Development Rumours - Page 35

spaustin · #**681** Posted **May 9, 2009, 7:39 PM**

Just got back from Cuba yesterday and I was surprised to be on Blowers today and see that there appears to be some work underway on the building that's home to I love Sushi. It's tough to say right for sure, but it looks like they're adding another floor on top. There are also renovation signs in every window so it looks like they have emptied the building of tenants (was cheap apartments on the top two floors). Just curious if anyone knows what's up?

Edit: This building (my own photo from last year) for anyone who may not know Blowers by memory!

It's grimey, but I actually like the building. It actually adjusts to the slope. Not many buildings in Halifax do leaving most of our sloped streets as simply walled passages to get somewhere else.

Keith P. · #**682** Posted **May 10, 2009, 11:52 AM**

I think you're right. I was in Hungry Chilli a couple of weeks ago and they have been working on the stairways and apparently the upstairs, basically working around the restaurant which is unchanged. Scaffolding is over the sidewalk. Too bad they aren't renovating the Chilli, as the food is awesome but the space inside is awful.

Dmajackson · #**683** Posted **May 22, 2009, 1:49 AM**

'People should be talking about this piece of land’
Downtown Dartmouth sees big potential in Sobeys-owned lot
Halifax News Net
By Joanne Oostveen
The Weekly News

What could be one of the biggest new development sites in downtown Dartmouth is now up for grabs.
The property recently listed for sale is 53,015 sq. ft. and is located on Ochterloney and Pine Streets. And the asking price is $1.1 million.
Tim Olive, executive director of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, says this land would be the perfect site for a medium-sized grocery store.
“This site has approximately 75 feet frontage on Ochterloney and 100 feet frontage on Pine,” said Olive. “Downtown does not have a grocery store and this would be a great spot for one. But really, I like to help promote development opportunities in the downtown for anything, and people should be talking about this piece of land.”
The former site of the bowling alley is currently owned by Sobeys.
It purchased it years ago and has been sitting on it ever since, said Olive.
Partners Global Corporate Real Estate Inc. is advertising this property as being zoned commercial with a potential for residential development. And Olive says the time is right for this site to be on the market.
“In 10 years from now there will be 2,500 more people living in the downtown and 3,000 more people working here,” he said. “So we have to get ready for this influx of people. This land could potentially be the biggest development site outside of the Marine Slips.”
Olive said he gets about two calls a month from interested developers from Toronto and Calgary asking him about what is available in the downtown.
A developer from Calgary, with metro roots, is now buying up the block between Dundas and Wentworth, he said.
“But who knows, maybe HRM will step in and buy this land,” he said.
“I will keep on plugging for the downtown. Growth has been coming slowly, but it will balloon soon. We will have to see how this one unfolds.”
[email protected]
For information, contact Dan Sangster at 444-8671, 830-4234, or email [email protected]

Jonovision · #**684** Posted **May 22, 2009, 1:56 AM**

Good news for Dartmouth. I've seen the sign on Ochterloney and kept meaning to mention it on here. I didn't know it was a L shaped lot though.

alps · #**685** Posted **May 22, 2009, 2:20 AM**

I can't really see it becoming a chain grocery, since the SaveEasy (Loblaw) is nearby and Sobey's is trying to get rid of it..

Dmajackson · #**686** Posted **May 22, 2009, 2:21 AM**

If I'm not mistaken this is the lot that wraps around the Greenvale Lofts.

Partners Global Information

hfx_chris · #**687** Posted **May 22, 2009, 11:46 AM**

Ok, I'm having a very difficult time figuring out exactly what lot this is...

Jonovision · #**688** Posted **May 22, 2009, 1:22 PM**

This is the sign that went up. The site wraps around the Greenvale property and the bulk of it is down on the bottom of Pine.

Here is a rough idea from Google Earth of the location. Pardon my horrible line drawing.

hfx_chris · #**689** Posted **May 22, 2009, 2:28 PM**

Thanks. Not really the corner of Pine and Ochterloney is it.
I was unaware that section of the land adjacent to Ochterloney was owned by anyone other than whomever owns Greenvale. They must have subdivided part of it and sold it off...

