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

[Jonovision]

It would be great to get a Ritz Carlton.

You can see the mobile crane for the roy in this from my way to work.

This view will have a crazy amount of cranes!

[fenwick16]

I see that workers were on site today at the Nova Centre covering up the Exhibition Hall ceiling with tarps (Grafton Street floor level) - http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/nova-centre/. They must be protecting the area from the forecast blizzard, in order to make it easier to clean up.

Several days were spent uncovering this Grafton Street section of snow and ice during the past week as shown in Ziobrop's tumblr page - http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/post/113436276653/cleaning-ice (ice was dumped into the level below).

What is with the Halifax area weather? For the past couple of weeks in the GTA we have had daytime temperatures above freezing and much of the snow covered ground has become visible whereas it has been mostly freezing temperatures in the Halifax area. Hopefully the Halifax area temperatures will warm soon so that the Nova Centre can proceed full steam ahead.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I see that workers were on site today at the Nova Centre covering up the Exhibition Hall ceiling with tarps (Grafton Street floor level) - [url]

What is with the Halifax area weather? For the past couple of weeks in the GTA we have had daytime temperatures above freezing and much of the snow covered ground has become visible whereas it has been mostly freezing temperatures in the Halifax area. Hopefully the Halifax area temperatures will warm soon so that the Nova Centre can proceed full steam ahead.

Welcome to climate change, and look here http://iceweb1.cis.ec.gc.ca/Prod20/page3.xhtml
two years ago it was clear and one year ago there was very little; and 40 years ago it was slightly better

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

What is with the Halifax area weather? For the past couple of weeks in the GTA we have had daytime temperatures above freezing and much of the snow covered ground has become visible whereas it has been mostly freezing temperatures in the Halifax area. Hopefully the Halifax area temperatures will warm soon so that the Nova Centre can proceed full steam ahead.

After this storm, the rest of the week is supposed to be way too cold for this time of year too. Going to be a very late spring. Miserable.

[coolmillion]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

AllNovaScotia has reported that Ramia is in discussions with Marriott Hotels to brand the 19-storey Nova Centre hotel with one of its "upscale" brands. Given that Marriott has five hotels in Halifax now (with the acquisition in January of the city's two Deltas), this would certainly give the chain a pretty significant chunk of the hospitality trade here. This may surprise some who thought the Hilton chain was most likely to attach to the Nova Centre.

Publicity around the Nova Centre has always attached the word "luxury" to the hotel component. The Marriott has several high-end brands, including J.W. Marriott, Rennissance and Ritz-Carlton. All would be a strong addition to the local market but I can't help but think it will put further pressure on some other established players in town, like the Westin.

The upscale direction is interesting and makes me think that they are more interested in bringing something new to the city than providing rooms for convention-goers (who, for the most part, would probably choose middle-market hotels and not luxury). I've been to a few large conferences in the US and Canada and the onsite hotels are usually large run-of-the-mill Hiltons, Sheratons, etc. I would be very surprised if the Ritz-Carlton opened here. I believe there are currently only two locations in Canada (Vancouver and Toronto). I don't know much about the other Marriott brands but a Fairmont wouldn't be completely out of place in Halifax given their other Canadian locations (including Winnipeg, Victoria, Edmonton, etc.).

[hokus83]

Originally Posted by coolmillion

The upscale direction is interesting and makes me think that they are more interested in bringing something new to the city than providing rooms for convention-goers (who, for the most part, would probably choose middle-market hotels and not luxury). I've been to a few large conferences in the US and Canada and the onsite hotels are usually large run-of-the-mill Hiltons, Sheratons, etc. I would be very surprised if the Ritz-Carlton opened here. I believe there are currently only two locations in Canada (Vancouver and Toronto). I don't know much about the other Marriott brands but a Fairmont wouldn't be completely out of place in Halifax given their other Canadian locations (including Winnipeg, Victoria, Edmonton, etc.).

head offices usually play for the hotel room for any business orientated convention so the price of the hotel is almost null for a large % of the people that are going to be at some of them.

