Cogswell Interchange

[LikesBikes]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I'd like something a little less self-congratulating than "Reconciliation Way", like Kjipuktuk (Great Harbour) Way or something like that. Just my opinion, which I've already overstated, admittedly.

In the end, when Cogswell is done, it will be what it will be, we'll all become accustomed to the names, and we'll move on to something else. Happy to be living here, in the best city in Canada.

I'd get behind this. To me 'Reconciliation Way' feels a little forced and generic, sort of like if we were to name it African Nova Scotian Street or Jewish Canadian Heritage Boulevard. Like I get there's a good intention, but without there being any well defined connection to reconciliation (which AFAIK hasn't been communicated) it feels shallow and just riding on trends or checking a box. I agree something like Kjipuktuk Way would feel better, but even then I think it'd be better to give a more important street that name rather than this one block street. If anything this feels like a bad metaphor to how Canadian society treats Indigenous people - tuck them away in a small insignificant area and name stuff after them to make ourselves feel good.

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

Perhaps it should have been named 'Waye Way' after the councilor that was in place at the commencement of the Cogswell project.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by LikesBikes

I'd get behind this. To me 'Reconciliation Way' feels a little forced and generic, sort of like if we were to name it African Nova Scotian Street or Jewish Canadian Heritage Boulevard. Like I get there's a good intention, but without there being any well defined connection to reconciliation (which AFAIK hasn't been communicated) it feels shallow and just riding on trends or checking a box. I agree something like Kjipuktuk Way would feel better, but even then I think it'd be better to give a more important street that name rather than this one block street. If anything this feels like a bad metaphor to how Canadian society treats Indigenous people - tuck them away in a small insignificant area and name stuff after them to make ourselves feel good.

You’ve managed to encompass how I feel about it much better than I was able. Well said!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Arrdeeharharharbour

Perhaps it should have been named 'Waye Way' after the councilor that was in place at the commencement of the Cogswell project.

Maybe if he had become our new mayor?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Arrdeeharharharbour

Perhaps it should have been named 'Waye Way' after the councilor that was in place at the commencement of the Cogswell project.

You're just trying to irritate Keith, aren't you.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

You’ve managed to encompass how I feel about it much better than I was able. Well said!

Poster is 100 percent right. Generic and disingenuous. It's a bit like naming it "We Should've Done Better" Avenue

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

You're just trying to irritate Keith, aren't you.

All I can say is that we dodged a bullet there…

[Dmajackson]

New Halifax Transit Terminal to open in the Cogswell District and related changes

Posted: November 28, 2024 - 3:06 pm

On June 17, 2024, Barrington Street, from Upper Water Street to Duke Street, was closed to accommodate construction in support of the Cogswell District project for approximately six months. This was a major closure that impacted drivers, Halifax Transit, pedestrians, cyclists and property owners as it required the relocation of the Barrington Street bus bays and the rerouting of 30 Halifax Transit routes. 

Residents are advised that on Dec. 16, 2024, the new Halifax Transit Terminal at Scotia Square will open, rerouting approximately 30 Halifax Transit routes that have been on detour for the last six months.  The Transit Terminal will include new heated shelters, additional seating and waiting space for passengers, wider sidewalks and an additional bus bay. New trees and landscaping elements will be installed in 2025.

In addition to these changes, Valour Way, which closed in February 2023, will re-open, and the new roundabout, which partially opened in October 2024, will be fully operational as of Dec. 16, with a temporary connection to Nora Bernard Street. The Nora Bernard Street connection will facilitate local access to the businesses on Amalamek Way but will not connect to Brunswick Street at this time.

Cogswell Street, from Brunswick Street to Upper Water Street, will open on Dec. 16. At this time, the transit lanes along Barrington Street through the roundabout, and on Cogswell Street between Barrington Street and Gottingen Street, will come into effect.  

Please see the map to view the road network in the Cogswell District effective Dec. 16.

Halifax Regional Municipalty Press Release

[Jstaleness]

Is Cogswell actually open? It was not on Thursday, and also didn't appear to be on my way home last evening.

[Dmajackson]

^It will reopen in a few weeks. They're rebuilding the intersection. I have some daytime photos of the area scheduled for tomorrow on my site.

[Dmajackson]

HalifaxDevelopments.ca (Photo by David Jackson)

[OldDartmouthMark]

Thanks for the updates.

I don’t know if I should say this, but I drove through there yesterday and was a little underwhelmed. Not sure what I was expecting, and I’m not unfamiliar with construction sites, but it all seemed less impressive than I expected, at least from a road layout point of view. The street layout in the pre-interchange photos on the archives seemed more interesting and nicer than what we are left with now.

I’m sure I will have a better impression once the buildings start to go up… I hope, anyhow.

And some shade thrown at the construction crew for the suspension eating bump that they left at the exit from the roundabout to Barrington north. It doesn’t look that bad until you hear the bang and hope it didn’t throw the alignment out. Surely they can do better than that, as it wouldn’t take much asphalt to smooth it out a little.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

... The street layout in the pre-interchange photos on the archives seemed more interesting and nicer than what we are left with now...

Yeah - I kind of feel like it was a lost opportunity to not be more prescriptive about reinstating the former street grid. Cautiously optimistic that it'll still be a boon to the city from a civic life perspective. I feel like the guiding approach to urban form here should be more about lasting infrastructure for a great place to live/be and less about "paying for" the demolition and rework.

[ArchAficionado]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

Yeah - I kind of feel like it was a lost opportunity to not be more prescriptive about reinstating the former street grid. Cautiously optimistic that it'll still be a boon to the city from a civic life perspective. I feel like the guiding approach to urban form here should be more about lasting infrastructure for a great place to live/be and less about "paying for" the demolition and rework.

