General Updates and News

[planarchy]

Event tomorrow at the Halifax Club:

A conversation with Andy Fillmore, HRM Urban Design Project Manager
Date: Tue. February 16, 2010
Time: 12:00pm
Adult's Price: 19.95

Andy Fillmore is a city planner and urban designer with degrees in architecture and city planning from Dalhousie University, and in urban design from Harvard University. He has practiced in Vancouver, Boston and Portland Maine, and in 2005, after 15 years away, he returned to Halifax to fill the newly created Manager of Urban Design position at HRM. Andy’s primary role has been managing the recently adopted HRMbyDESIGN Downtown Plan. He is also HRM's lead urban design advisor on the proposed World Trade & Convention Centre and new Central Library projects, and he will be leading the imminent Cogswell Interchange Redesign Masterplan. A lover of cities and city-living, and one who practices what he preaches, Andy and his family live only a short walk from downtown and their car seldom leaves the driveway.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by planarchy

Event tomorrow at the Halifax Club:

A conversation with Andy Fillmore, HRM Urban Design Project Manager
Date: Tue. February 16, 2010
Time: 12:00pm
Adult's Price: 19.95

Andy Fillmore is a city planner and urban designer with degrees in architecture and city planning from Dalhousie University, and in urban design from Harvard University. He has practiced in Vancouver, Boston and Portland Maine, and in 2005, after 15 years away, he returned to Halifax to fill the newly created Manager of Urban Design position at HRM. Andy’s primary role has been managing the recently adopted HRMbyDESIGN Downtown Plan. He is also HRM's lead urban design advisor on the proposed World Trade & Convention Centre and new Central Library projects, and he will be leading the imminent Cogswell Interchange Redesign Masterplan. A lover of cities and city-living, and one who practices what he preaches, Andy and his family live only a short walk from downtown and their car seldom leaves the driveway.

He sounds like a person that can have a positive impact on the city architecture. I wonder if he has an interest in stadiums (stadia).

[sdm]

[QUOTE=planarchy;4701292] Andy’s primary role has been managing the recently adopted HRMbyDESIGN Downtown Plan. He is also HRM's lead urban design advisor on the proposed World Trade & Convention Centre and new Central Library projects, and he will be leading the imminent Cogswell Interchange Redesign Masterplan. QUOTE]

This makes no sense, why spend money (well HRM loves to spend) to open up land for development when there is NO developments underway on the already approved to proceed developments?

The city should be spending more time on trying to work the province to open the doors for businesses to locate in Halifax. Right now the shift is to move away with all the talk of taxes and increase to this and that. Look at the vacancy rate downtown, its going the other direction and coupled with this there is a negative absorbtion rate, which means NO new companies locating here.

Time to wake up. This is a 'cart before the horse' move.

[planarchy]

[QUOTE=sdm;4701513]

Originally Posted by planarchy

Andy’s primary role has been managing the recently adopted HRMbyDESIGN Downtown Plan. He is also HRM's lead urban design advisor on the proposed World Trade & Convention Centre and new Central Library projects, and he will be leading the imminent Cogswell Interchange Redesign Masterplan. QUOTE]

This makes no sense, why spend money (well HRM loves to spend) to open up land for development when there is NO developments underway on the already approved to proceed developments?

The city should be spending more time on trying to work the province to open the doors for businesses to locate in Halifax. Right now the shift is to move away with all the talk of taxes and increase to this and that. Look at the vacancy rate downtown, its going the other direction and coupled with this there is a negative absorbtion rate, which means NO new companies locating here.

Time to wake up. This is a 'cart before the horse' move.

This has to be put into perspective though - I don't think this will be coming down anytime soon. The issue is increasing costs to maintain it v. costs of demolition. I think it is good that they are starting to think about the possibilities for the site - because it will no doubt be a lengthy debate and process. But as always, we'll have to wait and see how the city/planning department handles this. Hopefully they're beginning to learn from past mistakes.

[sdm]

[QUOTE=planarchy;4701580]

Originally Posted by sdm

This has to be put into perspective though - I don't think this will be coming down anytime soon. The issue is increasing costs to maintain it v. costs of demolition. I think it is good that they are starting to think about the possibilities for the site - because it will no doubt be a lengthy debate and process. But as always, we'll have to wait and see how the city/planning department handles this. Hopefully they're beginning to learn from past mistakes.

