Development Rumours

[alps]

Great news re. the site across from the Atlantica! I remember seeing those houses being torn down when I was pretty young. What was the story there? I vaguely recall them being drug houses, or home to squatters or something like that.

[JET]

London's Shard
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18438604
I was in London and saw the Shard. It was interesting how they had very tall new buildings next to small very old buildings and it worked quite well

[kph06]

Originally Posted by alps

Great news re. the site across from the Atlantica! I remember seeing those houses being torn down when I was pretty young. What was the story there? I vaguely recall them being drug houses, or home to squatters or something like that.

The way I remember it, I was fairly young too, was that the most recent owner bought the houses and came out with the plans to consolidate the lots and put in a highrise. The neighbors (Peter Delefes of the heritage trust lived one or two houses away) put up a huge opposition to it and tried to block the demolition. So in response to that, the owner had them sloppily painted in all sorts of colors and let them fall apart until he was required to tear them down, then the lots sat till now.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by JET

I was in London and saw the Shard. It was interesting how they had very tall new buildings next to small very old buildings and it worked quite well

Yeah, there are tons of possibilities when it comes to designing highrises and integrating them into neighbourhoods with heritage buildings. The argument that Halifax shouldn't have new buildings because it has old ones is obviously bogus. Even if your frame of reference is restricted only to Halifax it doesn't make sense. In many cases there's a 100+ year gap in between the age of heritage buildings in Halifax. NS Furnishings was built in 1894 and it was twice the height of its neighbours. The Dominion Public Building is from 1930 or so and towers over Mitchell House (~1820) and so on. In London there's more history and better architecture that in many cases work great together.

[fromaway]

Originally Posted by DB15

Any idea who owned it or sold it to?

A timely posting as I was just pondering how long the properties have remained vacant and what the owner must be paying in property taxes. Looking at the HRM mapping site, the properties appear to have been amalgamated and includes two house still standing on Pepperell. Current assessment is 2.6 million plus - meaning the owner has been paying $25,000 a year in property taxes.

The property is still Zoned R-2 so don't expect a "skyscraper".

Here is a HRM link to the demolition order which includes a reference to the owner. http://www.halifax.ca/mediaroom/pressrelease/pr2001/010703koskolossue.html

alps - the then "Developer" bought up the properties and allowed them to decline while still renting them out. He didn't get the rezoning and thus the bizarre paint job as a protest.

kph06 - You might wish to do some rearch before posting and at least appear educated.

Peter Delefes has not lived on the peninsula since at least the mid-1990's so your statement is incorrect. He wasn't even on the peninsula let alone a few houses away! Funny how the mind plays tricks on you. Like how you've forgotten that the properties were already derelict at the time and the so called developer was in effect a slum landlord before his application.

And those "healthy shrubs" you refer to are not shrubs but Chinese Knotweed a highly invasive perennial on the HRM hitlist. I highly doubt you will see any tree huggers trying to save them but I have to admit they do enhance an otherwise abysmal site.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by kph06

I heard a rumor the site across from QEH and the Atlantica on Robie has sold. Hopefully we will finally see activity here. If the owner doesn't act fast those healthy shrubs may have a "friends" group protecting them.

Seriously, this is a major issue in Halifax. If land is in limbo these groups actively try to make the land not-usable for development purposes.

I can already forsee the argument, "This was once part of the Halifax common, therefore nothing should be built on it".

Under their twisted rationale, everything around the common would be turned back to green space.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by fromaway

And those "healthy shrubs" you refer to are not shrubs but Chinese Knotweed a highly invasive perennial on the HRM hitlist. I highly doubt you will see any tree huggers trying to save them but I have to admit they do enhance an otherwise abysmal site.

They make it look a bit better... it seems as though somebody is doing work on the property independently? Trying to turn it into a park already.

Also - you would be shocked with what people will try to save in this city. "Plants are people too man!".

I guarantee you that anything nice proposed for this site will be met with community groups screaming one of the top 3 for Halifax: "too tall", "think of the children" and "we need more green space".

