General Updates and News

[Keith P.]

I don't think the HT had anything to do with this. As you can see from Kassner's comments, the owner is simply not very engaged - a true absentee landlord - and either lost interest or was discouraged by the reaction. I hear that NSLC was unimpressed by what was set aside for them and there were rumors that they had not been talked to by the developer prior to the concept being released. Hence my prediction they were simply going to walk away from the site.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

NEW PROPOSAL TIME!

WM Fares Group has submitted plans for a 43-unit residential building on the north side of Windsor Street at the Connolly Street intersection. The lot is currently vacant (surface parking) and is in a row of duplexes and small apartment buildings. This is a stone's throw away from the Connaught Avenue intersection on Strawberry Hill.

Case 17108 Details

Public Information Meeting for this tonight.

September 21st, 2011 - 7pm - Bloomfield School

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

According to an article in the AllNovaScotia tonight there are redevelopment plans for 6100 Younge Street (West-End Halifax). This site is currently owned by the municipality and it houses a strip mall housing, among others, Pizza Hut. The site is 2.5 acres and is part of the former Forum lands. It used to house a horse racing track.

Plans for the site are vague but the article states low-rise residential housing ground-floor commercial with some high-rise residential. Since the site is municipally owned the development would have to be approved by Regional Council along with a purchase agreement. The developer is Webcom Inc. and the architect is Paul Skerry & Associates (Halifax-based). This team is behind the approved building for 249 Windmill Road.

Of course as with any vague development there is a divide among councilors. Being the most vocal of all twenty-three Sloane has stated she is opposed because the land could be used for a future Forum expansion. Interestingly (but not suprising if you know her) Watts has some hesitance but thinks getting more residential in this area is a good idea.

Public Information Meeting - Case 17256
Wed, 5 October, 19:00 – 21:00
7071 Bayers Road, Halifax, NS (HRM Planning Services, Bayers Road Centre - Suite 2005 - Meeting Rooms 1, 2, & 3)

Case 17256 - Application by 215 Pembroke Street East Ltd. to amend the Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law (Schedule "Q") to allow for a mixed-use development at 6100 Young Street, Halifax by development agreement.

No link available yet.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Public Information Meeting - Case 17256
Wed, 5 October, 19:00 – 21:00
7071 Bayers Road, Halifax, NS (HRM Planning Services, Bayers Road Centre - Suite 2005 - Meeting Rooms 1, 2, & 3)

Case 17256 - Application by 215 Pembroke Street East Ltd. to amend the Halifax Peninsula Land Use By-law (Schedule "Q") to allow for a mixed-use development at 6100 Young Street, Halifax by development agreement.

No link available yet.

This is ideal. This area of the city should be an oasis for developers, far from the prying eye of the STV.

[RyeJay]

Russians move to bolster Arctic forces
CBC - September 23, 2001

Just days after Gen. Walt Natynczyk, Canada’s chief of defence staff, left Moscow after meeting his counterpart last weekend, a Russian official announced that the country would be increasing its Arctic military presence, a move that could increase tensions in the resource-rich area.

Anton Vasilev, a special ambassador for Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was quoted this week by the Interfax news agency as saying his country would be beefing up its presence in the Arctic, and that NATO was not welcome there.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/russians-move-bolster-arctic-forces-161815931.html
______________________________

Now, does anyone think this help's B.C.'s case for the shipbuilding deal?

[Jonovision]

The Salvation Army building on Gottingen is being reclad. Will try to get some pictures this week.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=gottingen+s...k1iLo4c3_Qxein5VA&cbp=12,257.22,,0,-5.31

And I only noticed this the other day but this apartment building on South had its balconies replaced with glass. It seems it was happening while google was taking its street view pictures. Makes the building look much better in my opinion.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=gottingen+s...0df5LJWLmq9RAwnA&cbp=12,240.12,,0,-12.11

[kph06]

There is now a fence up around the former Blockbuster/Little Caesars/Koolex Kleaners building on Queen street. I think it was reported a while ago that a larger Needs was moving in here, and that the former building would be turned into a Sobey's gas bar.

