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

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I'd go one step further and say they are now at the dirt under the concrete foundation.

I haven't posted in their facebook group in weeks because some of the arguements are just nutty. I'm waiting for them to come out and say building the convention centre will attract witches and pure evil to HRM. They haven't used that argument yet. Oh darn, now I gave them a suggestion...

Its just clear that its the same crew of people that are against every development that doesn't meet their view of Halifax. Its ironic coming from those who are supposedly fans of democracy.

[spaustin]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I probably should've qualified why I was laughing. It wasn't about the issue - Calgary is in a migratory bird path; so we see it a lot. It was mainly some of the questions, which were really off the wall. That and some of the staff trying to answer them. There is internal joke that they've been nicknamed 'bird brains' (long before taking up this project). It's not really well studied and in the end commission sent it back for more work. I had to leave before they decided on sending it back; so I haven't heard the full reasons why yet. I suspect I will on Thursday, when I'm presenting at commission on another matter.

But to that matter - is Halifax in a migratory bird path? I know it's a huge issue for Calgary and I think Edmonton - but would it be as much of an issue for HRM?

Sorry Halifaxboyns, I misinterperted your comment as flippant disregard... In my experience, planning professionals can sometimes be fairly snobby towards issues that they feel aren't worth their time, even if the community feels it's important. I read that into your comment.

Regarding Halifax, we're on the Atlantic flyway, but from what I gather, we're really on the margin. We see seasonal migrants like warblers, but we don't see the same large mass compared to many other places in North America. Nova Scotia's position of being stuck out in the ocean and Halifax's location on the far side of our province doesn't make it a bird migration capital. Still, it's something we should be cognizant of as we do see seabirds and other species passing through on their way to Newfoundland and the Arctic.

[Dmajackson]

Listening to the rubbish debates going on about this project from the anti-side makes me wish I could start up the HDC idea again.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by spaustin

Sorry Halifaxboyns, I misinterperted your comment as flippant disregard... In my experience, planning professionals can sometimes be fairly snobby towards issues that they feel aren't worth their time, even if the community feels it's important. I read that into your comment.

Regarding Halifax, we're on the Atlantic flyway, but from what I gather, we're really on the margin. We see seasonal migrants like warblers, but we don't see the same large mass compared to many other places in North America. Nova Scotia's position of being stuck out in the ocean and Halifax's location on the far side of our province doesn't make it a bird migration capital. Still, it's something we should be cognizant of as we do see seabirds and other species passing through on their way to Newfoundland and the Arctic.

I'm naturally sarcastic by the way I am - so if some of my posts come off flippant, best to consider them sarcasm. I do take planning issues seriously considering that three birds crashed into my apt windows this week - that was not pleasant. But I do recognize that sometimes it can be difficult to deal with situations like this.

DJ - what is HDC?

[sdm]

City fine-tunes convention centre plan
Mayor: Negotiations ongoing with province; Jan. 14 deadline for deal
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter
Sat, Dec 11 - 4:54 AM

HRM Mayor Peter Kelly wouldn’t give details from a closed-door, four-hour council meeting on Friday. (Ted Pritchard / Staff)

Halifax councillors emerged from a four-hour private meeting Friday loath to speak publicly about confidential negotiations with the provincial government on the proposed $159-million downtown convention centre.

Mayor Peter Kelly said the in-camera session at city hall was part of continued give-and-take with the province. He spoke in general terms of "fine-tuning" the municipality’s proposal, which now goes back to the NDP government.

"We went through the process and council debated some of the points of agreement, and we’ll forward those points to the province and await their response," Kelly said.

Regional council normally meets in secret on Tuesdays, but municipal budget talks have been scheduled for next Tuesday, so the mayor decided to have the convention centre update on Friday.

The meeting began at 2:30 p.m. It included briefings by municipal staffers and questions posed by councillors.

"Without getting into the details, I can say there were a lot of questions and there was a lot of debate and discussion," Kelly told The Chronicle Herald.

He said all but three representatives from the city’s 23-member council attended the closed-door meeting.

The Dexter government and Halifax council are trying to settle the terms for a new centre before any deal-making with Ottawa begins. The province wants the city to match its $56-million share, with the federal government picking up the other $47 million.

