Development Rumours

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Empire

This would be an ideal site for a new Art Gallery and Arts Centre combo......

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=halifax&hl...YPgljNRLs8HhykmVnXlhhw&cbp=12,53.17,,0,0

Agreed - I'd love to see a little more cultural use at the water's edge... seems like it would be fitting for a city that has historically had its fortunes tied closely to the water and water's edge.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

Agreed - I'd love to see a little more cultural use at the water's edge... seems like it would be fitting for a city that has historically had its fortunes tied closely to the water and water's edge.

This would have been a good site for the Convention Centre as well.

As this is WDC land it seems like a good fit for the Art Gallery to pursue. There is very little in Halifax that takes advantage of the waterfront and view. It would be nice to have a grand gallery that opens to the harbour edge. Many paintings in the AGNS are of the harbour and the square riggers that had a commercial or military presence here.

[OUIR@random]

Originally Posted by essaysmith

I just got back from Chicago and was surprised that EVERY residential tower, parking garage, office building has ground floor retail on the first floor or two. Why don't we do that? There was a parking garage with a Whole Foods on the ground floor and some of the parking within was designated grocery store parking. This allowed the store to go right to the curb and hid the fact that there was a parking garage there as well.

I guess this type of restriction could be added to the HRM zoning by-law? Retail is mandatory on the first level of any parking garage in Chicago per their current zoning by-law. Also, often you have retail and a few parking levels, then residential floors or office floors and sometimes you can't even tell that there is parking because from the outside you can't notice any difference with the finish or aesthetics of the building. Ex: John Hancock Center; retail, parking, offices, residential units, observatory. Fun fact: they have the highest grocery store in the world there (44th floor).

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

Fun fact: they have the highest grocery store in the world there (44th floor).

I guess we will never go after that record since we cannot build over 20 floors.

[OUIR@random]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

I guess we will never go after that record since we cannot build over 20 floors.

In Moncton we would LOVE something higher than 20 floors, probably because it won't happen anytime soon.

... I did not know that 20 stories or higher can't be build in Halifax, is that new? I knew there was something for the Citadel. There are some higher than that currently (20 floors), correct? In any event, I don't like it when cities put restrictions on heights. There are worst things than tall buildings, but I'm biased; I love skyscrapers! Halifax does have a little & nice, balanced skyline.

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

In Moncton we would LOVE something higher than 20 floors, probably because it won't happen anytime soon.

... I did not know that 20 stories or higher can't be build in Halifax, is that new? I knew there was something for the Citadel. There are some higher than that currently (20 floors), correct? In any event, I don't like it when cities put restrictions on heights. There are worst things than tall buildings, but I'm biased; I love skyscrapers! Halifax does have a little & nice, balanced skyline.

I don't know what the rule is but 'The Friends Of..' or 'The Save The..." will be all up in arms.

[OUIR@random]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

I don't know what the rule is but 'The Friends Of..' or 'The Save The..." will be all up in arms.

the save & the friends of... are important and have a place in the process, but sometimes we have to get down to business, regardless of...
Just my 2 cents... .
These groups seems very strong in Halifax...

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

the save & the friends of... are important and have a place in the process, but sometimes we have to get down to business, regardless of...
Just my 2 cents... .
These groups seems very strong in Halifax...

I genuinely don't feel they're that much stronger of more vocal in Halifax than in other cities. I do feel that since the city saw so little development for so long, NIMBY groups like that got a lot of blame. And there is the added issue of the Citadel viewplanes in Halifax, but really, similar NIMBY groups are easily found in every city, objecting to everything.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

the save & the friends of... are important and have a place in the process, but sometimes we have to get down to business, regardless of...
Just my 2 cents... .
These groups seems very strong in Halifax...

You mean there's no "Friends of Moncton's phallic skyline" or "Save the Mud"?

[OUIR@random]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

You mean there's no "Friends of Moncton's phallic skyline" or "Save the Mud"?