Evil developers, always wanting to turn ugly vacant lots into nice developments. They are so wrong for doing so. (Note heavy sarcasm here)

[kph06]

Originally Posted by fromaway

kph06 - You might wish to do some rearch before posting and at least appear educated.

Peter Delefes has not lived on the peninsula since at least the mid-1990's so your statement is incorrect. He wasn't even on the peninsula let alone a few houses away! Funny how the mind plays tricks on you. Like how you've forgotten that the properties were already derelict at the time and the so called developer was in effect a slum landlord before his application.

And those "healthy shrubs" you refer to are not shrubs but Chinese Knotweed a highly invasive perennial on the HRM hitlist. I highly doubt you will see any tree huggers trying to save them but I have to admit they do enhance an otherwise abysmal site.

Yikes, look like I struck a chord. I did some "rearch" and asked a few people who lived in the area (as I did back then) and they thought Mr. Delefes lived in the area at the time - sorry, I'll take their word over yours on this one. His living arrangements don't really pertain to the topic, so I can agree to disagree.

With the specific details on the site, as I said, I was young and didn't have the same interest in the progression of the city as I do now - you could have politely corrected me. However, I will say your series of events did fill in some of the gaps I question every time I drive by the site. It would be interesting to see photos from back then. By the way, my education shouldn't be a concern of yours - I'm getting by just fine!

I think my sarcasm about the "healthy shrubs" was misinterpreted. I was making a joke about how its surprising what steps are taken and arguments are made by the anti-development crowd. I agree, I can't imagine we will see a "Friends of the Chinese Knotweed" association, and they do spruce the site up a bit.

My impression (as a younger person) was that it seemed like a greasy move by the land owner when the buildings were painted and left to rot furhter. I think it is a great site and with the right approach a very positive development could come of this site.

[Waye Mason]

While I don't think anyone will make the argument to GROW the common beyond the Robie Street boundary, I do find the whole Common thing funny.

I mean, the Common was not established "for the people," that came after. The area, from Gorsebrook to Cunard, was cleared to provide unobstructed fields of fire from Citadel Hill, to make it easier to sight artillery against invading French and later American armies.

Any establishment of a Common space was an afterthought, though I imagine grazing animals helped keep the trees from growing back, keep the cover down.

That said, I love having a couple of huge parks in Halifax and Dartmouth, I spent a lot of time at the Halifax Common the last few weeks. It is lovely.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

While I don't think anyone will make the argument to GROW the common beyond the Robie Street boundary, I do find the whole Common thing funny.

I bet a few "friends" of stuff folk would argue that, lol.

They were intended for grazing... but why these groups don't like infrastructure on the land. There should be more configurations for different sports. Could the oval not have its centre flooded and boards put up, so that there would be a hockey rink inside that could be rented out on the cheap?

[fromaway]

Originally Posted by kph06

Yikes, look like I struck a chord. I did some "rearch" and asked a few people who lived in the area (as I did back then) and they thought Mr. Delefes lived in the area at the time - sorry, I'll take their word over yours on this one. His living arrangements don't really pertain to the topic, so I can agree to disagree.

Sorry kph06. I was a bit harsh in my comment but it was you that threw his name and living arrangements into the discussion - and it was factually incorrect. I agree that his living arrangements don't pertain to the topic. It's so easy to blame the Heritage Trust! Also sorry that I missed the "s" in research. Back to kindergaten for me.

I am an acquaintance of his partner and have been sending her a newsletter off-pennisula since at least 1995. Perhaps your friends can also document his residency?

The previous propert(ies) owner obviously bought up a block of decrepit properties - they didn't get that way overnight - hoping to capitalize. He continued to rent them as such. He then approached HRM/Halifax as a slum landlord proposing much higher density and had a hissy fit when that it didn't occur. Thus the paint protest.

Hopefully we will see a nice residentual development - perhaps townhouse style like the infill project just further south. I'm sure many of you would like to see a higher development given Atlantica. But - then the next block would be fair game!

[musicman]

Noticed a development agreement sign on saint margaret's bay road just passed the overpass over dunbrack, inside the clover loop. Any idea what this might be?

