[Halifax] Spring Garden West | 90 m | 2x30 fl | U/C

[Insigne]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

It would seem like all the buildings along here are now vacant as of the new year.

What are the odds on a demo in the near term? Is SOQU moving along at a good pace?

SOQU seems to be moving along nicely. Noticed 4 or 5 concrete trucks lined up there the other morning. Suspect by the time demo and excavation is done for SGW they will be able to move on. I was really hoping both SGW and the Promenade would be built at the same time as I live a block away. It's amazing how the noise (more so than the physical vibration) from the excavation is carried for blocks through the bedrock and into the neighbouring foundations.

Having said that I would assume that living this close they will have to do physical property surveys (in the case of physical damage from blasting) and we haven't received any notices.

[Dmajackson]

Building permit has been submitted for 30 Floors - 438 Units.

[ScovaNotian]

This one is all fenced in now.

[someone123]

I wish there had been a bit more heritage preservation here but I think this will be good and is needed.

I wonder what can or will be done about the older tower-in-park type highrises around here. They break up the commercial parts of the street and generally don't make a lot of sense since they front onto parks.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

I wish there had been a bit more heritage preservation here but I think this will be good and is needed.

I wonder what can or will be done about the older tower-in-park type highrises around here. They break up the commercial parts of the street and generally don't make a lot of sense since they front onto parks.

What ones are you thinking of? I can't think of very many that would qualify for that category aside from Summer Gardens, the condo on the corner of SGR and Summer which has always been very high end. There isn't much commercial now on the western half of SGR.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

What ones are you thinking of? I can't think of very many that would qualify for that category aside from Summer Gardens, the condo on the corner of SGR and Summer which has always been very high end. There isn't much commercial now on the western half of SGR.

I'd add Embassy Towers across the street from dexel, and the weirdly 45 ⁰ angled tower beside Sacred Heart.

[someone123]

I'd include most of the stuff between Robie and Summer in there, although there are a couple of small older buildings. Then that 45 degree building terrynorthend mentioned. Beyond that, Park Vic and to some degree the building that has/had Smitty's in it.

Some of these are really bad (the 45 degree one) and others could just use a minor tweak to make them a bit more welcoming and mixed use. A local example would be the shops along the Brunswick St apartments by Scotia Square, although I think those are just so-so and that stretch is still not great.

Along the commercial streets in Vancouver's West End, many old residential highrise buildings have been given storefronts and nicer, more urban landscaping than they had originally. Some are really successful. These are along Davie, Denman, and Robson.

Here is an example of what I'm talking about: https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2866758,...26yaw%3D254.3783059862514!7i16384!8i8192

If you look up you will see those are 60's-70's type towers and originally they would have probably had a setback, some grass, and the lobby. There's also a small infill building there. The painted building is quite old (60's?).

[Keith P.]

Embassy is also condominiumized which complicates things somewhat I’d imagine.

I’m unsure what you would be seeking here with this. Aside from 5770 (the 45 degree place) which may use that green space for a tenant amenity somehow (I have no idea), I don’t know what you’d want here. The one that had Smitty’s has other commercial storefronts as well, and is pretty close to the sidewalk. SGR is nothing like that picture from the west coast where those storefronts were built out right to the sidewalk and look rather ugly, quite frankly. SGR has a certain feel granted by the Public Gardens, Sacred Heart and some of those buildings carry that on. It is hardly like there is great demand for commercial space there. Restaurants along that stretch have closed with great regularity. I think you’re reading too many planning theory textbooks.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It is hardly like there is great demand for commercial space there. Restaurants along that stretch have closed with great regularity.

But the population around there is set to double in the next few years. It was very underdeveloped with low lot coverage and surface parking. If you look on Google you will see empty lots on Carlton, one of which is now being developed. SGW and the other project are huge and will bring in a lot of units.

There could also be a redevelopment of the small brick Domus Realty building.

It's not a matter of dogmatically redoing everything, but as density goes up it makes sense to use the space more effectively. Making of the landscaping and planning choices of the 60's and 70's were dubious of value to begin with or made less sense over time.

Other changes I can think of are to make Balcom Square into a more useful actual urban square or pocket park, and redo the plaza of that concrete medical building on the corner.

For the 45 degree building, any ground-floor amenity lost can be built on the rooftop of the new structure. It seems like a very poorly designed structure originally, not using the lot well yet also being unnecessarily tall in a location that casts a shadow on the Public Gardens. The block just south of the gardens actually is a place where something like a 10 storey limit makes sense.

[Keith P.]

There were long and bitter debates on the height of not 5770 (the 45 degree building) but of Summer Gardens when it was proposed. The Public Gardens being north of SGR means that shadows move over the course of the day and so there is only a transient effect assuming there is any at all. Plus those buildings are some distance away from the Gardens. In the case of 5770 the area between the sidewalk and the building entry appears to be the roof of the underground parking which may limit the ability to do much depending on the engineering.

As for the development this discussion is about, the renderings I’ve seen show the requisite coffee shops and restos/retail at sidewalk level, so the residents will not be thirsty or hungry.

[beyeas]

“Preliminary project timeline Key Dates:
Project Start (Demolition) August 25th, 2025
Excavation Complete October, 2026
Tower Crane October, 2026
Structure Complete April, 2028
Final Occupancy October, 2029

If you are interested in receiving more information on our project, we invite you to sign up for our newsletter at [email protected]”

springgardenwest.com

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by beyeas

“Preliminary project timeline Key Dates:

Project Start (Demolition) August 25th, 2025

Excavation Complete October, 2026

That must be one helluva hole they're digging.

Lots of underground parking, maybe? Or lots of blasting...or both...

[Dmajackson]

^There will be 5 levels of underground parking.

Construction Management Plan - 5960 Spring Garden Road

[Drybrain]

From the construction management plan:

"The development is planned to have 5 levels of underground parking below street grade. If bedrock is found, the contractor will apply for a blasting permit and adhere to the HRM blasting by-law and conditions of the blasting permit.

Alternatively, if a blasting permit can not be obtained, the site’s bedrock will be broken by a series of rock breakers to reach footing elevation."

Sounds...time-consuming.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

^There will be 5 levels of underground parking.

There you go. Thanks.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

From the construction management plan:

"The development is planned to have 5 levels of underground parking below street grade. If bedrock is found, the contractor will apply for a blasting permit and adhere to the HRM blasting by-law and conditions of the blasting permit.

Alternatively, if a blasting permit can not be obtained, the site’s bedrock will be broken by a series of rock breakers to reach footing elevation."

Sounds...time-consuming.

Not to mention noisy!

[Musicman Halifax]

IF bedrock is not found……. I’m still in Halifax right?

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Musicman Halifax

IF bedrock is not found……. I’m still in Halifax right?

Right you are, Barney.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

Right you are, Barney.

A couple of dino excavators will make short work of that, until the foreman pulls the bird's tail, that is!

[stevencourchene]

do we know if this building will offer paid public parking?

Thanks.