Its an estimated 20 million to take it down. I for one have no problem justify such to be spent when we know we will see the lands it yields will be quickly sold AND developed.

The long term goal for the lands is capacity related. Opening them up will do nothing for the city in the near future. Again the city and the province need to work to promote Halifax, or it will continue to decline.

Again i am all for it, but it bugs me when i see statements like that. Council needs to find ways to cut or there will be bigger problems as soon as 2010 budget.....

[Keith P.]

[QUOTE=sdm;4701513]

Originally Posted by planarchy

This makes no sense, why spend money (well HRM loves to spend) to open up land for development when there is NO developments underway on the already approved to proceed developments?

I can't make it to this session, but if anyone does, I hope someone asks this question, because SDM is correct. Look at the Infirmary Lands and SGR parking lots. Someone's feet need to be put to the fire to get something happening there. We don't need more parking lots.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by JET

http://www.downtowndartmouth.ca/.../...ber%202009.pdf -

Some interesting short articles in here on Dartmouth Down Town, including before and after photos of the first completed Facade Improvment Project. JET

That hardly looks like an improvement. Seems like a waste of tax dollars.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That hardly looks like an improvement. Seems like a waste of tax dollars.

That's too bad, I heard that there was a plan to move the Halifax Library administrative offices there.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by JET

That's too bad, I heard that there was a plan to move the Halifax Library administrative offices there.

I see no gold plating, so it is unlikely that Judith Hare would ever cross the threshold.

[alps]

I was in the West End Mall the other day and I noticed some hoarding covering up an empty shop branded the mall as "Mumford Professional Centre"...I didn't know they were changing the name but it makes sense I guess seeing as how it is populated mostly by optometrists and Access NS.

The Gordon B. Isnor Manor (seniors apartments I think, on Cornwallis St) is being recladded. They did the centre bit in red a couple years ago and are now taking the rest of the concrete off the front.

[Jonovision]

I thought we had a thread for this, but I guess not. So I will just post this here.

New spin on a golden oldie

Project rises from music store location


By BRUCE ERSKINE

Business Reporter
SAM the Record Man may be little more than a mem ory, but its granite facade on Halifax’s Barrington Street will live on as the anchor of a new retail and office space complex.

“HRM is reviewing the appli cation," said Rob Landry, proper ty manager with building owner

Starfish Properties , in an inter view Wednesday.

Starfish Properties, which is controlled by Toronto-based Louis Reznick, owns the former music store property at 1656 Bar rington, which includes an adja cent brick-faced building at 1652 Bar rington.

Starfish also owns the former Granite Brewery building to the north at 1662 Barrington.

The company plans to combine the three addresses while retain ing their distinctive historic fa cades.

The project also includes the construction of a glass and metal addition above them that will be set back about three metres from the street front.

Starfish submitted its develop ment plan for the buildings, which have been empty for some time, to Halifax municipal plan ners in January.

Under new streamlined Hali fax by Design development ap proval procedures, the munici pality has 60 days to review the plan from the time it was submit ted, said Landry.

“We’re about halfway through," he said.

Landry said Starfish, which owns a number of other proper ties on Barrington Street, wants to move forward with the Bar rington Espace development, as it is known, “as expediently as we can."

But he didn’t disclose any spe cific project timelines or de tailed construction costs.

“It depends," he said.
Halifax architect David Garrett said the project was designed to meet the requirements of the re cently designated Barrington Street Heritage District under Halif ax by Design.

The heritage designation of fers building owners in the downtown area matching finan cial incentives of up to $100,000 and tax breaks of 15 per cent for expenditures above $100,000 to maintain the historic facades of their properties.

Garrett said the glass and met al addition will include a full lev el plus a partial mezzanine that will be open to the new floor be low.

The Barrington Street ground floor will accommodate retail tenants while the upper floors are being designed to meet the of fice space requirements of busi nesses of different sizes, said Landry.

“It’s a flexible plan," he said.

The development will also in clude a corridor that will con nect Barrington and Argyle streets.

Garrett said the existing struc ture of the three buildings is be ing retained along with their fa cades.

