General Updates and News - Page 80

Jstaleness · #**1581** Posted **Aug 27, 2010, 11:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

I'm on Agricola quite a bit. I'll get a few pics next time I'm by.

I couldn't get good angles. Photos by me.

JustinMacD · #**1582** Posted **Sep 5, 2010, 8:28 PM**

What is the old building on the corner of SGR and Barrington across from the Maritime Centre (the old NFB building)? Anyways, there is lots of work being done on this one now.

Keith P. · #**1583** Posted **Sep 5, 2010, 9:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

What is the old building on the corner of SGR and Barrington across from the Maritime Centre (the old NFB building)? Anyways, there is lots of work being done on this one now.

That belongs to the Catholic diocese (I forget the proper name for it). It is where the Archbishop lives. I read recently that they were putting some money into renovations and updates.

alps · #**1584** Posted **Sep 5, 2010, 11:28 PM**

That's good. There'd been netting strung over the crumbing brickwork for some time now.

halifaxboyns · #**1585** Posted **Sep 8, 2010, 2:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That belongs to the Catholic diocese (I forget the proper name for it). It is where the Archbishop lives. I read recently that they were putting some money into renovations and updates.

There are turning it into a more formal residence plus a 'senior's home' for older priests; from what I remember. I think it was designed for up to 6 priests?

someone123 · #**1586** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 2:41 AM**

Allnovascotia has stories about two new store openings on Barrington Street: Obladee, the wine bar, is supposed to open in the old Frozen Ocean location in October. The old Peepshow storefront is also being renovated for a home furnishings store called Oddjects.

beyeas · #**1587** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 2:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Allnovascotia has stories about two new store openings on Barrington Street: Obladee, the wine bar, is supposed to open in the old Frozen Ocean location in October. The old Peepshow storefront is also being renovated for a home furnishings store called Oddjects.

You beat me to it! :-)

There are certainly some early (but increasing signs) of business owners taking a bet on Barrington reviving itself. I find that more convincing then just believing the politicians blathering on about how it will be revived. "Following where the money is going" is a far more definitive indication, and there signs that some people are willing to risk investing money in putting new businesses on the street. Makes sense potentially to get in now and lock into a lease at a good rate, if you are betting that in the next 4-10 years that there will be a big turn-around on the street!

phrenic · #**1588** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 2:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

I'm on Agricola quite a bit. I'll get a few pics next time I'm by.

BTW, this will be the headquarters for web firm Internet Solutions Ltd (ISL). They're currently in the CIBC building downtown.

Jstaleness · #**1589** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 8:13 PM**

Not sure if there is a thread for this yet or not.
This is the Crane that went up today at the Coast Guard Offices.
Photos by me.

Jstaleness · #**1590** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 8:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyeas

You beat me to it! :-)

There are certainly some early (but increasing signs) of business owners taking a bet on Barrington reviving itself. I find that more convincing then just believing the politicians blathering on about how it will be revived. "Following where the money is going" is a far more definitive indication, and there signs that some people are willing to risk investing money in putting new businesses on the street. Makes sense potentially to get in now and lock into a lease at a good rate, if you are betting that in the next 4-10 years that there will be a big turn-around on the street!

The last few trips that I have been down Barrington has made things look promising. Maybe it's just because school is back in but it's busy again. I hope this a sing of things to come.

terrynorthend · #**1591** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 8:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Not sure if there is a thread for this yet or not.
This is the Crane that went up today at the Coast Guard Offices.
Photos by me.

Sorry, where is this? Up by BIO? What is being built?

Dmajackson · #**1592** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 8:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

Not sure if there is a thread for this yet or not.
This is the Crane that went up today at the Coast Guard Offices.
Photos by me.

Here's the thread for it; http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=176038

It's good to see its going ahead. Should be a nice addition to the currently pathetic Burnside skyline.

When you were in the area was there any sign of the cranes going up for the RCMP HQ?

someone123 · #**1593** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 9:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyeas

There are certainly some early (but increasing signs) of business owners taking a bet on Barrington reviving itself. I find that more convincing then just believing the politicians blathering on about how it will be revived. "Following where the money is going" is a far more definitive indication, and there signs that some people are willing to risk investing money in putting new businesses on the street. Makes sense potentially to get in now and lock into a lease at a good rate, if you are betting that in the next 4-10 years that there will be a big turn-around on the street!

I personally think that the Detroit-style dying downtown rhetoric employed by some of the local media is really over the top and has given people a distorted view of the health of the downtown area. Aside from a couple of properties Barrington is moderately successful as a retail street (it is easy to come up with interesting retailers there worth visiting, like J. W. Doull or Freak Lunchbox) and it is one of the weaker parts of the downtown.

Sometimes you hear the same "abandoned peninsula" rhetoric and it is totally wrong. I find it puzzling how those can sit cheek-by-jowl with complaints about new development or traffic. The reality is that the population in the inner city is growing significantly, even around Gottingen Street.

