[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed - Page 162

halifaxboyns · #**3221** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:09 AM**

I've been to the convention centre in Vancouver (not for a conference, but while I was visiting). I have to say it's an amazing building. Here are some of the images of the green roof:

halifaxboyns · #**3222** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:10 AM**

Just listening into some of the background conversations that the microphones are picking up and there were a couple people who I could hear that admitted they were anti-project and now are totally excited. I sounds good. Just wondering how many people showed up?

cormiermax · #**3223** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:10 AM**

It looks really nice, my biggest worry is cladding though. Some of the images look like the cladding was brought back from the 60s.

halifaxboyns · #**3224** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:30 AM**

Well from what it sounds there is still another step of design work to come from this...

Phalanx · #**3225** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:42 AM**

A few more slides from the presentation have been put up on the site:

http://buildyourcentre.ca/public-engagement/final-session/#.UL_pzYbF3ke

halifaxboyns · #**3226** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:46 AM**

Good to see that the developer jumped in the comment about the 'blue glass'. I couldn't tell if he was there for the other sessions, but his presence tonight is clearly visible and being open to discussion.

halifaxboyns · #**3227** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:48 AM**

The applause for the public engagement was well deserved. I was hoping someone would bring that up, glad it happened. Mr. Ramia could have easily just said 'here is the design I'm going with' but he did a good process.

Phalanx · #**3228** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:53 AM**

And the coloured glass trend continues. Excellent.

halifaxboyns · #**3229** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalanx

And the coloured glass trend continues. Excellent.

Here here, that's a great idea for the blue.

teddifax · #**3230** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 1:56 AM**

I wonder when they are going to announce the hotel going into Nova Ctr! I believe it is supposed to be a hotel chain not currently in the area. Any guesses or does someone actually know?

halifaxboyns · #**3231** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 2:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddifax

I wonder when they are going to announce the hotel going into Nova Ctr! I believe it is supposed to be a hotel chain not currently in the area. Any guesses or does someone actually know?

I would guess that we won't hear about that until after the approval occurs. Wasn't that how the ones at the Citadell site happened?

Hali87 · #**3232** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 2:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Here here, that's a great idea for the blue.

What was the idea?

someone123 · #**3233** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 3:40 AM**

Looks nice. I'd like to see some renderings of Prince Street or renderings from the Citadel.

teddifax · #**3234** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 4:03 AM**

How infuriating!!! WHY would the CTV news tonight give MOST of its time on the new Nova Ctr on comments on Phil Pacey and how he feels! Ah, I am so tired of the stop progress, save the view and keep Halifax in the past advocates! You have lost, give it up. Halifax is moving on, get over it!

halifaxboyns · #**3235** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 4:30 AM**

CBC showed Pacey's reaction, but his comment I think was somewhat off base. His issue (in CBC clip) was that they didn't show the building in context with it surrounding buildings. Thing is, that's a very leading comment because the viewplanes around the site limit the height. So of course, the buildings are shorter in scale. Very leading comment indeed but I'm sure they will do what they can to try to stop it, despite the fact it's virtually a done deal.

someone123 · #**3236** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 4:38 AM**

Did Phil Pacey attend any of the public consultations and provide any new ideas? My guess is, sadly, that he is still fixated on the "yea or nay" debate that was concluded by all 3 levels of government months or years ago and that pretty much everybody else has moved on from?

If the city had to wait for every naysayer to be happy, nothing would ever be built.

halifaxboyns · #**3237** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 4:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Did Phil Pacey attend any of the public consultations and provide any new ideas? My guess is, sadly, that he is still fixated on the "yea or nay" debate that was concluded by all 3 levels of government months or years ago and that pretty much everybody else has moved on from?

If the city had to wait for every naysayer to be happy, nothing would ever be built.

He attended and I'm sure contributed very little, if anything...beyond the 'surrounding context doesn't support this'. Well of course it doesn't when you have viewplanes on either side with capped heights of well below maybe 5-7 stories. Sometimes their obvious strategies just aren't surprising.

someone123 · #**3238** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 4:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

He attended and I'm sure contributed very little, if anything...beyond the 'surrounding context doesn't support this'. Well of course it doesn't when you have viewplanes on either side with capped heights of well below maybe 5-7 stories. Sometimes their obvious strategies just aren't surprising.

He may not like it but I think it shows a lack of practicality and maturity to keep harping on the question of whether or not to build something when so many others have moved past the question and when the developer is genuinely looking for feedback that can improve the proposal. I also think it's possible that the Heritage Trust could have negotiated for something with Ramia, like how the house was saved from the Vic apartments. Maybe they could have gotten some money to improve the public infrastructure around the nearby Town Clock, for example, or maybe some funding for plaques to show what the neighbourhood used to look like. We could still see something like that from the public art component of the development.

In practice, if all attendees were bitter about the Nova Centre we would have just gotten (a) the original Nova Centre proposal or (b) another X years of vacant lots.

I hope that STV type groups will have less traction in the future now that there are more examples of constructive consultation. We have seen that this model is way more successful than STV-style turf wars in terms of improving the quality of what is built in Halifax.

ILoveHalifax · #**3239** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 12:01 PM**

I was at the session last nite. I am very impressed in the process and the results.
There was a gentleman who arrived at our table when discussion started who wanted to discuss and take over the conversation about the recent report by the auditor general and the viability of the convention center. We listened for a moment while he wrote all kinds of notes about it and then told him we were all there to talk design, his concerns were no longer of any interest to the rest of us. We all believed him to be Alan Ruffman, although he never introduced himself. He later left our table, wasn't getting any attention.

beyeas · #**3240** Posted **Dec 6, 2012, 3:34 PM**

Interesting that in the slides they show Argyle as pedestrian. Do they know something we don't? I wonder how realistic that is?

I actually like what we can see of the exterior design, and I think it is an improvement. I especially like the public access to the roof. The Prince street side concerns me, but my major concern is still Grafton. Devil is in the details, but Grafton could either be a cool pedestrian mall, or epic failure as a dark unwelcoming tunnel.