[ScovaNotian]

Originally Posted by musicman

Noticed a development agreement sign on saint margaret's bay road just passed the overpass over dunbrack, inside the clover loop. Any idea what this might be?

A cell phone tower I think.

[JustinMacD]

Has there been any talk at all about building on the site of the former Blockbuster on Queen?

Would be a perfect spot for a 10 story apartment to revitalize that little neighbourhood.

[-Harlington-]

Halifax officials want to sell Northcliffe Centre



June 29, 2012 - 8:48pm By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor


Halifax Regional Municipality is planning to sell off its Northcliffe Centre property.

A staff report slated to go to council Tuesday recommends the city decline an unsolicited offer it received on the six-hectare property that fronts on Lacewood Drive, Dunbrack Street, Clayton Park Drive and Hazelholme Drive.

Instead, staffers say the city should enter into “direct market negotiations” to sell the indoor tennis facility, which sits on a half-hectare portion of the site, to the company that owns Northcliffe Tennis Club.

“The present operator’s proposal includes a new, bubbled, six-court facility (resurfacing of existing four courts plus two new ones) and a new club house,” says the report.

“This proposed new infrastructure would continue to serve the current 300 members and 250 students. The proposal also provides for HRM recreational programming and free public access to the courts during the summer season.”

Staffers also say 22 residential lots, the 12,000-square-foot pool building built in 1981 and an older attached building of the same size, which sits on 1.2-hectares of city land should go out to tender or calls for proposals.

That approach would see the city getting “competitive market value for (the) site and compatible land use mix,” says the report, which mentions “pent up demand for well-located, high-quality, residential-infill development lots.”

The Canada Games Centre has replaced Northcliffe, which was slated for demolition until the city got an unsolicited offer for the property in 2011 from an institutional interest.

“I know that there was somebody looking at that to put a private school there I believe,” said Glenn Dodge, who heads Dodge Holdings Ltd., the company that wants to buy the tennis club property.

Dodge wouldn’t divulge what he’s offered to pay for that chunk of the property.

The club has leased the tennis facility for 20 years, he said.

“I’ve been wanting to buy it for some time,” said Dodge, who plans to invest $800,000 in the project on top of what he pays for the property.

Tennis Canada has looked at the Northcliffe site to build a training centre similar to the soccer facility on the Mainland Common.

“In many ways it’s ideal for what we’re looking at in terms of the whole site,” said Jack Graham, a Halifax lawyer who’s on the board of Tennis Canada.

“But it looks like they’re trying to split it up in different ways so it may not be suited in the end.

“I don’t want to start competing with people for this site if there are a bunch of other purposes and uses for it. I have no interest in competing with the tennis community, as an example on that.”

Northcliffe Tennis Club shuts down for the summer, while Dodge grows marquette grapes for Sainte-Famille Wines Ltd. at his 2.4-hectare vineyard outside Windsor called Bent Ridge Winery.

“I drive a tractor all summer,” Dodge said.

Before you start envying him, walk a mile in his tennis shoes.

“The grapes just cost money,” Dodge said with a chuckle.

This is shaping up to be an excellent growing season where his grapes should produce enough juice to make about 16,000 bottles of red wine. But don’t go looking for a free bottle of vino with the tennis club membership.

“That could be a good promotion, but I think I’d go to jail,” Dodge joked.

([email protected])

[ScovaNotian]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Has there been any talk at all about building on the site of the former Blockbuster on Queen?

Would be a perfect spot for a 10 story apartment to revitalize that little neighbourhood.

I think a Sobeys gas bar was mentioned a while back.

[JustinMacD]

Originally Posted by ScovaNotian

I think a Sobeys gas bar was mentioned a while back.

Wtf...

[resetcbu1]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Wtf...

Exactly my thought if that's the case but I thought the gas bar was for where needs is? I may be wrong...

[ScovaNotian]

My mistake, I found the original post: both Needs and Blockbuster will become parking lots. The gas bar will go on the third corner or Queen and Green.

[JustinMacD]

Originally Posted by ScovaNotian

My mistake, I found the original post: both Needs and Blockbuster will become parking lots. The gas bar will go on the third corner or Queen and Green.

Parking lots for what?