The Centre Plan (Urban Core Regional Plan)

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by spaustin

I don't like seeing the ferry expansion disappear from the plan either. A ferry has a couple of key advantages, namely that we build a terminal, buy a boat and away we go. No need to deal with CN or upgrade the rail corridor or, potentially, acquire right of ways. A ferry could also drop people right in Downtown Halifax whereas rail, right now, stops several blocks short. In the debate over the ferry, the discussion failed to take into account a ferry's potential as a development tool. The harbour ferries are fun and are an attractive way to commute. If we put a ferry into Bedford, it would make the surrounding land way more attractive for development, which, being the waterfront, is already valuable land. Allowing growth near a new terminal could contribute significantly to paying for the service. We need to start taking into account the true costs and benefits of our spending decisions instead of fixating on the immediate cost. Rail may have a role in our future, but I often wonder if we're too fixated on the location of the existing tracks. An on-street streetcar system that links the universities, hospitals, Downtown might be a better bet than trying to use tracks that skirt several of the key destinations.

In the stadium thread, I posted this vision of Shannon Park:

Now I know we all have different location preferences and I have said my preference is Shannon Park. With these ideas in mind - I ask you to vision something with me (which may also be workable to some degree at other sites).

Imagine a mixed use community of 8 to 12 storey buildings built next to the new stadium, along a 2 lane boulevarded street (tree lined), with a streetcar running along it that came from the Bridge Terminal. Along the water edge, a boardwalk with these mixed use buildings fronting to them, with cafes and restaurants with patios and condos above. A high speed ferry terminal in the cove (near the current smoke stacks) with a pocket park and plaza leading to the Boulevard and a street crossing to the Stadium. The stadium has limited parking (maybe 1 or 2 parkades which are built fronting to this boulevard - but have active uses on the ground floor (stores or restaurants). The back of house functions are tucked away behind the stadium, concealed by some mixed use buildings and the bus transit facility bringing people in is located where the commercial is on Wyse Road - with a sky walk bridge over the railway tracks.

I'm no artist (I can't draw to save my life) - but this sounds pretty cool.

I wanted to paint the idea that not only would a stadium be an interesting tool of redevelopment for the area, but so could the ferry and potentially a streetcar. I don't like the idea of taking it out of the plan, but then again it could always be put back in. I'd like to hear their rationale for why it was removed and if anyone knows a mechanism to comment to the City on it; I'll likely submit a comment.