JET · #**690** Posted **May 25, 2009, 4:58 PM**

East of Greenvale on Ochterloney is a city owned piece of property and the plan for that is to make it into a 'pocket park'. Next to that is a property that Sobeys bought; it had a nice red two story wooden apt building that they tore down for no good reason. At the same time they bought the bowling alley property that goes fairly deep (to beside the 'locks" apt bldg). Sobeys bought the land when superstore had a plan to build on the starr property.
The city has also talked about closing off pine st extension between Queen and prince albert and putting in a footbridge over the canal when they daylight the water (nice idea, I thought). This would almost landlock the bowling alley site.
Terrible place for a grocery store, and as was pointed out not likely given all the stores nearby. JET

phrenic · #**691** Posted **May 25, 2009, 5:13 PM**

It's just a parking lot now and if they built a grocery store it would still be a parking lot, albeit a paved one with a big store at the back.

Now, on the other hand, if they built an urban-style grocery store...

JET · #**692** Posted **May 25, 2009, 6:17 PM**

More of an empty lot with cars parked on it, than a parking lot.
Urban style grocery store could be interesting.
What happens with closing the street, and also the vacant lot on the other side of Pine St. will be key to what develops in that area. john

Dmajackson · #**693** Posted **May 25, 2009, 7:41 PM**

I was just reading up on the streetscaping projects for the core over the next few years and in the part about SGR it mentioned a traffic model they are designing with all the future buildings including Park Lane Second Tower (SGR Frontage).

Does anybody know what this is by any chance?

Dmajackson · #**694** Posted **May 26, 2009, 10:57 PM**

I've been watching the council meeting tonight and in regards to the Wright's Cove plan go under public hearing right now an interesting proposal has come forward that hasn't been made public yet since it breaks a law that would be passed with this plan;

Legacy wants to build a 12 (?) storey luxury apartment building on Windmill/Basinview right behind the Burnside Motel.

I'll pull up a map of the area in a little while but I was wondering what other people thought of a building there?

Barrington south · #**695** Posted **May 27, 2009, 12:30 AM**

Tim olive apparently has as much vision for the growth and prosperity of a modern vibrant a city, as Rita McNeil has for the proper portioning of a meal

Barrington south · #**696** Posted **May 27, 2009, 12:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaustin

Just got back from Cuba yesterday and I was surprised to be on Blowers today and see that there appears to be some work underway on the building that's home to I love Sushi. It's tough to say right for sure, but it looks like they're adding another floor on top. There are also renovation signs in every window so it looks like they have emptied the building of tenants (was cheap apartments on the top two floors). Just curious if anyone knows what's up?

Edit: This building (my own photo from last year) for anyone who may not know Blowers by memory!

It's grimey, but I actually like the building. It actually adjusts to the slope. Not many buildings in Halifax do leaving most of our sloped streets as simply walled passages to get somewhere else.

I happened to be in FastSign getting some private parking signs made up in that piece of s*** building they built a few years back that looks like a barn with a green roof. across from Sobeys....anyways the guy in line before me was the owner of I love sushi,and he was getting some signs made up saying that they where still open for business despite the renovation's or something along those lines....I wasn't really paying attention...also I should mention that the signs took 3 days....not to fast and there was no less than 5 major mistakes from what I had originally asked for....

Jonovision · #**697** Posted **Jun 2, 2009, 2:33 AM**

I was just reading through the supplementary reports prepared for the HRM By Design debate tomorrow and there was an amendment asked for from the owners of the Blue Cross Building on Brunswick street. Apparently the owner has a development agreement for the site and was asked that HRM By Design be amended to allow for a maximum of 34m or 8 to 10 storeys.

Jonovision · #**698** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 3:42 AM**

Just moving the discussion of the BMO building redevelopment. hopefully the orinigal building will be maintained.

I emailed the contact on the website for the firm to see if this is a genuine proposal but have yet to hear back fro them.

beyeas · #**699** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 3:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonovision

Just moving the discussion of the BMO building redevelopment. hopefully the orinigal building will be maintained.

I emailed the contact on the website for the firm to see if this is a genuine proposal but have yet to hear back fro them.

I agree... I really like the look of this building, and it would be a nice addition to the area, but not at the expense of losing the BMO building. I always enjoy seeing it when I walk down SGR.

Dmajackson · #**700** Posted **Jul 31, 2009, 4:03 PM**

I'm with you guys that the BMO building should be saved and just have an addition or something put on to make it economically feasible.