What would you do with that site?

[phrenic]

Since development news has been rather dull that past few days, why don't we share visions on what could be done with sites around HRM that are currently empty or could be redeveloped. Your vision does not have to be 100% realistic or timely.

A few sites I can think of off the top of my head:

-Cogswell interchange
-The Birks lot (downtown)
-Corner of Spring Garden and Queen
-Corner of Spring Garden and Brunswick
-QEH
-Empty lot on Robie St across from QEH (sandwiched between Pepperell and Shirley st)
-A number of empty lots on Gottingen St.

Personally, I was envisioning the "new Spring Garden Library" actually put on the site of QEH, with a large open green space that extends out into the commons. Inturn, the SP/Brunswick site and SP/Queen Lot could be turned into mixed use office/residential with retail on the ground floors, effectively extending the Spring Garden district.

[Jonovision]

Wow! I really like that idea, i wonder if the city has ever thought of it. Then hopefully a nice mix use development could be built accross the street on the Pepperill site. Something not too big, a good transition between the holiday inn and the rest of the neighbourhood in behind.

I was looking at an update on the Vancouver forum the other day and it looked so amazing! some real good density and quality design. I can only hope that we could get some of that on any of these sites, hopefully all.

I did up a proposal once for a class for the SG and Queen site. It had a big open plaza in the middle that lined up with Brenton St. and created a sort of gateway into the Sexton campus. It was flanked by two point towers that came down in a rounded fashion to envelope the plaza. I think they were in the order of around 14 stories.

Great idea for thread! Hopefully we'll get lots of good ideas.

[gm_scott]

I don't really have any ideas, but I like your idea about the library. The proposed lot for the library is just stupid. The QEH site is central enough. And we don't want to leave that school there forever.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by phrenic

-Cogswell interchange

Not as much space there as people seem to think. Seems like you could erect a couple of towers around the new street infrastructure that would be needed, or you could run those streets under a larger but probably shorter structure. If that were done, a new convention center would be good.

-The Birks lot (downtown)

I like the idea that has been floated for a province house district with a new provincial office building on the site. Unfortunately it will probably be another 7-storey wonder and a replica of One Govt Place, which is a lousy building.

-Corner of Spring Garden and Queen

HRM is insisting that be the new library site, which is a shame. That is an incredible site for quality retail but it will not become that, mark my words.

-Corner of Spring Garden and Brunswick

A problem if the existing library building needs to stay, which from all indications it will. Not much useful can go there -- retail is unlikely given the often-unsavory types that congregate on the lawn in front of the place. Maybe some sort of municipal facility can use the building. If it was razed the site is still compromised unless it is simply used as a park given that is how the front part of the property is used.

-QEH

Tough one. The hospital has designs on it and in some ways that makes sense. Not a great site for residential given the traffic on Robie and Bell. I like your library idea.

-Empty lot on Robie St across from QEH (sandwiched between Pepperell and Shirley st)

More health care I suppose, maybe long-term hotel for relatives of patients across the street.

-A number of empty lots on Gottingen St.

I still maintain the best thing would be to raze most of Gottingen between North and Cogswell for a proper route into downtown.

[Empire]

The proper route into downtown is Barrington. The street needs to be straightened and widened to four lanes from the MacKay to downtown. If the Cogswell St. interchange is demolished it will create very little real estate and one giant traffic bottleneck around Cornwallis St.

[someone123]

It would be such a loss not to put a significant amount of retail at SGR and Queen. Major retail, especially if it's storefront, has to be in specific areas while a library could go anywhere more or less central.

I also think it's pretty important that significant retail space be added to a new development at Barrington and George, although that's another long shot. Barrington needs a couple of major retailers to anchor everything else and turn the street into a viable shopping destination. Putting office space in the ground floor of the former Eaton's building was a huge mistake and putting some dull government offices at Barrington and George would be similar.

I have less of a problem with the current library setup since it does a good job tying different parts of the downtown together.

That Shirley/Pepperell lot has been there for about a decade. It was supposed to become a hotel but who knows what happened to that proposal?

Gottingen Street seems to be gradually improving on its own. It should be midrise apartments and condo buildings with ground floor retail. Something great could be built on the old Sobeys site, although maybe that won't happen until the housing projects are gone.

[alps]

-Cogswell interchange

Mixed use towers 20-30 stories, mostly office, a couple residential. Maybe extend the Granville Mall (in a modern way) northwards, between the towers and elevated over some of the streets? Kind of like a street in the sky, with stores on either side. A new light rail terminal from the north could act as an anchor at the north end of the street...wishful thinking, maybe light rail is a pipe dream in our current governmental situation

-The Birks lot (downtown)

Something that would actually draw people to the area. A three-storey Future Shop, or something neat, with office space above.

-Corner of Spring Garden and Queen

A major retail anchor, with an improved plaza outside. Maybe work some smaller retail outside (like, vendors, but with classier stalls ). Include a glass office bit above, or maybe residential.

-Corner of Spring Garden and Brunswick

Maybe turn the old library into some sort of arts centre, I'm not sure. I like the public square outside. The building isn't terribly special though, so if it were to be demolished the site would have enormous potential.

-QEH

I like your library idea...some sort of commercial tower to complement the busy intersection/the other towers would be neat also. I wouldn't mind the hospital moving in I suppose, as long as the building was built up to the street somewhat...I think that intersection has a lot of potential as something of an urban hub, but I dunno how a hospital would fit into that.

