[Halifax] Point North (3065 Robie) | 59 m | 18 fl | Completed
 

Public Information Meeting - Case 17456
When: Thu, 1 March, 19:00 – 21:00
Where: 2786 Agricola Street, Halifax, NS (Bloomfield Centre - Multi-Purpose Room)
Description: Back up meeting date in case of inclement weather is March 8

Case 17456
Application by Genivar Incorporated to amend the Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law to include 3065 Robie Street within Schedule Q, and to permit a 19 storey mixed-use building by development agreement.

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There was talk about the redevelopment of this site a week or so ago in the Chronicle Herald. It's the former Carquest lot across from Piercy's in the north end (between Almon and Young). Quoted below is what Banc Developments said about the proposal.

Read More Here - The Chronicle Herald (published January 3rd, 2012; written by Chris Lambie)

:previous:

19 floors, so far away from the downtown, yet still an issue in Halifax.

I believe this city is coming to a boiling point where some rather drastic changes will be taking place in quite a different direction than to what this city has been accustom.

If downtown conservationists and allies of the Citadel want to maintain the historical downtown it may not be possible for much longer -- unless something gives.

Halifax must compromise:

Yes, we need high-rise developments in Halifax, but not in the protected downtown. The low-rise cityscape bordering Citadel Hill can be preserved, which not only protects the Citadel Hill but continues allowing the downtown to be an urban centre while charactising small-town Nova Scotia. Physically, we can maintain the downtown's history and signature skyline.

On the other hand...

Yes, even though the Citadel Hill has been established on the peninsula: it does not own the entire peninsula. It actually doesn't even own the dowtown, which Citadel allies need to get through their heads. If Citadel allies continue oppressing progress in Halifax than the public will become more resentful and the relevance of the Citadel's identity with the downtown will suffer.

The North End, far from the cherished downtown, is the compromise HRM needs to make. There is a growing voice of support for high-rise developments in this city. If this city isn't careful and does not permit an outlet for modern, sleek, out of character, high-rise developments then these developments could eventually take seed in the downtown, thereby ruining what downtown conservationists are trying to protect.

Give the North End to the new, the tall, the different.

At the risk of sounding a tad Canuck, let Halifax have its Upper and Lower skylines.

Funny thing. I thought downtown already had high-rises - mid-rises by any other city's standards but high-rises here. Are you planning to tear down Maritime Center and everything north of it higher than 4 floors?

As a resident of the immediate area I will be the first to say .... BUILD THIS NOW!! :D

I welcome the density and the commercial space on the ground floor. I can't comment on the quality since there are no renderings yet but Banc has had a few good projects around town so I have faith that with a $25 million price tag there will be detail put into the attractiveness of the proposal.

One thing that worries me is the fight the neighbourhood will put up. Normally this could be managed but the lot lies on the boundary of the North and West Ends which is troublesome considering Watts' comments on the Quinpool proposal earlier this week and Blumenthal's fight against the St. Joseph's proposal.

BTW yes this will be visible from my residence and no I do not care about the potential Vitamin D deficiency I will suffer from if I start living in the shadows. :haha:

:rolleyes: Oh well, yes, Keith, of course... Thanks for chiming in; I definitely want to tear down the Maritime Centre, all because you've made clear the literal definition of what a low-rise is.

I wish we could see taller buildings like 40 storey proposals for this area, but even if nothing changes I think this is going to turn into a great neighbourhood over the next decade or so. It has a lot of underdeveloped lots and is well-located with respect to the downtown, transit use, shops and services, the shipyard, etc.

Downtown Dartmouth is in a very similar sort of situation. If it takes off along with Young/Robie, Halifax will have a much more substantial and interesting urban core. I think Halifax will make a great city of 500,000 or more since it already has these areas "roughed in".

The Wyse Rd. area in Dartmouth north of the MacDonald has similar potential to Robie Young but at the moment HRmxD is thinking way TOO SMALL!

