General Updates and News

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by sdm

Also news out on a development agreement for that lands known as fairview golf course.

5 mutlifamily buildings, varying in height from 8-12 stories, ground level commercial (37,000) and townhouses.

Public meeting set for April 29th

The golf course is now known as Wistee Golf Centre (425 Main Avenue).

Its right across from Mount Royale on the plateau next to Dunbrack Street.

[hfx_chris]

Fairview golf course?

Edit - Should have looked at the next page before I replied - Thanks DJ, wasn't aware that golf course had a name. Not much of a golf course though, I thought it was just mini golf, or a driving range or something.

[Dmajackson]

Province Invests in Eight New Schools, 41 School Renovations
Department of Education
Published April 14, 2009

Premier Rodney MacDonald and Education Minister Judy Streatch announced a $307-million school construction and renovation program. Eight leading-edge schools will be built and 41 others renovated under the program, part of the province's Building For Growth economic stimulus plan.

The new schools are in Bedford, Dartmouth, Digby/Clementsport, Halifax, New Glasgow, Lunenburg and Truro/Bible Hill. Work on some of the projects will begin this spring

Halifax Regional School Board

New:
Bedford High, $34.2 million, opening 2012
Joseph Howe replacement, Halifax, $15 million, opening 2013
LeMarchant-St. Thomas replacement, Halifax, $13.2 million, opening 2014
Prince Arthur/Southdale-North Woodside replacement, Dartmouth, $24.3 million, opening 2014

Renovations:
Dartmouth High, $11.85 million
Inglis Street, $4.99 million

[Empire]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Province Invests in Eight New Schools, 41 School Renovations
Department of Education
Published April 14, 2009

Premier Rodney MacDonald and Education Minister Judy Streatch announced a $307-million school construction and renovation program. Eight leading-edge schools will be built and 41 others renovated under the program, part of the province's Building For Growth economic stimulus plan.

The new schools are in Bedford, Dartmouth, Digby/Clementsport, Halifax, New Glasgow, Lunenburg and Truro/Bible Hill. Work on some of the projects will begin this spring

Halifax Regional School Board

New:
Bedford High, $34.2 million, opening 2012
Joseph Howe replacement, Halifax, $15 million, opening 2013
LeMarchant-St. Thomas replacement, Halifax, $13.2 million, opening 2014
Prince Arthur/Southdale-North Woodside replacement, Dartmouth, $24.3 million, opening 2014

Renovations:
Dartmouth High, $11.85 million
Inglis Street, $4.99 million

When is the election?

[ZET]

My hope is that the renovations go ahead. New schools are often promised and then the waiting takes forever. With renos, hopefully that will just go ahead. ZET

[BravoZulu]

Ok, I just went by Granite brewery on Barrington. There is a large dumpster at the curb and the inside looks like it is being gutted.

Anybody heard anything?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

Ok, I just went by Granite brewery on Barrington. There is a large dumpster at the curb and the inside looks like it is being gutted.

Anybody heard anything?

Kevin Keefe sold the building to Lou Reznick IIRC. Don't know his plans for it.

The brewery operation is relocating to the north end.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Kevin Keefe sold the building to Lou Reznick IIRC. Don't know his plans for it.

The brewery operation is relocating to the north end.

Kevin just delivered his first batch of Granite Ales to us today, so the operation is finally under way...after almost 2 weeks without Granite beers...and many unhappy customers... and this is despite his inital repeated assurances that there would be zero downtime in brewing.

As for the building itself...I have heard indirectly, that Reznick wants to develop the granite building, the old sam the record man's building and the back of the Shoe Shop's building as a single development, not sure how tall he wants to go...probably maximum considering the bazaar height limitations under HRM by design...will try to find out more info though and update Ya'll .....also this would mean an end to the Back Stage at the Shoe Shop and be another major blow to the already beleaguered Victor Syprec...in my opinion this would be a major loss to the Hali scene and I will be sad to see the shue shop downsized or changed in any way

[someone123]

I was kind of unimpressed with the Shoe Shop last time I was there. The food wasn't great - it was trying to be atypical bar food I guess but ended up being kind of plain anyway - and the place was really dead, although I was probably in there at an awkward time since I was visiting on holiday. It is too bad..

Barrington needs a big, coordinated shakeup. 3-4 decent new retail tenants and some marketing could do wonders to the street. Renovations and new buildings would also help. Projects like what is proposed for the Roy Bldg, Discovery Centre (hopefully residential), and United Gulf would all have a really noticeable impact on the area.

[Dmajackson]

Rec centre to offer something for all
Construction to start soon on $8.5-million facility
By SHERRI BORDEN COLLEY Staff Reporter
Thu. Apr 16 - 5:39 AM


An artist’s rendition of the Prospect Road Community Centre. (Contributed)

The spanking new $8.5-million Prospect Road Community Centre will meet the recreational and social needs of area residents, says the chairwoman of centre’s steering committee.

"It’s kind of going to be the focal point to pull all the communities together," Barb Allen said Wednesday. "Other than schools, we don’t have any kind of public facilities, really, so it’s going to be all things to all people, we hope."

Construction for the multi-purpose community recreation centre is slated to begin within the next couple of months with a completion target of summer 2010.

Formed in 2005, the steering committee had done lots of fundraising through community events.

