Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123
Nice find. I don't think I've seen a good street-level shot of those buildings next to the Maritime Centre on Hollis. From afar they look a lot nicer than the hotel that's there now. Aside from the Cogswell area, Hollis seems worst-hit for architectural losses.
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Well, this is the only shot of that area I see, and it doesn't offer much detail:
That's the old MT&T building that Maritime Centre is being built around. I don't think it was a switching point (I think that was always on North St) although I stand to be corrected on that. I've never seen a pic from this period before, with the MC crane being used to construct the foundation. It seems as though the odd pinched-centre design of MC was required to fit the building on the lot diagonally while not touching the old building. Fascinating. Perhaps MT&T needed to keep the old building standing until whatever it was being used for could be moved into the shiny new MC.
Also this pic is interesting because it shows 5151 Terminal Rd in the early stages of construction. That building quickly became largely provincial government offices and was a bit of an outpost being several blocks from other such offices closer to Province House. Whether it was a patronage deal (I believe it was a Ralph Medjuck building when built) or just cheaper rent driving that I do not know. Little-known fact: in the early-mid 2000s the Department of Justice drew the short straw and were relocated to that location over the strenuous objections of the senior management and lawyers in the department. So the landlord at the time agreed to institute a private shuttle service between there and the law courts/rest of provincial department offices close to Province House. How well that worked and how long that lasted I do not know. The dept is now back near the center of the universe in the Joe Howe building, no prize itself prior to its renovation.