General Updates and News

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Antigonish

Hey Rookie, this is forum is a reflection of Halifax for better or worse. Having a difference in perspective is really important, even if it can seem infuriating at times. Keith and DartmouthMark are the resident boomers that are allowed to crow and caw from their front porches when the rest of us get too close to walking on their lawn. It's just the way things work here.



I will be Halifax's Robert Moses in the coming years. I will subvert, manipulate, and play competing factions and power hungry council boomers against each other in my favour while slowly usurping power underneath their noses. It starts in Saskatoon for now, but I'll be back soon.



Oh god I just had PTSD flashbacks from a decade+ ago. I remember that guy chewed me out to basically threadly harassment because of my stance on HRM's skyline being a "table top" which he refused to acknowledge (I think it started with the convention centre project). Even Keith was coming in from the top ropes at him until he either stopped coming or got banned. Good times.

It was a classic era... when Gladstone Ridge and Armoury Square were all we had to hold on to.

Thinking back, it is kind of crazy that the "Twisted Sisters" site will soon be U/C and a there is likely more under construction now than has ever been built!

[Antigonish]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

It was a classic era... when Gladstone Ridge and Armoury Square were all we had to hold on to.

Thinking back, it is kind of crazy that the "Twisted Sisters" site will soon be U/C and a there is likely more under construction now than has ever been built!

Oh man things have changed since then. The one year I lived in Halifax 15 years ago the Trillium project was approved/under construction and I thought it was a miracle ANYTHING was being built. When Gladstone Ridge went up it looked like a turning point but I was back in August 2023 the the developments just in that area of town was enormous.

Hats off to the planning staff quietly getting stuff built after 20 years of nothing

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

Use big boy words Keith. Why do you have to write like you're a junior high school bully?

Poor fella. Try to stop letting yourself be provoked by every little thing that you disagree with. Which seems like a lot of things.

[LikesBikes]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Poor fella. Try to stop letting yourself be provoked by every little thing that you disagree with. Which seems like a lot of things.

Don’t worry, I don’t think about this enough to say you’re provoking me. I’m just responding to what I see as mean or incorrect posts on here. All in all I’m actually pretty happy with the way things are going on the urbanism front here – lots to be excited about as we fix the mistakes made by previous generations .

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

All in all I’m actually pretty happy with the way things are going on the urbanism front here – lots to be excited about.

Then how about we talk about that, huh? Let’s give the thread back to those who want to read about actual SSP stuff.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Then how about we talk about that, huh? Let’s give the thread back to those who want to read about actual SSP stuff.

Yes, it would be helpful to expound on the many mistakes being made by the New Urbanists.

[Half-Axed]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

That was before your buddy came on to be the hero and it went downhill from there.

Anyhow, enough said.

I haven’t taken any of the other bait that you’ve tossed out for me in the past few days, but I will this time.

Nobody came in “to be the hero” (yet another of your snide and dismissive mischaracterizations of dissenting opinions). I came in to comment on another fight that had already been going for two or three days between YOU TWO and several other people, supporting one of those people’s statement that this very behaviour is likely why participation seems to be down here.

But somehow in your mind I started the whole thing.

That was fully TWO WEEKS AGO - and you’re STILL AT IT! Yet I haven’t been here in TEN DAYS.

It’s completely one-sided. All you, STILL dragging it out and even bringing my name into another sarcastic comment a day or two ago. (But you accuse others of not being able to let things go…sheesh.)

TWO. FULL. WEEKS!

Say it again.

TWO. FULL. WEEKS!

Originally Posted by egb

Randall Monroe - https://xkcd.com/386/

This place used to be 80% construction news/pictures and 20% trolling, and the past few months its really switched.

Nobody is coming off well in these arguments and if people don't cool this place will die completely.

Yup, this was basically my message (supporting another very similar message) two weeks ago but you’d think I’d kicked a baby by the reaction it got. (I offered more specifics about behaviours (without names), which was probably my mistake.)

The badgering, the name-calling - and, yes, the ageism, the inability to just let people have their opinions without trying to beat them out of them for hours or days on end here is wild, and I know at least two other former regulars have very much stopped participating because of it.

