Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper
Skye is just a boring twin tower concept that isn't adequate for downtown Halifax. More height with slimmer towers isn't going to make it any less boring 'cept for its placement in the skyline viewed from Dartmouth.
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The area could use more housing though. There's a lot of arbitrary height limitation in Halifax that has no clear point (some of it does have a point when tied to views or shadows). Not just on the Skye site but on all the sites around Skye and registered heritage sites, which means that if you limit density there you can't make up for it on most other sites. Press Block had to be 10 floors or so. There is another large site on Grafton and that will have another very low height limit, maybe 7 floors or so. Ideally this area would be developed in a way that supports a good commercial mix in the new areas and lifts up areas like Barrington.
Often height has perversely been permitted on historic sites that are gutted and then there are long NIMBY type conversations about height limits on empty lots. The empty lot discussion can be easier if it's an abstract planning exercise and there's no active project proponent.
I think the planning in the old downtown (the part between Citadel and waterfront) is generally mediocre to poor with a lot of baggage and we can probably expect better development in other parts of town.