Salter Street Block | 41 m | 12 fl | Cancelled

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by someone123

Interesting article tonight in Allnovascotia with Ralph Medjuck talking about how he had financing in place and how they were about to begin construction relatively soon.

It seems a little weird -- was there communication and negotiation beforehand, or just a request for a 12 month extension? Is the claim about imminent construction true? You'd think that the WDCL would agree to some lesser requirement by the June deadline, some kind of work that would be quicker than having footings in place.

It is so hard to get the 100% truth from those articles. Of course WDCL will say that it wasn't working and they had to move, and of course Medjuck is going to say that construction was imminent because otherwise future prospects would be damaged.

I am tempted to side with WDCL here though... why ask for a 12 month extension if you have money in place and construction is imminent? If it was true, why not just ask for a 2 month extension?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by beyeas

It is so hard to get the 100% truth from those articles. Of course WDCL will say that it wasn't working and they had to move, and of course Medjuck is going to say that construction was imminent because otherwise future prospects would be damaged.

I am tempted to side with WDCL here though... why ask for a 12 month extension if you have money in place and construction is imminent? If it was true, why not just ask for a 2 month extension?

Yep. The two stories are inconsistent with each other. I am also tempted to side with the WDCL now, although I don't have a hard time believing that this project was a bureaucratic nightmare.

I think red tape costs Halifax dearly. We just don't see its effects explicitly because they are mostly lost opportunities.

[ScovaNotian]

This CH story states that "Medjuck said his company did not indicate it was unable to meet the contracted milestone dates". Can WDCL unilaterally get out of whatever agreement they had?

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by someone123

Yep. The two stories are inconsistent with each other. I am also tempted to side with the WDCL now, although I don't have a hard time believing that this project was a bureaucratic nightmare.

I think red tape costs Halifax dearly. We just don't see its effects explicitly because they are mostly lost opportunities.

I would tend to agree; but I've rarely seen planning processes in any city that are 'quick'. Sad to say; but it's pretty much standard for any 'non-as-right' development takes time.

I'm not sure what the fix is to get the process going quicker? I don't know if it's more staff dedicated strictly to the downtown or something else?

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I'm not sure what the fix is to get the process going quicker? I don't know if it's more staff dedicated strictly to the downtown or something else?

Aren't HRM planning staff alreasy dedicated to general areas?

I know Bedford and Sackville share the same couple of planners (Andrew Bones being the main one) so I'd think at the very least the Peninsula would have its own. Maybe the best approach would be to have a couple of staff from each planning department (water, traffic, land-use, ect) specialize in each MPS/SPS areas (merge rural ones for economic reasons).

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Aren't HRM planning staff alreasy dedicated to general areas?

I know Bedford and Sackville share the same couple of planners (Andrew Bones being the main one) so I'd think at the very least the Peninsula would have its own. Maybe the best approach would be to have a couple of staff from each planning department (water, traffic, land-use, ect) specialize in each MPS/SPS areas (merge rural ones for economic reasons).

To an extent, yes. So Andrew and a few others work out of the Sackville school site, doing the 'central' area. Then there are planners dedicated to the 'eastern' area (which is generally, Dartmouth to the eastern shore) and then then the 'western' area which is Peninsula/Mainland Halifax out to Tantallon (based at Bayer's Road).

Calgary does it a little bit different. We're all in one central office, in the Municipal Building in downtown. But, we do have development planners who deal with certain areas. So here is the CPAG map of the development teams. CPAG means Corporate Planning Applications Group - it brings planning, transportation, engineering and parks together to make the decision on the application together, for the development permit. HRM does that in process - when you apply for a DP, it goes to Engineering, Development and Building and a permit can't be issued until all have signed off.

But one difference with Calgary than HRM is as you can see on the map; there is a team dedicated to the 'centre city'. So that includes the Connaught, Eau Claire, Chinatown, Downtown East/West Villages, Victoria Park and Stampede. So DJ the area your friends/family live in (where we walked too) is included in the Centre City area. This team deals with rezoning and policy changes AND development permit applications. So one of my coworkers (Carl) might deal with a policy amendment/rezoning for a site to facilitate another say high density residential. If council approves it; when the permit application comes in - he would then deal with the permit application as well. To me, that makes the process a lot more efficient because he knows all the ins and outs of that site, intent, etc.

I should note when I worked in Development Planning, I worked on the 'Inner South' team. So my areas of work was Inner South East/West. Although the majority of my applications were in the west (it usually had a higher volume of applications). When I first started, I was doing mainly infill housing in some of the richest communities (Lower/Upper Mount Royal) and then got into a lot of other big (high density) apps in places like Mission, Altadore and Elboya.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by ScovaNotian

This CH story states that "Medjuck said his company did not indicate it was unable to meet the contracted milestone dates". Can WDCL unilaterally get out of whatever agreement they had?

Interesting point. My impression was that they couldn't but that it would be impossible for Centennial to meet the format deadline at this point.

[q12]

Salter site may be back on the block

From Metro Halifax
http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/813295--salter-site-may-be-back-on-the-block

The developer behind a $75-million hotel and condo project is making a last-ditch effort to keep a prime piece of harbourfront real estate.

