Development Rumours

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

I kid

This is completely unrealistic.

This is Canada: it's spelt 'Supercentre'.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

To politely disagree, I kinda think Gladstone Ridge is kind've, like, a terrible building in every way!

Regardless, there's really no scenario in which demolishing the armoury building is remotely acceptable. It's a federally designated historical site of enormous national significance, and it's a major local architectural landmark.

I think Keith makes a good point that a residential conversion would be tricky due to, you know, no windows. Some kind of event or athletic space or large-large-large format retail would seem to be the solution. But retail tenants that need spaces like this are pretty few and far between.

Maybe turn half The Commons into parking and make it the world's first urban IKEA.

Gladstone Ridge isn't that bad. The worst part is the roof design, otherwise it integrates that community fairly well with the housing component.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Gladstone Ridge isn't that bad... it integrates that community fairly well with the housing component.

Uh, but, like, this.

Not to be argumentative, that's just so nasty from a streetscape perspective.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Uh, but, like, this.

Not to be argumentative, that's just so nasty from a streetscape perspective.

Yes, that side 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵... but its in part due to what's across the street. If it had a sidewalk and buried lines it would be half decent.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Yes, that side 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵... but its in part due to what's across the street. If it had a sidewalk and buried lines it would be half decent.

I disagree - a sidewalk against what's essentially the 🞵🞵🞵-end of a building does not a decent streetscape make. Full points for the Gladstone side, but the side with the parking entrances is poor.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I disagree - a sidewalk against what's essentially the 🞵🞵🞵-end of a building does not a decent streetscape make. Full points for the Gladstone side, but the side with the parking entrances is poor.

Yes, I agree. Wow, they could've really done that side better. I would've suggested some street oriented townhousing units so that you got better eyes on this street.

Yes, there may still be some industrial/commercial uses there but that's the neighbourhood is changing and they will move/go away when the land value reaches the tipping point that those uses are not economical anymore.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I disagree - a sidewalk against what's essentially the 🞵🞵🞵-end of a building does not a decent streetscape make. Full points for the Gladstone side, but the side with the parking entrances is poor.

Yeah. The other side of Clifton is terrible now, but won't be forever.

Probably most/all of the block will eventually transition from industrial/commercial use to higher-density residential, and all the garages and sheds and the Quonset hut will be torn down--but the big blank wall on the other side will be there in perpetuity.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I disagree - a sidewalk against what's essentially the 🞵🞵🞵-end of a building does not a decent streetscape make. Full points for the Gladstone side, but the side with the parking entrances is poor.

I disagree... the overgrowth will look good eventually. You could argue the back of Park Victoria is worse except it has a sidewalk. There is event a path further down.

If across the street was another set of towers with a pedestrian friendly front, it would all be perfectly fine.

I don't expect perfection from the back of the building its the least of that side of the development's problems.

Get rid of all that 🞵🞵🞵🞵 on the other side of the street and redevelop. This whole area has so much potential.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

... the overgrowth will look good eventually. You could argue the back of Park Victoria is worse except it has a sidewalk. There is event a path further down....

Winter will come, and the overgrowth will die.

The back of Park Victoria may be bad, but that doesn't give future developments in this city a free pass in being just as bad or marginally better. "Oh, you think Project A, B, or C is bad? You know, Scotia Square exists, right?"

The connecting path between the apartments and the seniors' facility is a nice thing, but it doesn't diminish the lousy attitude the rear takes toward the street. I like the Gladstone side with all the townhouses too... I just think the backside is weak.

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

...If across the street was another set of towers with a pedestrian friendly front, it would all be perfectly fine.....

I don't agree - I still think it would receive a failing grade. Better developments across the street would be hampered by quite a stretch of blankness.

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

....I don't expect perfection from the back of the building its the least of that side of the development's problems...

There may be bigger "problems, but the way the building treats the street doesn't do enough to fix those problems. I understand Gladstone shouldn't be expected to fix the evils of a full street of questionable residences and semi-industrial spaces, but I would argue that by treating the street as a back alley, the development encourages future uses consistent with a 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 street - or nice wide flat back alley.

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

...Get rid of all that 🞵🞵🞵🞵 on the other side of the street and redevelop. This whole area has so much potential.

I agree. Lots of potential. It's a great location for some density.

[bluenoser]

Originally Posted by someone123

Allns reported tonight that Pacrim Hospitality is planning to build a hotel downtown, to be announced early in 2014.

I wonder if they are planning a 'Cambria Suites' for Halifax? This article makes it seem like higher-end chain but I don't know much about it.

Pacrim tries out lifestyle hotels
BRUCE ERSKINE BUSINESS REPORTER
Published January 23, 2014 - 7:17pm

Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc. is getting into the lifestyle hotel business.

The Bedford hotel management and development company said Thursday it has joined forces with Driftwood Hospitality Management, LLC of Florida to form Maplewood Hotels & Resorts.

Maplewood is partnering with Choice Hotels International, Inc. of Maryland, one of the world’s largest hotel companies, to develop new Cambria Suites properties in Canada.

