General Updates and News - Page 89

someone123 · #**1761** Posted **Oct 28, 2010, 8:59 PM**

Does anybody know when the NSLC lease is up?

I can easily imagine it being fairly impressive given the size of that lot. The area can certainly use the increased density - as I've said before, ideally there would be dozens more of these types of buildings in the North End.

Dmajackson · #**1762** Posted **Oct 28, 2010, 9:52 PM**

12 storeys is taller than I was expecting. Could look good in the area though given Gladstone and the seniors' residences in the area.

David1gray · #**1763** Posted **Oct 28, 2010, 9:58 PM**

^^^cbc article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...-proposal.html

someone123 · #**1764** Posted **Oct 28, 2010, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by David1gray

^^^cbc article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...-proposal.html

Wait.. somebody needs to contact CBC immediately and tell them they forgot the soccer mom quotes!

(Nice to see a more reasonable article that doesn't turn a run-of-the-mill infill project into an "issue").

Keith P. · #**1765** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 1:38 AM**

I think NSLC has 2 or 3 years left in their current lease. I know they have been sniffing around for a new location in the area because talks about their existing site were going nowhere and they were apparently not happy with what the developer was willing to provide in this proposal. I hear they are looking at yet another potential new development in the area, which would be great if it happens.

HRM · #**1766** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 1:49 AM**

The lease expires in 2012.

Jonovision · #**1767** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 2:30 AM**

Great article. It's nice to hear people be reasonable and welcome density to a neighbourhood that is perfect for it.

eastcoastal · #**1768** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 10:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

12 storeys is taller than I was expecting. Could look good in the area though given Gladstone and the seniors' residences in the area.

It's hard for me to tell from the renderings what the relationship to the street is. Hopefully it's arranged to acknowledge the residential neighbourhood behind it (not the Agricola side), and provide great retail spaces along Agricola. This site is awesome for redevelopment, and the current building/parking lot configuration is terrible for the continuity of the street. The potential offered by a site that spans the block is encouraging.

Keith P. · #**1769** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 12:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

It's hard for me to tell from the renderings what the relationship to the street is.

Is the rendering online anywhere?

HRM · #**1770** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 1:32 PM**

See Dawn Sloane's site for renderings. Not sure though if these are the final ones that will be submitted to the city.

DigitalNinja · #**1771** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 2:15 PM**

Can you link or post them I can't find them on her site.

hoser111 · #**1772** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 2:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

Can you link or post them I can't find them on her site.

http://www.dawnsloane.ca/documents/0...Project_3D.pdf

fenwick16 · #**1773** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 4:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoser111

http://www.dawnsloane.ca/documents/0...Project_3D.pdf

This looks very nice. I hope that it won't morph into a rectangular slab by the time it is built.

beyeas · #**1774** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 5:05 PM**

Big shuffle going on downtown with the province.

Looks like Universal won the bid for Joe Howe building.

Apparently the health department, which is housed there now is moving into the space vacated by Emera in Scotia Square, and Justice is moving to the Joe Howe building from that building they are in now down on terminal road.

JET · #**1775** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 5:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyeas

Big shuffle going on downtown with the province.

Looks like Universal won the bid for Joe Howe building.

Apparently the health department, which is housed there now is moving into the space vacated by Emera in Scotia Square, and Justice is moving to the Joe Howe building from that building they are in now down on terminal road.

I've never figured out all the moving that Departments make.
Somebody must have shares in a moving company.

halifaxboyns · #**1776** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JET

I've never figured out all the moving that Departments make.
Somebody must have shares in a moving company.

Sometimes it's a matter of updating the office space itself. I know here with the City of calgary; when I started with them I had an office on the 4th floor. Then we were all moved to a temporary space for 2 years while our new home on the 5th floor was created. Then with budget cuts; the budget cuts came and aside from new paint and duct work; it's basically the same office structure (none of the new glass panels etc).

So we moved twice.

halifaxboyns · #**1777** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 6:21 PM**

I have to say I'm quite impressed with the drawings KGS did for the NSLC site. I'm very impressed at how they've treated the fact it's a through lot - which is not easy to deal with. The commercial on the Agricola side works well and townhouses on the back; fits really with my vision the area.

The only thing that differs is probably the building height; I would've pushed it to about 15 stories. But that's just my position; but the proposal is in line with my person vision of the area.

It's developments like these that will help redevelop Agricola and Gottingen Street to be nice vibrant, walkable, higher density communities. One thing (which I hate to admit) I agree with in the STV retoric; is that in some cases, you can have very good high density at lower scale. But what my vision of lower scale is and theirs is probably way different. For me, lower scale is in the 12 to 15 storey range.

12 to 15 storey ranged buildings all down this street (Agricola) and in certain locations along Gottingen and Quinpool would help all three develop into really nice commercial pedestrian corridors. This is a great first step.

someone123 · #**1778** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 7:06 PM**

It looks to me like there are storefronts on Agricola with townhouses on the other side and a south-facing curtain wall. Definitely an improvement on what is there.

For an area like this it isn't necessary to have tall buildings or to redevelop everything to significantly increase density. Right now there are maybe 150 housing units on this block (a couple of small apartments, subdivided rowhouses). Nobody lives on the NSLC site, so putting residential above the retail and parking will just about double the density.

sdm · #**1779** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 8:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Does anybody know when the NSLC lease is up?

I can easily imagine it being fairly impressive given the size of that lot. The area can certainly use the increased density - as I've said before, ideally there would be dozens more of these types of buildings in the North End.

I access to property online, i will check but believe its till 2014

beyeas · #**1780** Posted **Oct 29, 2010, 8:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Sometimes it's a matter of updating the office space itself. I know here with the City of calgary; when I started with them I had an office on the 4th floor. Then we were all moved to a temporary space for 2 years while our new home on the 5th floor was created. Then with budget cuts; the budget cuts came and aside from new paint and duct work; it's basically the same office structure (none of the new glass panels etc).

So we moved twice.

Yeah that is it exactly.

Universal said that they are putting money into updating the Howe building (into which Justice will move) and I am sure that Crombie offered incentives in terms of reno cost offsets in the lease for the scotia square space (since they were probably pretty desperate to get that huge chunk of space rented). McCrea didn't sound pleased though, since he was hoping to get DoH into the Waterside apparently (that building was almost exactly the floor size that D of Health was looking for).