Bear in mind that a large part of that district is now consumed by the scotia square mega-block, white still looms supreme over this new area. Indeed, the older street grid of finer detail and more human scale is nigh but impossible to build in today's world with the road engineering requirements, minimum setbacks, sidewalk+cycle path,etc.

I am also cautiously optimistic about the longer term future of this, which hopefully is a stepping stone to better urban fabric being a priority in these large, key redevelopment projects. I think when the trademart building reaches end of life that block could be broken down with a small street down the middle.

Lastly, does anyone know if that's a build site in front of the crombie tower on the south side of cogswell? Would be nice to squeeze another tower in there so that the cogswell/barrington intersection is nicely built up at all 4 corners, in time.

[Empire]

When the Cogswell site was first floated, everyone came out of the woodwork. Great place for a stadium, great place for the art gallery, great place for a performing arts center, great place for a new arena, great place for this, that and everything. I remember looking at the street layout from overhead of the Cogswell exchange and sadly thinking the amount of available space will be very limited because you still have the same street layout.

Add to this, void areas of grass and maple trees that have been installed, strange transit stops narrowed streets and absolutely no plan for what this area will be and you get one huge lost opportunity. HRM must step up immediately and erase this direction, The fact that no one knows what this area will look like is nothing but bad news.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by ArchAficionado

I am also cautiously optimistic about the longer term future of this, which hopefully is a stepping stone to better urban fabric being a priority in these large, key redevelopment projects. I think when the trademart building reaches end of life that block could be broken down with a small street down the middle.

Lastly, does anyone know if that's a build site in front of the crombie tower on the south side of cogswell? Would be nice to squeeze another tower in there so that the cogswell/barrington intersection is nicely built up at all 4 corners, in time.

The Trademart which is officially known as Brunswick Place is owned by Crombie and is listed as in "Pre-Development" on their Website.

They've recently updated their page and it now lists a "Barrington Residential" which is almost certainly their recently acquired "Cogswell District Block B" shown below.

As for your second question, yes, there is a small building lot in front of the Delta Halifax parking area. The intersection of Barrington and Cogswell will have developments on all four corners.


HalifaxDevelopments.ca (Photo by David Jackson)

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Empire

Add to this, void areas of grass and maple trees that have been installed, strange transit stops narrowed streets and absolutely no plan for what this area will be and you get one huge lost opportunity. HRM must step up immediately and erase this direction, The fact that no one knows what this area will look like is nothing but bad news.

I am still hopeful but the I don't think the results so far are encouraging. It reminds me of what you'd see at a semi-suburban mall redevelopment in a city with bad transit. It seems to be lacking in vision and quality. Even if it turns out to be just so-so, the buildings in the end could be nice and the public spaces can be improved over time. It's hard to go back and add major public buildings and transit facilities and the like though. It seems so short-sighted to build a bus mall here when there is even already a proposal for an underground loop at Mumford. The pedway should have been put underground too and connected to a new underground transit complex (with an improved connection to the new ferry terminal).

Stepping back more it feels like while Halifax has been growing a lot through added population and private sector construction, it doesn't have much in the way of new public amenities and urban infrastructure that kick things up a notch. Is there anything more impressive than the library that opened a decade ago? What's the 2020's equivalent of that?

[Empire]

Originally Posted by someone123

I am still hopeful but the I don't think the results so far are encouraging. It reminds me of what you'd see at a semi-suburban mall redevelopment in a city with bad transit. It seems to be lacking in vision and quality. Even if it turns out to be just so-so, the buildings in the end could be nice and the public spaces can be improved over time. It's hard to go back and add major public buildings and transit facilities and the like though. It seems so short-sighted to build a bus mall here when there is even already a proposal for an underground loop at Mumford. The pedway should have been put underground too and connected to a new underground transit complex (with an improved connection to the new ferry terminal).

Stepping back more it feels like while Halifax has been growing a lot through added population and private sector construction, it doesn't have much in the way of new public amenities and urban infrastructure that kick things up a notch. Is there anything more impressive than the library that opened a decade ago? What's the 2020's equivalent of that?

Amazing how this incredible opportunity is being squandered. HRM take a time out!

The only way to save the Cogswell site now is to take a page out of the district near the Bell Centre in Montreal. Hard to argue that Montreal is doing much wrong from a modern urban perspective.

Montreal near Bell Centre with a great urban vibe:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4967711,-...MTIwMS4xIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExMjM0SAFQAw%3D%3D

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ArchAficionado

Bear in mind that a large part of that district is now consumed by the scotia square mega-block, white still looms supreme over this new area. Indeed, the older street grid of finer detail and more human scale is nigh but impossible to build in today's world with the road engineering requirements, minimum setbacks, sidewalk+cycle path,etc.

That's a good point to consider. The finer-grained street grid was largely taken up by Scotia Square and Brunswick Place. I did a quick overlay of the 1963 map on the current HRM map to illustrate. Some of the new land made available appears to be at or near the area that was filled into the harbour during that period, as well. We'll see how it works out as construction continues...

[Keith P.]

Well, well, well, isn't that interesting...

Once again, the incompetence of HRM Council in the Mason-Smith era comes home to roost. Although staff must bear the brunt of the blame since those Council members generally just rubber-stamped what they were presented with. Given the anti-vehicle/pro-cycling bias of the time this should not be a surprise, although this design seems bad even for those modes that were in favor at the time. A miss on Transit, a miss on truck traffic, a miss on just getting around at all. The much ballyhooed 9-figure windfall that was promised via the sale of lands freed up by losing the interchange was likely wiped out by the real estate the ill-fated roundabout consumes.

It seems we have bought a pig in a poke.