[Halifax] Nova Scotia Power HQ | ? fl | ? m | Completed

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by macgregor

There's a new newsletter out from NSPI. Highlights include:

Large air handling units installed on roof
Exterior glass mostly done
Grey gunmetal aluminum panels to be installed next
Nocturne lightning storm exhibit October 16
Substation upgrades
"big news pending"

http://http://www.nspower.ca/site-nsp/media/nspower/LWS_News_September-October_WEB.pdf

Can't wait to see the "lightning storm" exhibit!

[Dmajackson]

From the weekend;

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

From the weekend. It looks like the front side will be completed within the month but the backside will be behind schedule to a significant extent;

The allnovascotia.com is reporting that the Discovery Centre will be moving to the NS Power building. Based on their description it sounds like they are moving into the blue building shown in Dmajackon's picture above. It will be where the Electroplis Studio once was, on the side of the Farmers Market and is part that isn't being renovated. The square footage is 35,000 square feet - this would be a great location for a discovery centre.

[someone123]

Interesting. 35,000 square feet sounds much larger than the exterior visible part of the blue building - presumably this includes some other interior space.

Hopefully they will spend some money to improve the street level by Lower Water and Terminal.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by someone123

Interesting. 35,000 square feet sounds much larger than the exterior visible part of the blue building - presumably this includes some other interior space.

Hopefully they will spend some money to improve the street level by Lower Water and Terminal.

Maybe it is not the space being described - I am not sure. (it is a section that is not being renovated as stated in the story). Someone with more knowledge of the building would know better. Maybe the adjoining large concrete section (the section with the power lines attached) is the section being described. It is wherever the Electropolis sound stage was located (it is also described in the allnovascotia.com story as a high-ceiling section). It will be disappointing if the large adjoining concrete section is a section that is not being renovated (since it will make the entire structure look bad). If that section is not being renovated then I hope that NS Power will at least paint the concrete or do something to make the exterior look better. The allnovascotia.com states that it is the Waterfront Boardwalk corner.

[something_witty]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Maybe it is not the space being described - I am not sure. (it is a section that is not being renovated as stated in the story). Someone with more knowledge of the building would know better. Maybe the adjoining large concrete section (the section with the power lines attached) is the section being described. It is wherever the Electropolis sound stage was located (it is also described in the allnovascotia.com story as a high-ceiling section). It will be disappointing if the large adjoining concrete section is a section that is not being renovated (since it will make the entire structure look bad). If that section is not being renovated then I hope that NS Power will at least paint the concrete or do something to make the exterior look better. It is described as the Waterfront Boardwalk corner.

Electropolis was the high concrete part with the power lines attached. It was one of several rooms in the building, the main one was pretty huge, with a few smaller ones that were on the water side of the building. Many a rave held here.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by something_witty

Electropolis was the high concrete part with the power lines attached. It was one of several rooms in the building, the main one was pretty huge, with a few smaller ones that were on the water side of the building. Many a rave held here.

That means that the entire concrete section with the electric lines attached is not being renovated - very disappointing news (I thought that it was just the blue building that was staying as it is). I hope that they will at least paint the exterior. Since it appears as though the Discovery Centre is moving to this section, I would think that they would want make it look more presentable.

[phrenic]

Originally Posted by something_witty

Electropolis was the high concrete part with the power lines attached. It was one of several rooms in the building, the main one was pretty huge, with a few smaller ones that were on the water side of the building. Many a rave held here.

Those were the city's best parties.

[Wishblade]

I have to say, I certainly didn't see this one coming...

Halifax's Discovery Centre moving to new NS Power digs

By KELLY SHIERS Staff Reporter
Fri, Oct 15 - 1:54 PM

Discovery Centre is getting new digs.

The 25-year-old hands-on science centre announced Friday it will move out of its Barrington Street home and into a newly converted building that will also house Nova Scotia Power's new offices.

The centre expects to move to its new location on Lower Water Street in about three years.

Under the deal with NSP, the centre won't pay rent for 25 years. As well, Nova Scotia Power and its parent company, Emera Inc. will donate $1 million over five years to help with the centre's move.

The power company expects it will move its employees into the converted former power plant on the Halifax waterfront next spring.