“We expect to have a minimum of five Cambria Suites Hotels under construction in 2014, with openings to occur starting in (the) spring of 2015,” Pacrim chief executive officer Glenn Squires said in a news release.

...

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1181725-pacrim-tries-out-lifestyle-hotels

[someone123]

Originally Posted by bluenoser

I wonder if they are planning a 'Cambria Suites' for Halifax? This article makes it seem like higher-end chain but I don't know much about it.

Based on the information so far this seems pretty likely.

Here's a small rendering of the White Plains, NY hotel. It's the sort of thing one could imagine being built in Halifax:


Source

One of the interesting remaining questions is where this would go downtown. There aren't very many privately-owned empty lots remaining in the area.

[someone123]

Actually in AllNS tonight there were some comments from one of the owners of Pacrim Hospitality. He stated that the boutique hotel project is expected to have on the order of 150 rooms and is separate from the Cambria Suites projects, although he expects at least one of those to be built in the Halifax area too.

Apparently one of the potential sites for the hotel is vacant and the other is not. They're in the Spring Garden Road/Grafton/Argyle area.

It would be cool to see something built on the lot next to St. Mary's but that seems unlikely.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by someone123

Actually in AllNS tonight there were some comments from one of the owners of Pacrim Hospitality. He stated that the boutique hotel project is expected to have on the order of 150 rooms and is separate from the Cambria Suites projects, although he expects at least one of those to be built in the Halifax area too.

Apparently one of the potential sites for the hotel is vacant and the other is not. They're in the Spring Garden Road/Grafton/Argyle area.

It would be cool to see something built on the lot next to St. Mary's but that seems unlikely.

The article last night mentioned that one site was vacant and one was part of a project underway. I was just reading up on the New Halifax YMCA development and apparently some of the residential space can be used as a boutique hotel.

[xanaxanax]

As I haven't seen anything posted here yet, here's a pending proposal for a new museum along the Dartmouth waterfront http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/924231/...useum-approved-for-dartmouth-waterfront/

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by xanaxanax

As I haven't seen anything posted here yet, here's a pending proposal for a new museum along the Dartmouth waterfront http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/924231/...useum-approved-for-dartmouth-waterfront/

Interesting... they weren't specific about what land they would use, though to me the best option would be to tear down the old city hall building, as in its current state it detracts from the area, and build a new museum on that site. It would be good for Dartmouth, and easily accessible to Haligonians and tourists alike via the ferry.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Interesting... they weren't specific about what land they would use, though to me the best option would be to tear down the old city hall building, as in its current state it detracts from the area, and build a new museum on that site. It would be good for Dartmouth, and easily accessible to Haligonians and tourists alike via the ferry.

From a street-scaled urbanist perspective, Dartmouth City Hall is terrible, but aesthetically it's kind've a little brutalist gem of the kind we don't have many in Halifax. I'd be a bit saddened to see it go. (Not enough to mount a fight about it or anything.)

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

From a street-scaled urbanist perspective, Dartmouth City Hall is terrible, but aesthetically it's kind've a little brutalist gem of the kind we don't have many in Halifax. I'd be a bit saddened to see it go. (Not enough to mount a fight about it or anything.)

While I'm typically a little sentimental about buildings I grew up around, I've never been a fan of brutalist architecture and thus have never grown fond of the aesthetic of this building. Just personal taste in this case.

Also I think where this is a really prominent location for Dartmouth, it would be appropriate to replace it with something really significant if not a little "over the top" (but not garish... lol). An "iconic" (to overuse an overused term) building with great presence from the harbour (and Halifax) side would really be a great addition to the area, IMHO. Though I'm sure it would not be without its opposition for being "wasteful", as is the case with the new library.

[halifaxboyns]

This is one of Calgary's contributions to brutalist architecture. I get to look at it every day out my window and on my walk to work (because if you spin the streetview 'man' around 90 degrees, that's my condo building). You can also see my rather enjoyably short walk to work - since City Hall is to the east (right) of Olympic Plaza when you look at the downtown map.

But there is a move to save it as it may demolished and I have to admit - I'm neither here nor there about it. But I want the plaza next to it retained, it's quite nice.

The Dartmouth City Hall I was always meh about so if it's kept or removed, I'm not too worried.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

This is one of Calgary's contributions to brutalist architecture. I get to look at it every day out my window and on my walk to work (because if you spin the streetview 'man' around 90 degrees, that's my condo building). You can also see my rather enjoyably short walk to work - since City Hall is to the east (right) of Olympic Plaza when you look at the downtown map.

But there is a move to save it as it may demolished and I have to admit - I'm neither here nor there about it. But I want the plaza next to it retained, it's quite nice.

The Dartmouth City Hall I was always meh about so if it's kept or removed, I'm not too worried.

Yeah, same kind of thing, plus I find these structures tend to look really bad when they reach 20 - 30 years and the concrete becomes dirty and stained. Just makes them look rundown before their time, even though they are probably still completely functional buildings.

By the way, that's a great commute you have! I'm envious!

[someone123]

Rumour has it that 5525 Artillery Pl, the building with P9, might soon be redeveloped into an 8-storey mixed-use building. The building might be torn down and replaced or the owners might add some extra floors on top.