General Updates and News

[JET]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

A fence has gone up around the old H&R Block building on Rainie Dr. Demolition is imminent.

is there something planned for that location?

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by JET

is there something planned for that location?

Yep!

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=206450

[JET]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Yep!

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=206450

hmmm, looks like we're going to have a lot of Alpine Skiing roofs in Halifax

[mcmcclassic]

I don't know if this has been posted yet, but it looks to be a fairly significant sub-urban proposal for Bedford. I think it'll be by the old Day's Inn near Larry Uteck Dr. but located on the Bedford Highway. 2 10 storey buildings perched on 1 floor of commercial space.

Link: http://www.halifax.ca/planning/documents/Case18705Plans_2013_07_03.pdf

[wackypacky]

There is fencing up and a mobile crane on site at the Mic Mac Mall parking lot where ford usually sets up. No idea what for.

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by wackypacky

There is fencing up and a mobile crane on site at the Mic Mac Mall parking lot where ford usually sets up. No idea what for.

Q104 is going to drop a giant pumpkin in the parking lot

[mcmcclassic]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

Q104 is going to drop a giant pumpkin in the parking lot

Saw it driving to work today. 780lbs of pumpkin! Apparently according to the Q, there were ping pong balls inside the pumpkin. The person's ball who landed closest to the centre of a target they painted won a trip to see Ozzy in The Netherlands.

[wackypacky]

Originally Posted by mcmcclassic

Saw it driving to work today. 780lbs of pumpkin! Apparently according to the Q, there were ping pong balls inside the pumpkin. The person's ball who landed closest to the centre of a target they painted won a trip to see Ozzy in The Netherlands.

bahaha finally I think I have some construction info to share and its a pumpkin drop.

[someone123]

I think this is a new angle for 1057 Barrington (Southport):


http://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/southport1

[JET]

Originally Posted by someone123

I think this is a new angle for 1057 Barrington (Southport):


http://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/southport1

looks better from that angle

[scooby074]

Originally Posted by JET

looks better from that angle

I agree.

The multicolour "containers" on the front dont look so obvious from this angle.

Now, the balconies ... hmmm. A bit ugly. They'd look better with open fronts, maybe glass like the Vic, or rails or something. It looks like a solid wall of white there, parking garage-esque.

[TheNovaScotian]

Most of that is just reflection on the clear balconies.

My only problem with it other than maybe a few stories taller is the giant blank wall along whatever road is on the lower right of the rendering.
If that's down at the south end of Barrington, we already have that suburban looking catastrophe that kills what could be a lot busier part of Barrington.
https://maps.google.ca/maps?rlz=1C1DVCJ_enCA495CA495&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

Most of that is just reflection on the clear balconies.

My only problem with it other than maybe a few stories taller is the giant blank wall along whatever road is on the lower right of the rendering.
If that's down at the south end of Barrington, we already have that suburban looking catastrophe that kills what could be a lot busier part of Barrington.
https://maps.google.ca/maps?rlz=1C1DVCJ_enCA495CA495&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl

Given the location, that must be an access road to the back of the property—there is no public street at that location.

And yeah, I know what you’re saying, but I still like the project. In my opinion, the best way to redevelop this area will be to fill in all those empty lots with these kinds of mid-rise residential buildings, and rehab/storefront-ize all those beautiful Victorians and the saltboxes that are still pretty numerous between Kent and Inglis, in order to create a historical/contemporary mix, add a lot of population, and make it more of the main street Barrington should be.

Once that’s done, I’ll have no objections should developers want to start tearing down the 1960s-80s apartment buildings and doubling their density.

[Dmajackson]

The provincial Justice and Energy departments will be moving into the Joe Howe Building on Hollis Street (next to the namesake's statue) in the new year. The building is currently undergoing a complete interior and exterior overhaul.

Source : "Mani Suissa Fills The Howe Building" (November 5th, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

The provincial Justice and Energy departments will be moving into the Joe Howe Building on Hollis Street (next to the namesake's statue) in the new year. The building is currently undergoing a complete interior and exterior overhaul.

