[Halifax] Scotia Square Redevelopment | Completed

[q12]

Halifax Retales is reporting Jack Astor's will be opening where the steel work is going.

I just noticed though that Moxie's is shown in this rendering above McCafé.

[portapetey]

Ugh again. All these crappy chains downtown.

[JET]

Originally Posted by q12

Halifax Retales is reporting Jack Astor's will be opening where the steel work is going.

I just noticed though that Moxie's is shown in this rendering above McCafé.

It's just a rendering though, probably carries no more weight than Red Lobster opening at the airport.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by portapetey

Ugh again. All these crappy chains downtown.

Yeah, it sucks, but every city has them. At least they're here and not clogging up Barrington and Argyle.

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Yeah, it sucks, but every city has them. At least they're here and not clogging up Barrington and Argyle.

We're saturated with the chains here in Downtown Vancouver, mostly Earl's and Cactus Club but it doesn't stop the independent restaurants, in fact it can attract them IMO by creating a buzz and attracting restaurant-goers to a particular area.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Yeah, it sucks, but every city has them. At least they're here and not clogging up Barrington and Argyle.

Nothing wrong with them. They are a known quantity and offer a dependable option.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by portapetey

Ugh again. All these crappy chains downtown.

I don't love them either, and won't make a point of going myself, but I think they do serve a purpose.

It would be awful if they were the only options, but Halifax actually has what I'd consider to be a good food scene for a city its size. There are lots of independents already that balance Moxies and Red Lobsters and Jack Astor's.

I wouldn't mind seeing more independents, but I bet its easier to get a chain into a currently unfinished space of this size. I suspect this has more to do with the ability of the landlord to secure tenants than with the restaurant scene in downtown Halifax.

[Drybrain]

I've been a bit concerned that the Nova Centre's (presumably) pricey retail space will go to chains, which could lead to conventioneers and tourists choosing chains over the street's local options due to the familiarity factor. Then we might see the local businesses struggling, and the landlords on Argyle leasing the spaces on the other side of the street to chains as well, turning a quirky, unique local street into a boring franchise alley with little local character.

To a lesser degree I'd be concerned about something like that happening to Barrington. So as long as these joints mostly stick to the Scotia Square vicinity, and don't take over downtown, I'm fine with their existence. But a downtown dominated by the same corporate franchises you can find at the mall in Anytown, USA, is rarely the kind of place people get truly excited about.

[Haliguy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Nothing wrong with them. They are a known quantity and offer a dependable option.

Glorified fast food but dependable you know what you are going to get.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I've been a bit concerned that the Nova Centre's (presumably) pricey retail space will go to chains, which could lead to conventioneers and tourists choosing chains over the street's local options due to the familiarity factor. Then we might see the local businesses struggling, and the landlords on Argyle leasing the spaces on the other side of the street to chains as well, turning a quirky, unique local street into a boring franchise alley with little local character.

To a lesser degree I'd be concerned about something like that happening to Barrington. So as long as these joints mostly stick to the Scotia Square vicinity, and don't take over downtown, I'm fine with their existence. But a downtown dominated by the same corporate franchises you can find at the mall in Anytown, USA, is rarely the kind of place people get truly excited about.

Sometimes posters here accuse me of being negative, but I am a ray of sunshine compared to your doom and gloom.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Sometimes posters here accuse me of being negative, but I am a ray of sunshine compared to your doom and gloom.

Well, to be cheerier, I see no evidence of that franchise-ification of downtown happening. Everything seems to be going okay!

[planarchy]

redesign of Westhill coming to DRC - from 6 or so to 18 storeys and residential

http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/821.pdf

[teddifax]

WOW, I love it.......

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by planarchy

redesign of Westhill coming to DRC - from 6 or so to 18 storeys and residential

http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/drc/documents/821.pdf

Quite impressive and it is good to see more residential planned for downtown.

It is 45% wider than what is allowed by the Downtown Halifax Land Use Bylaw. Hopefully they can redesign the massing so it won't be so overwhelming in width. A more slender tower would be better.



This drawing shows the variance in width.

[portapetey]

I continue to be amazed by how many buildings are either under construction or seem to be realistic proposals that will likely get built soon. Who would have imagined such a boom 15 years ago?

I don't mind how wide this one is because it presents its wide side to the North and South, and its narrow side to the harbour.

[connect2source]

Great looking proposal! I love the "Toronto style" warp-around balconies as well!! A small part of me will miss the views of the brutalist towers though. The design of the windows on the south-side of the podium seems to pay homage to the looks of the Barrington Tower.

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by portapetey

I continue to be amazed by how many buildings are either under construction or seem to be realistic proposals that will likely get built soon. Who would have imagined such a boom 15 years ago?

I don't mind how wide this one is because it presents its wide side to the North and South, and its narrow side to the harbour.

Based on the renderings the wide side would be harbour facing (the "length" of the bulding runs North-South)

[someone123]

Hopefully they will reassess International Place as well and propose a residential building or mixed use instead of office for that site. There isn't likely to be demand for many additional large office towers in the next few years but there is demand for residential space and the northern end of downtown needs more residents.

Developments like Westhill will lead to a better-integrated and therefore more successful Cogswell redevelopment too.

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by someone123

Hopefully they will reassess International Place as well and propose a residential building or mixed use instead of office for that site. There isn't likely to be demand for many additional large office towers in the next few years but there is demand for residential space and the northern end of downtown needs more residents.

Developments like Westhill will lead to a better-integrated and therefore more successful Cogswell redevelopment too.

They are probably holding on that plot until the Cogswell redevelopment shakes out so whatever they design interacts with the grade well.

[scryer]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Quite impressive and it is good to see more residential planned for downtown.

It is 45% wider than what is allowed by the Downtown Halifax Land Use Bylaw. Hopefully they can redesign the massing so it won't be so overwhelming in width. A more slender tower would be better.



This drawing shows the variance in width.

I guess if you can't go tall, you go wide .

It's a very nice quality proposal being presented here and it's very impressive. I could see it complimenting any city in Canada but I'm really glad that Halifax got it. I have always wanted to see the east coast, particularly Halifax, grow and develop as the east coast is Canada's gateway to Europe, Africa, the Caribbean island, and eastern countries of South America and I don't feel that Canada takes advantage of this enough.