General Updates and News

[Empire]

HT and groups like them need to embrace modern design like Purdy`s Wharf, 1801 Hollis, UG towers etc. These modern buildings add great diversity and are generally accepted by the masses. Just look at the postcards of only Purdy's buildings. Where the gray area lies, IMO, is when developers try to pass buildings such as the Roy and Discovery Centre off as modern design. These proposals fall far short of Purdy's or UG Texpark towers. I think in cases like this the developer should beef up the modern design or go with a Dominion Public Building look with a modern twist. The Alexandra is one design that leans in this direction.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Empire

HT and groups like them need to embrace modern design like Purdy`s Wharf, 1801 Hollis, UG towers etc. These modern buildings add great diversity and are generally accepted by the masses. Just look at the postcards of only Purdy's buildings. Where the gray area lies, IMO, is when developers try to pass buildings such as the Roy and Discovery Centre off as modern design. These proposals fall far short of Purdy's or UG Texpark towers. I think in cases like this the developer should beef up the modern design or go with a Dominion Public Building look with a modern twist. The Alexandra is one design that leans in this direction.

I completely agree, Purdy`s Wharf, 1801 Hollis, UG Towers are all developments that I consider to be first rate. I also like the Alexander design - does anyone know when it will proceed - downtown needs a lot more residential buildings.

[someone123]

Well part of the issue is that there are and there have been bad developments in Halifax. I think the Heritage Trust are justified in complaining about the Maritime Centre or Scotia Square. The problem is that they and some others now have a prejudice against modern development. To some degree this isn't surprising because there aren't many examples of high-quality highrise developments downtown from the last few years. We've seen proposals but nothing built so there's no modern example of a downtown highrise that looks nice, complements heritage buildings, and contributes positively to street life.

[spaustin]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I think that the Dominion Public Building is a quality building from the 1930's era and I hope that it will be a heritage building (if it isn't already). I believe that maintaining a historic theme along Barrington Street is important.

The Dominion Public Building is a federally recognized heritage building, which provides it with some protection. More importantly, the owner (the federal government, PWGSC) is serious about preserving it. The tower was recently restored even though there is no usable space inside because it can't meet the fire code. They took the tower apart brick by brick and then put it back together again with a new copper roof. Here's a pic I snapped of it from the top floor of the Centennial Building the other day.

[hfx_chris]

I have to admit, I much preferred the old dome.

By the way spaustin, did you go up to take a tour of the tower when they had it open? I was going to, but I just wasn't able to find the time.

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by spaustin

no usable space inside because it can't meet the fire code.

So it's completely empty inside?

[spaustin]

Chris, that's the exact same thing that happened to me. I kept meaning to book a slot in one of the tour groups, but I had so much to do, I just never got around to it and then it was too late. Next reno Cormier, yes, there is no usable space in the Tower portion beyond the 7th floor. 8th floor and up is unusable due to fire regulations. Back when the fire code wasn't so strict there were offices in the tower. During World War II, the guy (can't remember his name right now) in charge of media censorship had his office up there. I don't know when they stopped using it.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by spaustin

The Dominion Public Building is a federally recognized heritage building, which provides it with some protection. More importantly, the owner (the federal government, PWGSC) is serious about preserving it. The tower was recently restored even though there is no usable space inside because it can't meet the fire code. They took the tower apart brick by brick and then put it back together again with a new copper roof. Here's a pic I snapped of it from the top floor of the Centennial Building the other day.

Excellent photo. It's too bad we don`t have more buildings like this. The feds have done a great job restoring it. There must be a way around the fire code issue?

[someone123]

The Dominion Public Building, Bank of Nova Scotia, Province House, and old post office are all very nice heritage buildings that should be carefully preserved.

Unfortunately some others are gone - the customs house, Royal Bank, Bank of Montreal, and two more stone office buildings next to the Halifax Club where the Joseph Howe building now stands.

[sdm]

I found this quote from the mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda Sutherland Madeiros that i really like. Too bad we don't have a mayor like him.

'If you try to restrict the height of buildings, your grandchildren and great grandchildren will look back and say how short sighted you were with a shortage of land, not letting buildings go higher in the city,' he told the Royal Gazette newspaper.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by sdm

I found this quote from the mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda Sutherland Madeiros that i really like. Too bad we don't have a mayor like him.