Even for one mostly lurking, not participating (because of…all this), and just coming to read updates - there is so. much. bickering. to wade through on many threads to get to any substance.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Antigonish

Oh man things have changed since then. The one year I lived in Halifax 15 years ago the Trillium project was approved/under construction and I thought it was a miracle ANYTHING was being built. When Gladstone Ridge went up it looked like a turning point but I was back in August 2023 the the developments just in that area of town was enormous.

Hats off to the planning staff quietly getting stuff built after 20 years of nothing

It's actually quite impressive to note... everything seems to be going the right direction now. It's almost like the right policy environment allowed the floodgates to open.

The way I see it: there are "phases" of development, and as much as the 7 story infill seems to be low hanging fruit... it is materializing a suprising amount of density.

I would bet that Halifax and downtown Dartmouth will eventually rival most mid to large size Canadian cities in a short amount of time.

The phases that come next are what is exciting. I'm not expecting "supertalls", but the small lots will be able to make up for things. Imagine some of the lands near the end of Windsor, Kempt, or Robie with mega projects.... and I'm not even talking about the Post Office lands.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Half-Axed

I haven’t taken any of the other bait that you’ve tossed out for me in the past few days, but I will this time.

Nobody came in “to be the hero” (yet another of your snide and dismissive mischaracterizations of dissenting opinions). I came in to comment on another fight that had already been going for two or three days between YOU TWO and several other people, supporting one of those people’s statement that this very behaviour is likely why participation seems to be down here.

But somehow in your mind I started the whole thing.

That was fully TWO WEEKS AGO - and you’re STILL AT IT! Yet I haven’t been here in TEN DAYS.

It’s completely one-sided. All you, STILL dragging it out and even bringing my name into another sarcastic comment a day or two ago. (But you accuse others of not being able to let things go…sheesh.)

TWO. FULL. WEEKS!

Say it again.

TWO. FULL. WEEKS!



Yup, this was basically my message (supporting another very similar message) two weeks ago but you’d think I’d kicked a baby by the reaction it got. (I offered more specifics about behaviours (without names), which was probably my mistake.)

The badgering, the name-calling - and, yes, the ageism, the inability to just let people have their opinions without trying to beat them out of them for hours or days on end here is wild, and I know at least two other former regulars have very much stopped participating because of it.

Even for one mostly lurking, not participating (because of…all this), and just coming to read updates - there is so. much. bickering. to wade through on many threads to get to any substance.

It seems to be driven by three particular individuals who really contribute nothing aside from complaining. Never even seen them post a rendering or photos.

[Half-Axed]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

It's actually quite impressive to note... everything seems to be going the right direction now. It's almost like the right policy environment allowed the floodgates to open.

The way I see it: there are "phases" of development, and as much as the 7 story infill seems to be low hanging fruit... it is materializing a suprising amount of density.

I would bet that Halifax and downtown Dartmouth will eventually rival most mid to large size Canadian cities in a short amount of time.

The phases that come next are what is exciting. I'm not expecting "supertalls", but the small lots will be able to make up for things. Imagine some of the lands near the end of Windsor, Kempt, or Robie with mega projects.... and I'm not even talking about the Post Office lands.

I think you’re right.

The heights of tall buildings and the numbers of tall buildings in cities tend to scale with the size of the cities. And I have long had the impression that a lot of people in Halifax don’t have a very good perspective on how small the city is compared to others that they try to compare it to.

You simply cannot expect 60 story buildings in a city of this size - we are not at that “phase” yet - but I think we are on the verge of the 40-story building “phase”.

These things will happen when the economic case makes sense for developers, and a scan of cities around the world suggests a very strong correlation with the size of the urban area. (And by that I mean, the actual contiguous developed area as per StatsCan, not the massively spread-out, mostly-rural census metropolitan area.)

Unfortunately, the latest population predictions don’t include the urban area, only the Municipality and the CMA, but some simple math based on the last census (and an assumption or two) would suggest that the urban area is likely still somewhat less than 400,000.

With that in mind, Halifax is actually a fairly well-developed city for one of that size. Compares pretty well with London Ontario, which is about 20% bigger.

[Dmajackson]

Two updates from this week I've seen.

