Hypothetical discussion - Other locations that would be good for re-development?

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

I think that car dealership should be redeveloped ASAP... a tower block there with a park in the middle would be very nice!

I think I would not add a park - since you are so close to the commons. But if google maps is correct that there is a street through the middle of the car lot - what I'd do is maybe redevelop the whole block (irving included) and put a street down the middle; but have it pedestrian and emergency access only.
That way you could have commercial at grade and then have a number of restaurants and cafes with patios out into the space and then people could walk on the street or bike.

[fenwick16]

I think that the HRM could likely grow to 500,000 people with neither another harbour crossing or a North West Arm crossing (simply by putting more people on the Halifax peninsula, Clayton Park and Dartmouth). However, in order for the HRM to grow beyond 500,000 I think additional crossings will be required.

Since Dalhousie University is forecasting growth and Downtown Halifax may grow (if policies against growth are overcome) then it seems that Halifax should encourage growth in the southern mainland by having a couple North West Arm crossings. This would overcome the bottleneck transiting the peninsula to the west. Since bridges might interfere with sailing ships in the North West Arm, have tunnels under the North West Arm ever been considered? These would be relatively short (probably only 1/3 to 1/4 the length) compared to ones under the Halifax Harbour.

If Halifax is to grow into a major city in the future then either growth will have to be focused more in northern Halifax/northern Dartmouth where access is the cheapest or, in my opinion, focus growth in the southern mainland Halifax and have tunnels/bridges across the North West Arm. Since a wastewater treatment plant was built in Herring Cove, it makes me wonder if this area (north of Herring Cove) will be the focus of future growth.

[JustinMacD]

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Alas - most of this site is covered in a viewplane. There is a narrow diagonal strip that isn't covered though - in which case you could 'pull a maritime centre' and do something pretty funky and tall.

I'd say a shape similar to one of the towers at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver, sort of oval shaped like a sail.

[fenwick16]

Isn't this covered by the HRM by Design. I think it takes precedence over the viewplanes (unless an amendment is made). The maximum appears to be 28m (post bonus height) or 22m pre-bonus height (nice of them to allow the extra 6m).

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Isn't this covered by the HRM by Design. I think it takes precedence over the viewplanes (unless an amendment is made). The maximum appears to be 28m (post bonus height) or 22m pre-bonus height (nice of them to allow the extra 6m).

I do believe you are correct on the heights - but there is a portion of the site that doesn't have the viewplane on it. So the more stringent rule often applies; which would probably be HbD.

they could always amend the height - make an application like the y did?

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I do believe you are correct on the heights - but there is a portion of the site that doesn't have the viewplane on it. So the more stringent rule often applies; which would probably be HbD.

they could always amend the height - make an application like the y did?

If amendments are made then it gives people a reason to fight a development. For example - now the residents of Heritage Way are using HRM by Design to fight the City Centre Atlantic development even though most of them signed agreements stating that they wouldn't fight that development. The problem is that HRM by Design was too conservative in locations where it didn't have to be conservative (areas that already had highrise development). These policies are hurting the city since it drives development away from the city.

Personally, I like cities so I tend to be in favour of tall buildings but maybe that isn't what most people in the Halifax area want. Maybe the purpose of HRM by Design is to ease more highrise developments in gradually.

[JustinMacD]

I've always thought that the corners of South Park and South Street have always been a great potential spot for some condos. The big red box on the hospital side of the street is a rats nest and looks like it's going to fall down.. and the house across the street is currently unoccupied.

That's prime real estate right there. The James looks nice and then you have more nicer condos down towards Wellington... This section of South Park needs a facelift.

[JustinMacD]

I'd also like to see the lowrise apartment building between The James and the Workers Compensation Board building either torn down or renovated. It's an eye sore and with the renovation of Fenwick the building is going to look out of place.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

I'd also like to see the lowrise apartment building between The James and the Workers Compensation Board building either torn down or renovated. It's an eye sore and with the renovation of Fenwick the building is going to look out of place.

Looks like they were one step ahead of you on two fronts. Going back to the discussion point about the 'library' corner - I've taken a screen shot from HRM's GIS tool to illustrate just how confined a building footprint would be to avoid the viewplanes. However, it's a big parcel - so it could happen as the existing tower just narrowly avoids hitting one.


