Quote:
Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark
The Dennis Bldg. is an interesting case as it's government owned, and governments typically like to stay popular with the people so they will be looked upon favourably come election time. As has been mentioned, the actual level of damage to the Dennis seems to be unclear, and the government doesn't seem to be all too anxious to make it clear. So what are their intentions in this case? Cut costs so they can look good financially for the next election? Of course, it is much cheaper to rip it down than to preserve/refurbish it.
Other options for the building have already been covered in various threads, including handing it over to private ownership, so there is no need to rehash what has already been posted. However, to make the assumption that the building's historical value isn't worth the cost of refurbishment is only a matter of opinion at this point. In my opinion it is worth being refurbished as it is a significant part of Halifax's downtown. Your opinion is that it's not. Let's see what happens...
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Again, the following probably belongs in the Dennis Building thread, but since you raised the question, here's what I know.
The building itself has a bunch of issues related to repair and maintenance or lack thereof. So there is water leakage, mold, problems with the basement, pests, decaying stonework, obsolete windows, roof issues, materials coming off the outside and falling onto the sidewalk, asbestos... all sorts of issues like that. With enough money, they could all be fixed I suppose.
The other issue with the Dennis is a
functional issue. It simply does not work well for its intended use. The ceiling heights are all too low. There is no lobby worth mentioning. There is nothing left of whatever interior architectural detail it may once have had - it is all 1960s-1980s govt issue. There is only one exit so an exterior fire escape was installed on the rear many years ago. The elevator shafts are ridiculously small. The stairwells are equally small and do not meet code. Heck, virtually nothing about the building meets code. There is no central air handling and no central climate control. There is no insulation in the walls. Wiring and plumbing are completely obsolete despite some upgrades to the washrooms a decade or so ago. And of course there is very little in the way of modern communications infrastructure.
For all of those reasons, in practical terms the only thing it is possible to save is the facade. If money was no object, perhaps you could rectify all the issues while keeping the original floor plates intact, but then you have a seriously compromised result at tremendous cost. We are broke and cannot in good conscience waste money like that. Indeed, it would likely be another Bluenose project gone off the rails. We do not need to repeat that experience. I totally understand why the Minister has taken the position that he has.