General Updates and News

[ScovaNotian]

Don't throw stones at me, but personally, I like what's in the rendering better than the BMO building.

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by scovanotian

don't throw stones at me, but personally, i like what's in the rendering better than the bmo building.

+1

[resetcbu1]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

This is the last rendering I could find for SGR and Queen. This is from Queen St, looking down Doyle, with the Port of Wines store at the far left:

Is Doyle supossed to be a pedestrian street in this render?

I like this desighn , think it would be great in a million places in this city , but tear down BMO/Planet pool....? I don't know bout that ...... there must be another spot a building of this calliber could be built in this area

[Empire]

I'm 100% against this development as proposed. I think the BMO building needs to be saved, not just the facade.

Also, the two buildings on Spring Gdn. at Brunswick should be saved. Chedrawe's developments are medeocre at best. I would expect the same quality as the Garden Crest towers and that is not good for this site.


BOM Building Queen & Spring Gdn.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=halifax&hl=...KsMU1upDs7AdHT1LLTssJA&cbp=12,35.45,,0,0

Buildings on Spring Gdn. at Brunswick
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=halifax&hl=...d=-Zeb9maSsglfzlQb4WZMUQ&cbp=12,315,,0,0

[alps]

I agree...the proposed development destroys an interesting little block and I personally also find it too uniform and very bland. On another site (i.e. the parking lot beside St. Mary's Basilica) I think it'd be okay, but aside from the additional density I don't think it's a step up from what's currently at the Doyle lots now.

[-Harlington-]

I hope they dont destroy the building as well, theres not many like it here

and there is to many empty lots in this city and they have to destroy buildings to make development ?

[worldlyhaligonian]

I'm not usually against development... but this just doesn't make any sense given the number of empty lots. Ugh.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Empire

I'm 100% against this development as proposed. I think the BMO building needs to be saved, not just the facade.

The BMO building is apparently in terrible condition and has numerous problems from a tenancy point of view. While I like the facade on the corner I see no reason to keep structures that are obsolete and otherwise suboptimal.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The BMO building is apparently in terrible condition and has numerous problems from a tenancy point of view. While I like the facade on the corner I see no reason to keep structures that are obsolete and otherwise suboptimal.

This aerial shows that there is a lot of space in the centre of the block. If the intent is to build a boutique hotel then it could be connected to a renovated BMO building or the back half of the BMO building could be removed on a diagonal. Demolishing the BMO building should not be an option.

Lots of room for a mediocre development.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=halifax&hl=...ax,+Halifax+County,+Nova+Scotia&t=h&z=19

[Northend Guy]

Originally Posted by Pete Crawford

Has anyone seen any images or renderings for the Portland Street commercial development going up on the site of the former Mazda and Subaru dealerships?

They seem to be moving quickly, was just wondering if the new buildings will be at all attractive.

Attractive might be a stretch - there will a Shopper's Drug Mart and a CIBC Bank.

[Pete Crawford]

Originally Posted by Northend Guy

Attractive might be a stretch - there will a Shopper's Drug Mart and a CIBC Bank.

Well, that's good enough news. The new stand-alone CIBC outlets look quite nice, and Shopper's buildings don't look terrible. The whole thing will look a hundred times better than those old car dealerships!

[planarchy]

Anyone who wants to get a last look at the old cafe chianti building better run down there now. It's coming down now. Just started, but doesn't look like they will be saving anything.

[spaustin]

Originally Posted by planarchy

Anyone who wants to get a last look at the old cafe chianti building better run down there now. It's coming down now. Just started, but doesn't look like they will be saving anything.

Thought that might be happening (noticed the excavator parked in behind yesterday). Sad to see them go. I only hope the owner has a plan to do something there sooner rather than later. The neighbourhood is certainly attractive and has seen a lot of activity lately so a project would surely be doable. I just hope the corner doesn't sit empty for the next 10 years, perhaps used as a gravel filled surface parking lot.

[someone123]

Probably a mistake. Imagine this row being torn down, then the block on Spring Garden Road. Halifax's heritage buildings are one of its best features and they are not being adequately protected.

I think they do have plans to develop quickly but the old buildings have a ton of character that is unlikely to be replaced. I guess if we saw another Vic-style apartment building in the Chianti location it wouldn't be so bad.

[pchipman]

Originally Posted by planarchy

Anyone who wants to get a last look at the old cafe chianti building better run down there now. It's coming down now. Just started, but doesn't look like they will be saving anything.

This is a terrible loss. Has there been any word from the Heritage Trust on this? I don't understand their priorities.

[Empire]

This is the biggest loss in decades. That strip of row houses had a real Montreal feel. HRM is entirely powerless to prevent this type of destruction. All the stops should have been pulled to save this group of buildings including massive tax concessions for renovating. I'm thoroughly disgusted with this city's lack of vision.

Unacceptable loss:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=halifax&hl=...J1JA5v9gAFxr0bKw&cbp=12,353.31,,0,-21.73

[fenwick16]

Here is a story about the fire that broke out in this building back on January 12, 2010 - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/01/12/ns-fire-south-street.html . The picture (below) is from the story. Another story indicated that the fire had spread to the second story floor joists - https://groups.google.com/group/hfx.general/browse_thread/thread/ce35c3f792e30221?hl=en.

Based on the story reports, it sounds as though the building would have required a complete rebuild (maybe the bricks could have been saved). Once a historic building is completely rebuilt then it doesn't maintain much of historic significance, it would just be a duplicate of a historic building (in my opinion).

Many old buildings are destroyed by fire because the construction is not up to today's standards. A building like this with multiple units, if built to modern standards, would have kept the fire contained to one unit because of modern fire wall construction that is intented for that purpose.

[kph06]

Photos be me:

[Empire]

The destruction of these row houses on South St. marks a very bad day for Halifax. All buildings can be renovated and the cost of renovation is not an excuse for demolition. No one would ever argue that Historic Properties was a bad idea. We are losing heritage at an alarming rate and the replacement for that heritage in most cases is the second slap in the face.

Photo of rowhouses by Empire..........................................................Bland ugly Prince George pic by Google


Here is an example of duplicated heritage on Summer St. This building was 100% demolished and rebuilt exactly as it was..
Not the original but much better than the Prince George cheap replacement.

[halifaxboyns]

I am on the same line as Fenwick on this - once the fire did it's damage; the cost of keeping the building would've been pretty high compared to rebuilding. It's a sad thing that some of the elements aren't being saved though.

I think Empire points out a very good example of a 'rebuild' to similar form of the previous heritage building. Have we not seen or heard about what the project will be? Are there not renderings yet? I don't want to jump to any conclusions on what will replace the previous building until seeing it...