General Updates and News

[Jstaleness]

I hope they will have the Birthday Cake Flavor again.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by miesh111

As much ridicule this is getting, if you think about how much Dalhousie had this listed for, and then how much needs to go in to make it livable and luxury, It seems still worth while. You can't build in Downtown Halifax for less than $200,000 a door, land included, and Templeton, by my math, with a $10 million renovation, will still be paying under $100,000.

Makes sense to me, even though it's fun to make fun of.

considering the closing price, using the above they would be over 100k a unit, but still cheaper then 200k. Now, 10 million on 252 units won't go very if they are to bring it up quality standards of many of the newer buildings out there.

The scary thing in any of these reno projects is the fact that as soon as you start major changes to the building you are required to bring them up to todays building codes.

[Barrington south]

what was the closing price SDM?....just curios.....

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

Good stuff. Wasn't there a plan once for some updates to the Lake Banook and Sullivans Pond areas, including all new landscaping and spectators stands across Prince Albert? I seem to recall looking at it in awe, too bad they couldn't fully implement it...

Found it:
http://www.halifax.ca/RealPropertyPlanning/SPLBMP/index.html

[Jonovision]

There was another Tim Bousquet article in the coast this week.

Gottingen Street Housing
Tim Bousqueet

There are three housing developments in the works along Gottingen Street. The first is a horrendous looking apartment complex going up at the corner of Falkland (Hello! Street level parking garage?!), the second the more-promising Theatre Lofts project just to the north.
But the third is the most interesting on the street. Gottingen Terrace is the fourth and final project of the Creighton/Gerrish Development Association, a decade-old organization formed to build high-quality affordable housing in the north end.
The project consists of 48 residential units - split between one-, two-, and three-bedroom units- tobe built on the former Sobeys site across from the library. Architectural drawings depict a well-designed complex comfortably arranged, and there's already buzz in the neighbourhood.
Creighton/Gerrish is targeting long=term residents of the area as prospective buyers, as well as those with work and family connections in the north end. And these are exceptionally affordable-ranging from about $129,000 for the one-bedroom units to about $198,000 for the three-bedroom units. Monthly payments could be as low as $647, affordable to a family with total income of just $33,000 a year.
- The obvious worry is that people would buy these condos to flip them, but Creighton/Gerrish has addressed that concern by collecting all their costs and time, and well as the increase in property value over the last 10 years, as a second mortgage to be held by the provincial affordable housing program. Residents could sell units, but they'd have to first pay off the second mortgage.
Grant Wanzell, president of Creighton/Gerrish, says he expects that property values in the area won't take very .long to exceed the collected price of the first and second mortgage, and so residents will realize a long-term equity gain, but won't have incentive to flip their properties quickly.
Wanzell also has interesting things to say about gentrification in the area- he's not concerned about it, noting that there's much social housing that isn't going anywhere. The new upscale residents, he says, "only add to the mix. That's a good thing."
You can check out Gottingen Terrace for yourself at the Creighton/Gerrish office, located at 2020 Gottingen, or call Wanzell at 789-2432.



Sounds good to me. I'm around that area a lot so as soon as I get the chance to check it out I will head up to the office to see these drawings.

[someone123]

Info available here - http://www.ahans.ca/Gottingen_Terrace/index.htm

[sdm]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

what was the closing price SDM?....just curios.....

last i heard just over 18millon

[sdm]

Originally Posted by someone123

Info available here - http://www.ahans.ca/Gottingen_Terrace/index.htm

like the design but wish there was a tower set back leaving these buildings as the streetscape. Got to get our density levels up in the core.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by sdm

like the design but wish there was a tower set back leaving these buildings as the streetscape. Got to get our density levels up in the core.

I agree. Not necessarily something huge but a couple of 8 storey buildings set back or something similar would work well.

I feel like this project was the sort of quality of design and density that would have been good for Brunswick, although maybe people would have put up a fuss over the modern appearance. Gottingen should be a little more built up.

At any rate, this proposal's great for the area. Even if all the empty lots were filled in with just townhouses it would be a big improvement. Gottingen needs density to be safe and commercially viable.

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

Found it:
http://www.halifax.ca/RealPropertyPlanning/SPLBMP/index.html

Stupid failed CWG

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

There was another Tim Bousquet article in the coast this week.

