[Halifax] Regency Links | 18 Buildings | 7-28 FL | Proposed

[Dmajackson]

New proposal for the Mount Royale area for a Stage I development agreement to allow the extension of Regency Park Drive to Washmill Lake Drive adjacent Bentley Drive. The plan is for 996 residential units in a mix of townhouses and mult-unit dwellings up to 12 floors and 164'000sq ft of commercial and office space.

Case 19532 Details

[curnhalio]

It's what we've been asking for, isn't it? All the buildings appear to be at the street with parking in the rear. It does look like the on-street diagonal parking is facing the wrong way. Or, are people going to be required to back into these spaces?

[Dmajackson]

Might as well reuse this long-dead thread for the new proposal;

Rank Inc is proposing a Stage I DA for the extension of Regency Park Drive to Washmill Lake Drive.

• the extension of Regency Park Drive to Washmill Lake Drive;
• a total of 12 multiple unit buildings ranging in height from 7 to 28 storeys;
• ~2,750 residential units inclusive of townhouse style and apartment units;
• ~ 143,000 square feet of commercial space located along the Regency Park Drive extension;
• dedicated parkland and trail systems that connect the development to existing trails within the area, such as the Geizer Hill Trail;
• landscaped areas and amenity spaces throughout the development

Case 2023-00408 Details

[Stuckinsky]

Seems to be a lack of images here on the HRM forums. Going to start posting before these files get pulled off the city's website!

[someone123]

It seems a bit better than some projects around there but still not great. I don't think site plans like this, added together, add up to a larger area where you can easily get a lot of your day-to-day needs met without a car, ideally in an attractive environment (not walking or cycling through parking lots and arterial roads).

I am sure some people like this part of town but it is the worst of both worlds in some ways. You get multi-unit with no private outdoor space and shared walls but you don't get the usual convenience of a medium density neighbourhod.

[LikesBikes]

Terrible placement for the parking. Looks like a Le Corbusian nightmare.

[bartekci]

Originally Posted by someone123

It seems a bit better than some projects around there but still not great. I don't think site plans like this, added together, add up to a larger area where you can easily get a lot of your day-to-day needs met without a car, ideally in an attractive environment (not walking or cycling through parking lots and arterial roads).

I am sure some people like this part of town but it is the worst of both worlds in some ways. You get multi-unit with no private outdoor space and shared walls but you don't get the usual convenience of a medium density neighbourhod.

143,000 sq. feet of retail space ain't nothing, and perhaps there may be some additional retail developments on this stretch in the future.

That said, I generally agree with your sentiment. If I had to imagine myself living here, I'd feel land locked (based on the current proposal).

There is also way too much open-air parking creating a much more sparse neighbourhood. If that was placed underground, everything could be tighter and create a better sense of place

[teddifax]

\This looks great, I hope the buildings have some design, like shown here! I think the parking is mostly underground with parking shown to be guest or commercial.

[Keith P.]

Another excellent story in the Herald today by Jen Taplin regarding a huge residential proposal by Fares at the top of Washmill Lake Dr near the landmark Halifax Water tank:

https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/hal...building-residential-washmill-lake-drive

The headline:
Towers and towers: Regency Links development to bring over 8,000 more people to Clayton Park

Proposed Halifax development would add 18 residential towers from 16 to 28 storeys

Some schematics:





Quoting Ms. Taplin's story: "This pocket in the city is home to a lot of deer right now, but plans are in motion for a neighbourhood of over 8,000 people.

WM Fares Architects is the planning and design company spearheading the planning approval process for 18 residential buildings in Clayton Park, with towers ranging from 16 to 28 storeys.

It will be on 19 hectares off Washmill Lake Drive near the Mainland Common and will have 3,830 units along with commercial spaces."


Must be lots of offshore money backing Fares & company for all this activity. One wonders where they are getting the design and construction resources to support projects of such scale.

[ArchAficionado]

That is a great location to add density, especially with a longer-term view to potentially incorporating park-and-ride transit along the highway alignment. Extending regency park drive also provides a nice alternate route over to mainland common / canada games center for those living in this immediate area already.

I will, however, be said to see the driving range go. It's urban location makes it convenient for hitting some balls after work. I will say though, the range is a bit of a rundown dump. You can tell that the owner has been in kahoots with Fares for some time to sell this land, and they've just been slowly running the propert into the ground.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by ArchAficionado

You can tell that the owner has been in kahoots with Fares for some time to sell this land, and they've just been slowly running the propert into the ground.

I must be missing something.

You want to sell your property and you have a willing buyer. Why not just sell it? What would be the point of "slowly running the property into the ground"?

[Dmajackson]

I've moved a few posts here from another thread.

Staff Report for the proposed Development Agreement.

[ArchAficionado]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

I must be missing something.

You want to sell your property and you have a willing buyer. Why not just sell it? What would be the point of "slowly running the property into the ground"?

Preusmably, the property was already sold longsince, and the range owner has been allowed to continue operating his business, but has no reason to keep up the business as he knows it has an impending end date.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by ArchAficionado

Preusmably, the property was already sold longsince, and the range owner has been allowed to continue operating his business, but has no reason to keep up the business as he knows it has an impending end date.

So no nefarious conspiracy, then. The term "cahoots" had me wondering.

[teddifax]

Where will the 28 storey buildings be...???

[Antigonish]

The traffic is going to be unworkable with this amount of density and no rapid high capacity transit. The earlier developments in the area are already terrible so this is just going to nuke everything.

Does HRM do any long-range planning regarding transit and road capacity? Are these developers required to pay for traffic impact studies (and are they legitimate?)

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Antigonish

The traffic is going to be unworkable with this amount of density and no rapid high capacity transit. The earlier developments in the area are already terrible so this is just going to nuke everything.

Does HRM do any long-range planning regarding transit and road capacity? Are these developers required to pay for traffic impact studies (and are they legitimate?)

To that point, this story from CBC:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot...-bring-overdue-road-connection-9.7175305

From the story:

Darrell Spurr also lives in a building on Washmill Lake Drive, and said he knows of multiple collisions that have happened in the area. He would like a four-way stop near the intersection with his building to keep pedestrians safe.

“We’re talking about people’s lives up there. They’re not your kids, they’re ours,” Spurr said.

“And yes, we are pissed, OK? You're talking about putting these buildings up there, these huge buildings.”

Residents also brought up concerns about the scale of the development not fitting the current mid-rise apartments in the area, and increasing strain on local schools and facilities like the nearby Keshen Goodman library, and Canada Games Centre.

Of course, the left-wing Council members supposedly representing the area and its residents are all for it thanks to that sweet tax revenue.

[Antigonish]

That whole area is bizarre and it's hard to imagine the suburban planning of the 1970s-1990s in next door Clayton Park was better than this being served up. I wonder if the developers were told they needed X amount of units per acre or whatever so instead of blending detached homes and 4-5 story mid-rises they just built 6-8 10 story high rises at weird angles off the street and called it a day.