1) The blasting permit I posted a few days ago for the Waterfront Warehouse lot has been quietly corrected to being across the street at 1556 Lower Water Street (aka Ralston Building). The tourist trap isn't going anywhere.

2) ANS had an article with a rendering of 2688 ROBIE STREET. The Halcraft Printer building was demolished last week and the new proposal is for 10 FL / 82 Units Mixed-Use. Benigno Group says construction will start in September and they're next project will be at 6450 Quinpool (home of Noodle Nami).

[fatscat]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Two updates from this week I've seen.


2) ANS had an article with a rendering of 2688 ROBIE STREET. The Halcraft Printer building was demolished last week and the new proposal is for 10 FL / 82 Units Mixed-Use. Benigno Group says construction will start in September and they're next project will be at 6450 Quinpool (home of Noodle Nami).

I hope with the HAF changes we start seeing more of these 10 stories as the "baseline" rather than previous 7. Yes we can go higher but 10 is a nice size to mix in with larger towers like Richmond Yards.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by fatscat

I hope with the HAF changes we start seeing more of these 10 stories as the "baseline" rather than previous 7. Yes we can go higher but 10 is a nice size to mix in with larger towers like Richmond Yards.

I've complained before about the 7 floor height limit. I can definitely live with 10.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

... ANS had an article with a rendering of 2688 ROBIE STREET. The Halcraft Printer building was demolished last week and the new proposal is for 10 FL / 82 Units Mixed-Use. Benigno Group says construction will start in September ...

Nice to see some continued densification of the area... and nicer still that it's replacing suburban-style big-box-slash-strip-mall-type development with something urban with both commercial and residential. I read somewhere recently that some local developers were saying that for a while in Halifax, ground floor retail was an afterthought, so they ended up with odd-shaped commercial space with awkward dimensions and unfortunate columns. These were/are harder to lease. They're responding to the market now by making easier-to-lease ground floor space and seeing much better uptake. I guess it goes beyond saying ground floor commercial is important... we need developers/architects to make it useful as well.

[LikesBikes]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

Nice to see some continued densification of the area... and nicer still that it's replacing suburban-style big-box-slash-strip-mall-type development with something urban with both commercial and residential. I read somewhere recently that some local developers were saying that for a while in Halifax, ground floor retail was an afterthought, so they ended up with odd-shaped commercial space with awkward dimensions and unfortunate columns. These were/are harder to lease. They're responding to the market now by making easier-to-lease ground floor space and seeing much better uptake. I guess it goes beyond saying ground floor commercial is important... we need developers/architects to make it useful as well.

Agreed, this will hopefully make a dent in making this stretch of Robie a bit nicer. Currently, this stretch is surprisingly dead feeling with all the parking lots and stroad-esque architecture/design going on.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

It seems to be driven by three particular individuals who really contribute nothing aside from complaining. Never even seen them post a rendering or photos.

Name names.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I thought this was interesting. Perhaps it's been discussed already, but does anybody have any details/proposals/renderings to share?

I keep hoping that the ugly Law Courts building will be replaced someday, but no luck this time, apparently.

All of this area is to be renovated/redeveloped over the next few years
everything in blue will vacate by the end of September so that is the Historic Properties Mall, Pickford & Black and Salty’s
The exterior of the mall will remain but interior will be gutted .
the rest in orange box will be redeveloped as part of the new Ferry Terminal project, and
the Law Courts will remain but surroundings will change.

Source

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

... Currently, this stretch is surprisingly dead feeling with all the parking lots and stroad-esque architecture/design going on.

I'm not surprised it's dead feeling, given the approach to olden-timey surface parking, deep setbacks, wide/short building forms, without much mix in building use. In my books, that's pretty much a recipe for a dead-feeling neighbourhood.

[JET]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I'm not surprised it's dead feeling, given the approach to olden-timey surface parking, deep setbacks, wide/short building forms, without much mix in building use. In my books, that's pretty much a recipe for a dead-feeling neighbourhood.

The area from the Tim Hortons to the ferry is dreadful, if it was razed I would not be disappointed.

[miniborder]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...rink-1.7243016

Another arena boondoggle incoming? Based on the timeline and speed at which they've moved on the Forum project, I look forward to the opening of the new Spryfield rink in 2032