"Nova Scotia Power is an ideal partner, one immersed in the latest technology and innovation, with a tech-savvy workforce, and with an ideal facility that we can adapt to the needs of a modern 21st-century science centre," Dov Bercovici, Discovery Centre CEO and president, said in a news release.

According to its website, the centre had 80,000 visitors last year.

[JustinMacD]

^^CBC News said yesterday that 150K people visit the Discovery Centre annually.

How the heck could the numbers be so far apart.

[Jonovision]

I thought that a deal was made with Medjuck to ensure that the Discovery Centre could stay in the Barrington location after he redeveloped. But I guess that fell through. It is a good location for this though.

[halifaxboyns]

I suspect the discrepancy between the numbers may be as a result of misunderstanding or mis-communication.
I wouldn't worry about it.

Surprise the deal to remain didn't hold out. Now another empty storefront on Barrington.

[someone123]

To be honest I don't think that location on Barrington was the best place for the Discovery Centre anyway. As they said there were access issues and I doubt there were a lot of people visiting there then going across the street to Venus Envy or whatever. The waterfront is a great place for a general attraction like that.

The fate of that area is still up in the air but if we do see a new residential tower go in above the building along with everything else (potentially 400 residential units plus hotels) it could become a very attractive spot for a range of businesses.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by someone123

To be honest I don't think that location on Barrington was the best place for the Discovery Centre anyway. As they said there were access issues and I doubt there were a lot of people visiting there then going across the street to Venus Envy or whatever. The waterfront is a great place for a general attraction like that.

The fate of that area is still up in the air but if we do see a new residential tower go in above the building along with everything else (potentially 400 residential units plus hotels) it could become a very attractive spot for a range of businesses.

Agreed, the waterfront defines us as a city and therefore think this location to be a great choice

Now if we could only get more of the proposal built on the waterfront.

[beyeas]

Certainly the Seaport area is really coming along, and I agree this is a better location for this, especially in terms of parking. Plus that is clearly a deal that has lent some financial sustainability to the centre, which should allow them to convert that into some programs that might otherwise not have offered. For a small locally driven science centre, they have a history of doing things quite well.

The only thing that is sad is indeed that this is another empty store front on that block of Barrington. Having said that, hopefully this project goes ahead as a residential project, especially given that I have no faith at all in the UG project. This and the Alexander are the two projects that stand to do the most in terms of reviving this area of the city.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by someone123

To be honest I don't think that location on Barrington was the best place for the Discovery Centre anyway. As they said there were access issues and I doubt there were a lot of people visiting there then going across the street to Venus Envy or whatever. The waterfront is a great place for a general attraction like that.

The fate of that area is still up in the air but if we do see a new residential tower go in above the building along with everything else (potentially 400 residential units plus hotels) it could become a very attractive spot for a range of businesses.

Definitely agree - I think the waterfront is an excellent place for something like this... museums, science centres, theatres.. those types of cultural facilities seem to marry well with the harbour in my head.

[DigitalNinja]

Great news for discovery center. The Area it had on barrington is pretty large... Any idea of what may fill the space or what would be good there?

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

Great news for discovery center. The Area it had on barrington is pretty large... Any idea of what may fill the space or what would be good there?

There's a proposal for the Barrington site. I think its for a 20 storey building? It's called 1595 Barrington if you want to look it up (theres a thread somewheres for it).

[JustinMacD]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

There's a proposal for the Barrington site. I think its for a 20 storey building? It's called 1595 Barrington if you want to look it up (theres a thread somewheres for it).

Best case scenario, something like that wouldn't start for another 10 years.

Might as well try and convert them into loft apartments or something. There really needs to be a push to make that street more residential. The days of it being a big commercial street are never going to come back.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Best case scenario, something like that wouldn't start for another 10 years.

Might as well try and convert them into loft apartments or something. There really needs to be a push to make that street more residential. The days of it being a big commercial street are never going to come back.

The proposal is for it to be office or residential... with residential looking more likely now that so many other office developments are approved.

Barrington will come back with people... the discovery centre development and the Roy tower are both residential, I think it will be alot better.

Even the powerplant having more people in it will change the dynamic of the southern part of barrington.