Time is getting tight, but Halifax Regional Municipality and the province hope to have a pact in place by the Jan. 14 signing deadline involving the developer.

"December is one of those months with lots of other commitments, but it’s a deadline we’re going to meet," Bill Estabrooks, Nova Scotia’s cabinet minister handling the controversial development, has said.

One of the centre’s opponents has turned its attention to the federal government in an attempt to quash the project. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has written to Defence Minister Peter MacKay, this province’s lone federal cabinet minister, urging him to say no because the federation feels the project is too risky for taxpayers.

The proposed centre is part of a 1.2-million-square-foot development destined for the former Halifax Herald Ltd. site in the downtown core. It would include a hotel, office tower, retail space and a parkade.

It’s now a vacant lot ringed by a fence.

Most of the convention centre would be underground. But citizens are to get a say in the centre’s design.

In a release last month, the province said hearing from the public on the creation of the centre "is a key component of the development process."

Supporters have said the business case for the project makes sense and the planned development will help revitalize downtown Halifax. Opponents have disputed that, saying taxpayers could be on the hook for a potential white elephant.

( [email protected])

[DigitalNinja]

Ugh, convention space is always an asset, there will always be a need for it... Don't see how it could remain unused for a super long period of time unless every business moved away from halifax.

Someone here should write to Mckay from the HDC explaining that he should support the center

[someone123]

The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation are against virtually everything. They exist to complain about government spending and are about as annoying and single-issue as STV.

[FuzzyWuz]

Check this out. A 15 storey building topped out in 46 hours. Cladding is then done in 90 hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0DSihggio

[CorbeauNoir]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuz

Check this out. A 15 storey building topped out in 46 hours. Cladding is then done in 90 hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0DSihggio

That's apparently pretty common in China. Though unsurprisingly, the quality of the buildings are absolute crap. Lots are lucky to survive 15-20 years.

In building tech class our prof showed us one of said buildings (looked uncannily similar to that one, actually) that tipped right over off its foundations - it happened so smoothly/gently that the glass didn't even shatter.

[DigitalNinja]

I saw that as well, it was due to the pillars being not large enough and not deep enough into the ground, also the lack of rebar. When they dug a hole next to it it tipped over.

[halifaxboyns]

I see that BD and the STV bunch jammed up the comments on the Herald about the 'close door' meeting about the CC. They are trying to use a Herald online pole as sound statistical data to show what the people want.

[kph06]

I heard on Q104 that Bill Estabrooks and Peter Kelly are having a joint press conference this morning regarding the convention centre.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by kph06

I heard on Q104 that Bill Estabrooks and Peter Kelly are having a joint press conference this morning regarding the convention centre.

All signs point to done deal
Province, HRM to hold press conference regarding convention centre No word yet on federal funding Jan. 14 deadline for public-funding decision looms

After nearly two months of at-times heated negotiations, the province and HRM appear to have reached an agreement on funding the proposed downtown convention centre.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks will attend a press conference with Mayor Peter Kelly this morning.

Estabrooks said he couldn’t comment on the specifics but did note that it “looks like things are beginning to fall in place.”

“There’s finally been some positive developments, and the movement is continuing,” said Estabrooks, reached by phone yesterday.

“I’m looking forward to taking some very progressive steps very quickly when it comes to the convention centre.”

Estabrooks said he took part in a conference call concerning the convention centre Friday evening. Earlier that day, Halifax regional council held a four-hour in-camera session to discuss the ongoing negotiations on funding models for the proposed facility.

“We went from around 2:30 to around 6:30 ... a lot of discussion, a lot of debate,” Kelly said yesterday.

“Hopefully, we are close to completing the negotiations and finding a way to move this project forward.”

If the province and the municipality have indeed reached a compromise, the final step would be convincing the federal government to chip in the final $46 million for the $159-million centre.

Estabrooks acknowledged the timing is tight but said he remains confident a deal can be achieved before the deadline.

[fenwick16]

A allnovascotia.com bulletin states that the HRM council voted 18 - 5 in favour of continuing to support the convention centre. It also stated that all of the details between the province and HRM should be worked out by today and negotiations will begin today with the federal government.