Absolutely! LOL
I must say, when I first came to Moncton I saw the ''NBTel'' Tower and Assumption Place and thought... hum, ok!?

[counterfactual]

Anyone hear anything about potential new tenants for the old HMV location on Spring Garden Road?

I thought it would be a natural place for a higher end clothing retail (H&M? GAP/Club Monaco?) to move in, given Roots/American Apparel and some other new shops around. And I thought this would happen quickly.

By September, it'll almost be a year since HMV announced it was leaving. And it's still an empty storefront.

Lame. Who owns that block? And do they have a clue how to bring in proper new retail shops?

[someone123]

I often wonder how much of the lack of tenants is due to a lack of a local market versus mismanagement (including underinvestment and poorly configured spaces) or other problems. It's strange that even Park Lane doesn't really have an anchor tenant and that the HMV space has been empty for so long.

One thing I've noticed is a huge difference in the level of success of different properties based on the landlords. One good example is Carsand-Mosher on Barrington, which was renovated and occupied by a nice mix of new tenants relatively quickly. Meanwhile, there are a couple of small buildings along Spring Garden Road that languish despite very high rents nearby. My guess is that there are just good and bad landlords, and that the bad ones don't invest in their properties or try to find tenants. This exists even in large, very expensive cities.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

I often wonder how much of the lack of tenants is due to a lack of a local market versus mismanagement (including underinvestment and poorly configured spaces) or other problems. It's strange that even Park Lane doesn't really have an anchor tenant and that the HMV space has been empty for so long.

One thing I've noticed is a huge difference in the level of success of different properties based on the landlords. One good example is Carsand-Mosher on Barrington, which was renovated and occupied by a nice mix of new tenants relatively quickly. Meanwhile, there are a couple of small buildings along Spring Garden Road that languish despite very high rents nearby. My guess is that there are just good and bad landlords, and that the bad ones don't invest in their properties or try to find tenants. This exists even in large, very expensive cities.

There's probably a lot of truth to this. There's that one blue Victorian house on Spring Garden that's been empty for years and years, and which the landlords claim to be unable to find tenants for—I find that very unlikely. What I can't explain is why they're content to let their property sit there, earning no revenue and costing them property taxes.

[halifaxboyns]

I suspect the issue is a combination of charging higher than the typical average rent (thinking that Spring Garden has a premium and then jacking that premium even higher) and the configuration of the unit space. Although, I think the HMV location would've been great for a clothing store, but I am not a retail expert.

That little house, from what I hear, is a classic example of taking a premium and charging more. I guess the guy wants crazy rents for what is a very small space and tells people something along the lines of 'it's SGR - get over it'. Well, we see how well that's been working...

But I don't think Park Lane was really thought out or configured to have a major tenant beyond the movie theatres. I don't recall any major store being the key tenant, but my memory is rather fuzzy.

Just know I'm glad to be back now that the flooding recovery is in full swing and I'm back in my apartment.

[ILoveHalifax]

My brother and his wife have operated successful retail in the metro area for decades. Over that time they have been asked to open in various space, Park Lane being one of them, Historic Properties another. In both cases they decided the rent was far greater than they were prepared to pay. Too much of their intake would go just to pay the rent.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by someone123

I often wonder how much of the lack of tenants is due to a lack of a local market versus mismanagement (including underinvestment and poorly configured spaces) or other problems. It's strange that even Park Lane doesn't really have an anchor tenant and that the HMV space has been empty for so long.

One thing I've noticed is a huge difference in the level of success of different properties based on the landlords. One good example is Carsand-Mosher on Barrington, which was renovated and occupied by a nice mix of new tenants relatively quickly. Meanwhile, there are a couple of small buildings along Spring Garden Road that languish despite very high rents nearby. My guess is that there are just good and bad landlords, and that the bad ones don't invest in their properties or try to find tenants. This exists even in large, very expensive cities.

