Part of what I find disappointing about Barrington is that it could be (or could have been) a real showcase but it still falls below the norm of a lot of other cities (I am not talking London or Paris but maybe Portland ME or perhaps St. John's). Maybe it'll look a bit better soon when the old Zeller's and Green Lantern plus NFB are done.
Examples of problems:
- Tramway Building stripped down for years along the Barrington facade
- DaVinci College Building is a blank corrugated metal box
- Multiple buildings that are in OK shape have missing or poorly maintained cornices. Examples are the Apothecary Building, Mezza, or Julep. Even restored heritage buildings in Halifax tend to be stripped down.
- Some buildings don't fit at all and could be renovated to fit in better. Examples are the weird One Government Place entry and Mary's
- The street itself and public realm is pretty lackluster
- Of course the Pacific Building looks terrible, which is particularly frustrating because it and that whole block could be a gem
The good thing is most of these improvements can happen whenever as long as the buildings are stabilized and nothing is torn down.
Part of what I can't get past is that Halifax has torn down so much, probably 2/3 or more of its historic masonry commercial buildings. There is very little left compared to the size of the city, and what is left would in principle be easy to keep in tip top shape. I think a big part of this not really economics but rather that other municipal governments were interventionist while Halifax maintained a laissez-faire attitude for a very long time. Even now, and with its modest conservation districts, it is nowhere near front of the pack in North America, and it's far behind what it should be as one of Canada's most historic cities.
Last edited by someone123; Jul 16, 2020 at 11:19 PM.
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