[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed

[fenwick16]

I like this one just the way that it is. I personally don't have anything against precast cement and I don't really characterise this as being faux heritage. I feel that the architect simply made good use of a combination of cement and glass. When I first saw this, I thought that aesthetically it looked very good.

Over the past few decades I have seen one development after another held up and sometimes stopped in the HRM for little reason. There is a price to pay by stifling growth in the HRM; that being that Nova Scotians are forced to move elsewhere to find work. The only reason that I can see for stopping a development is if a significant heritage building is going to be destroyed. Viewplanes bylaws and needless opposition to tall buildings has, in my opinion, forced many Nova Scotians to move elsewhere.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by planarchy

I'm not talking about design preference but of building for context.

But what is the context for this site? Two ugly red-brick faux-Victorian replicas on the south, Neptune and the Marriott; a totally unremarkable red brick lump to the north in the Prince George; a faux-Victorian condo building to the west on Market, with a handful of legitimate 2-story red-brick or stucco clad buildings scattered elsewhere around the perimeter. I see no context at all that would let this be designed in a notable way.

Redoing the Herald building really makes little sense from a construction viewpoint. If it had remarkable architecture in its own right, possibly, but it did not. Keep in mind that the north end of that block was not built as the Herald building at all, but was the Argyle Garage, a gas station and parking structure. Hardly worth getting excited about.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I like this one just the way that it is. I personally don't have anything against precast cement and I don't really characterise this as being faux heritage. I feel that the architect simply made good use of a combination of cement and glass. When I first saw this, I thought that aesthetically it looked very good.

I agree with you. I think good precast mixed with glass can look extremely attractive. Especially where its acting as a sort of podium for the towers. I think if this was built as is it would surprise a lot of people. These renderings aren't the best ever made and they do not show the building in its context. I think it will look great. And the entire thing interacts at street level. There will be retail around the entire thing, including within the covered street. And also the one blank wall that did exist in the design (On Prince Street) has been altered.

[someone123]

The current design is very mediocre but it could be improved dramatically with a little work. It would look much nicer if the bottom floors were opened up a bit with more glass and had more retail. Hopefully those will be the sorts of recommendations to come from the city.

I would prefer smaller scale construction on these blocks, but we should be realistic; the Midtown proposal for this site was torpedoed and these blocks have been underdeveloped for many decades. This development will be around for a long time if constructed, but so was the ugly and uninviting Herald Building and the large derelict lot behind it. The idea that a nicer proposal will come along if only we wait a couple more years is highly suspect; I hope this gets a slight facelift to make it more modern looking and then moves forward as soon as possible.

[Barrington south]

major demo occurring on the back side of the building today, involving full size excavator with jaws-of-life device

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by planarchy

Rank would have been better off renovating the herald building.
]

the herald building was garbage and would have made for terrible retail at grade, which is key to utilizing this site to fullest potential along with the increase in people. Also please be nice to Haligonia she has good idea's

[someone123]

The Herald Building was somewhat old but had all of the same problems that buildings like the Cambridge Suites do, and was arguably much worse. It took up the whole block, it had a mostly blank ground floor (plus loading bays, etc.), and was just a very unattractive building overall. It's really nothing like the Tip Top Tailors warehouse in Toronto, and it's not in the same sort of area.

As for the convention centre discussion, this seems like a reasonable scale of project for Halifax, and I think it is important to see some new office tower construction downtown. I do not ascribe to the "if you build it they will come" theory, but part of the cost will be recouped and there is additional value in terms of having the amenity in the city and the additional events that it will draw.

[-Harlington-]

Demolishing Process:

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

Demolishing Process:

This puts renovation out of the question (fortunately). No offense to Planarchy but I am happy to see it go.

[haligonia]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

Also please be nice to Haligonia she has good idea's

Thank you, Barrington south.

P.S. I am male

[planarchy]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

This puts renovation out of the question (fortunately). No offense to Planarchy but I am happy to see it go.

As I said, I just sort of just throw this out there as an alternative, without much reflection.

But thankfully all of you were nice enough to point out how ill-conceived an idea it was Thanks

The current design is very mediocre but it could be improved dramatically with a little work. It would look much nicer if the bottom floors were opened up a bit with more glass and had more retail. Hopefully those will be the sorts of recommendations to come from the city.

I agree with this - let's hope it at least gets a few modifications before the final design is approved.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by planarchy

As I said, I just sort of just throw this out there as an alternative, without much reflection.

But thankfully all of you were nice enough to point out how ill-conceived an idea it was Thanks

I appreciate your opinions Planarchy, it is just that I and some others want to see a major development go forward in the downtown area. I am hoping for many more major developments and real prosperity for the HRM in the future.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Originally Posted by someone123

The current design is very mediocre but it could be improved dramatically with a little work. It would look much nicer if the bottom floors were opened up a bit with more glass and had more retail. Hopefully those will be the sorts of recommendations to come from the city.

I'm not sure how much improvement can be made when there is guaranteed to be two huge podiums in an area that already has some over-sized footprints.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by someone123

The Herald Building was somewhat old but had all of the same problems that buildings like the Cambridge Suites do, and was arguably much worse. It took up the whole block, it had a mostly blank ground floor (plus loading bays, etc.), and was just a very unattractive building overall. It's really nothing like the Tip Top Tailors warehouse in Toronto, and it's not in the same sort of area.

As for the convention centre discussion, this seems like a reasonable scale of project for Halifax, and I think it is important to see some new office tower construction downtown. I do not ascribe to the "if you build it they will come" theory, but part of the cost will be recouped and there is additional value in terms of having the amenity in the city and the additional events that it will draw.

I've seen some renderings of possible plan"b", well was plan "a" before the request for proposals for a new convention centre came out. The plan "b" is superior to plan "A" IMO, albeit its without a convention centre. The plan was a lot of office and residential, which is what the downtown needs.

The best thing the city could do would be to hold on to the plans to do a convention centre for a few years, allow the developer to build "plan b" and get people living in the core. This to me would start us on the road to recovery in our downtown.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by planarchy

As I said, I just sort of just throw this out there as an alternative, without much reflection.

But thankfully all of you were nice enough to point out how ill-conceived an idea it was Thanks



I agree with this - let's hope it at least gets a few modifications before the final design is approved.

isn't the design wavied from HRM by design guidelines?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by sdm

The best thing the city could do would be to hold on to the plans to do a convention centre for a few years, allow the developer to build "plan b" and get people living in the core. This to me would start us on the road to recovery in our downtown.

Back when this was first introduced I preferred the idea of just having the residential/office/retail on the Herald site and then later having a major redevelopment of the Metro Centre and the Cogswell lands. I doubt there's enough direction, money, and leadership to make something like that happen, however. It's really too bad.

[Barrington south]

that was my ideal preference too

[worldlyhaligonian]

(Credit: deanbouchard on Flickr)

[worldlyhaligonian]

That view would be spectacular with the towers.

[sdm]

allnovascotia is reporting there is a delay in approval, april is now the date.

Best part of the article is Mayor Kelly is unaware of how much money the city will be responsible for of the projected 400 million dollar cost.