY hotel in Halifax, the best we could get them was the Hilton Garden Suites near Aerotech park. So definitely a favourable supply/demand ratio for hotel owners. On that basis alone it should do fine (coronavirus conditions notwithstanding).

[ns_kid]

According to the Sutton Place website (https://www.suttonplace.com/hotels/sutton-place-hotel-halifax-hal), the standard rate for a king "luxury guest room" in mid-October is $286; a promotional advance booking rate is $201. The top accommodation, the 532 sq ft. Grand Suite, is $411 or $288 for the best promotional rate.

By contrast, for the same dates down the street at the Prince George (http://https://www.princegeorgehotel.com/), a deluxe king room lists at $309 or $278 advance purchase. The 600 sq. ft. Executive Suite is $609 or $548.

[someone123]

https://i.imgur.com/Je5vwKq.jpg
Source (https://www.reddit.com/r/halifax/comments/i9n1wu/downtown_from_above/)

[Colin May]

https://i.imgur.com/Je5vwKq.jpg
Source (https://www.reddit.com/r/halifax/comments/i9n1wu/downtown_from_above/)
Great photo of the Money Pit.

[pblaauw]

Started getting facebook ads for the hotel yesterday.

[connect2source]

That BMO logo is far too large and really takes away from the overall look of the Nova Centre, placement over the windows is terrible too, same goes for the Sutton Place Hotel sign to a lesser degree. What's with the giant lettering?

[HalifaxRetales]

Sutton Place Hotel opening on Spetember 8th

[AdAstra]

Is it just me or does the fact that only 2 of the 3 towers have the light feature at the top drive anyone else crazy? I’m not sure if it’s because the hotel tower took longer to come online compared to the office towers, but I’m hoping that the light feature is installed to complete the look of the development.

[someone123]

Visible in this picture. I noticed that a lot of new lighting features are visible in this shot including lights installed on older buildings. Also noticeable is the shift away from orange sodium lighting.

https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/123425596_815075482590862_8625109113924935340_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=110&_nc_ohc=3WNWsWrWuJ4AX8hMwzP&_nc_tp=15&oh=f0b50e1c876b00ac6e2cda6230b046ee&oe=5FCAA46A
Source (https://www.instagram.com/cscapevisuals1/)

[Jonovision]

I don't have a camera that is good enough to capture it but I can see the skyline at night from my house and it definitely looks more like a thriving and alive city with a good variety of lighting features now. Much more so than 10 years ago.

[mleblanc]

I don't have a camera that is good enough to capture it but I can see the skyline at night from my house and it definitely looks more like a thriving and alive city with a good variety of lighting features now. Much more so than 10 years ago.

It's definitely coming along. Now we just need a few nice 30-35 storey towers sprinkled into the mix and it will be perfect :)

[coastalkid]

Stayed on the top floor of the Sutton Place Hotel last weekend (19th floor). Here are some photos of the view!

https://i.imgur.com/MFrMrnwh.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/S9Q5EwTh.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/9UgcDkrh.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/8j4LD82h.jpg

[alps]

https://i.imgur.com/aRhCXAd.jpg

(Source (https://twitter.com/hfxconventions/status/1349386731703971843/photo/1))

[Hali87]

Rare view from inside:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51282691880_37071dd9f1_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2m8FcCL)
Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2m8FcCL) by Hali87 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/72021271@N05/), on Flickr

[Keith P.]

Hopefully those tables, chairs and electrical lines on the floor are remnants of its use as a testing/vaccination center and not a permanent feature. The lines on the floor violate every code known to man.

[mleblanc]

The lines on the floor violate every code known to man.

A little dramatic, don't you think? As long as they are taped down, it's fine.