[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed

[Dmajackson]

The project was given the final green light of approval tonight by the Design Review Committee. Assuming there are no appeals the $1 million building permit can be issued in two weeks time and construction can ramp back up. It remains to be seen if the two current court appeals will have any effect on construction. My hunch says this project will be appealed by the same group that attempted to halt 22nd Commerce Square.

[fenwick16]

There are more details about the Design Review Committee's approval and the project schedule in this article.

(source: http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/12144...te-plan?from=most_read&most_read=1214488)

Halifax city hall committee OKs final Nova Centre site plan
BRETT BUNDALE CITY HALL REPORTER
Published June 13, 2014 - 6:29am



Argyle Developments Ltd. has been given the green light to proceed with the $500-million Nova Centre development in downtown Halifax.

A city hall committee unanimously approved the development’s final site plan Thursday night with conditions.

Joe Ramia, the head of Rank Inc. and subsidiary Argyle Developments, now plans to obtain building permits to begin above-ground construction.

“It’s the last step in this process and we’re feeling very good about having a unanimous approval from the design review committee,” he said in an interview. “That is the last hurdle that we have to cross.”

The public still has 14 days to appeal the project. Any appeals would go before council, which would have 60 days to make a decision.

But barring any appeals, Ramia said above-ground construction could start in less than a month.
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Although I don't want to beat a dead horse, the Heritage Trust and Phil Pacey showed their intentions in the following story. If the Heritage Trust managed to win a court ruling and have the design changes to the Nova Centre reversed then the entire existing construction would have to be demolished and the site would have to be excavated by another 30 feet so the Ballroom could go under Grafton Street. It seems odd that the Heritage Trust now wants the previous design which they didn't support either. The Heritage Trust is digging deep into their bag of tricks once again.

(source: http://www.ns.dailybusinessbuzz.ca/Provi...-court-to-challenge-Nova-Centre-design/1)

NS: Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia goes to court to challenge Nova Centre design
By Braedon Clark, For MetroPublished on June 13, 2014
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The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia has filed a request for judicial review with the province’s Supreme Court, seeking to quash the April 29 regional council vote that authorized three changes to the convention centre’s design: the size and shape of the towers, the decision to move the ballroom above ground and the closure of part of Grafton Street.
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Heritage Trust’s Phil Pacey said lawyers won’t meet on the issue until late June or early July, but he was confident that a judge would agree with his group’s position.

“I’m optimistic,” Pacey said. “We have strong ground to stand on.”

Pacey cited several issues that he objected to with the convention centre’s design, chief among them a lack of realism in how the Nova Centre will interact with the surrounding area.

“All of the mock-ups of the building are from the perspective of some area floating in space,” he said. “We haven’t seen how it will compare to the rest of the area on a proper scale."

The Heritage Trust is not seeking to stop the project completely through an injunction, just to reverse the changes that arose from the April 29 meeting.
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[ILoveHalifax]

Can we not file a suit to have Phil Pacey declared insane and committed to a mental institution?
There is a little place east of Halifax called Sherbrooke Village where he should be very happy; It is exactly as he would like to see Halifax.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Can we not file a suit to have Phil Pacey declared insane and committed to a mental institution?

Maybe not that, but I hope I see the day where the judge in one of these hearings declares him and the HT guilty of frivolous litigation simply for obstruction, and hits them with all sorts of costs that will seriously impair their ability to do so in the future.

[worldlyhaligonian]

“All of the mock-ups of the building are from the perspective of some area floating in space,” he said. “We haven’t seen how it will compare to the rest of the area on a proper scale."

... Hmm... what organization or affiliated organization would present inaccurate mockups themselves?

These guys are literally making things up at this point. This exercise has eliminated any credibility they had. We'll see many more 18-22 story buildings.

[teddifax]

I was in on the HT site and if you look at their "Mandate", although not described as that. This is the description they give for their existence...Since 1959, the Trust has fought to save some of the most architecturally and historically significant structures in the province. These include the stone warehouses on the Halifax waterfront which are now Historic Properties, the Lent House in Freeport, the Carleton Hotel in Halifax, and numerous others.

The Trust has also promoted the need for heritage preservation legislation in Nova Scotia, and provides input on legislative policy at the municipal and provincial levels. Through research reports, the Trust has facilitated heritage designation of more than 100 buildings throughout the province.

I can appreciate the fact that they have save historic buildings, BUT, how does this in any which way, shape or form, justify them attacking Nova Centre. It is no where near anything described in their description!

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by teddifax

I was in on the HT site and if you look at their "Mandate", although not described as that. This is the description they give for their existence...Since 1959, the Trust has fought to save some of the most architecturally and historically significant structures in the province. These include the stone warehouses on the Halifax waterfront which are now Historic Properties, the Lent House in Freeport, the Carleton Hotel in Halifax, and numerous others.

The Trust has also promoted the need for heritage preservation legislation in Nova Scotia, and provides input on legislative policy at the municipal and provincial levels. Through research reports, the Trust has facilitated heritage designation of more than 100 buildings throughout the province.

I can appreciate the fact that they have save historic buildings, BUT, how does this in any which way, shape or form, justify them attacking Nova Centre. It is no where near anything described in their description!