This maybe a site where the design of the building should be much like the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver - one of the towers looks like a sail. For those who haven't seen it; I'm posting this picture (it's one of my favorite buildings).


As to the site you are referring too on South Park - I've also taken a screen shot. You will note that I asked the program to identify the corner parcels addressed as 5710 and 5706 South Street - which are two seperate parcels. The whole cross hatched area is a height precinct limitation - so no matter what the zoning may allow (which for that corner parcel is R-3; so the angle controls would define building height/massing by the angles) - the maximum height for that entire area is 35 feet.


Shame too - I think that area has potential.

[halifaxboyns]

One area that I think has been talked about a few times (especially by me and I believe Fenwick hit on it as well), is the Agricola street area.

I've taken this screen shot from the HRM GIS to give you an idea of the area I'm talking about. Unfortunately some of the best parcels and areas where height could occur, have those height precincts on them. The max height in the cross hatched area is 50' - which would need some changing, but I think this area would be prime for growth.

Some nice big tall towers on the C-2 parcel's on Robie, some 4 storey stacked town houses and maybe 5 or 6 storey apartments on the R-2 lands in the John/Davison Block, mixed use buildings fronting Agricola on both sides with apartments above (say 10 to 15 stories). I'd say on the bigger Agricola street blocks near the top of the map, some at grade parking behind the retail but underground parking for residential. Maybe a small park? Hell I'd even say a boutique hotel or something like a holiday inn on the block too.

My dream would be to see a mixed use building on one of the larger Agricola blocks near the top of the map that would have a grocerry store in it - something like a Whole Foods in the states, where the store is on 2 levels with a shopping cart escolator - saw it on top chef, really cool! That way it wouldn't take up a big foot print - it could be on two levels instead of one. Maybe some stores like Future Shop or Best Buy? A winners or even (dare I say it - the new style Urban Walmart?). *looks shocked that I said that*

[halifaxboyns]

After all the work that has been done on Plan It Calgary (the City's transportation and Municipal Development Plan); it got me thinking about HRM's Regional Plan, which is set to expire around 2026/2027. While that may be 16 years away, when you think about the fact it will probably take 4 to 5 years of study, development of policy and consultation plus probably a year to implement - that takes us down to 10 years time. So really; not that much time at all.

When I was doing my geography degree, I don't remember much fan fare about the regional plan - it seemed terribly uninspiring to people until HRM got a ministerial order to limit subdivision's in the rural areas (because developers were trying to get as many lots created as possible before the plan came into effect - boy were they pissed when the limitations hit. I remember one developer (who will remain nameless) calling HRM staff totalitarians and hitler-esque). I helped work on Plan It as a member of COC staff and that was the total opposite.

It got me thinking about how the next regional plan should consider things. It seems to me we all agree that Downtown Dartmouth should have time to grow up - so once development starts filling up Halifax DT, Dartmouth seems the next logical step. When I look at the opportunity sites that the Regional Plan shows, I'm surprised how many places they haven't identified (like Agricola Street/Robie with the car dealership or Quinpool as a mixed use corridor or upzoning around bus stations in Dartmouth).

This makes me think about how I'd like to see the regional plan go for the next time around; how the consultation should be bigger, bolder and more out there. Why not take a queue from Calgary? We may not always get things right; but the public awareness campaign was quite good (I must compliment Plan It's Manager Pat Gordon - she was so fun!).

One thing I would suggest is a catchy title - Plan HRM or VisionHRM or something. Next; get out there and get the people interested. One thing Plan It had which was amazing was the Plan It summit. The first part was the 'build it' component; where volunteers from community associations, developers, industry, students etc. were divided up into groups and sat at huge 10 feet by feet aerial shots of parts of Calgary. It was basically a design charette; where each group was told the projected growth (or in my group's case, decline) of population, jobs etc. With wooden pieces, you indicated where everything went - how roads and transportation could be upgraded. We even added more parks. That took place over 2 mornings. In the afternoon was the summit, with keynote speakers and then break out sessions. One of the keynote speakers was Ken Greenberg (from the Toronto Waterfront video posted in the Bedford Plan string). We also had Jeff Kenworthy from Austrailia - both were great speakers. I'd like to see something like this for HRM; but maybe include as well some other speakers.