'If you try to restrict the height of buildings, your grandchildren and great grandchildren will look back and say how short sighted you were with a shortage of land, not letting buildings go higher in the city,' he told the Royal Gazette newspaper.

Well in Bermuda I don't imagine building out is much of an option given the land size ... If you can't build out build up.

[fenwick16]

Based on a story in the allnovascotia.com, some councillors are threatening to show municipal CAO, Dan English, the door for his criticism of proposed cuts in city staff.

To me, it sounds like very poor diplomacy by city councillors; of course Dan English should be annoyed, they are talking about cutting staff and getting municipal employees concerned unnecessarily. The city is growing - so the municipal staff workers are probably already under an increased work load and now they are being told that some should lose their jobs.

The councillors aren't going on the record as saying that the number of councillors should be cut, or that city councillor salaries should be cut. If that were the case, then I am sure that some councillors would be complaining. Maybe in the 2012 election some of the municipal councillors will be shown the door. Especially the ones who don't understand diplomacy; if they are going to talk about laying people off, then don't make it a news story - if they do make it a news story then show Dan English some understanding for defending his staff. (PS: I have never met him, I have only read his name in the news)

[someone123]

Here is an interesting comparison of the number of people on council:

Vancouver (population ~580,000) - 11
Halifax - 24
Toronto (population 2,500,000+) - 45

[sdm]

Originally Posted by someone123

Here is an interesting comparison of the number of people on council:

Vancouver (population ~580,000) - 11
Halifax - 24
Toronto (population 2,500,000+) - 45

Boston has 13. (population 620,535)

It is very apparent that we have far too many councilors

[Dmajackson]

Shopping centre reinventing itself
Mumford Road space to house doctors, clinics
By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter
Thu. Apr 15 - 4:55 AM

The Access Nova Scotia space in the Halifax Shopping Centre annex on Mumford Road is being transformed into a medical services centre.

"The building is being refocused," said Linda Townsend, Halifax marketing director for 20 Vic Management Inc., which manages the shopping centre for its owner, the Ontario Pension Board.

The new medical space will extend from The Bay to Winners and will include doctors’ offices and specialty clinics, Townsend said in an interview Wednesday.

"It’s under development right now," she said.

Townsend didn’t disclose the building’s new tenants but said the reconfigured space is expected to be complete by the spring of 2011.

The Access Nova Scotia office, which issues driver’s licences, vehicle registration permits, birth and marriage certificates and various business licences, is moving to 300 Horseshoe Lake Dr. in the Bayers Lake Business Park, effective Oct. 1.

The Mumford Road location is the only one in Halifax, and some have complained that moving it to Bayers Lake is inconvenient and will harm the environment by forcing many to drive or use transit to get there.

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, the government department responsible for the centres, said the move was necessary because the Mumford Road lease was expiring and the landlord chose not to re-offer on the department’s request for proposals.

Department spokeswoman Angel Limgenco said the original location plans for the centre were changed to meet its space requirements.

"We understand that it is a change, but it has ample parking and is on a bus route," she said in an interview Wednesday.

Limgenco said there are Access Nova Scotia offices in Dartmouth and Lower Sackville, and services are also available online.

( [email protected] )

[Phalanx]

I'm going to miss that Access Nova Scotia site... it's the one I used. It's far more convenient than going out to Bayers Lake.

[cormiermax]

I'm going to miss it as well, moving it to bears lake is ridicules.

[alps]

Horrible move. The current location is a nice middle ground between the areas it serves -- the peninsula and the mainland, with a big bus terminal to boot. They should look into moving it into one of the new developments at the Bayers Road Shopping Centre or something close by. Everyone that lives close to Bayers Lake has a car anyway...it'll take me over an hour to get there by bus. So backwards -- might as well move city hall out to Dartmouth Crossing like I vaguely remember one councillor suggesting.

[someone123]

"Is on a bus route" is kind of like saying "is on a road".

[Empire]

Originally Posted by sdm

Boston has 13. (population 620,535)

It is very apparent that we have far too many councilors

If we axe 14 councilors immediately, then we would have $1,008,000 a year to put into a stadium fund. Let's start with the councilors most vehemently opposed the stadium.