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

[Spitfire75]

Here's the pic from that article.

[Dmajackson]

Other than the unrealistically close George's Island that rendering looks pretty cool.

It looks like they are doing the same thing with the street as Salter Street is, turning it into a brick-layed pedestrian oriented street.

Does anyone know what the white bloch is on the bottom right corner at the foot of the building?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Does anyone know what the white bloch is on the bottom right corner at the foot of the building?

Given what looks like a large roll-up door at the end of it, I would guess it's visitor parking and access to enclosed parking.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Does anyone know what the white bloch is on the bottom right corner at the foot of the building?

Parking garage entrance.

At 58 million though its one expensive building, if its 200,000 square feet.`

[Takeo]

Actually... Geroge's Island really is that close.

[worldlyhaligonian]

January

[Jonovision]

What about January?

[worldlyhaligonian]

"The review board also must approve the renovation proposal and Nova Scotia Power is asking for a "timely" decision so construction could begin in January if it gets the green light."

[Jonovision]

So I was talking to a friend whos working at Emera, and he seems to think everything go the green light? Can anyone confirm this?

[Jonovision]

NSP defends $58m building

By JUDY MYRDEN Business Reporter
Sat. Nov 8 - 12:14 PM

Nova Scotia Power has gone on the attack against opponents of its proposal to spend almost $60 million turning an old generating station on the Halifax waterfront into its new corporate headquarters.

The company says the province’s consumer advocate, John Merrick, and some industrial customers are "never satisfied by NSP’s diligence" and propose "a path of further delay and expense," the company wrote Tuesday in a brief to the Utility and Review Board.

Nova Scotia Power needs the review board’s approval to proceed with the project. The board oversees the company’s expenditures.

Two of the province’s largest pulp and paper companies and a group known as "Avon Valley et al" are among the project’s opponents.

Avon Valley wants the review board to reject the proposal and order Nova Scotia Power to submit another one after putting out a request for proposals. It also wants the utility to conduct an exhaustive negotiation with its current landlord and to compile a thorough cost analysis of the proposed new headquarters.

Nova Scotia Power responded that having a "tougher negotiation" with the landlord or issuing a formal request for proposals would not benefit its customers.

It says its proposed $58.2-million renovation is "$5 million less than the second-lowest-cost alternative" — building new offices outside the downtown core.

Its other option is to stay in Barrington Tower at Scotia Square, where it has rented space since 1971. Details of how much it would cost to stay there are blacked out in the documents, but Nova Scotia Power says it would be cheaper to renovate the old generating station. The Barrington Tower lease expires in March 2011.

"It is better to refurbish this property than continue to have customers pay the rental costs that would be owing to a landlord," the company said in its rebuttal evidence filed with the board.

The power company filed its application to the review board in July and is asking for a "timely" decision so construction can begin in January if the project is approved.

The review board’s consultant, Tim Margolian of DTZ Barnicke Atlantic Real Estate of Halifax, told the board in an Oct. 17 brief that renovating the old generating station is "the best alternative" among the options and would add value to the downtown core while locating the utility’s head office near government and professional services.

But Mr. Margolian raised concerns that the renovation project is under-budgeted and might face cost overruns.

The Water Street building would include six floors of office space and meeting rooms, and it would be home to about 400 employees.

Until a year ago, the building housed Electropolis Studios, one of Halifax’s premier film production houses. Electropolis moved to a Sackville Street location after failing to reach a deal with Nova Scotia Power to stay on Water Street.

( jmyrden@herald.ca)

[Dmajackson]

I really hope the UARB approves this. If the old concrete building is renewed it would help tie Pier 21 into the rest of the waterfront.

Of course another project that could do it also is the Salter Street Block but who really knows whats going on with that project?

[sdm]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

I really hope the UARB approves this. If the old concrete building is renewed it would help tie Pier 21 into the rest of the waterfront.

Of course another project that could do it also is the Salter Street Block but who really knows whats going on with that project?

Who really knows whats going on with Queenslanding as well. To me that project will make the biggest difference on the waterfront

[worldlyhaligonian]

The power station is the biggest eyesore on the waterfront and I really hope that this development can proceed.

[sdm]

News out, emera (NSPI) has been granted approval by UARB to redevelop the power station, subject to a number of conditions.

1 can't be more then 58 million to do.
2 can't be more then 110,000 square feet. Previously there were intentions that EMERA would lease space to 3rd parties.
3 lease needs to be for 40 years.

http://www.nsuarb.ca/images/stories/...%20project.pdf

[Dmajackson]

Here's an article from the Metro on this;

Nova Scotia Power gets green light for new headquarters
RACHEL BOOMER, METRO HALIFAX
December 22, 2008 01:33

Nova Scotia Power got the green light for a new $53.4-million headquarters on Lower Water Street Monday.

