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

[someone123]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I also think that empire is on to things. It will be interesting to see how it moves forward. I think the design can only get better.

I would love to see the debate move forward to the point where people make real suggestions to improve the building.

[fenwick16]

I think it looks great as it is. The only thing that I can think of, is what Waye Mason mentioned, add retail (possibly restaurant space) along Argyle and Market streets.

[Keith P.]

I am concerned about this design review committee. According to the HRM website it consists of:

Bill Hyde
Terry Smith-Lamothe
Ramzi Kawar
Anne Sinclair
Nick Pryce
Sue Sirrs
Angela Dean
Roy McBride
Cesar Saleh
Alan Parish
Jeff Pinhey
Suzanne Saul

Who are these people? I believe Cesar Saleh works for one of the big development firms, and I think Suzanne Saul owns the Attica store. But isn't Alan Parish a Heritage Trust/STV type? And the Pinhey character has written a piece on his blog (http://maritimedrinker.blogspot.com/) naively agreeing with Bousquet of the Coast and his campaign to torpedo the project. It troubles me having unelected types with zero accountability having a say in things like this.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I am concerned about this design review committee. According to the HRM website it consists of:

Bill Hyde
Terry Smith-Lamothe
Ramzi Kawar
Anne Sinclair
Nick Pryce
Sue Sirrs
Angela Dean
Roy McBride
Cesar Saleh
Alan Parish
Jeff Pinhey
Suzanne Saul

Who are these people? I believe Cesar Saleh works for one of the big development firms, and I think Suzanne Saul owns the Attica store. But isn't Alan Parish a Heritage Trust/STV type? And the Pinhey character has written a piece on his blog (http://maritimedrinker.blogspot.com/) naively agreeing with Bousquet of the Coast and his campaign to torpedo the project. It troubles me having unelected types with zero accountability having a say in things like this.

This committee is the brainchild of Andy Fillmore of HRMxD. I think the group is very fragmented and the Nova Centre debate will bring it all to light.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Empire

This committee is the brainchild of Andy Fillmore of HRMxD. I think the group is very fragmented and the Nova Centre debate will bring it all to light.

I am a little concerned about how this group will function. Theoretically they are not there to comment on issues like whether the convention centre should be funded or go on the waterfront or whatever. They're there to evaluate the qualitative design requirements. If not, I guess we'll just have the old system where everything is appealed to the URB and then usually approved.

At the end of the day though there will always be this difficult question of how to evaluate proposals. I prefer a more codified approach where the politics are dealt with up front and the individual approvals are perfunctory, like as-of-right development.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by someone123

I am a little concerned about how this group will function. Theoretically they are not there to comment on issues like whether the convention centre should be funded or go on the waterfront or whatever. They're there to evaluate the qualitative design requirements. If not, I guess we'll just have the old system where everything is appealed to the URB and then usually approved.

At the end of the day though there will always be this difficult question of how to evaluate proposals. I prefer a more codified approach where the politics are dealt with up front and the individual approvals are perfunctory, like as-of-right development.

Well if the Nova Scotia government see's things being a real issue; the could be like the Alberta government was with the Saddledome. When it was being proposed, many Victoria Park residents began asserting that they would do everything they could within the development process to stop it. So the government decided to change the legislation and exempted the site from requiring any planning approvals at a Municipal Level. They advertised the changes and before anyone could react, the bill had been given 3rd reading so there was nothing that could be done.

I don't suspect the NDP has the balls for that - but they could do it. Would be an interesting legislative session for sure!

The committee will have to give comments on the qualitative issues; not the background like funding. But as I read in the Bylaw; they only give recommendations to the development officer - he's not bound by them. I know the Development Officers for the Halifax side; they aren't unreasonable.

I believe Keith is right about who he's mentioned - I don't know the rest of the list. If this were Calgary; the Planning Commission would be the approving authority but the issue of how the project is funded wouldn't be on the table. I think the design is pretty good - I thought I had seen a rendering with commercial on argyle, but I might be mistaken. That to me is very important.

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I think it looks great as it is. The only thing that I can think of, is what Waye Mason mentioned, add retail (possibly restaurant space) along Argyle and Market streets.

Sure would be nice to see the Midtown come back there.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Sure would be nice to see the Midtown come back there.

I had a couple bad experiences at the midtown - don't care for it. My main concern is getting some commercial on the Argyle street side, as much as possible. I find it interesting that the main focus would be on Market street, but then again they didn't own the buildings below Argyle so what can you do. Just find it funny because Market really has very little street pressence in that area. That will change once this is built though!

[fenwick16]

PS: There isn't any news in the post below - has anyone heard any news or rumours?

I just wanted to post an image of the new Ottawa Convention Centre by O-Town Hockey at this following thread - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...124156&page=77

(source: O-Town Hockey)


The new Ottawa Convention Centre looks more impressive than the old Nova Centre design. However, I think the new Nova Centre design below compares very favourably with the new Ottawa Convention Centre - I actually prefer the Nova Centre: PS: The Nova Centre convention centre has about the same gross square feet in spite of reports by the Save the View group otherwise.

It looks like the Ottawa Centre has little or no street level retail (this is another advantage of the Nova Centre design). One big advantage that the Ottawa Centre has - it is already built.

(Source: http://www.novacentre.ca/ )

[someone123]

I don't think the Ottawa convention centre is that great. It was just put on a pedestal by people like Tim Bousquet who are against the Nova Centre to begin with.