(berskine@herald.ca)

[-Harlington-]

they should make it as tall as surrounding building/s, so it looks more level
unless they alredy are then cool. aha

[Dmajackson]

I noticed two things tonight;

First the old Frenchy's location destroyed by fire last year on Robie Street has been demolished and a construction trailer and chain link fence are in its place right now.

And the CNIB building on Almon St has been fenced off and is being gutted. Does anybody know Westwood's plan for the site?

[Dmajackson]

MacKay drops $1.6 million for five rec projects
By PAT LEE Staff Reporter
Mon. Feb 22 - 4:54 AM

Ottawa has given the Halifax area $1.6 million to be divided among five recreational projects, including a new indoor soccer pitch at the Mainland Common.

The Clayton Park soccer facility, expected to be open early next year, received $1 million, the largest chunk of the federal funds that Central Nova MP Peter MacKay announced Sunday.

The announcement was made at the Dartmouth Sportsplex, which received $320,000 to put toward a $960,000 upgrade, including new air conditioning and heat-recovery systems, new arena boards and dressing room improvements.

The remainder of the federal funding will go toward upgrading six kilometres of pathways in Portland Hills in Dartmouth ($200,000), building a new four-season multi-purpose room at the Big Cove YMCA Camp ($32,000) and refurbishing the clubhouse at Banook Canoe Club ($26,667).

The funding is through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program.

MacKay said the Halifax area has a core group of active residents and the upgrades and new facilities will be well-used.

"Halifax Regional Municipality is and has always been a strong supporter of sports and active (living)," he said Sunday. "It has also produced many world-class athletes and I would say, in large part, this is why sporting announcements, projects and facilities are so very important to our region and our province.

"With 8,000 regional programs, 237 sport courts, 50 recreation centres and 15 walking trails, just to mention a few, there is truly something for everyone at every level in HRM."

MacKay said recreational facilities are particularly crucial to provide young people with healthy options.

"When we give our children the opportunity to become involved in organized sports or activities, whether they be dance, whether they be arts or sporting activities, it truly enhances their lives in ways we can only imagine if they were not there," he said.

Scott Lytle, vice-president of Soccer Nova Scotia, said the plan for a $10-million indoor soccer facility, with a full-size pitch that is the first of its kind in the province, is essentially ready to go now that federal funding has come through.

"This is effectively the last piece of the puzzle. There’s really no barriers at this point."

The facility will join the $42-million Canada Games Centre being built on the same site.

Brad Smith, chairman of the sportsplex’s board, said the money from Ottawa kick-starts a long-term plan to upgrade the 30-year facility, which includes a rink, pool and fitness facilities.

A series of meetings to garner public input will start soon, he said.

Michael LeDuc, the camp’s director, said the Merigomish facility has for many years been open to groups most of the year, except winter.

"This final part of the puzzle will allow us to offer winter programs," he said of the 120-year-old camp, operated by the YMCA of Greater Halifax-Dartmouth.

The Portland Hills trails will be upgraded to become an active transportation route that will eventually connect to the trail system along the Dartmouth waterfront.

Banook Canoe Club in Dartmouth will use its funding for new siding, windows and sills, painting and chimney repairs.

( plee@herald.ca )

[Jonovision]

I could have sworn there was a thread for the South Bland development.
Anyway, here is a new rendering.

[fenwick16]

This looks good, too bad they can't move the grain elevators.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

This looks good, too bad they can't move the grain elevators.

And the rats.

[planarchy]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

This looks good, too bad they can't move the grain elevators.

I like the grain elevators. Maybe we can just renovate them. Here is a proposal (maybe under construction by now) to build on top of obsolete silos at the old Stella Artois Brewery in Leuven, Belgium.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

I could have sworn there was a thread for the South Bland development.
Anyway, here is a new rendering.

Not bad, could be worse.

Is there some sort of internal garden or is it one big floor plate?

[sdm]

Originally Posted by planarchy

I like the grain elevators. Maybe we can just renovate them. Here is a proposal (maybe under construction by now) to build on top of obsolete silos at the old Stella Artois Brewery in Leuven, Belgium.

Want to be even more impressed, check this one out

http://www.silopoint.com/flash.html