Salter Street Block | 41 m | 12 fl | Cancelled

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by someone123

Here's a nice shot of the Salter site from tonydecoste on flickr:


Source

Must be stitched.

I really wish they would paint over the old Keith's mural... its cut off so it looks terrible .

[halifaxboyns]

I have to say; that building next to the brewery was quite well done. I like the style.

[someone123]

I like some parts of the style but not others. I took this photo of Salter's Gate a few years ago, soon after it was completed:



I really like the curve and the emphasis on the corner. My biggest problem is with the low-slung arcade type areas that seem very closed off from the street. I have never seen anybody walking in them, even when it is rainy - it feels like you are intruding on private property.

Another issue I have is with the tiny, ridiculous looking dome, but if I remember correctly this is not the fault of the developer. Apparently they wanted a bigger dome and pole more in keeping with the scale of the development but people complained about the height so it was scaled back. Very sad.

My favourite part of the development is the little plaza on the other side. It is nicely enclosed and there's an interesting path underneath the building plus a restaurant in front. The trees below are also lit up at night and with the old brewery building the overall effect is very attractive, even though there is space for cars (the parking lot in Bishop's Landing is okay but not as successful). I am guessing that this will be a great little spot once the new waterfront development goes in (Lower Water St will have a small glass winter garden and some retail space).

Other side in Google street view: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...sLTvv7bi7lgdoCUww&cbp=12,272.76,,0,-1.46

Also note that there's the Alexander, a highrise that's phase II of the brewery block redevelopment. The owner is also planning to renovate Keith Hall, something that is very very badly needed - it has a beautiful sandstone facade that is slowly falling apart.

[spaustin]

I have the same complaints with Salters Gate. The street arcade is a disaster and the dome... well they might as well not have bothered. If they had been allowed to come up a storey so that they were level with Hollis and the dome were properely scaled to fit the building it would have been a lot better. It turned out though on the Lower Water Street side.

[Wishblade]

Complained about the height with the bigger dome? You have got to be kidding me.....

[Barrington south]

although this project is not in the south end, it along with NSP, Hollis¬MORRIS...the Alexander....and the lot between bishops and nsp when all completed will tie the area together in such a nice manner that the seawall will be much more connected and it will also really blur the lines between downtown....waterfront...and south end

[Jonovision]

The parking lot is now shut down and there are some sign boards up along the boardwalk showing the development.

[someone123]

It's good they put signs up so people know that something is actually going on here - empty sites look terrible and give people a negative perspective on the city. I am also hoping, of course, that actual construction begins quickly.

I wish they'd do something like this to the United Gulf site as well. Right now that block looks like a scene from Detroit...

[Dmajackson]

Great news!

[Dmajackson]

The signs mentioned above;

[Wishblade]

So according to that sign I assume they've already started construction?

[macgregor]

So far, the only construction on site is a 4ft high fence across the driveway to keep cars out.

[Dmajackson]

Still no construction to speak of, however, I checked Regional Council's agenda for Tuesday and Centennial Group has requested a one-year delay to the start of the construction making May, 2011 the latest they can start. This lines up with the announcement awhile ago that the building's footings would be in place by next June.

[Jonovision]

This is the sign that has been attached to the fence.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Still no construction to speak of, however, I checked Regional Council's agenda for Tuesday and Centennial Group has requested a one-year delay to the start of the construction making May, 2011 the latest they can start. This lines up with the announcement awhile ago that the building's footings would be in place by next June.

I had hoped that this would start this summer. Disappointing news. I wonder if they are having trouble getting financing or if they are still working on the design.

[someone123]

Disappointing but unsurprising given how these announcements have been worded.

[Wishblade]

Salter Block project extension requested


The construction of a $75-million hotel, condominium and retail complex on the Halifax waterfront could be at least a year away.

Waterfront Development Corporation Limited and the Centennial Group approved the Salter Block project in April, calling it the biggest development on the waterfront in 10 years.

An agreement with the Halifax Regional Municipality required the Centennial Group — the developer — to have footings in the ground by this month.

Instead, the developer and the Waterfront Development Corporation have asked regional council for a one-year extension.

Eric Burchill, the director of planning and development for the Waterfront Development Corporation, said it may take until next year to lay the foundation for the building.

He said preparations on the site would likely happen before that.

"The first phase of that construction will be to start site works, so they'll start excavations and working the site in anticipation of placing their structural footings," Burchill said Monday.

"The requirement is for the developer to proceed with construction and we have every indication that they're going to do so."

The complex will be built on a parking lot between Salter Street and Bishop's Landing in downtown Halifax. It will be 12-storeys tall at the highest point, and include residential units, retail space, a boutique hotel and an outdoor park.

The Centennial Group — owned by Ralph Medjuck — took custody of the land this month.

The site is now fenced off.

Dawn Sloane, the councillor for the area, said she is not worried about the extension request because it's different from other downtown projects that haven't gotten off the ground.

"That's the funny thing about these projects is some become financial and some become, just, the developer decides that he's going to do something different," she said. "This case though, it was purely paperwork."

Regional council will vote on the extension request Tuesday.

[hfxtradesman]

Any news on this.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by hfxtradesman

Any news on this.

They have been given a one year extension to have the footings in the ground.

[someone123]

This project still seems very vague. How much prep do they have to do before putting footings in? Will they be building all of the components of the development at the same time? Anybody know if they have secured financing for this project?

I'm not sure if this is more stalling because of the market or if they just need more time for construction.