[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed - Page 147

fenwick16 · #**2921** Posted **Jul 7, 2012, 2:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

Listen to the baby ranting (crying) on twitter this morning.

I think Tim Bousquet has finally lost all of his marbles - he is making one anti-convention centre tweet every few minutes

q12 · #**2922** Posted **Jul 7, 2012, 3:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I think Tim Bousquet has finally lost all of his marbles - he is making one anti-convention centre tweet every few minutes

Tim, when he heard the news this morning...

• Video Link

Wishblade · #**2923** Posted **Jul 7, 2012, 3:31 PM**

Wow, I thought you guys were being sarcastic at first. Then I read the posts.....

He really has finally lost it lol.

Northend Nerd · #**2924** Posted **Jul 7, 2012, 4:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

Listen to the baby ranting (crying) on twitter this morning.

http://twitter.com/Tim_Bousquet

Ya he has been going off this morning! He probably had this all drafted up, waiting for this day to come.

terrynorthend · #**2925** Posted **Jul 7, 2012, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northend Nerd

Ya he has been going off this morning! He probably had this all drafted up, waiting for this day to come.

Yep, there are at least 5 straight hours of tweets this morning from him. Good to see that the "Editor" of that paper has nothing better to do.

I sure hope he doesn't consider these "billable" hours to his employer. The 99% would be outraged! I'd love to sit around tweeting all day for pay. (Actually, I wouldn't. That sounds boring as hell.)

someone123 · #**2926** Posted **Jul 7, 2012, 6:51 PM**

I saw that more recent Tim Bousquet article and decided not to post it because it was so short on new information and substance.

According to the Herald one of Bousquet's suggestions is already wrong -- he said that the costs will probably go up a lot because of the delay but the Herald is reporting the overall cost is $159M. My understanding is that the cost of some construction materials (e.g. steel) has actually fallen lately because of the real estate bust in the US. Bousquet has also repeatedly and presumably purposefully conflated the public cost for the convention centre ($159M) with the overall price tag for the entire complex, including private office tower and hotel tower.

Bousquet's claim that the convention centre "could" bankrupt the city is a scare tactic. The city's share is $56M and its annual budget is something like $700M. While HRM may be on the hook if there are cost overruns the idea that it would go bankrupt from the convention centre is far-fetched.

someone123 · #**2927** Posted **Jul 8, 2012, 12:13 AM**

The biggest thing that gets me is the obsession and related distortions, not necessarily the political views. Surely many of his readers must get bored of the weekly "dirt" dug up on Peter Kelly. The estate issue is even less relevant now that Kelly has announced that he's not running again.

They must really love him in city hall.

DigitalNinja · #**2928** Posted **Jul 8, 2012, 12:42 AM**

This is me while reading his tweets.

http://youtu.be/WL1foQKD3OI

halifaxboyns · #**2929** Posted **Jul 8, 2012, 7:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I hope someone puts Tim Bousquet on suicide watch. Maybe he will chain himself to one of the old Herald foundation pilings...

Perhaps he may become part of the CC as a support column. Then we could say his column supports the CC?

Jstaleness · #**2930** Posted **Jul 9, 2012, 11:01 PM**

From cbc.ca

After months of delay, the provincial government says the developer, Rank Inc., is now ready to break ground. (Rank Inc.)
An opening date has been set for the new trade and convention centre in downtown Halifax, according to a memorandum of agreement between the city and the province.

The Argyle Street complex is expected to open in January 2016.

The Halifax Regional Municipality is set to approve an agreement with the province that could see construction start on the new convention center, hotel and office tower later this year.

After months of delays the price of the $164 million project has increased by $5 million, but the federal government is covering the added cost.

The city and province will cost-share the convention center lease, with an option to buy the building for $1 after 25 years.

Some of the money for the centre will come from new property taxes generated by an 18 story hotel, an office tower, and stores that are part of the larger complex located on two city blocks.

But if those buildings are not finished when the convention center opens, the city can defer part of its annual payment for 10 years.

Developer Joe Ramia is also offering $5 million worth of credit that can be drawn upon.

The province has asked the municipality for a $40,000 contribution toward a new marketing campaign to promote the complex.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/07/09/ns-convention-centre-opening-date.html

DigitalNinja · #**2931** Posted **Jul 9, 2012, 11:24 PM**

Great article! Can't wait to see some equipment on this site! 4 years though construction... Supertalls go up faster than that.

JustinMacD · #**2932** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 12:01 AM**

Bousquet seems incredibly mentally unstable.

Keith P. · #**2933** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 12:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Bousquet seems incredibly mentally unstable.

I was just reading his Twitter feed and he must be on some really good stuff tonight. He's talking about affordable housing for the site, dropping nuclear bombs as an experiment... just unreal.

fenwick16 · #**2934** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 1:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I was just reading his Twitter feed and he must be on some really good stuff tonight. He's talking about affordable housing for the site, dropping nuclear bombs as an experiment... just unreal.

Thumbs up to Councillor Sloane (downtowndawn) for defending the convention centre on Tim Bousquets twitter page - https://twitter.com/Tim_Bousquet .

Tim Bousquet has been ranting for almost 2 straight days now about the convention centre. Somehow Tim Bousquet thinks that building the convention centre is equivalent to a a "nuclear winter" experiment. I would say that is just a little bit extreme even for Tim Bousquet.

DigitalNinja · #**2935** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 2:32 AM**

He's made 63 tweets today...

I wonder where people get this sense of self entitlement from. And the "I'm right because I say I'm right." mentality. Like holy F, get off your damn high horse just because you write articles for a crappy FREE newspaper doesn't mean that you're a smart guy.

musicman · #**2936** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 2:45 AM**

I think he dove into the shallow end of the pool... He's definitly loosing his marbles.

someone123 · #**2937** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 2:48 AM**

It looks like the increase in cost from the delay is $5M, but that amount will be absorbed by the federal government, not the city. Of course, it's also a bit misleading to focus on the dollar amount of the increase without mentioning that over a period of a year or more the overall inflation rate in Canada was a few percentage points, which works out to a few million dollars for this project. In other words, the real value of money being forked over by the government for this project is only marginally higher now.

Looking forward to an excavation start.

fenwick16 · #**2938** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 3:15 AM**

Here is a link to the "Convention Centre Memorandum of Agreement" to be discussed in Council tomorrow - http://halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/120710ca1119.pdf

Jstaleness · #**2939** Posted **Jul 10, 2012, 4:00 PM**

As per News957 Council voted "yes" to all 3 of the votes today for this project.

Wishblade · #**2940** Posted **Jul 11, 2012, 2:22 AM**

And it looks like theres more news to come from the developer. I suspect it is probably the announcement of tenants:

Quote:

Rank promises 'special' convention centre announcement
Politicians from all levels of government expected for Thursday event

A public statement on the future of the proposed convention centre in downtown Halifax is set for Thursday, as another hurdle facing the development was cleared Tuesday at city hall.

After some heated debate, Halifax regional council endorsed an agreement with the Nova Scotia government over the centre.

Council already voted in favour of the convention complex in December 2010 and has now approved a memorandum of agreement outlining funding and operating arrangements between the two governments.

Halifax developer Rank Inc. has sent out invitations for “a special announcement” about the planned project. Politicians from all three levels of government have been asked to attend the event at Neptune Theatre at 10:30 a.m.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/115380-rank-promises-special-convention-centre-announcement