"There’s been an area rate which covers a lot of the capital cost as a community contribution," Ms. Allen said.

"The community is very excited; they know the plot’s there and it’s going to be the gateway onto the Western Commons when they’re established."

Situated between the Hatchet Lake Fire Hall and the Prospect Road Elementary School, the municipality-owned centre, to be run by a volunteer community board, will include a high school-sized gymnasium, meeting rooms, a fitness centre and a kitchen.

"Our hope is to have lots of after-school programs and all kinds of things that will draw in the school community, too," Ms. Allen said.

Next Tuesday, the committee will go before regional council to get approval for the awarding of the tender.

The facility will be designed to meet or exceed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and will have geothermal systems.

"It will act as an education piece to the community too, to just see how to do things right," Ms. Allen said.

And a solar skylight will make the centre very inviting, she said.

"Hopefully, there will be community art pieces in there . . . and local artists can show their works, just something for everybody," Ms. Allen said.

[Jonovision]

Halifax pier gets mild facelift
Construction underway at three locations along waterfront
By IAN FAIRCLOUGH Staff Reporter
Sat. Apr 18 - 5:11 AM



Waterfront construction is in full swing Friday near the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Christian Laforce / Staff)


There are broken boards on a Halifax pier, but work’s underway to fix them this year.

Well, some broken boards on the boardwalk, anyway. But there is construction happening at three locations along the waterfront: Cable Wharf, near Bishop’s Landing, and at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

The work at Murphy’s on the Water at Cable Wharf is a $1.6-million project the company hopes will boost tourist traffic at the site and increase year-round business.

General manager Jeff Farwell said the work has included gutting the main building and "rebuilding from the bottom up," so it will be open year-round.

The restaurant has been remodelled and "re-themed." New, larger windows will afford a view of the water from anywhere in the restaurant.

The work also includes the installation of a $75,000 lobster tank that will hold 500 kitchen-bound crustaceans, and patrons can use a net to choose their own supper.

There will also be a touch tank with local marine life, so patrons and tourists . . . can get an idea of what the local marine environment is all about, Mr. Farwell said. "We’re going to try to bring an authentic Nova Scotia experience to visitors and locals."

A canopy system around the building will highlight the history and origins of Cable Wharf, and the gift shop will feature more work from local artisans and vendors.

The work at the museum includes removal and reconstruction of the south boat shed, which serves as a summer gift shop, replacement of the wharf’s structural supports and re-decking of the wharfs and boardwalk behind the museum. The work is expected to take five months, and access to the wharfs and boardwalk will be restricted.

Paul MacKinnon, executive director of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, said the work at the Bishop’s Landing site is boardwalk work, and all the projects are important to bringing more people to the waterfront year-round, especially when the new Waterside Centre development goes ahead.

Mr. MacKinnon said while the waterfront is teeming with people in summer, "retailers find the winter slow. There’s not as much (pedestrian) traffic."

He said work like that at Murphy’s will help dispel the myth that there isn’t much happening on the waterfront during winter. He said more offices mean more people in the downtown, and that means more potential customers for shop owners.

( ifairclough@herald.ca)

[hfx_chris]

Whenever businesses say they're going to try and bring "an authentic _____ experience" - I shudder. It usually ends up stereotypical and tacky.

[Wishblade]

I only have one question about these boardwalk upgrades. How are they going to affect the summer festivals, especially Tall Ships?

[BravoZulu]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

I only have one question about these boardwalk upgrades. How are they going to affect the summer festivals, especially Tall Ships?

My understanding, and I believe someone (I just checked, it was Bedford DJ post #188 back on page 10 in this thread) posted it in another thread, is that the work by the maritime museum will pause durring tall ships and the busker festival. (it makes one wonder why they didn't work all winter so it would be done by now)

I believe that the work at the bottom of Salter is supposed to be finished by then (by the looks of things today that shouldn't be a problem)

As for murphy's I don't think it will affect pedestrian traffic in that area except for the wharf itself, however I haven't been down that way in a while.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

My understanding, and I believe someone (I just checked, it was Bedford DJ post #188 back on page 10 in this thread) posted it in another thread, is that the work by the maritime museum will pause durring tall ships and the busker festival. (it makes one wonder why they didn't work all winter so it would be done by now)

I believe that the work at the bottom of Salter is supposed to be finished by then (by the looks of things today that shouldn't be a problem)

As for murphy's I don't think it will affect pedestrian traffic in that area except for the wharf itself, however I haven't been down that way in a while.

That's right. And Murphy's is planning on reopenning for May 1st.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

That's right. And Murphy's is planning on reopenning for May 1st.

Hopefully, High Liner will have geared up the production run by then to meet their demand for fish triangles.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Hopefully, High Liner will have geared up the production run by then to meet their demand for fish triangles.

That's the authentic Nova Scotia experience they were talking about.

[BravoZulu]

I was out for a walk on the waterfront tonight and came across the following










It's kind of hard to tell, the quality isn't that great, but the whole dumpster was on fire, if it had been a little closer to the building or the wind had shifted the whole structure might have gone up. Credit to HRFD for getting it under control quickly.

[BravoZulu]

After the waterfront I headed up the hill and walked down Argyle, they are have started putting in the sidewalk patios....summer is on its way

[hfx_chris]

There's been a lot of dumpster fires around lately...