Source : "Mani Suissa Fills The Howe Building" (November 5th, 2013) - AllNovaScotia.com

Wow, that's great. Some commitment to downtown Halifax from the provincial government.

Yes, it's actually *okay* for a Provincial Government to locate agencies, departments, and related jobs, in the capital.

In fact, it's both efficient and much more cost effective, especially when civil servants have a right to refuse a move, and do so in droves.

Great to see a change from Dexter's anti-Halifax pandering; ie, moving provincial departments and jobs out of town.

(I realize Energy and Justice were already somewhere else downtown. But still. )

[scooby074]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Wow, that's great. Some commitment to downtown Halifax from the provincial government.

Yes, it's actually *okay* for a Provincial Government to locate agencies, departments, and related jobs, in the capital.

In fact, it's both efficient and much more cost effective, especially when civil servants have a right to refuse a move, and do so in droves.

Great to see a change from Dexter's anti-Halifax pandering; ie, moving provincial departments and jobs out of town.

(I realize Energy and Justice were already somewhere else downtown. But still. )

I agree that "capital city" is the proper place for government agencies and their offices, but the fact that the employees involved in Dexters (ill advised) move were allowed to refuse moving to new locations speaks volumes about how entitled and overpowered the gov. employees union is.

Any other job and you'd be out on your 🞵🞵🞵.

When are we going to get these gov. unions under control, eliminate half those positions and start lowering my taxes!!!!

Sorry for the Kieth like rant, but that's one thing that grinds my gears here in this over taxed, over managed province.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Wow, that's great. Some commitment to downtown Halifax from the provincial government.

Yes, it's actually *okay* for a Provincial Government to locate agencies, departments, and related jobs, in the capital.

In fact, it's both efficient and much more cost effective, especially when civil servants have a right to refuse a move, and do so in droves.

Great to see a change from Dexter's anti-Halifax pandering; ie, moving provincial departments and jobs out of town.

(I realize Energy and Justice were already somewhere else downtown. But still. )

Dexter's choice to fulfill past broken promises made by the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives over the last few decades to relocate provincial jobs to other municipalities pissed me off too.

Even though I supported the NDP more than the other parties, I've always been adamantly against Dexter's decision to decentralise jobs that should be located in the capital city.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Dexter's choice to fulfill past broken promises made by the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives over the last few decades to relocate provincial jobs to other municipalities pissed me off too.

Even though I supported the NDP more than the other parties, I've always been adamantly against Dexter's decision to decentralise jobs that should be located in the capital city.

Dexter and the NDP were desperate for rural votes, they over compensated, and adopted anti-Halifax policies. He gutted university funding, year over year, dragged his feet on important legislative changes to city charter (probably at the behest of NDP heritage folks), moved government jobs out of town, etc.

This is why Dexter/NDP support in the last election collapsed in Halifax. HRM used to be Fortress NDP, electorally, not so anymore.

The Liberals are looking to make permanent in roads, which is a smart move as eventually you'll be able to form government in the province with Halifax alone (Halifax is growing, while population dwindling elsewhere).

[ILoveHalifax]

In spite of all our problems here in Nova Scotia, Halifax is a success story. Relatively good employment figures, wages, growth, etc. If Halifax were not doing as well as it is this province would be much worse off.
It is important that any government make every effort to encourage Halifax.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

In spite of all our problems here in Nova Scotia, Halifax is a success story. Relatively good employment figures, wages, growth, etc. If Halifax were not doing as well as it is this province would be much worse off.
It is important that any government make every effort to encourage Halifax.

I just had a long Twitter conversation with a guy convinced that Halifax is a pit of economic ruin and a terrible place to be a job seeker. he was not convinced by my arguments to the contrary, even when I pointed out that the unemployment and labour-market participation rate was better than any of the country's biggest cities, median incomes are higher, etc.

There seems to be a deep thread of incorrigible pessimism that some people simply refuse to shake, imagining that if they moved to TO/Van they'd be rolling in job offers and money. Facts and perception are often deeply out of sync.

Anyway, I hope you're right, but McNeil has made a big fuss about being the premier who understands rural Nova Scotia, etc.--which is important, but let's hope he understands how important it is to foster the Maritimes' most important urban centre as well.