[Halifax] The Maple | 72 m | 21 fl | Completed

[JET]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

^New surface parking lots are banned in the Downtown area.

Besides it looks like approval will be next week; Design Review Committee Decision - April 10th, 2014

Staff Report

it would be nice if the surface parking lot ban applied to dartmouth as well.

[Sam wa]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

^New surface parking lots are banned in the Downtown area.

Besides it looks like approval will be next week; Design Review Committee Decision - April 10th, 2014

Staff Report

Great news this. This area has been so bad for so long, I'm really keen to see it developed.

[kph06]

A couple from yesterday:

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by someone123

View from the Citadel. Nova Centre is not shown:

I love how views of the city are starting to replace views of water. Halifax is shedding its small town feel.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I love how views of the city are starting to replace views of water. Halifax is shedding its small town feel.

Problem: only one of these is actually being built right now. The Roy.

Bank of Canada not approved, and may be delayed for years and years because it proposes to modify HRMxD massing rules; and Southwest says they'll wait years until they can build it they way they want. Brewery Market - delayed for years. I doubt it'll ever be built. Cunard Block is finally seeing some life after years, but not really close to being built. Discovery Centre delayed too.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Problem: only one of these is actually being built right now. The Roy.

Bank of Canada not approved, and may be delayed for years and years because it proposes to modify HRMxD massing rules; and Southwest says they'll wait years until they can build it they way they want. Brewery Market - delayed for years. I doubt it'll ever be built. Cunard Block is finally seeing some life after years, but not really close to being built. Discovery Centre delayed too.

I am quite optimistic that the Bank of Canada proposal will be approved this week by the Design Review Committee since City staff is recommending approval in spite of the variances. City staff has done a good presentation of the variances and their rationale for approval - http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/19148Report.pdf. The Design Review Committee will meet on April 10th and decide rather or not to approve it. I think that Southwest wants to proceed as soon as possible based on all the stories that I have read in allnovascotia.com.

The Nova Centre is well underway and it isn't shown in the illustration as pointed out by someone123. So that view will certainly change in the next couple of years.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I am quite optimistic that the Bank of Canada proposal will be approved this week by the Design Review Committee since City staff is recommending approval in spite of the variances. City staff has done a good presentation of the variances and their rationale for approval - http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/19148Report.pdf. The Design Review Committee will meet on April 10th and decide rather or not to approve it. I think that Southwest wants to proceed as soon as possible based on all the stories that I have read in allnovascotia.com.

The Nova Centre is well underway and it isn't shown in the illustration as pointed out by someone123. So that view will certainly change in the next couple of years.

Thanks Fenwick, I hope you're right. I think the BoC development is a fantastic one. My question: if DRC approves, must it go to Council for a vote? I'm guessing so, because of the variances?

My other hope for this particular block, is that the city finally wakes up, smells the coffee, and invokes its right to buy back the Tex Park land from United Gulf, and re-sells it to a serious developer like Southwest or Louis Lawen.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Thanks Fenwick, I hope you're right. I think the BoC development is a fantastic one. My question: if DRC approves, must it go to Council for a vote? I'm guessing so, because of the variances?

My other hope for this particular block, is that the city finally wakes up, smells the coffee, and invokes its right to buy back the Tex Park land from United Gulf, and re-sells it to a serious developer like Southwest or Louis Lawen.

I might be wrong but I think City approval is only required for substantial alterations to heritage buildings.

[Duff]

One from today.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Problem: only one of these is actually being built right now. The Roy.

Bank of Canada not approved, and may be delayed for years and years because it proposes to modify HRMxD massing rules; and Southwest says they'll wait years until they can build it they way they want. Brewery Market - delayed for years. I doubt it'll ever be built. Cunard Block is finally seeing some life after years, but not really close to being built. Discovery Centre delayed too.

And word is that the Brewery Tower will be starting in a years time as a rental building.

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

And word is that the Brewery Tower will be starting in a years time as a rental building.

AWESOME! I really hope that it stays similar to the existing plan, as Halifax needs a new point tower in its skyline!

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by beyeas

AWESOME! I really hope that it stays similar to the existing plan, as Halifax needs a new point tower in its skyline!

And a great southern step down from MC to give the skyline some more length.

Not to mention the big gap on lower water.

Great news.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

And word is that the Brewery Tower will be starting in a years time as a rental building.

Source? ANS?

[counterfactual]

BREAKING: Approved tonight by the DRC.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

BREAKING: Approved tonight by the DRC.

Great news. I wonder how long before we see excavation (the demolition should be done soon).

[someone123]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Great news. I wonder how long before we see excavation (the demolition should be done soon).

Given the approval I thought the plan was for this one to go pretty much straight from demolition to excavation to construction. It's apartments, not condos.

[someone123]

This Herald article gives a run-down of the recently-approved projects and states that construction for this particular project is set to begin in early May: http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1199991-taylor-a-building-boom-for-halifax

[bluenoser]

They are jackhammering through the basement vault; there is a short video with this article:

Bank vault chamber gets noisy jack hammer

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by bluenoser

They are jackhammering through the basement vault; there is a short video with this article:

Bank vault chamber gets noisy jack hammer

Was down there Saturday about one block away and the hammer could be heard loud and clear. Between the impacts I heard a father explaining to his young son about the origin of the noise - you couldn't be there and not notice it.

It definitely sounds like they built the vault correctly.

[kph06]

Tonight: