[Halifax] Barrington Espace | ? m | 5 fl | Completed

[jslath]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

My obituary? Man, this is getting wierd...

Someone needs to bring this thread back on topic. Any updated pictures? Or word on possible retail tenants?

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by jslath

Someone needs to bring this thread back on topic. Any updated pictures? Or word on possible retail tenants?

I agree, and to take it one step further I'd like to ask the mods to delete all the Dartmouth Crossing and related posts as it adds nothing to the discussion. For my part I will be more mindful about participating in thread derailments in the future.

Truthfully, the turn this thread took creeps me out a little.

Thank you.

[someone123]

I don't have any news, but here's a photo from about a month ago. In this photo it looks like they were still planning to attach a cornice or something to the leftmost facade.



A bit of a tangent, but here's another shot of Barrington Street. During my visit I thought the street seemed to be doing pretty well and there are a bunch of interesting new businesses that had opened since the last time I was in town. I think the businesses along Barrington will be quite successful once the current round of construction is done.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I agree, and to take it one step further I'd like to ask the mods to delete all the Dartmouth Crossing and related posts as it adds nothing to the discussion. For my part I will be more mindful about participating in thread derailments in the future.

Truthfully, the turn this thread took creeps me out a little.

Thank you.

I've removed the post. Sorry it bothered you.

My only aim was to use a little creative humour to ridicule the idea that walking around Dartmouth Crossing is a good idea or is "easy"; but you disagree and now I digress.

And so now: back on topic.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

I've removed the post. Sorry it bothered you.

My only aim was to use a little creative humour to ridicule the idea that walking around Dartmouth Crossing is a good idea or is "easy"; but you disagree and now I digress.

And so now: back on topic.

No worries about that. I think it would be better for the discussion if the whole DC tangent were removed but that's up to the judgement of the mods.

That said, I will not participate in such inane debates in the future.

And yes, back to topic.

[curnhalio]

OK here's a question. It's been said that developers have to build taller and with more units in order to turn a worthwhile profit. If Starfish is able to profit from this building, does that poke a hole in that theory?

For the record, after reading through past threads, I'm slowly turning the corner on seeing the value of well-planned shorter developments. I still don't think that they should be FORCED to build small based on outdated planning rules.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by curnhalio

OK here's a question. It's been said that developers have to build taller and with more units in order to turn a worthwhile profit. If Starfish is able to profit from this building, does that poke a hole in that theory?

I guess it all depends on the costs of renovation vs. the lease/rental rates they can charge. I'm sure sometimes the cost-revenue ratio doesn't work if a project is too small.

But I've made the argument that small projects can be feasible based on (zillions of) examples in other cities, and usually people tell me "Halifax is different" because of red tape, or because developers can't charge as much per unit, or whatever. But redevelopments on a small scale have worked in literally every size of city, with every sort of market imaginable, in this country. Including here. Espace is one, and there are lots of nicely restored older buildings converted to condos or up-market rentals (Greenvale Lofts, etc).

And then you've got the planned restorations of the NFB site, or the Waverly Hotel, or the Green Lantern Building (though there's a lot of variables there) and it becomes obvious that when the choice is between small-scale development and no development, developers will make good projects work on a small scale.

The arguments otherwise are just another permutation of the "Halifax can't AFFORD to stipulate things to developers, we need to be open for business, or all our youth will leave, because the Ivany report," or whatever.

The development industry works within certain limitations, here as everywhere, and here as everywhere, they try to get as much leeway as they can above and beyond those limitations. It's up to city planners to strike the balance between what's good for developers and what's good for the city‚ and to try and make those, as much as possible, one and the same.

[curnhalio]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

And then you've got the planned restorations of the NFB site, or the Waverly Hotel, or the Green Lantern Building (though there's a lot of variables there) and it becomes obvious that when the choice is between small-scale development and no development, developers will make good projects work on a small scale.

I can certainly agree that they would rather have something built on site generating revenue, rather than a hole in the ground that they have to pay taxes on. I wonder about a site like St. Joseph's Square. They had an 11-storey tower/townhouse development all set to go. Residents stepped in and said it was too tall. They come back and knock two storeys off and AFAIK it was approved. But nothing has happened on site. Did downscaling the project kill any serious profit projections that wouldn't survive a few cost overruns?

I certainly hope Espace is successful and I would argue it already is because of the spinoff construction it has generated along Barrington, indirect though it may be. TD Tower is nearly finished, and the Roy and NFB are well underway.

[JET]

a couple of people have mentioned the Waverly Hotel; is there something up with the Waverly Hotel?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by curnhalio

TD Tower is nearly finished, and the Roy and NFB are well underway.

NFB has started? Hopefully we'll get some construction pictures in that thread.

When I was in town in early June nothing had begun yet.

[curnhalio]

Originally Posted by someone123

NFB has started? Hopefully we'll get some construction pictures in that thread.

When I was in town in early June nothing had begun yet.

I hope I'm referring to the right building. The one just south of Sackville, where they have Barrington as narrow as it could possibly be. They've been working on it about a month so you probably missed it by a couple days.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by JET

a couple of people have mentioned the Waverly Hotel; is there something up with the Waverly Hotel?

My bad, misinformation there. I didn't mean the Waverly; I meant Gerrard Lodge (I always get them confused. There's a plan, so far with no timeline (but renderings were posted on here somewhere last year, I think), to renovate Gerrard Lodge into higher-end residential and fill in the vacant space around back with additional units.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by curnhalio

I hope I'm referring to the right building. The one just south of Sackville, where they have Barrington as narrow as it could possibly be. They've been working on it about a month so you probably missed it by a couple days.

That'd be the building on the old CD Plus site you're referring to, I believe, at 1592 Barrington.

NFB is three doors further south—restoring the facade of the burned-out NFB building and constructing residential behind it. I don't think work has begun yet. (Because the developer mentioned a possible June construction start I've had an eye out. Nothing yet, but I'm not too panicky—it's only early July, and these things usually take a little longer than anticipated).

[JET]

Interesting that you would confuse Gerrard Hall with the Waverly Inn. I wonder if both are haunted.

[Hali87]

Where is Gerrard Lodge? Gerrard Hall is the orangy-brown dal residence next to the new library, I assume it's not the same?

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Hali87

Where is Gerrard Lodge? Gerrard Hall is the orangy-brown dal residence next to the new library, I assume it's not the same?

No, Gerrard Lodge is the building at 1234 Barrington--a Victorian mansion currently used as a (very) low-rent apartment building.

Development proposal details here.

[someone123]

The Gerrard Lodge proposal's been kicking around for a while too (maybe since 2007 or so?). One odd detail is that 1230 Barrington, which looks like it's part of the same building, had a separate owner and was renovated separately.

Harvey Street meanwhile is pretty weird. It has some nice homes but also a lot of 80's/90's junk. That period was not exactly a high point in Halifax's architectural history.

Originally Posted by Drybrain

NFB is three doors further south—restoring the facade of the burned-out NFB building and constructing residential behind it. I don't think work has begun yet.

I'm particularly eager with that one because it looks so bad and has sat for so long. I don't know if other people notice it that much but I've always thought there's a huge difference between streets with bombed-out ruins and streets without bombed-out ruins, however small. There are a few other buildings on the street that are in rough shape but none of them are on the same level.

[curnhalio]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

That'd be the building on the old CD Plus site you're referring to, I believe, at 1592 Barrington.

NFB is three doors further south—restoring the facade of the burned-out NFB building and constructing residential behind it. I don't think work has begun yet. (Because the developer mentioned a possible June construction start I've had an eye out. Nothing yet, but I'm not too panicky—it's only early July, and these things usually take a little longer than anticipated).

Thank you for the clarification. The CD Plus site has the framework of a four storey building so far. I don't recall seeing anything on here about it so it must be a smaller project.

EDIT: Yes, this is the 1592 site and there is a thread.

[Ziobrop]

there has been some interior work going on this past week - though it appears that they are installing the Fire Sprinklers..

[Northend Guy]

Urban Outfitters tender package & permit drawings are supposed to be issued this week.