[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed - Page 133

haligonia · #**2641** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 4:31 PM**

Yes.. the people who are saying that this means we won't get the shipbuilding contract are just pessimistic and bitter because they didn't get their way.

halifaxboyns · #**2642** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 5:18 PM**

That's what I was thinking the more I thought about it.
This also shows how McKay still tries his best to actually champion Nova Scotia at the cabinet table. I have a little more respect for him today than I did before lol.

halifaxboyns · #**2643** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 8:00 PM**

For immediate release
August 15, 2011

Media Release

Coalition Enters Phase Two

"This is a sad day for Nova Scotians”, said Beverly Miller of the Coalition to Save the View, reacting to the announcement by Defence Minister Peter MacKay that the federal government would provide $51.4 million to the proposed Halifax convention centre.

“The Coalition has been studying the economics of the industry for two years and has not found a single shred of evidence that the convention centre would have net economic benefits,” Ms. Miller continued. “Instead the project would be a $378 million, 25-year drain on the citizens of this city and Province.”

Taking most of the remaining money from the Nova Scotia Allocation of the Building Canada Fund for this project would leave very little for projects in the Province for the next three years. “This sort of speculative development distracts Nova Scotia from real economic growth and stifles new grass roots ideas for building wealth in our province,” said John Wesley Chisholm.

"With the prospect of dozens of local jobs being lost as part of the "fiscally responsible" cut back at Environment Canada, I don't see any way the feds can, with a straight face, fund the Convention Centre," said Jean Chard.

You can get a real laugh by reading the rest of this here.

someone123 · #**2644** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 8:29 PM**

It is just sad how their coalition includes groups from CB and the South Shore. These groups are presumably interested primarily because they would like to kill spending in Halifax. Friends of the _ and the neighbourhood associations are BANANA groups - Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything. These people are no doubt the ones who came up with the stupid name "Save the View", which totally destroys any credibility they might hope to have when lecturing us about the dying convention industry.

Antigonish · #**2645** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 8:56 PM**

HAHAH!! Thanks for that excerpt HaliBoy,

How do ya like us now "Save The View" ?!?!!

halifaxboyns · #**2646** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 9:10 PM**

I'm listening to the CBC live...I just missed the 'pro' convention centre story; they just did the against side and had Bev Miller and the artist community.

Keith P. · #**2647** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 9:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by q12

CBC finally changed the rendering. Now that it's going to be constructed I guess they decided to give up trying to stop it by using old renderings to make it look ugly.

CBC News at 6 just ran a piece by hatchet-job specialist Preston Mulligan that - guess what? - featured the OLD rendering.

They are either totally clueless, or are purposely trying to put this in the worst possible light.

Meanwhile the piece itself was the typical bunch of negativity and naysayers, from Kevin "Johnny One-Note" Lacey, standing in front of the hole on Argyle St saying that this was a sad day for Halifax, to everybody's favorite, convention expert Bev Miller, saying none of the numbers are right, to the Khyber parasites, with all of their moronic ideas for how to better spend these dollars on themselves.

The amount of negativity being spread around today on what should be a very happy day is simply extraordinary.

halifaxboyns · #**2648** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 10:06 PM**

Convention Centre not a done deal, says developer
(Rank Inc.)Developer Joe Ramia said a proposed downtown convention centre is not a done deal, despite an announcement Monday of a federal contribution of $51.4 million towards the project.

"This is a good day and this is a positive news and we will do everything in our power to do a development everyone will be proud of," Ramia told CBC News.

Ramia, head of Rank Inc., was not at Monday's announcement.

The CEO of Trade Centre, Scott Ferguson, said the new convention centre will open later than expected: it was orginally slated to open by the end of 2014.

Rank Inc. now needs to see if potential tenants for the office tower and retail space that will be connected to the convention centre are willing to wait for an early 2016 opening.

Ramia said Monday it will be another two months before he can confirm if he will build it, because the convention centre is dependant on a larger project that includes an 18-storey financial services centre.

"We're doing the convention centre at cost. So our money is being made at the financial centre, so they are going to dictate whether this moves forward or not," said Ramia.

The federal investment is about $4 million higher than what was originally expected. Developer Rank Inc. said the convention centre would cost $159 million, but that price was only guaranteed until mid-April.

He said the price of the convention centre has gone up as part of the overall $51.4-million development, but at this point, he can't say how much more the convention centre price tag will be. It does explain why the federal government was asked to kick in $4 million more than originally asked.

Full story here.

someone123 · #**2649** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 10:25 PM**

You'd think that any prospective tenants would have been aware of the potential for delays from the beginning because the government funding was always a part of this. It seems unlikely that they would say yes to Rank, follow along with this for years, and then pull out once the funding is secured.

halifaxboyns · #**2650** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 10:38 PM**

CTV's coverage
Here

q12 · #**2651** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 10:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

CTV's coverage
Here

Thank You CTV for a proper report on this exciting news. After watching the inteview with Ramia it sounds like there will be no problems proceeding with this.

Cranes by the spring?

The herald article was updated at 5 p.m.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9021703.html

I like this quote from Peter Mackay:

Quote:

MacKay said the province needs to move forward.

“It needs to be positive, proactive, productive, and agile. We must all work diligently to take the no out of Nova Scotia,” he told the audience

fenwick16 · #**2652** Posted **Aug 15, 2011, 11:45 PM**

It is good to see this project receive federal support. Hopefully, it won't take too long for Joe Ramia to make all the arrangements to start construction.