[Halifax] The Roy (1650 Granville) | 71 M | 22 FL | Completed

[Colin May]

An interesting photo which shows the outline of a previous building.

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Wasn't the original plan to disassemble it and later rebuild the facade using most of the original materials?

Maybe that changed along the way and I missed it...

The new Roy building will replicate some features of the historic building but it will neither be a restoration nor a reconstruction. The development agreement says some material may be salvaged.

Here is what the HRM development agreement says:

The base portion of the building shall employ two distinct facade designs. The Barrington Street facade shall be constructed to replicate [emphasis added] the features and materials of the original Roy Building. Stone from the existing structure shall be utilized in the new construction where possible. New brick cladding or precast concrete veneer shall be similar in appearance to the brick on the Johnston Building. The Granville and Sackville Street facades shall consist primarily of a combination of brick/stone or precast concrete veneer and glass. Stone, masonry or precast concrete veneer on the first two levels above grade shall appear similar to the stone on the Johnston Building. Brick or precast material on the upper levels of the base shall appear similar to the brickwork of the Johnston Building.

https://www.halifax.ca/Council/agend...412ca1117i.pdf

[someone123]

I figured the most likely outcome would be new brickwork with some preserved stone from around the doorway of the old building.

I wish the DAs were a bit more specific about requiring more attractive materials on facades, particularly on lower floors. Large precast panels (concrete blocks look okay -- the Waterford is a good example) should not be permitted on Barrington, at least on lower floors highly visible from street level. I don't think that's the plan but it's hard to tell from the agreement. If you look at some of the elevations for developments like the TD building or Discovery Centre they do mention specific materials like copper but I don't think these are actually binding in any way. Developers can produce renderings and elevations that suggest a certain quality of materials and then substitute in something cheaper after they get approval.

The existing Roy facade was not in great shape so I could see the new building being a big improvement. It's also nice that they're keeping the Vogue building on the corner.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

The new Roy building will replicate some features of the historic building but it will neither be a restoration nor a reconstruction. The development agreement says some material may be salvaged.

Here is what the HRM development agreement says:

The base portion of the building shall employ two distinct facade designs. The Barrington Street facade shall be constructed to replicate [emphasis added] the features and materials of the original Roy Building. Stone from the existing structure shall be utilized in the new construction where possible. New brick cladding or precast concrete veneer shall be similar in appearance to the brick on the Johnston Building. The Granville and Sackville Street facades shall consist primarily of a combination of brick/stone or precast concrete veneer and glass. Stone, masonry or precast concrete veneer on the first two levels above grade shall appear similar to the stone on the Johnston Building. Brick or precast material on the upper levels of the base shall appear similar to the brickwork of the Johnston Building.

https://www.halifax.ca/Council/agend...412ca1117i.pdf

Thanks for clarifying that!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

made short work of it. I posted some video at http://buildingtheroy.tumblr.com/

Wow! That's quite a photo. Wonder what old building belonged to the outline on the wall?

Also, if that vertical separation in the brickwork just above the right side of the old roof outline is any indication of the structural integrity of the building, it looks like demolition of The Roy was the only real option.

Will there be any archaeology of the site before construction commences? My understanding from reading Halifax Underground was that excavation of old sites in the downtown core would have some degree of archaeological investigation before construction starts.

A good book, by the way, for anybody interested in the downtown.

http://www.amazon.ca/Underground-Halifax-Stories-Archaeology-City/dp/1551095270

[Ziobrop]

This is the Vogue Building Site in 1933. Note the Roy is Present. But not yet the vouge. Was hoping to find its neighbors down granville.

[halifaxboyns]

Well had a beltline route - that's funny.
That's what we call the communities south of 9 Avenue/CPR tracks in the Centre City of Calgary!

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

This is the Vogue Building Site in 1933. Note the Roy is Present. But not yet the vouge. Was hoping to find its neighbors down granville.

Nice photo - forgot that Woolworth's was once in the building. Would be neat to see what that building on Granville looked like.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Well had a beltline route - that's funny.
That's what we call the communities south of 9 Avenue/CPR tracks in the Centre City of Calgary!

Ssshh ... We cant let Calgary know they copied us. It'll make them angry and when Calgary's angry, Harper is angry.

It appears it was Route 1 which was the loop route servicing Downtown, Quinpool, Oxford and Coburg/SGR.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Nice photo - forgot that Woolworth's was once in the building. Would be neat to see what that building on Granville looked like.

was trying to find the house that left its outline. on the Granville Sackville Corner. Alas no luck

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Well had a beltline route - that's funny.

That was a great picture, Ziobrop. Yes, the Belt Line was the main tram car route in Halifax, circling the downtown from Duke Street, along Barrington to Spring Garden/Coburg to Oxford, to Quinpool/Cogswell, to Brunswick and back to Duke. Route 1 ran clockwise and route 2, counterclockwise, beginning in about 1922. The route (and the name) was maintained in 1949 when the trams were replaced by electric trolley coaches and lasted, I believe, until around 1963, when operator Nova Scotia Light and Power introduced a major route reorganization.

[counterfactual]

Was in the Starbucks on Barrington the other evening, the one across from the Roy.

It was packed! Surprised, because Tim Hortons in there before was dead by early evening, usually.

Maybe the street has some hope.

Not much work going on with the front end of the Roy demolition, but still good to get it going.

[Ziobrop]

They are full swing into the interior gut. They are also punching holes in various walls to the exterior though not nessasarilly visible to the street. Debris comes out a big hole facing sack vile street where the tattoo show was

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

They are full swing into the interior gut. They are also punching holes in various walls to the exterior though not nessasarilly visible to the street. Debris comes out a big hole facing sack vile street where the tattoo show was

You have an interesting collection of construction and demolition pictures. I like this one of the Roy building demolition. I can imagine it as a black and white scene from the old Twilight Zone TV series with Rod Serling providing the narration.

(source: Ziobrop - http://buildingtheroy.tumblr.com/ )

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

You have an interesting collection of construction and demolition pictures. I like this one of the Roy building demolition. I can imagine it as a black and white scene from the old Twilight Zone TV series with Rod Serling providing the narration.

(source: Ziobrop - http://buildingtheroy.tumblr.com/ )

How about wildlife narration by Sir David Attenbrough
"Starved of Masonry, the skidstear is forced to gorge on timber and plaster. It Periodically appears at the entrance of its Den with offerings for its nemesis the excavator..."

[haligonia]

I haven't been following the politics of this development very closely, but I'm excited that it's finally getting off the ground. Just to clarify - once the demolition is finished, does the developer have approval to move directly into construction of the tower?

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by haligonia

I haven't been following the politics of this development very closely, but I'm excited that it's finally getting off the ground. Just to clarify - once the demolition is finished, does the developer have approval to move directly into construction of the tower?

Yep. Approved pre-HRMxD, and grandfathered in.

[ns_kid]

It appears the heavy lifting is about to begin on the Roy Building demolition. Two excavators are now in place on the roof of the building to begin taking the structure down, floor by floor. This is the same technique Dexter used on the nearby Bank of Canada property.

[Hali87]

A couple photos of the model in the sales office.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

It appears the heavy lifting is about to begin on the Roy Building demolition. Two excavators are now in place on the roof of the building to begin taking the structure down, floor by floor. This is the same technique Dexter used on the nearby Bank of Canada property.

Is that from the Maritime Center?
Had a friend in Centennial Bldg take this for Me.

As always, from http://buildingtheroy.tumblr.com/