[Halifax] WAY (Windsor and Young) | ? M | 3x33-40 fl | U/C

[Musicman Halifax]

They had at least one excavator on site digging today. (I was almost past the site when I caught it out of the corner of my eye). Looks like they are digging at the back of the site nearest the base.

Does anyone know what was on this site years ago?

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by Musicman Halifax

They had at least one excavator on site digging today. (I was almost past the site when I caught it out of the corner of my eye). Looks like they are digging at the back of the site nearest the base.

Does anyone know what was on this site years ago?

The lot across from the Forum and Exhibition Grounds was a railyard. I believe there was a roundhouse roughly in that corner.

[Insigne]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

The lot across from the Forum and Exhibition Grounds was a railyard. I believe there was a roundhouse roughly in that corner.

I think you are thinking of the other side of Fairview Lawn Cemetery behind the Joe Howe Superstore. You can still see the outline of the roundhouse on google maps.

The site belonged to DND and was declared surplus and sold in 2003. I can't remember exactly what was there but if I recall correctly old warehouses.

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Insigne

I think you are thinking of the other side of Fairview Lawn Cemetery behind the Joe Howe Superstore. You can still see the outline of the roundhouse on google maps.

The site belonged to DND and was declared surplus and sold in 2003. I can't remember exactly what was there but if I recall correctly old warehouses.

Terrynorthend is correct. Those lands, originally farm lands, were ICR/CNR property and some tracks remained there until as late as the 1980s. (The plate girder bridges over Massachusetts Avenue and Kempt Road are remnants of these tracks.) After CN established its Fairview engine terminal with the opening of the rail cut in the 1920s, the Crown turned the surplus lands bordering Windsor Street over to DND.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Insigne

I think you are thinking of the other side of Fairview Lawn Cemetery behind the Joe Howe Superstore. You can still see the outline of the roundhouse on google maps.

The site belonged to DND and was declared surplus and sold in 2003. I can't remember exactly what was there but if I recall correctly old warehouses.

Yes, that's correct. Google maps still shows it quite clearly:

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Yes, that's correct. Google maps still shows it quite clearly:

Yes, that is the site of the Fairview roundhouse built, according to the late David Othen in his book on the former Halifax and Southwestern Railway, circa 1922, following completion of the south end rail cut. However, the original ICR roundhouse was located near the corner of Windsor Street and Young. William Naftel, in his took Halifax at War, dates that facility at 1905. It was heavily damaged in the Halifax Explosion. The location is well defined on the 1918 "devastated area" map.


Source: NS Archives

There is an unidentified structure right on the Windsor/Young corner, with rail access. I always assumed this was another railway building. But a 1935 map in the Archives shows a structure marked for Christie Brown and Company ("Mr. Christie, you make good cookies") on that corner. The map shows CNR shops still present on the site. In an earlier related discussion in the Old Halifax thread, OldDartmouthMark shared an image from the McCully aerial collection circa 1930 that appears to show the CN shops behind a string of rail cars.



According to Naftel, the Willow Park lands were conveyed to DND circa 1940; however, CN retained a considerable portion of the land bounded by Windsor, Young, Kempt and Hood. A 1950 map in the U of T archives shows the site still fully occupied by rail spurs. The Fairview roundhouse and shops appear north of Windsor and Connaught.


Source: University of Toronto

[terrynorthend]

Yes, I was looking at a 1945 map that confirmed CNR's presence there. Trying to jog my memory if there was a service station on that corner more recently, say the 70s? Feeling the Mandela effect may be making me think that.

At any rate, there is definitely some excavation happening behind the fence now. Any word on develop permits, Dmjackson?

[bartekci]

Originally Posted by Musicman Halifax

They had at least one excavator on site digging today. (I was almost past the site when I caught it out of the corner of my eye). Looks like they are digging at the back of the site nearest the base.

Does anyone know what was on this site years ago?

Plenty of dump trucks leaving the site today.

[Dmajackson]

Grade Alteration Permit was issued a couple of weeks ago. No building permit information for now.


HalifaxDevelopment.ca (Photo by David Jackson)

[Keith P.]

New rendering:

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

New rendering:

Hmmm...looks the same as the one we were discussing last December. Am I missing something?

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

Hmmm...looks the same as the one we were discussing last December. Am I missing something?

I don't think so. I believe it's the same as the photos of the renderings on the fences. See a few pages back.

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Yes, that is the site of the Fairview roundhouse built, according to the late David Othen in his book on the former Halifax and Southwestern Railway, circa 1922, following completion of the south end rail cut. However, the original ICR roundhouse was located near the corner of Windsor Street and Young. William Naftel, in his took Halifax at War, dates that facility at 1905. It was heavily damaged in the Halifax Explosion. The location is well defined on the 1918 "devastated area" map.


Source: NS Archives

There is an unidentified structure right on the Windsor/Young corner, with rail access. I always assumed this was another railway building. But a 1935 map in the Archives shows a structure marked for Christie Brown and Company ("Mr. Christie, you make good cookies") on that corner. The map shows CNR shops still present on the site. In an earlier related discussion in the Old Halifax thread, OldDartmouthMark shared an image from the McCully aerial collection circa 1930 that appears to show the CN shops behind a string of rail cars.



According to Naftel, the Willow Park lands were conveyed to DND circa 1940; however, CN retained a considerable portion of the land bounded by Windsor, Young, Kempt and Hood. A 1950 map in the U of T archives shows the site still fully occupied by rail spurs. The Fairview roundhouse and shops appear north of Windsor and Connaught.


Source: University of Toronto

[eastcoastal]

I saw in AllNovaScotia this morning that this project is going to change: two residential towers (seems like "up to 40 storeys") and one mid-rise office tower on a shared podium. No images of the new design were shared.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I saw in AllNovaScotia this morning that this project is going to change: two residential towers (seems like "up to 40 storeys") and one mid-rise office tower on a shared podium. No images of the new design were shared.

I hope they use it as an opportunity to improve the podium design and the way it meets the street. It's a prominent corner - podium here should be made as nice as possible.

[Wannabe Economist]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

I saw in AllNovaScotia this morning that this project is going to change: two residential towers (seems like "up to 40 storeys") and one mid-rise office tower on a shared podium. No images of the new design were shared.

Office is back baby! Bring on 22 Commerce Square

JP Morgan recently signed up for the most expensive net rents on an office lease in Canadian history for the top 2 floors of CIBC Square 2 in Toronto.

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

The hole is getting deeper...

PXL_20260109_173436114.MP by A.J. Forsythe, on Flickr