Development Rumours

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Dan Dean

Developers are now flocking to this area. We are working with one to develop the vacant lot by the liquor store. This will become the place to be in Dartmouth!

What location are you talking about?

[Spitfire75]

Expansion at Bayers Rd Shopping Center

[someone123]

Interesting, but depressing how quickly these developments happen compared to developments in the core.

There's also a proposal for apartments or condos nearby at 6955 Bayers Rd that could involve a 16 storey tower.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by someone123

Interesting, but depressing how quickly these developments happen compared to developments in the core.

There's also a proposal for apartments or condos nearby at 6955 Bayers Rd that could involve a 16 storey tower.

What street is that near? I tried typing in the adress on Google Maps and a spot near the rail cut appeared i dont know if this is accurate though.

[someone123]

I think that's the right site, past Romans Ave but before the mall.

[terrynorthend]

Yes that's the spot. There is a sports field there now, just in front of a big blue gymnasium that was/is the Italian Club and Aldo Gymnastics.

PS- there is also a marker for victims of the Halifax explosion, inside a small triangular plot of grass close to the railcut. This was brought up by many NIMBYs when the proposal first surfaced..

[Spitfire75]

Why would they put a marker way out there? You'd think that's something they would put downtown.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Spitfire75

Why would they put a marker way out there? You'd think that's something they would put downtown.

I believe that it is actually a gravesite for unidentified victims.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

You may be right. The development was under fire from the start; It had pressure from the neighbors along Cogswell and side streets, fearing it would block their view of the Citadel. This is an as-of-right development lot that would allow up to about 12 stories, however the site is zoned for institutional use only. The developer applied to have it rezoned but was denied. Without rezoning it can only be used as a medical/professional centre or school facility or whatever else can fall under institutional zoning.

I thought I read something somewhere this week about something else being proposed for that site... was it a halfway house perhaps, or a rehab center of some sort? Definitely an institutional building of some kind. I believe I read an account of a public meeting somewhere this past week. Naturally the neighbors were opposed to that also. In any event, the flatiron building is dead. A real shame.

[someone123]

Yeah, that was another debacle. Allowing a developer to put up a 12 storey institution but not a residential building next to a residential neighbourhood is absurd. The Citadel views are ridiculous because basically they boiled down to leaving a lot empty so people could see across it. Just because you like the current situation does not mean that others should be legally compelled to preserve it, but that's what the appeals process effectively allows for.

Is the Amalthea developer the same one who started St. James Place?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

Is the Amalthea developer the same one who started St. James Place?

Yes.

[terrynorthend]

Am I mistaken that the same developer is behind Armoury Square?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

Am I mistaken that the same developer is behind Armoury Square?

No. The failed company is a local outfit called Amalthea. Armoury Square is being developed by Giffels, which is a national outfit.

[GUB]

St James and Armoury Sq. look almost identical. ie pretty brutal looking.
The standards in this city are sh-t.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I believe that it is actually a gravesite for unidentified victims.

I had a look around and the marker for the victims is just small concrete slab on a little mound of earth. The whole marker is fenced off.

I wasn't sure where to ask this but i've noticed the former gas stations at Bayers and Oxford and another one on Robie between Almon and Younge were demolshed. Anyone know if they're doing something at these sites or are they just getting rid of the old buildings?

[Dmajackson]

I dug around and found some more info on the 6955 Bayers Road proposal on the HRM website (its case 00930).

-One sixteen story apartment building.
-121 units
-The Memorial Grave Site for Unindentified Victims of the Halifax Explosion victims would NOT be harmed. Instead upgrades would be made to the memoril by the developer.
-The outside of the building will be aluminum/glass curtain wall/precast concrete/concrete columns.
-compact footprint.
-lot is 2.2 acres.
-leftover space to become parkland

Anyone interested in this proposal may want to read the development agreement. Amazingly they already have taken into account the proposed bus lane (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=149479). The rendering in the agreement looks excellent for that area, i kind of wish it was closer to downtown though.

[someone123]

Here's the rendering:



I guess the materials are along the lines of Gladstone Ridge.

This is just one of a few similar proposals.

[Canopus]

New question: I heard that the old crap/condemmed buildings across from the Founders Corner site have all been bought and are slated for demo. I think one may be gone already and that the soup kitchen thing is definitely history.

Anyone care to comment? Personally, I'm hoping the entire Dartmouth downtown gets ripped to the guts of the crap and the area is maybe able to actually reach a portion of it's potential...someday...somehow.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Canopus

New question: I heard that the old crap/condemmed buildings across from the Founders Corner site have all been bought and are slated for demo. I think one may be gone already and that the soup kitchen thing is definitely history.

Anyone care to comment? Personally, I'm hoping the entire Dartmouth downtown gets ripped to the guts of the crap and the area is maybe able to actually reach a portion of it's potential...someday...somehow.

The project sold well and I imagine land is cheap around there so we may see a few more projects in that area, hopefully they will be of the same quality but somehow I doubt it.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

The project sold well and I imagine land is cheap around there so we may see a few more projects in that area, hopefully they will be of the same quality but somehow I doubt it.

Well, the question of the quality of Fouinders Corner is still very much an open question. Won't be able to pass judgement on that until it is close to finished. The renderings leave me with mixed feelings about the design.