The proper way to look at Barrington is to consider it an area that has been hampered by poor planning and regulatory delays, not a lack of possible investment money as is the case in dying cities. People are waiting to invest in downtown Halifax but the HRM and others make it difficult. Furthermore, Barrington and the old downtown are not areas that must have magical fixes like a convention centre to "revitalize" them (a convention centre may be good or bad but should be judged on its actual merits without presupposing that it will be a panacea) - that is a very confused way to view downtown development and is the attitude that gave us Scotia Square.

The good news is that I think it will take very little in the way of improvements to make the street look vastly better. The Sam project and NFB alone would make a huge difference in the overall balance of the street. Add a couple new buildings, restorations, and streetscaping to the mix and Barrington will be very attractive.

Jstaleness · #**1594** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 10:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Here's the thread for it; http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=176038

It's good to see its going ahead. Should be a nice addition to the currently pathetic Burnside skyline.

When you were in the area was there any sign of the cranes going up for the RCMP HQ?

RCMP site has had a mobile crane onsite for almost a week. Today there was 2! Hopefully they will be putting the cranes in place tomorrow.

Dmajackson · #**1595** Posted **Sep 9, 2010, 11:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

RCMP site has had a mobile crane onsite for almost a week. Today there was 2! Hopefully they will be putting the cranes in place tomorrow.

Thank God!

That means HRM will have 10 cranes up at once.

alps · #**1596** Posted **Sep 11, 2010, 9:28 PM**

-The foundation is in place for some sort of extension to the side of the mysterious Connaught Pharmacy. Looks like a new building filling about half that empty lot.

-The Chester spur CN rails along Joe Howe have been ripped out and replaced with an asphalt trail surface. Kinda sad in a way but at least the ROW is preserved.

-They're still working on adding a third floor to the Zephyr furniture store on Quinpool.

-Dal is paving the gravel parking lot at Oxford and Coburg so I guess there are no immediate plans for anything else there.

Keith P. · #**1597** Posted **Sep 11, 2010, 9:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by alps

-The Chester spur CN rails along Joe Howe have been ripped out and replaced with an asphalt trail surface. Kinda sad in a way but at least the ROW is preserved.

This is yet another example of HRM wasting your tax dollars. There are no sidewalks at all along the west side of that stretch of street. Yet they went to huge expense to rip out the old rail line, build a new compacted base, and have now paved it in about an 8-foot wide section parallel to the street. They have left about twice that width between the curb and the new asphalt as a rutted, muddy mess . Yet that is where people cross the street, wait for buses, etc. They have built a trail to nowhere. Why they just didn't build a proper sidewalk there amazes me -- well, not really, since this is HRM we are talking about here. Just a ridiculous waste.

Dmajackson · #**1598** Posted **Sep 12, 2010, 2:08 AM**

^I disagree Keith.

At the moment yes the trail does go nowheres but in the near future it will extend all the way to Bayers Lake providing a crucial AT link to the existing BLT corridor at Lakeside. In the far out future the waterside trail to Bedford will connect to the other end and I believe the HUGA trail will either connect or come relatively close to the area. Besides having a nice wide paved trail adjacent to a busy stretch of road will create a safe location for cyclists and pedestrians alike.

I'm also sure HRM will green the space between the road and the trail as funds are made available for it.

One thing I'm not sure of is wether or not HRM will make the trail convenient or not. At most trail/road intersections vehicles are given priority which is absurd especially along main AT corridors. If the trail does not give good access to Superstore and adjacent roads locals will not use the trail which is a similar problem to what people face in Bedford and along the HUGA trail on Beaufort Avenue.

Dmajackson · #**1599** Posted **Sep 12, 2010, 2:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Solar-powered trash cans?

Found an article on these bins;

Halifax News Net.ca

someone123 · #**1600** Posted **Sep 12, 2010, 3:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

One thing I'm not sure of is wether or not HRM will make the trail convenient or not. At most trail/road intersections vehicles are given priority which is absurd especially along main AT corridors. If the trail does not give good access to Superstore and adjacent roads locals will not use the trail which is a similar problem to what people face in Bedford and along the HUGA trail on Beaufort Avenue.

They oversell a lot of this as "active transportation".

Cycling in cities can be a serious way for people to get around. It's often more convenient than taking the bus and it is a good way to get physical activity, but trails are useless for cyclists unless they go to real places. Unfortunately, many of the trails in Halifax seem to be designed for recreational purposes or exist only because they happened to be available. Many things are done in the HRM because they are the easy way out and somehow approximate a real solution but they are often not really worth spending money on.

This land cost $2.7M and the improvements are costing about $1.5M. I can imagine many better ways to spend that money for cyclists, and for others the arguments about connecting a trail system don't make a whole lot of difference.