[Halifax] The Sister Sites | 2X29 m | 2X9 floors | Completed
Rendering(s):
http://www.allnovascotia.com/story_i...nalrender5.jpg Source: Page 8 (allnovascotia.com) Name: The Mary-Ann Height: 28m Floors: 9 Floors Status: Approved Case Number: 18006 Location: Queen Street & Clyde Street Year Completed: Developer(s): WM Fares Architect(s): Uses: Commercial/Residential Notes: This is the nickname HRM has given the three devleopment sites in Schmidtville as part of the funding for the central library project. All of the information can be found below; http://halifax.ca/sistersites/ |
Quite an interesting an approach to the site - I forgot that the parking lot next to the library was going to be incorporated (I was thinking 'three sisters'? I thought it was two!).
Did you also see the link to the materials for the NSCC store they want in the area? Very interesting. I also liked how they provided a lot of material on the design restrictions from HbD - gives people a good idea of the potential of the lot. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
But again, with price being the importance it means bid prices for the lands may compromise design as economics become pressed. I don't see the highest and best use for the sites as condo's, but if the price goes to high then the options for rental become very hard to justify. It would have been better to remain with the original height amount, which would allow for 10-12 stories, not the 7-8 that is in place now. If anything that motion de-valued the land. Anyhow, let the games begin and i look forward to seeing the proposals that result out of this competition. |
Cool historical info in the environmental assessment PDFs!
|
Spring Garden to change again
City will call for development proposals on three sites By BILL POWER Business Reporter Halifax Regional Municipality’s call for development proposals for some prime Spring Garden Road area properties will be heard across the country, developer Danny Chedrawe said Thursday. “The pending availability of these properties was already a hot topic among developers," the president of Westwood Developments Ltd . said in an interview. “I think these days we’re seeing Spring Garden at its worst. Everybody is excited about turning it around," he said. Chedrawe has two major projects in the works for the Spring Garden Road area, including a 25,000-square-foot glass structure at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Birmingham Street (formerly Sock It To Ya), and a hotel-condominium and retail complex at a land assembly fronting on Spring Garden Road, and bordered by Brunswick, Queen and Doyle streets (where Second Cup is located). “The availability of the city properties will add to the energy of the area. It will be very good for us and what we’re trying to accomplish with our projects," said Chedrawe. The city announced Thursday the first of three properties — collectively known as the Sister Sites — is on the market. A parking lot to the south of Mills department store and identified as the Mary Ann site is the first to be offered to developers. The call for proposals closes March 24. The city will eventually call for proposals for a second site identified as the Margaretta, fronting on Clyde Street, and a third, called the Rosina, which is the former Halifax Infirmary site. Collectively, the three properties provide parking for about 200 vehicles, and parking will be a critical component for any projects that move forward, said Peter Stickings, manager of real estate and facility services for the municipality. “Parking requirements, design expectations, height and landuse requirements were clearly laid out through the planning process. This streamlines the process for developers, making it easier for them to submit proposals," he said. The Mary Ann development site measures 33,869 square feet and contains 70 parking spaces. It has 172 feet fronting Queen Street to the east, 201 feet fronting Clyde Street to the south, and 163 feet of frontage on Birmingham Street to the west. Stickings said any mixed-use development that occurs at the Mary Ann site will be balanced to accommodate the residential area to the south of Clyde Street. Bob Mussett, senior vice-president with commercial Realtor CB Richard Ellis , said he expects to see interest in the Spring Garden Road area properties from many local developers and some from outside the region. “We should see some very interesting responses to the call for proposals for the first property," he said. Mussett said he would have preferred an allowance for a greater population density at the Mary Ann site, where the winning developer will be limited to a maximum of eight storeys in the residential component. Additional information is available at www.halifax.ca/ SisterSites. (bpower@herald.ca) |
Where they say a max of 8 stories in the residental component does that mean that they may be able to add an additional floor retail? Or would that be the whole site?
|
Just waiting for all of the negative comments to pop up on The Herald's website.
"Too tall" "Put money towards education" "The people will not benefit from this" "How do you expect people to visit downtown when there are no parking lots. Save the parking lots. Won't somebody please think of the parking lots" Yadda, yadda, yadda |
|
Quote:
I saw this comment in the allnovascotia a few weeks ago and thought, will history repeat itself? I hope not. Besides, back then you could build 11-12 stories under that RFP, now its been reduced to just 8........... |
Quote:
I think that comment is so 80's - I'm hoping that they won't have much pull in terms of parking. It should all go underground. I'm not fully happy with the RFP but it's okay - it does have some flaws. I agree with planarchy; evaluation ratings are a little odd - but I think the way they are doing the RFP (naming each lot) is very interesting. It's certainly new. Personally, considering that the Dartmouth viewplanes are being looked at; I'd like to see them do the same for the Halifax ones (although I suspect it would be political suicide). There are two viewplanes which cast over this area but DJ and I seem to agree why not have one large one (still doing the same thing, covering the same area)? Then on top of that, as sdm points out - if the vp allowed 11 stories, why not model the building heights from the start point on the hill and figure out how tall everything could be within the viewplane - then set what the effect would be of increasing building heights slightly? For example - would the view be that drastically affected if this site were able to have a 15 storey building (not counting the HbD restrictions)? I'm guessing probably not - it might peak over City Centre Atlantic, but that might be it. But lets see a model and figure it out - because I suspect the next big area will be Fenwick and that area should be allowed 10 storeys for multi without any problems. |
Quote:
That makes zero sense. |
Quote:
|
My guess would be that bids for the land will be relatively close together and so 60% will not necessarily put too much emphasis on the price. Because it is a bid I also think that 8 storeys will work out fine -- the city will just see somewhat lower bids than it would have seen had it permitted highrise buildings.
One thing I do dislike about this is the silly names and generic pictures on the website. The carefully-chosen stock woman photos scanned out of a newspaper look ridiculous. Anyway, the fact that the NSLC wants a new location on Queen Street will make that lot very easy to develop. Guaranteed major retail tenant and apartments or condos in that area fill up extremely easily. |
Quote:
Regarding the development, while I agree that having a tenant makes it easier, I don't quite understand how this will work. They mention the NSLC but nothing more. I seriously doubt if any commitments have been made to them or anyone else about rents. So it is hardly a sure thing that the NSLC will pay any price. I just don't get how being interested is in any way close to making it a reality. If the successful developer goes and says, "great, here's your space, all I need is $100 a square foot", I doubt they or any other tenant would be interested. I heard a few months ago that NSLC was totally frustrated by the slowness of this process and were ready to walk away from it. They were only here because it was offered up as a consolation prize when they lost out on the spot they really wanted, which HRM awarded to Queen Judith for her monument to herself. It will be interesting to see if they end up being part of this in the end or if they go off and find something on their own. |
It looks like they are just pointing out that there is interest in an NSLC location for the Queen Street site. It makes sense to mention that since it makes the site more attractive.
From the perspective of growing that area I think it's positive to have major tenants on "fringe" sites. That stretch of Queen can become like Dresden Row. Quote:
|
Quote:
As for the packaging of the lots - it's interesting. I'm neither here nor there about it; but it's an interesting idea. I think this is the first time they've done it this way but I'm sure it will get better. |
So I just read somewhere that those names are of the three Schmidt daughters. There ya go...
|
Quote:
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 3:10 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.