I absolutely think it is bad management.

How is it that you have a bunch of top name brand retailers out in the middle of nowhere in Dartmouth Commons, but you can't get a single one to move in down on Spring Garden, the busiest street east of Montreal?

I think whoever owns that building is an absentee landlord and has no connections and no clue how to bring in proper tenants.

Another problem: the landlords on SGR were all starstruck by the $$$$ Starbucks paid for that corner. Now they're all sitting around waiting for a Starbucks, but it's not going to happen. You have to do things to attract top end tenants. Sometimes that means making a bit of a deal. Instead, we have another empty storefront on Spring Garden Road, which is simply preposterous.

If not some clothing retail, I'd love to see a Chapters at the HMV. Or maybe a downtown Apple store (though I think both could fit better on Barrington).

[someone123]

There's going to be a $12M, 18,000 square foot expansion of Pier 21, to be completed by 2015. Sounds like they are going to expand the museum into Shed 22 next door.

[TheNovaScotian]

After over 150 years as a womens retiremnt facility Victoria Hall on Gottigen St. is for sale and is advertised as a development site.

I am of two minds, I've been inside of it and it was in pristine condition due to the single use of this buildings inception. I believe that this building is a piece of Halifax's history, many war widows and grandmothers have live out their final days.,

If the developer, through density bonus, added to the overall height allowances on the large part of the lot backing Crieghton St. We could save the hall from being torn down by restoring it with the proceeds. Add a much needed urban format grocery store maybe even a co-op on the ground floor commercial and all of a sudden it becomes a draw for the whole area

With the area in such a renaissance, my thoughts are this is a perfect spot for the city to help the north end by continuing to add units to this area to keep the rents low and raising the standard of living at the same time.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

After over 150 years as a womens retirement facility Victoria Hall on Gottigen St. is for sale and is advertised as a development site.

I am of two minds, I've been inside of it and it was in pristine condition due to the single use of this buildings inception. I believe that this building is a piece of Halifax's history, many war widows and grandmothers have live out their final days.,

If the developer, through density bonus, added to the overall height allowances on the large part of the lot backing Crieghton St. We could save the hall from being torn down by restoring it with the proceeds. Add a much needed urban format grocery store maybe even a co-op on the ground floor commercial and all of a sudden it becomes a draw for the whole area

With the area in such a renaissance, my thoughts are this is a perfect spot for the city to help the north end by continuing to add units to this area to keep the rents low and raising the standard of living at the same time.

Hasn't it been on the market for a few months?

It's a registered heritage property, and I don't think many people would be excited about demolishing it, so I'm fairly certain it's safe-ish, especially since it is, as you say, in pristine condition. (The retirement home had a hard time maintaining it, but I think that says more about their finances than the condition of the structure).

I'd imagine any decent developer will plan to build on the big lot behind it and use the Hall itself as a boutique component of a residential project, or maybe commercial, though it's set a bit far back from Gottingen for that. The brochure for it stresses the heritaginess of the property

To not retain the entire structure would be, well, stupid.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Hasn't it been on the market for a few months?

It's a registered heritage property, and I don't think many people would be excited about demolishing it, so I'm fairly certain it's safe-ish, especially since it is, as you say, in pristine condition. (The retirement home had a hard time maintaining it, but I think that says more about their finances than the condition of the structure).

I'd imagine any decent developer will plan to build on the big lot behind it and use the Hall itself as a boutique component of a residential project, or maybe commercial, though it's set a bit far back from Gottingen for that. The brochure for it stresses the heritaginess of the property

To not retain the entire structure would be, well, stupid.

This might be a great example of what HbD conceived as a heritage addition - retaining the existing building and then using the remainder of the site to build on to. This is an example of such an addition - here in Calgary at the former King Edward school (a historic old sandstone school). It's a lovely building and I believe DJ had friends who lived right next to it.