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

[Dmajackson]

I think this might be the BMO entrance.


Halifax Developments Blog (Photo by David Jackson)

[Dmajackson]

Halifax Developments Blog (Photo by David Jackson)

[Jonovision]

20170917_172140_HDR by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Jonovision]

20170921_071323_HDR by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

20170921_071323_HDR by Jonovision23, on Flickr

Ugghh. I just hate that section of blank brick on the lower level. Not a good street presence at all.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Ugghh. I just hate that section of blank brick on the lower level. Not a good street presence at all.

Not every side of every building can have the urban planner's wet dream of a cafe and boutiques on every inch of street-facing frontage. There is something going in there as seen by the construction at street level. Perhaps building services but really, it is a hilly street with little pedestrian traffic. Hardly a disaster.

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Ugghh. I just hate that section of blank brick on the lower level. Not a good street presence at all.

I don't like it either by I guess it's unavoidable. Here in Vancouver we have laneways so most new developments can hide the 'service side' of buildings in these laneways leaving the street-sides far more palatable.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by connect2source

I don't like it either by I guess it's unavoidable. Here in Vancouver we have laneways so most new developments can hide the 'service side' of buildings in these laneways leaving the street-sides far more palatable.

They should consider screens on the north side to break up the blank wall.

[Jonovision]

20170924_111459 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[TheGreenBastard]

Office towers, as well as the convention centre are on track to open in December. Retail space and "Rogers Plaza" will open in 2018...

http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2017/09/27/no-more-delays.html

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Ugghh. I just hate that section of blank brick on the lower level. Not a good street presence at all.

At this point, it appears that most everything west of Grafton Street will be almost a dead zone, unfortunately. The reality is that it's a monster of a building for its location, taking up 2 full blocks of an area of town that would probably be more suited to buildings with smaller footprints. As such, it needs service and parking entrances, and can't engage the street the same way that finer grained developments could.

I'm holding off until everything is finished and operable. Maybe it will be a delight. Maybe it will add vibrancy to the area. Maybe the section that used to be Grafton Street will be a really cool area to walk through and check out.

I've been spending a lot of time downtown recently, and honestly I've been having a hard time getting my head around the scale of the building compared to its surroundings. There are times that I think the NDP government who pushed this through should be shot and pissed on, but then I am holding out hope that my first impressions are wrong, and once it's 'alive' it will be a positive for the downtown - then I'll tell you what fantastic vision the NDP government had in pushing this project through.

We'll all see soon, I suppose.

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

At this point, it appears that most everything west of Grafton Street will be almost a dead zone, unfortunately. The reality is that it's a monster of a building for its location, taking up 2 full blocks of an area of town that would probably be more suited to buildings with smaller footprints. As such, it needs service and parking entrances, and can't engage the street the same way that finer grained developments could.

I'm holding off until everything is finished and operable. Maybe it will be a delight. Maybe it will add vibrancy to the area. Maybe the section that used to be Grafton Street will be a really cool area to walk through and check out.

I've been spending a lot of time downtown recently, and honestly I've been having a hard time getting my head around the scale of the building compared to its surroundings. There are times that I think the NDP government who pushed this through should be shot and pissed on, but then I am holding out hope that my first impressions are wrong, and once it's 'alive' it will be a positive for the downtown - then I'll tell you what fantastic vision the NDP government had in pushing this project through.

We'll all see soon, I suppose.

Andy Filmore is the key to the current Location. All the talk was originally for a new convention center on the cogswell lands, but apparently a report was presented in camera to council, and the location changed, around HRMxD time IIRC.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

At this point, it appears that most everything west of Grafton Street will be almost a dead zone, unfortunately. The reality is that it's a monster of a building for its location, taking up 2 full blocks of an area of town that would probably be more suited to buildings with smaller footprints. As such, it needs service and parking entrances, and can't engage the street the same way that finer grained developments could.

I'm holding off until everything is finished and operable. Maybe it will be a delight. Maybe it will add vibrancy to the area. Maybe the section that used to be Grafton Street will be a really cool area to walk through and check out.

I've been spending a lot of time downtown recently, and honestly I've been having a hard time getting my head around the scale of the building compared to its surroundings. There are times that I think the NDP government who pushed this through should be shot and pissed on, but then I am holding out hope that my first impressions are wrong, and once it's 'alive' it will be a positive for the downtown - then I'll tell you what fantastic vision the NDP government had in pushing this project through.

We'll all see soon, I suppose.

It IS over-massive for the surroundings, but I was walking on the newly opened Argyle the other day, and it struck me that the street felt quite pleasant, even with all the fencing and whatnot still up. The street presence on Argyle, at least, seems okay and I think it could work.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

At this point, it appears that most everything west of Grafton Street will be almost a dead zone, unfortunately.

It always has been in living memory though. Probably an improvement over the gravel parking lots that used to be on that part of Market St.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by TheGreenBastard

... Retail space and "Rogers Plaza" will open in 2018...

http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2017/09/27/no-more-delays.html

"Rogers Plaza," the thing that used to be a public street.

Maybe we should just start the competition for naming rights for the whole city now? No more H/\LIF/\X. Hello to Rogerstown... Eastlinkville... Upper Telusland...

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

"Rogers Plaza," the thing that used to be a public street.

Maybe we should just start the competition for naming rights for the whole city now? No more H/\LIF/\X. Hello to Rogerstown... Eastlinkville... Upper Telusland...

Not a bad idea... lets start with the streets named after counsellors.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It always has been in living memory though. Probably an improvement over the gravel parking lots that used to be on that part of Market St.

Big improvement. I don't think many remember how bad that section was and its also the buildings on the Brunswick side that contribute to this.

There will be some streets like that in every city. The complaining never stops about the Nova Centre... most of it isn't constructive, its just to whinge (perfect use of the word).

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Not a bad idea... lets start with the streets named after counsellors.

Shockingly (or not), there's already a street named after Gloria McCluskey.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

Andy Filmore is the key to the current Location. All the talk was originally for a new convention center on the cogswell lands, but apparently a report was presented in camera to council, and the location changed, around HRMxD time IIRC.

Hmmm... Cogswell seems like it would have been a good location, but it would have meant waiting another 10 years or so...

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

It IS over-massive for the surroundings, but I was walking on the newly opened Argyle the other day, and it struck me that the street felt quite pleasant, even with all the fencing and whatnot still up. The street presence on Argyle, at least, seems okay and I think it could work.

I think the Argyle section could work quite well, shade notwithstanding. Once the Nova Centre side becomes live, it should be a neat street with it becoming pedestrian-focused, new shops and bars, etc.

Even Grafton St. ...errr... "Rogers Plaza" has great potential, and I'm anxious to see how that will turn out and function. Everything uphill from that will probably feel like a back alley, though.

What I am having trouble resolving is the massive footprint that it takes up, and from an aesthetic viewpoint how it dominates the entire downtown. I guess that may excite some, but to me it sucks away some of the character. I will concede that this point is quite subjective, though, and really depends on one's preferences.

To me a "win" would have been to have the feel of the Argyle section extend to the entire perimeter of the building (perhaps not functionally possible with a building this massive, I realize), which would most likely be attainable with finer-grained development.

Not saying that a Nova Centre-type development shouldn't have happened, but mostly saying that I don't like it in this location.