[sdm]

N.S. to pay part of city's taxes on new trade centre

By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter | UPDATED 10:53 a.m.
Mon, Dec 13 - 10:21 AM

The Nova Scotia government would pay a portion of the municipal property taxes on a new Halifax convention centre.

The taxes would be based on the amount now paid on the current centre.

That's a change from the Dexter government's previous position that the province should be exempt from property taxes.

The provision was part of a motion that regional council approved by a vote of 18-5 this morning.

Council also voted to approve provisions that would see the province try to sell the existing trade and convention centre. But if it can't get a deal for more than its book value by the time the new one opens, Halifax will buy the existing centre at book value.

Councillors also voted to OK the new centre being leased for 25 years, with provisions for two five-year extensions. There are options for public buyouts at 22 years and 30 years.

Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly and Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks are currently holding a news conference to discuss details.

Councillors held a four-hour session behind closed doors Friday on the centre.

Council had voted on Nov. 9 to enter more detailed negotiations with the province.

The province and the municipality now turn their sights to Ottawa for a $47-million contribution to the $159-million project. The city and province would both contribute $56 million.

The convention centre is part of a bigger project proposed by developer Rank Inc. that would include a financial centre, retail space and a parkade. The whole project has an estimated price tag of close to $500 million.

([email protected])

MORE TO COME

[Jonovision]

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal
December 13, 2010 11:13 AM
The province and Halifax Regional Municipality have reached an agreement on a new convention centre that will create thousands of jobs and new economic development opportunities across the province.

"This is a major milestone in the growth of our province," said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks. "A new convention centre means jobs for Nova Scotians, new business for industry, and more opportunities to showcase Nova Scotia to visitors from around the world."

"We are pleased that we are in agreement on terms and conditions that will allow HRM and the province to present a unified pitch for federal funding to make this long-awaited project happen for the benefit of the downtown, the entire region, and the province," said Mayor Peter Kelly. "This is great day for our municipality."

Under the agreement, the province and HRM will each contribute about $56 million toward capital construction costs, and cost share equally on any operational costs not covered by revenue generated by convention centre operations. An agreement is required from the federal government to contribute the remaining one-third of eligible construction costs, a lump-sum payment to the developer when the new centre is substantially complete.

Property taxes will be treated as a shared cost between the province and HRM, with the current property tax on the existing convention centre used to determine the taxes for the new one. Beginning in 2015-16, the amount payable will increase at the lesser of the rate of inflation or two per cent annually.

When the new centre is complete, HRM has agreed to buy the existing convention centre at the book value, if the province is not able to sell it before then.

The 25-year lease agreement will include options for two, five-year extensions and public purchase.

Construction of a new convention centre will generate $9.5 million in provincial tax revenue. An additional $40 million in provincial tax revenues would be generated during the first 10 years of operation.

"This agreement delivers good value for taxpayers and is an important step forward for the project and our province," said Mr. Estabrooks.

"Our urban core needs the kind of serious, strategic public investment that began with an iconic new central library and continues today with an agreement between two levels of government that solidifies a commitment to a new convention centre. This an example of public investment that will spur private investment downtown," said Mayor Kelly.

The new convention centre will be three times larger than the existing centre, with 115,000 square feet of rentable space and 51,000 square feet of reception space. With larger, more flexible space, it is estimated that during the first 10 years of operation, the convention centre will host 6,800 events with more than two million visitors. Construction on the new centre would begin in spring 2011 and be complete by the end of 2014.

In October, the province accepted the Rank Inc. proposal to build a new convention centre and began discussions on a funding partnership with the federal government and Halifax Regional Municipality. The province and municipality will now establish a negotiating committee to secure federal participation in the project.

[David1gray]

a bit from the cbc article

"This is about looking toward the future. We can complain all we want but the fact is we made a decision, we're moving forward and we have to get these types of projects done," said Kelly. "This is economic activity that's going to bring a long-term benefit. We have got to stop the negativity. This is a very positive day. We have to move forward."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/12/13/ns-convention-centre-deal.html

[DigitalNinja]

Lol first 3 comments on that CBC article are from wingnuts.

[David1gray]

ya, cbc's articles always have wingnuts. i do my best to ignore them.

[CorbeauNoir]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

Lol first 3 comments on that CBC article are from wingnuts.

Only the first 3? Looks to me like ALL of them are.