Tearing down old buildings after deferred maintenance.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by JET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...nis-building-interest-heritage-1.3573453
Looks like the province is trying to offload the Dennis property and Acadian Recorder building properties to developers, if the facades are maintained. There was also mention on CBC radio that the parking lot would also be bundled in.

This has been the plan for ages, I think. I met with Labi Kousoulis regarding the Dennis Building like two years ago, and they were working on this.

Offloading public costs to the the private sector is pretty typical of this government, but given that private developers have expressed interest in actually retaining the Dennis Building, whereas the province just wanted to tear it down, it might be for the best.

Also: the whole thing with council trying to get a last-minute heritage designation at 851 Young is making me wonder if the same thing could be done with the Dennis, in order to direct a better development there. I'd like to find the RFP, but I think the government might just be counting on developer goodwill to retain the Dennis' facade. As far as I'm concerned, retaining the facade isn't enough; it should to retain the building's current massing as well. With the Recorder building, the Dennis Building, and the empty lots between and behind the two, there's ample room for a big development without turning the Dennis into glorified wallpaper for a taller tower).