One of the other things HRM should do is something like these ad's I've posted - to get people to think about the plan; when it's going. But what I want people to think about is how the region should grow especially if we're going to try to downplay traffic, densify and cut down on sprawl. The current plan only accepts 25% of development in the inner city; I suspect as the city grows; that will naturally go up to as much as 40% with infill development in neighbourhoods like Fairview/Clayton Park.

I want to get people thinking about this; because 10 years goes by quickly and hopefully I'll be working in HRM when the plan is being developed. So i'd like some ideas to swipe...I mean borrow.

Here are some photos from Plan It and the Ad's, but I'd be interested to see how people think about this and what opportunities they see for infill, sensative development plus also how would/should greenfield development be (higher density, minimum density numbers?).

• Video Link

I couldn't embed this one; but here is one on Garrison Woods done by my coworker Wilf. Another about Plan It Calgary.

[fenwick16]

Nice ad. That is the sort of thing that other municipalities should follow (I don't remember ever seeing an ad in the city of Toronto or suburbs encouraging residents to become involved in city planning).

[FuzzyWuz]

There's a block or so of Wyse Rd. starting just north of North st. down to Church that seems very ripe for a nice bit of development. An office tower would add nicely to the very small office presence there but there could also be a condo or two. I wonder who owns it and if there are any plans for it?

[halifaxboyns]

I've always believed that in order to dilute the traffic generation pattern so that not all traffic was heading to the Peninsula at one time - the office distribution needed to change and focus around major transportation centres (in a logical progression).

So with the new Bridge Terminal - I thought that some of those strip malls should be dozed and rebuilt into pedestrian oriented buildings (within 3m to the property line, with nice landscaping against the street) and a few office towers above in the 4 to 6 storey range. Some of the adjacent sites could then become higher density residential in the 10 to 15 storey range against the major roads.

With Highfield; I saw the buildings getting up into the 10 to 15 storey range for residential and then either through as of right zoning rules (or via development agreement policy) you'd have campus office style developments going into Burnside (or at least a portion of it) up to 5 stories and then the rest being more focused on industrial uses. Bayers Lake could be the same.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuz

There's a block or so of Wyse Rd. starting just north of North st. down to Church that seems very ripe for a nice bit of development. An office tower would add nicely to the very small office presence there but there could also be a condo or two. I wonder who owns it and if there are any plans for it?

Do you mean Windmill Road? That could work - if the viewplane rules were changed. I think the limit with the viewplanes would be about 5 stories at max; although if I read the rules for the viewplanes in Dartmouth correctly - unlike Halifax you can protrude through them provided you go through the development agreement process. Of course, this means you'd have to do a public hearing.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

Do you mean Windmill Road? That could work - if the viewplane rules were changed. I think the limit with the viewplanes would be about 5 stories at max; although if I read the rules for the viewplanes in Dartmouth correctly - unlike Halifax you can protrude through them provided you go through the development agreement process. Of course, this means you'd have to do a public hearing.

Actually I think you both mean Alderney Drive ...

[worldlyhaligonian]

Hey guys, I have a great location.

Across from The Oxford Theatre on Quinpool from Oxford as far down as the CIBC and put in a trillium style development, maybe 16 stories.

Those store fronts have always been kind of grimey... the spartan could open up inside the new building and it would look great with a similar retro interior and the original sinage. A new space might also benefit the clay cafe.

[JustinMacD]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Hey guys, I have a great location.

Across from The Oxford Theatre on Quinpool from Oxford as far down as the CIBC and put in a trillium style development, maybe 16 stories.

Those store fronts have always been kind of grimey... the spartan could open up inside the new building and it would look great with a similar retro interior and the original sinage. A new space might also benefit the clay cafe.

Where Spartan Restaurant is?

I like that idea. That whole area around the Oxford Theatre is nice. There are a few nice new builds a block down.

Quinpool needs some more high density buildings. Too many smaller apartments for such a busy area.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Where Spartan Restaurant is?

I like that idea. That whole area around the Oxford Theatre is nice. There are a few nice new builds a block down.

Quinpool needs some more high density buildings. Too many smaller apartments for such a busy area.

Yeah, all of the storefronts from that corner to CIBC... put the car entry/exit the whole length behind over to Kline st. (give some spots to CIBC, who's quinpool parking lot is the worst parking lot I have ever seen) That area needs more density.