Info is now on the HRM Planning Site. Not a bad design, I'd be curious colored renderings, looks like mostly precast. Its interesting W.M Fares didn't do the design, or at least they aren't credited. Banc definitely has lots of work on their plate. Hopefully there isn't opposition to this, there aren't really any single family homes on this block. Looks like they had some fun with the store names.

Case 17456 Details
Elevations

I could see people freaking out about this simply by virtue of the fact that it is around 20 storeys tall.

If it is built along with 6100 Young there will be a substantial (far?) North End skyline.

:previous:

I realise there are an awful lot of anti-development Haligonians, but this area gives us no reason to embrace our height-phobia. If people freak out then it will only feed into the conversation about how distant from the downtown this area is. What local residents could legitimately protest?

Let them. It'll be a joke.

I think a growing number of people in Halifax have simply had enough. The downtown's height is already capped; the rest of the peninsula -- especially an area as residentially vacant as this one -- shouldn't have to suffer.

I foresee a growing momentum for height in this very 'safe' area. Someone's mention of a northend skyline is something to consider, because a new skyline would bring optimism and excitment. I'm glad to see that Young Tower is just the beginning for this area :)

I rather see this height, this density, closer to the downtown core first before here. I mean look at the height and density cap HRM by Design has done downtown, yet 20 stories outside the area that greatly needs development. Seems backwards.

As I've said before, I think this is a great area for intensification.

One line of thinking that rears its head occasionally and needs to be rejected is the idea that tall buildings must only be built around other tall buildings or that things must be as they have always been. The city cannot operate in that fashion and yet still support a reasonable amount of urban infill to mitigate the effects of suburban sprawl and strengthen the urban core. In fact there can be no progress whatsoever without building things unlike what was there before.

Me too, but I don't think that can happen easily at this point because of the existing HbD height limits, viewplanes, and heritage buildings.

We should take what we can get, even if it is not ideal.

There is a grocery store, etc in the area. Its possible to even walk downtown from here.

If this and the Young proposal are both built, this area will be a great place to live.

Definitely. The alternative to a building like this would be something like a condo or apartment building in Clayton Park, which I think most people would consider less desirable (home ownership is different but most construction in Halifax is multi unit). The amount of space, parking, level of traffic, etc. would be similar but the location would not be as good. Even if you work in the suburbs, living downtown is pretty good because you commute against traffic.

From the perspective of the city the development is also better because it doesn't require much in the way of new infrastructure.

Over the next couple decades Halifax will add perhaps 50,000-100,000 new people. The way to handle that successfully is to get about 30,000 of those people to live in the urban centre. That goal is not unrealistic because that is about the amount by which the population of the core has fallen since the 1950s or 60s. This discrepancy is part of the reason why we have problems like empty storefronts along Gottingen -- that retail area was built to support a neighbourhood with 5,000-10,000 more people in it.

Currently there is a lot of amenities in this area. There's two grocery stores within a five minute walk (one is 24hr), a Royal Bank around the corner, a late night drug store across Robie, many restaurants ranging from Tim Hortons to Mary's Cafe, Young-Kempt centre and retail along Agricola, North and the Hydrostone handles almost any shopping needs.

Oh and as a resident of this neighbourhood I say LET'S GET 'ER BUILT!

Yes, my residence in Halifax is in the area.

With Gladstone almost complete and all of the great changes in and around Robie and Almon, this development would be a great transition into the Hydrostone area.

I'm currently hoping for the Young Street proposal... it will make Young a viable urban area.

I have to say that this area is really impressing me at the level of interest in multi-residential. Between this proposal and the Young Street one, it really is becoming an area of interest. My hope is that the regional centre plan will see that and simply let height 'rip' in this area, since no one seems to have an issue.

Hopefully we could then see the old pierceys be redeveloped along with the car lots. When/if Canada Post finally outgrow's it's facility, it would be nice to see it redeveloped too.

But the greater goal for me is to build up the height context here to support taller near the hydrostone, since this area isn't too far away.

Such a large site! It'd be fun to see redeveloped.

I like it. Except that it means my mechanic will have to move. But yep, I like it. And that is a good place for that kind of development...