Can you imagine actually putting a structure like that on the waterfront?

I much prefer a new mixed-use building with offices, hotel, and retail space to a giant single-purpose box.

[isaidso]

I'm rarely impressed by anything commercial that gets built in Halifax, but this one is gorgeous. It's modern, has the right scale and proportions for Halifax, and really plays upon the hilly terrain better than any other building in the city. The covered street is fabulous! If that curtain wall ends up as glossy and reflective as it looks in the render, this building will be a huge asset to the City of Halifax.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I'm rarely impressed by anything commercial that gets built in Halifax, but this one is gorgeous. It's modern, has the right scale and proportions for Halifax, and really plays upon the hilly terrain better than any other building in the city. The covered street is fabulous! If that curtain wall ends up as glossy and reflective as it looks in the render, this building will be a huge asset to the City of Halifax.

I believe the HRM by design manual states glossy reflective glass is not permitted?

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I am concerned about this design review committee. According to the HRM website it consists of:

Bill Hyde
Terry Smith-Lamothe
Ramzi Kawar
Anne Sinclair
Nick Pryce
Sue Sirrs
Angela Dean
Roy McBride
Cesar Saleh
Alan Parish
Jeff Pinhey
Suzanne Saul

Who are these people? I believe Cesar Saleh works for one of the big development firms, and I think Suzanne Saul owns the Attica store. But isn't Alan Parish a Heritage Trust/STV type? And the Pinhey character has written a piece on his blog (http://maritimedrinker.blogspot.com/) naively agreeing with Bousquet of the Coast and his campaign to torpedo the project. It troubles me having unelected types with zero accountability having a say in things like this.

Bill Hyde is a retired architect (formerly on the Urban Design Taskforce), Terry Smith-Lamothe is an architect, Anne Sinclair - architect, Sue Sirrs - landscape architect specializing in green (enviro stuff)... she did the living wall at the newest building for NS Community College in Dartmouth, Angela Dean is a landscape architect, Cesar Saleh is an engineer developer I think, Alan Parish is a former Heritage Trust president... but I think he's rather moderate - Kate Carmichael's (former advocate for the downtown, and the person Carmichael Street and the Carmichael Lectures are named after) widower, Jeff Pinhey is a Civil Engineer.

It will be interesting to see how they act - they are not supposed to comment on the whys of a project... just how it conforms to the HbD design guidelines. Height is not supposed to be an issue... just the "qualitative" aspects of the design. Height is supposed to be settled before it ever reaches them.

I don't know how to make them accountable, but as for being unelected... I'm not sure that anyone elected has the knowledge required to evaluate design appropriately - the committee is made up of design professionals (with some members of the public to provide "transparency") who are supposed to have taken professional oaths to serve the public interests. Think about who we have elected to council and tell me that you believe they'd be better judges of design...

[phrenic]

This is one of those cases where I'd much rather take my chances with unelected professionals than with elected folks who don't know what they're talking about.

It's not as though there would be any true "accountability" for the decisions of elected officials on this anyway. People just like to throw that word around when they don't like how the process has taken shape.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by sdm

I believe the HRM by design manual states glossy reflective glass is not permitted?

The following statement is in the Design Manual about glass tinting: - page 21/80 of the pdf file (manual page 18) - "Darkly tinted or mirrored glass is prohibited.
Clear glass is preferrable to light tints. Glare reduction coatings are preferred." So I think that the glass in the Nova Centre rendering (above) would be acceptable according to the manual.

This is to avoid bird strikes.

[phrenic]

Maybe birds just want to attend all of these conventions we're supposed to get.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I am concerned about this design review committee. According to the HRM website it consists of:

Bill Hyde
Terry Smith-Lamothe
Ramzi Kawar
Anne Sinclair
Nick Pryce
Sue Sirrs
Angela Dean
Roy McBride
Cesar Saleh
Alan Parish
Jeff Pinhey
Suzanne Saul

Who are these people? I believe Cesar Saleh works for one of the big development firms, and I think Suzanne Saul owns the Attica store. But isn't Alan Parish a Heritage Trust/STV type? And the Pinhey character has written a piece on his blog (http://maritimedrinker.blogspot.com/) naively agreeing with Bousquet of the Coast and his campaign to torpedo the project. It troubles me having unelected types with zero accountability having a say in things like this.

Terry Smith-Lamothe is an architect and taught at NSCAD; stained glass design, he has done some very nice stuff.

[FuzzyWuz]

Anybody see the Coast letters section? Wayne Anstey refutes point after point in TB's article with numbers and references and citations etc. The letter is more than a page long. I noticed also that TB didn't write the standard "I stand by my story." reply. The hilarious kicker is that Alan Ruffman is the next letter writer. His note says, "What a fine piece of investigative journalism."

lol.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuz

Anybody see the Coast letters section? Wayne Anstey refutes point after point in TB's article with numbers and references and citations etc. The letter is more than a page long. I noticed also that TB didn't write the standard "I stand by my story." reply. The hilarious kicker is that Alan Ruffman is the next letter writer. His note says, "What a fine piece of investigative journalism."

lol.

I am interested in reading the letter but I haven't been able to find it - could you provide a link?

[Keith P.]

Apparently they have not put it up on the website. Really, Bousquet is a big liability for that publication, not just for his opinionated faux-journalism, but for the outright falsehoods he likes to pass off as facts.