But stay on budget, the province’s Utility and Review Board warned the power company.

“The Board … wishes to make very clear to NSPI that it will be expected to manage the project within the $53.4 million envelope approved,” reads the decision, released Monday.

It said it’s concerned that, because the utility plans to manage the renovation itself on the building, parts of which are over 50 years old, the cost of the renovation might go up.

And it concluded that renovating the former Electropolis building, rather than renewing the company’s lease in Barrington Tower or finding new office space outside the downtown core, was a “reasonable, but not compelling” option for the company.

Nova Scotia Power plans to renovate the current Electropolis space to create an 110,000-square-foot headquarters by 2011 for its operations and those of its parent company, Emera. It plans to aim for the top-of-the-line energy-efficient LEED platinum standard. Critics complained that with power going up 9.4 per cent Jan. 1, 2009, the renovation was too rich for customers.

The board, however, concluded that an energy-efficient headquarters wasn’t a luxury.

“It is reasonable to expect NSPI to aspire to a LEED standard in acquiring new space, whether leasing or owning. To do otherwise would be to ignore the current environment in which NSPI finds itself.”

The original plan included creating office and retail space that could be rented out, but the board concluded Nova Scotia Power customers shouldn’t pay for that, given the worsening economy. “The Board is not persuaded the options for third-party office and retail space rental are sound.”

[someone123]

Good news, but a little disappointing that they won't be adding anything else to the development. A retail component could work well and would be better for the waterfront.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Good news overall, I hope 2009 turns out to be as promising at it looks.

[Jonovision]

Good news for sure. But I am very very disappointed the will not be a retail component. That section of the board walk could really use it.

[someone123]

Possibly they could lease the gravel area on the waterfront side so that it could be developed as a separate project. I am not sure what the plans were for the waterfront side of the building.

[Dmajackson]

Powerful makeover
Nova Scotia Power gets approval to turn old generating station into new headquarters
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Tue. Dec 23 - 10:48 AM



A plan to turn the former generating plant on Lower Water Street in downtown Halifax into Nova Scotia Power’s new corporate head­quarters, and make it a green building, will cost an estimated $53.4 million. (INGRID BULMER / Staff)





NOVA SCOTIA Power received clearance Monday to proceed with an ambitious conversion of its old Lower Water Street generating station into a new corporate headquarters for about 400 workers.

"Redevelopment of the former power plant will be a good thing for downtown Halifax," said power company spokeswoman Margaret Murphy.

Ms. Murphy said a conversion of the old plant into a modern corporate headquarters is the "lowest-cost option" for the utility as it moves out of digs in Barrington Tower at Scotia Square that it has leased since 1971.

The utility intends to begin the conversion on Lower Water Street as early as January and will put up a green building "that meets significant environmental standards," she said.

For example, a new headquarters at the site will include sustainable features such as the use of harbour water for heating and cooling, atriums for natural light and an energy-efficient facade.

In a written decision handed down Monday, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board approved the utility’s July application to proceed with the project.

But the board imposed some strict conditions after raising various concerns in an18-page decision. It approved a maximum cost of $53.4 million for the 110,000-square-foot project and said it will be shareholders and not ratepayers who will be responsible for any cost overruns.

The July application pegged the cost at $58.2 million.

Only Emera, the utility’s parent company, may rent space at the renovated site — 24,000 square feet for a 40-year term — "at a rent which reflects the total proportionate cost," says part of the board’s decision.

The utility had sought to rent available space in the complex to offset costs.

Another part of the report questions the power company’s insistence on confidentially filing all submissions about the project to the board.

The board said this course of action impaired its ability to issue a "fully transparent" decision and said the rules governing confidentiality will be the focus of a separate review next year.

The report also questions the wisdom of proceeding with the waterfront plan when the utility could just as easily build a new and less-expensive building outside the downtown core.

Consumer advocate John Merrick said it is significant the board was restrictive about the utility’s role as a developer. "Nova Scotia Power is taking on the role of a property developer, and this should not be a risk for ratepayers," he said.

The power company has said the Lower Water Street plant includes essential components of its infrastructure that link to the provincial power grid.

The revamped property will include six floors of office space and meeting rooms.

Electropolis Studios, one of the region’s premier film production houses, operated out of the location until about one year ago.

The complete board decision can be viewed at www.nsuarb.ca.