The Waterfront Development Corporation announced Thursday morn- ing it has taken back the one-acre Salter Block lot from developer Ralph Medjuck’s Centennial Group.

According to WDCL, Medjuck recently informed the crown corporation he couldn’t meet the agreed upon deadline for the mixed-use project.

“It’s a disappointing step, but a necessary step,” Economic Development Minister Percy Paris said yesterday.

“We’re anxious to see this property developed and we want to hold onto it and hopefully someone will develop it.”

But a late afternoon statement from Medjuck claims he did not tell WDCL he couldn’t meet the deadlines.

“CGL has invested a great deal of time and funds in the project which is financially viable and ready to proceed,” read the release.

“CGL is reviewing its options at this time.”

A meeting between WDCL and the Centennial Group has been scheduled for Friday at 9:30 a.m.

“We share the desire of the public to have the site developed,” wrote Medjuck.

“(We) have been committed to this project and have been proceeding with it in a commercially prudent manner. We remain ready and able to deliver.”

The province approved the project on April 20, 2010. The block has sat empty since 2004.

I wonder what all this means for that parcel of land between the Royale Hemlocks subdivision and Larry Uteck Boulevard that Medjuck's group is supose to own?

(Source: posted by dmajackson)




It would be nice to see them start work on it this summer so Starboard drive would be connected through near the Sobeys. I did see them surveying that property (Medjuck's?) a few weeks ago. (I also posted this in The Ravines of Bedford South thread)

[fenwick16]

rendering originally posted by someone123 - http://www.wzmh.com/%29:


One thing that was mentioned in one of the local area media sources was that since this block is infill, the parking is a challenge. For example, King's Wharf in Dartmouth has the parking above ground as does the Purdy's Wharf in Halifax. In the rendering above, I don't see much room for above ground parking and they might not want to put it below sea-level (underground) due to the risk of flooding. On the other hand having it above ground creates a large area with little street level appeal (sort of like the above street-level parking levels of Scotia Square).

Does anyone know the outcome of this meeting - http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/813295--salter-site-may-be-back-on-the-block?

[FuzzyWuz]

King's wharf parking is above the old grade but they are actually filling so much that it will wind up being below street level.

[someone123]

Bishop's Landing had similar issues but they successfully built underground parking.

[fenwick16]

I was told by a reliable source at halifax city hall that one development has flooding in the parking garage every time that there is a major storm. I forget what development was mentioned (I wasn't paying much attention) but it was somewhere in the downtown core. Maybe someone like sdm knows which area it is? During very heavy storms, the storm system can't handle the water load - I remember seeing the weather channel cover a hurricane/tropical storm in downtown Halifax and there was water coming up out of the manhole covers.

[macgregor]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I was told by a reliable source at halifax city hall that one development has flooding in the parking garage every time that there is a major storm. I forget what development was mentioned (I wasn't paying much attention) but it was somewhere in the downtown core. Maybe someone like sdm knows which area it is? During very heavy storms, the storm system can't handle the water load - I remember seeing the weather channel cover a hurricane/tropical storm in downtown Halifax and there was water coming up out of the manhole covers.

Peninsula Place (1015 Barrington Street) used to flood often due to problems in having the pumping station across the street.

[halifaxboyns]

There is a building here in Calgary that did parking both underground and above ground. They put in 'fake windows' but obscured them.

The link will show you the building I'm talking about. I think it looks okay, although I would've done something in the windows other than blue film.

[FuzzyWuz]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I was told by a reliable source at halifax city hall that one development has flooding in the parking garage every time that there is a major storm. I forget what development was mentioned (I wasn't paying much attention) but it was somewhere in the downtown core. Maybe someone like sdm knows which area it is? During very heavy storms, the storm system can't handle the water load - I remember seeing the weather channel cover a hurricane/tropical storm in downtown Halifax and there was water coming up out of the manhole covers.

Not just gray water either. I'm sure I read that there were cars immersed in sewage.

[someone123]

Here's an old rendering for the Southwest Salter block proposal. We may see something like this presented again. Not super exciting but a little nicer than Bishop's Landing I think and it would fit in well with the area. I like the idea of building an arch and having lots of little courtyard-type spaces. They are interesting to explore and are sheltered from the wind.


(old image hosted by me)

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by someone123

Here's an old rendering for the Southwest Salter block proposal. We may see something like this presented again. Not super exciting but a little nicer than Bishop's Landing I think and it would fit in well with the area. I like the idea of building an arch and having lots of little courtyard-type spaces. They are interesting to explore and are sheltered from the wind.


(old image hosted by me)

I like this concept. It will fit in well with Bishop's Landing, which I think looks great on the waterfront. This concept looks a bit more practical than the Centennial proposal, although not as modern, and therefore might be more apt to proceed in the near future.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Looks uggers to me... I loved the old proposal.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Looks uggers to me... I loved the old proposal.

I would hope that they'd update the design, although I'm not looking forward to another round of delays with public consultation, tendering, complaining, etc.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Yeah, this lot really needs to be dealt with before we get into the summer.

Does anybody know the results of the meeting between the WDCL and the developer???