General Updates and News - Page 112

HRM · #**2221** Posted **Apr 13, 2011, 8:18 PM**

It has been around for a bit but is now better to look at.

ScovaNotian · #**2222** Posted **Apr 13, 2011, 9:17 PM**

Dal is breaking ground for a LSC addition: http://www.dal.ca/news/2011/04/11/breaking_ground_foralscaddition.html

fenwick16 · #**2223** Posted **Apr 13, 2011, 9:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScovaNotian

Dal is breaking ground for a LSC addition: http://www.dal.ca/news/2011/04/11/breaking_ground_foralscaddition.html

Great news. Thanks for the information. Is this the correct location - Google Street View ? Has anyone started a thread for this project?

Is it addition number 8 in this image (below)? (source: screen capture from Dalhousie Masterplan - warning: large file )

kph06 · #**2224** Posted **Apr 13, 2011, 10:48 PM**

The area behind Sheriff Hall, LSC and NRC Building had a chainlink fence put around it a few weeks ago. A geotech drill truck was in the area a little before the fence.

ScovaNotian · #**2225** Posted **Apr 13, 2011, 11:32 PM**

Looking at this map the campus master plan is outdated already. The site is immediately to the west of the LSC.

fenwick16 · #**2226** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 3:09 AM**

I started a new thread for the Life Sciences Centre project.

macgregor · #**2227** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 4:16 PM**

This other Dal news article talks about the IDEA building at Sexton Campus. In the picture of the article there is a rendering on the left that shows a building at Queen & Morris.

http://www.dal.ca/news/2011/04/12/a_gift_for_engineering.html

Jonovision · #**2228** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 6:46 PM**

Nice looking building. It has a very eclectic feel to me. Is that corner owned by dal or is it part of the 3 sisters sites?

Love the IDEA building too. The X bracing looks awesome. I can't wait to see that on campus. I only wish it was there when I went to school at Sexton.

someone123 · #**2229** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 8:00 PM**

I believe Dal owns the Queen and Morris corner site. The HRM-owned site is to the north.

I hope Dal develops that corner lot in a timely manner. They could put something really great there.

The IDEA building looks interesting but I haven't seen a very clear rendering yet. At the very least it will be cool to have that under construction at the same time as the library.

someone123 · #**2230** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 8:20 PM**

This is my impression of the situation for lots around Clyde-Queen:

(image hosted by me)

A-C are the "sisters" sites. D is the library site. E is a proposed park (not sure if there are concrete plans to construct it -- will it be built at the same time as the library?). The yellow site is Morris and Queen and the blue site is the IDEA building. Both are owned by Dal.

The sites of the City Centre Atlantic addition and the new TD building are also both in this shot (and the proposed new Chickenburger, I think above site "A" on Queen Street). I guess we could theoretically have 5 things under construction in this small area -- the first Clyde Street site, the library, IDEA building, TD, and CCA.

David1gray · #**2231** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 5:10 PM**

Quote:

Tax breaks for urban housing: Uteck
Construction of new housing in downtown areas lagging

Halifax should consider tax breaks as a way to lure people to the urban core and boost development, a city councillor says.

The Halifax Regional Municipality isn't meeting the targets it set for new housing construction in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth.

Coun. Sue Uteck, who represents south-end Halifax, said tax incentives would make a difference.

"Taxes are going to dictate where people are going to live. There's no tax holiday, there's no incentive to build in the downtown where it's the most expensive per square foot," she said Thursday.

...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/04/15/ns-halifax-downtown-taxes.html

-Harlington- · #**2232** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 5:27 PM**

do it up

worldlyhaligonian · #**2233** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 6:40 PM**

This is the great idea we've been discussing on SSP Local Halifax for ages.

I hope its a real incentive! Honestly though, why are the people in the core paying such high taxes when its very clear that sprawl is where many of the tax dollars are being funnelled.

They should have some kind if scheme whereby downtown must be subsidized until various densities are reached. The current scheme is not fair, I don't care how many people in other parts of HRM complain. Come downtown!

sdm · #**2234** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 6:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

This is the great idea we've been discussing on SSP Local Halifax for ages.

I hope its a real incentive! Honestly though, why are the people in the core paying such high taxes when its very clear that sprawl is where many of the tax dollars are being funnelled.

They should have some kind if scheme whereby downtown must be subsidized until various densities are reached. The current scheme is not fair, I don't care how many people in other parts of HRM complain. Come downtown!

agree.

I've been workign on stats lately and it clearly shows there is a problem. Unless things change, and change quickly, the CBD will be in a rut that will take decades to undo.

beyeas · #**2235** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 6:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1gray

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/04/15/ns-halifax-downtown-taxes.html

completely agree. People argue that they have the "right" to live out in the 'burbs, and that is true, but if they make that choice then they should have to be the ones to pay for the cost of servicing.

It is a win win... the people pay who are actually generating the service costs, and their is a tax advantage for moving to urban areas.

someone123 · #**2236** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 7:56 PM**

Unfortunately most councillors are in suburban areas and are not interested in the downtown. Tax breaks for the core mean less money for them to spend on local projects. I doubt that there is any appetite for fixing the current situation.

On top of this most of the urban councillors don't even want the infill. Growing the tax base has no immediate practical implications for them whereas complaints from constituents who might not vote for them feel very tangible.

I am very worried that the HRM is already stuck in a kind of negative feedback loop where there will be more and more representation for suburban areas that are not paying their way. The end result will be insolvency for the municipality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyeas

People argue that they have the "right" to live out in the 'burbs, and that is true, but if they make that choice then they should have to be the ones to pay for the cost of servicing.

The debate is framed in a ridiculous way. It would be more correct for example to ask a suburban dweller if they have a "right" to force somebody else to pick up their garbage. That is closer to the real issue.

chatchie · #**2237** Posted **Apr 15, 2011, 10:26 PM**

Not sure if anyone really cares or has already mentioned it but looks like another US chain (restaurant in this case) will be coming to Canada and NS is listed.. It's Chinese fusion but I guess it's another place to go for drinks..

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2011/04/08/pf-changs-expands-to-canada.html

Jstaleness · #**2238** Posted **Apr 16, 2011, 11:15 PM**

I forgot to mention they other day. The Baton Rouge sign is going on the Morse Tea building.
The Best Buy in Bayers Lake has it's new fascia almost done as well.

beyeas · #**2239** Posted **Apr 17, 2011, 12:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

The debate is framed in a ridiculous way. It would be more correct for example to ask a suburban dweller if they have a "right" to force somebody else to pick up their garbage. That is closer to the real issue.

Great point. Whenever people complain to me that "the south end gets everything" I point to the stamp in the concrete sidewalk on my street that says "1930"... also the same time the water and sewerage was last serviced, and yet I pay triple the taxes that I paid when I lived in Cole Harbour on a street with brand new services.

someone123 · #**2240** Posted **Apr 17, 2011, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyeas

Great point. Whenever people complain to me that "the south end gets everything" I point to the stamp in the concrete sidewalk on my street that says "1930"... also the same time the water and sewerage was last serviced, and yet I pay triple the taxes that I paid when I lived in Cole Harbour on a street with brand new services.

In my experience everybody complains that they pay too much, don't get enough, and that their area is particularly ripped off by the city.

This is why we need hard numbers to look at. Unfortunately, HRM decisions made by councillors are all too often "opinion-based".