-Empty lot on Robie St across from QEH (sandwiched between Pepperell and Shirley st)

Residential tower, or maybe something to complement whatever goes in the QEH site, by way of pedway or street improvements.

-A number of empty lots on Gottingen St.

Mixed-use commercial & residential buildings...not sure really.

[phrenic]

Thanks for the compliments on the library idea. Maybe I should mention it to Sue Uteck. QEH just seems like a really logical place for the new Library. It may even be possible to incorporate it into the existing structure.

Originally Posted by someone123

It would be such a loss not to put a significant amount of retail at SGR and Queen. Major retail, especially if it's storefront, has to be in specific areas while a library could go anywhere more or less central.

I agree here. I was also thinking that down the road (i.e. 10, 20 years) Spring Garden Road, since it is the closest thing Halifax has to a highend retail strip, is going to need to be bigger. Obviously going west is not an option with the public gardens and such, so the most logical way to extend it would be to fill out the Queen st corner and start to build retail down queen.

[keninhalifax]

I support the idea of placing a new Public Library at the Spring Garden and Queen site. Such a development could include retail and perhaps a residential component, and could potentially be financed as a P3. I know that Dalhousie has expressed interest in such a project, as development of the site could provide Sexton Campus with new library, office, or classroom space.

Placing the library at the site would also take advantage of the locational situation of the current central library.

[keninhalifax]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I still maintain the best thing would be to raze most of Gottingen between North and Cogswell for a proper route into downtown.

Uh-huh. Has anyone told you that the urban renewal craze ended in the 1970s?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by keninhalifax

Uh-huh. Has anyone told you that the urban renewal craze ended in the 1970s?

Which means, given Halifax's time lag behind the rest of the world, that we're just about at the peak.

Seriously though, the fact of the matter is that Gottingen is a major route in and out of downtown, partly because the MacDonald bridge approaches encourage that by discouraging the use of Barrington. Southbound on Barirngton you can't get on the MacDonald at all. Exiting the MacD. to Barrington is a very nasty hairpin turn. The Gottingen corridor is bombed-out anyway and we need better roads. It makes sense.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by keninhalifax

I support the idea of placing a new Public Library at the Spring Garden and Queen site. Such a development could include retail and perhaps a residential component, and could potentially be financed as a P3. I know that Dalhousie has expressed interest in such a project, as development of the site could provide Sexton Campus with new library, office, or classroom space.

Placing the library at the site would also take advantage of the locational situation of the current central library.

The problem is that retail requires street-level space for exposure. It also has very different requirements than a library -- loading docks, customer traffic, possibly parking, etc. Meanwhile a library requires a whole lot of space and lots of peace and quiet. The two are very difficult to make compatible. Judith Hare has sold the decision-makers on a huge complex for the library complete with public spaces, performance venues, etc. There isn't space for retail.

That site is one of the best potential retail sites ever to come along and it is a shame that it won't get used for that.

[Dmajackson]

phrenic, the councillor for the robie street at QEH is Sloane not Uteck. I do think that a library would fit in nicely there.

[phrenic]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

phrenic, the councillor for the robie street at QEH is Sloane not Uteck.

I know, but thanks. Her riding starts across the street. I simply brought up her name becuase she has been a big backer of a new library.

[Dmajackson]

I know this isn't a very big lot but i'm sure someone could come up with something unique for the abandoned gas station at Bayers and Oxford.

[someone123]

There are a couple of old gas station lots sitting empty on the peninsula. Another prominent one is on Quinpool Road.

I guess they remain undeveloped because of combination of remediation required and the small scale of construction that would be allowed on those lots.

[worldlyhaligonian]

I heard about something going in there at some point soon.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

I know this isn't a very big lot but i'm sure someone could come up with something unique for the abandoned gas station at Bayers and Oxford.

That's a site I'd love to see developed with some town houses or small scale apartment building. As people have mentioned there are tons of small parking lots, gas stations etc. around town that could be redeveloped but aren't for some reason.

[hfx_chris]

-Cogswell interchange
A proper downtown transit terminal combined with high rise office towers. I'm still holding onto the idea that somehow a new Metro Centre should be built here as well, if possible.

-The Birks lot (downtown)
Retail. Big box retail, something to draw people to the area, with office space on top.

-Corner of Spring Garden and Queen
Library. Yes, this is a prime site for retail, but I don't believe a library should be removed from this location. Libraries are important spaces to a lot of people, and moving it out of an area it's been in for a long time, especially one like Spring Garden which is primarily used by people who get there on foot is not a good idea.
Besides, I still don't see how a library and retail could not coexist. The noise issue is a moot point, as buildings can be soundproofed quite well. The SG/Queen lot is quite a large plot of land, even if they filled up the street fronts with retail, there's still plenty of space for a library.

-Corner of Spring Garden and Brunswick
Why doesn't HRM hold onto this building. If Judith Hare is so insistent upon huge meeting and performance spaces, why not turn the old library building into just that? Meeting rooms on the upper floor, a theater of some sorts on the main floor..

-QEH
Part of this land should go towards the expansion of the Infirmary's ER. This is a needed expansion, and there really isn't anywhere else to expand to. As for tThe rest of the space, I don't really know. Something community-oriented, but tied into the Common some how.

-Empty lot on Robie St across from QEH (sandwiched between Pepperell and Shirley st)
Maybe something residential. Large scale though, not a bunch of 5 story buildings.

-A number of empty lots on Gottingen St.
Heh, I really can't comment much on Gottingen. As far as I'm concerned that whole area should start from scratch, but I admit that's a poor solution