Gottingen Street Housing
Tim Bousqueet

There are three housing developments in the works along Gottingen Street. The first is a horrendous looking apartment complex going up at the corner of Falkland (Hello! Street level parking garage?!), the second the more-promising Theatre Lofts project just to the north.
But the third is the most interesting on the street. Gottingen Terrace is the fourth and final project of the Creighton/Gerrish Development Association, a decade-old organization formed to build high-quality affordable housing in the north end.

Who is this guy to comment? And he obviously hasn't looked at the developments too hard... Theatre lofts has a parking garage at street level. All of them are pretty low quality IMO. He probably thinks 5505 is too tall, as the quality of all these developments are equally sub-par.

[Dmajackson]

The new mosque going up near Chebucto Road (photo by me);



Really the mosque isn't really big. It will be a landmark for the area but just for style, not height.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Who is this guy to comment? And he obviously hasn't looked at the developments too hard... Theatre lofts has a parking garage at street level. All of them are pretty low quality IMO. He probably thinks 5505 is too tall, as the quality of all these developments are equally sub-par.

I like the Creighton Gerrish townhouses - think the variety of unit types in each "house" is a great way to introduce a mix of family types. i happen to think they look pretty well designed, but I like Niall Savage's work for the most part, and dig the modern styling.

The entrance to the Theatre Lofts parkade is at street level, but it's actually retail frontage at street level on Gottingen.

http://www.theatrelofts.ca/plans.html#commercial

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I like the Creighton Gerrish townhouses - think the variety of unit types in each "house" is a great way to introduce a mix of family types. i happen to think they look pretty well designed, but I like Niall Savage's work for the most part, and dig the modern styling.

The entrance to the Theatre Lofts parkade is at street level, but it's actually retail frontage at street level on Gottingen.

http://www.theatrelofts.ca/plans.html#commercial

if you look at the third pic on the right hand side of the gottingen terrace site, that row of townhouses ....not sure where they are, but those house's are the some of the worst trash ever throw-en up in this city....from what I can tell ....from the pic.....so some of Creighton gerrish work's have been absolute crap in my opinion....but I do like the look of the gottingen terrace.....the way they are all a little different and the modern look....but I'll have to see them built before I can say that they are attractive though .... also the different floor plans.... bringing in a diversity of people....all good...could have been better..it's all been mentioned on here before..... like but like SDM and Someone said a couple of 6-8 story setback towers would have really been using this site in a much more wise of ways...... also I'm a huge fan of more and more retail.....but retail is useless with out the density to support it.. plus, like it has also been said before....these site's have been vacant for decades...so while their are about a million other development's I would have rather seen on this site.....I guess It's better than nothing....which is what we have now

[Barrington south]

just a small note.....scaffolding has started up the North face of gerrarld Hall and work has started on the south face which has scaffolding covering it's entire face ....anyone know what this is going to look like?.....

[miesh111]

Originally Posted by sdm

last i heard just over 18millon

Your numbers base it on 252 units but Metlege has said that it will convert to over 300 units by the time he is done. A lot of the larger three bedrooms will be turned into 2 one bedrooms etc.

And being in the apartment renovation industry myself, 10 million can go a long way.

Also, using the $200,000 a door standard that's out there for downtown halifax, for 300 units, we're talking about $60 million of value by the time this is done so if he spends overall anything less, then he's getting a good deal.

The numbers add up, but that's not to say that it won'ttank because who really wants to live in fenwick? Well actually, I would, if it were renovated, wouldn't you? Think if the views? The prestige (of course once it's made into an A list building and looks good, you'll still see it from everywhere in town).



Also found this picture of fenwick under construction. Definetly interesting, as we'll probably see it this way again in a couple of years.

[BravoZulu]

Hey, I have noticed in the last couple of days that there are crews doing what appears to be interior demo in the old Sam the record man building on Barrington. Looks like it may be the same crew that were at the granite brewery building last month.

Anyone have any insight? Maybe getting those properties ready for development once HBD goes through.

I remeber hearing rumours that the owner was waiting for HBD to pass so that restoration incentives were available. Anyway I have to go up that way later on foot so maybe I'll poke around a little

[Jonovision]

Your picture of Fenwick is not working miesh111.

[Barrington south]

Dude, an A-list building?...I think that's a bit of a streach.....

[JET]

Metlage, is that the same family that owns the trashed student apartmnets on Chebucto Road? JET