[coolmillion]

Originally Posted by hokus83

head offices usually play for the hotel room for any business orientated convention so the price of the hotel is almost null for a large % of the people that are going to be at some of them.

I know that hotel rooms for conventions and conferences are not paid for by attendees (for the most part) but I would imagine that most companies are still quite conscious of how their money is spent, preferring mid-range accommodations. Many events will be also be for academic and professional organizations that use some (or lots) of public money. I guess the fact that there are other hotels within a few blocks will mean that there are a range of options.

[Empire]

Mar. 15 Nova Centre



Source:
http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/nova-centre/

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Empire

Mar. 15 Nova Centre



Source:
http://images.novascotiawebcams.com/nova...tre_20150315-155841_rbUtfOXsLIcK1n7a.jpg

A terrible looking day!

On the plus side, it appears as though the boom for the Roy Building crane has been assembled.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

After this storm, the rest of the week is supposed to be way too cold for this time of year too. Going to be a very late spring. Miserable.

It is pretty bad. At this point of the year, a normal day at the airport is +4, but the forecast is calling for -3 up to 0 for the next week. There's a decent chance that February was the coldest month ever recorded at the airport weather station.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

After this storm, the rest of the week is supposed to be way too cold for this time of year too. Going to be a very late spring. Miserable.

This weather is the fault of everyone who loved December. We always get our days of winter, this year shifted to the spring.

The tarps keep the snow off, but then also get life's off from thier comets with the crane, then they dump the snow somewhere. Easier then shovelling or trying to melt that much snow

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

This weather is the fault of everyone who loved December. We always get our days of winter, this year shifted to the spring.

The tarps keep the snow off, but then also get life's off from thier comets with the crane, then they dump the snow somewhere. Easier then shovelling or trying to melt that much snow

Smart! Thanks for all the pictures and details.

Many of us never thought we'd see even the construction due to obstructionists, so the little delays aren't so bothersome. The warm weather will come soon and at the perfect time for construction to ramp up.

There are going to be some great events held there when its complete and I can see the downtown summers being very vibrant once the Maple and Roy are complete.

Now... just waiting on the Alexander, International Place, and the Trinity...

[Jonovision]

A little bit of crane porn.

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

After this storm, the rest of the week is supposed to be way too cold for this time of year too. Going to be a very late spring. Miserable.

The current weather modelling is predicting below average temperatures until at least late April. If that's the case, it will mean we will have endured almost four months of virtually uninterrrupted below-normal temperatures.

God must be punishing us for something.

On the bright side, with snowpack well above the norm in most parts of the province, a slow melt is not a bad thing. The risk of spring thaw flooding is significant in some areas.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

The current weather modelling is predicting below average temperatures until at least late April. If that's the case, it will mean we will have endured almost four months of virtually uninterrrupted below-normal temperatures.

God must be punishing us for something.

On the bright side, with snowpack well above the norm in most parts of the province, a slow melt is not a bad thing. The risk of spring thaw flooding is significant in some areas.

You mean 2 months...Dec and feb had above average

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Haliguy

You mean 2 months...Dec and feb had above average

December and January had above average values. February, March and, likely, April will be below. (The average temperature for February was about 5 degrees below normal.)

But you are right. I miscounted. That would be three months, not four. i make no predictions for May.

[Jonovision]

[worldlyhaligonian]

Does it switch to steel frame construction after a certain number of floors?

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Does it switch to steel frame construction after a certain number of floors?

Based on what I have read, the southwest corner above the Exhibition A is steel construction including the retail area in that corner and main ballroom (but with concrete floors). The office towers and hotel tower will probably continue as concrete.

Hopefully Ziobrop can tell us where these steel members will be attached:

(source: http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/ )

[kph06]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Based on what I have read, the southwest corner above the Exhibition A is steel construction including the retail area in that corner and main ballroom (but with concrete floors). The office towers and hotel tower will probably continue as concrete.

Hopefully Ziobrop can tell us where these steel members will be attached:

(source: http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/ )

Those look to be lateral supports that will fix to the concrete slab and brace the tower crane. Judging by the location I would say we are due to see the flat top crane grow soon.