[Nifta]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

I saw Kirby and Zelda in Maritime Centre yesterday.

That's the office where I work Longtail Studios - we develop videogames, so couldn't be left out of this trend!

[Dmajackson]

Fellow forumer Pete Pollley has unveiled plans for a new development in North Downtown ;

There are no renderings available right now but he is applying for a building permit for a 6-storey residential building at the corner of Roberts & Maynard Streets. This is near the new office building on Agricola Street and a block away from the West Street Fire Station. The development is simply called "Q" and should start construction in December. There will be 72-units of one-bedroom and one-bedroom-and-den style.


Photo by me back in the winter.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Fellow forumer Pete Pollley has unveiled plans for a new development in North Downtown ;

There are no renderings available right now but he is applying for a building permit for a 6-storey residential building at the corner of Roberts & Maynard Streets. This is near the new office building on Agricola Street and a block away from the West Street Fire Station. The development is simply called "Q" and should start construction in December. There will be 72-units of one-bedroom and one-bedroom-and-den style.


Photo by me back in the winter.

Let's hope for a really good looking proposal with quality materials................

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Empire

Let's hope for a really good looking proposal with quality materials................

ANS was reporting that Michael Napier is the architect for the project (same as Spice). His past projects like W Suites and the building by the Hydrostone are quite good. A project of similar quality would be a huge asset to the neighbourhood.

Seems like the North End is really taking off. It has enormous potential.

[Jstaleness]

This may be a good time to buy property in the North End. It looks as though in a few years the values are going to go up because of all the new developments.

[haligonia]

Knowing Michael Napier is the architect should at least mean that the project is interesting. I do worry though that the project could be built with cheap materials. (Like Theatre Lofts. Interesting, but cheap.)

[Aya_Akai]

I wasn't entirely sure the exact spot to put this in, or if anyone has mentioned it anywhere else, but I was down on the waterfront on Tuesday afternoon and I noticed that they're completely gutting out the former BioScience building on Lower Water Street.

[kph06]

Allnovascotia ran an article tonight about the Queen Street Sobeys - for now the Blockbuster will be torn down to make way for parking for Sobeys' staff, the needs will be torn down for more customer parking. A new Needs store and gas bar will be built on the Green/Queen corner vacant lot. Nobody within the organization would comment on the greater redevelopment concept for the area. The addition of parking seemed to be just a "for now" thing.

[mcmcclassic]

I wasn't sure if we had a thread for the west end mall / that area, so I'll put this article here for now.

Eurofax has big plans for former Bay building

Add three more storeys to the edifice best known as the former home of the Bay in Halifax and then rename the building.

That is the plan the new owner, Eurofax Properties, has for the former Bay building on Chebucto Road. The building is next to the West End Mall.

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1265878.html

[JET]

50:50 Vision of Halifax
"To celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, Dalhousie's Faculty of Architecture and Planning invites you to imagine Halifax 50 years from now."
http://architectureandplanning.dal.ca/alumni/5050.shtml

[someone123]

Originally Posted by kph06

Allnovascotia ran an article tonight about the Queen Street Sobeys - for now the Blockbuster will be torn down to make way for parking for Sobeys' staff, the needs will be torn down for more customer parking. A new Needs store and gas bar will be built on the Green/Queen corner vacant lot. Nobody within the organization would comment on the greater redevelopment concept for the area. The addition of parking seemed to be just a "for now" thing.

I saw that -- very interesting. I hope they really do have a serious redevelopment planned, because the area can support so much more than strip malls. It would be far better to have a more urban format grocery store with parking below and apartments or condos above (great for both residents and the grocery store). These are becoming common in many other cities.

[pblaauw]

Looks like there's a new project in the works. The name doesn't roll off the tongue very well, but I like the fact it pays tribute to a rather important part of Halifax history.

The Vincent Coleman

[someone123]

Originally Posted by pblaauw

Looks like there's a new project in the works. The name doesn't roll off the tongue very well, but I like the fact it pays tribute to a rather important part of Halifax history.

The Vincent Coleman

Actually that is 6955 Bayers Road, which is already more or less complete.