Doesn't seem as if they've really lived up to that mandate for decades. I can't speak to their lobbying efforts, etc, but it doesn't seem they spend much time working toward better legislation, and haven't achieved anything tangible (i.e., buildings they've actually saved) in years. It's not just that they're obstructionist; they're ineffective even when compared against their own mandate.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Maybe not that, but I hope I see the day where the judge in one of these hearings declares him and the HT guilty of frivolous litigation simply for obstruction, and hits them with all sorts of costs that will seriously impair their ability to do so in the future.

This is where you and I both agree completely on one thing - I am actually hoping that at some point they cross the line on a bunch of fronts and end up with multiple lawsuits on their hands. Regional Council meetings are recorded - so what better evidence...

I think Pacey's optimism is misplaced. If there is one thing the courts have had a glaring tendency to do is stay out of Municipal affairs, unless it can be demonstrated that the City in question (HRM) made a huge error in law. The fact is, between the Provincial Statement of Interest and the fact that the Municipality is the designated government that is able to make a decision on changing the plan - then I don't see where they have any potential ability to make their case.

But what this does remind us - when considering these sort of 'special buildings' - we need not put the design of the building into the plan. Because if we do - then you expose yourself to further risk. Better to have a policy and leave it at that; so that any design changes can be dealt with through the application process and not requiring a public hearing!

[Ziobrop]

Just saw a tweet that Ramia has launched a suit against Heritage Trust and it's board for trying to stall construction of Nova Centre

[mcmcclassic]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

Just saw a tweet that Ramia has launched a suit against Heritage Trust and it's board for trying to stall construction of Nova Centre

Serves them right for being such a nuisance in the whole process. Maybe going forward the HT can actually stick to preserving the legit heritage properties we have and educate the public on our past.

[portapetey]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

Just saw a tweet that Ramia has launched a suit against Heritage Trust and it's board for trying to stall construction of Nova Centre

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/12...oper-suing-heritage-trust-of-nova-scotia


No commenting enabled on the story. But I voted my 5 stars!

[q12]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

Just saw a tweet that Ramia has launched a suit against Heritage Trust and it's board for trying to stall construction of Nova Centre

This may be the greatest day in the History of Halifax.

[DigitalNinja]

Finally, someone has the balls to stand up to these people. I think Ramia worded his statement quite well and hits the nail on the head with the Heritage trust going out of bounds on their "mandate".

[ILoveHalifax]

Go Joe !

[counterfactual]

Doubt he'll be successful.

But it may be an opportunity to start a real discussion about heritage preservation in this city, and what a terrible job HT does.

They prefer to sue and block rather than do anything of value for heritage preservation...

[fenwick16]

Finally someone is taking action against these obstructionists. I hope the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia can be shut down and a rational heritage group formed in its place.

Yea to Joe Ramia.

[ns_kid]

I join the rest of you in saying, "Bravo Mr. Ramia."

I doubt if he believes he will actually win this in court, but he is clearly making a point, giving the HT a taste of their own medicine. This bunch has long ago lost any credibility as an effective protector of heritage, preferring instead to delay, obstruct and agitate against large-scale development, asserting that all such development is somehow contrary to our heritage.

This is bizarre, of course. Since its founding, Halifax has been an industrial city, with no shortage of developments that were large, gritty and imposing in their day. The Halifax the HT seeks to "preserve" is a myth, an aritficial place of red brick and gold leaf that never existed in fact.

The list of truly historic structures lost in Nova Scotia over the past two decades is long and tragic and the HT has done little to stem that tide. Yet they seem to have endless resources to vex developers and municipal officials in the protection of vacant lots.

If the HT board truly had integrity they would change their name and their charter to reflect their actual goals. And citizens who truly care about preservation would form a new group, one like New York's Landmarks Conservancy, dedicated to, in the words of the NYLC's mission statement, "preserving, revitalizing, and reusing [our] architecturally significant buildings." The NYLC certainly stands up to developers and city officials, but to protect actual historic structures; even more important, helping to find economically viable new uses for those buildings.

[halifaxboyns]

As the song says - "Oh happy day!".
Was waiting for this...the HT's comments in the article are certainly interesting. I don't see how having standing at the UARB has any relevance to the matter; but that will be up to them to defend.

But certainly the comment that they've used innuendo and other such tactics is pretty accurate (at least to me). Every public hearing is recorded - so they can introduce their comments as evidence. Hopefully this makes them realize that their comments (factual based or as is more the case non-fact based) are on the record and there are ramifications to it.

I hope they sweat more than I did when I got hit with a SLAP lawsuit when I was working up north. I just got the paperwork back that the person who filed it has withdrawn it...but now I've hired the lawyer to hit him with one for slander.

[worldlyhaligonian]

They should make the HT members financially responsible for their abuse of the system.

[Ziobrop]

I have noticed recently the arrival of what appears to be A Putzmister tower placing system - basically a large tower concrete pump arm.

I Noticed tower parts today, and the arm was on a truck on the 17th.





Photos from http://fillingtheholehfx.tumblr.com/

I believe most highrises to date have used buckets on the tower crane for pouring columns and slabs.