[Halifax] Choice Hotels (15 Lakelands Blvd) | ? m | 16 fl | Completed - Page 5

Patrick Matthews · #81 Posted **Aug 31, 2020, 7:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It could be foreseeing the decline of DT Halifax as anything other than a tourist destination. Perhaps 20-30 years from now the business district will shift to places like Bayers Lake, and DT will be a place tourists take bus tours to visit before returning on them to their hotels in the suburbs, since they cannot easily bring their vehicles to DT directly and there is nothing for them to do there except buy souvenirs and eat fried food and ice cream from shacks on the theme-park waterfront.

After touring overseas, and revisiting the core arguments of the conservation groups, old Halifax, once existing walls and all, would have been a big draw had we had foresight to save it en masse.

Everyone knows about Old Quebec and enjoys the look and feel. If we are going to have height restrictions we may as well as kept Historic Properties right up to the clock.

As a commuter, I would have prefered the office core shifted out a few decades ago also...

...Awaiting the ambush now...

someone123 · #82 Posted **Aug 31, 2020, 7:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

For a certain segment of the tourism market (retail tourism from elsewhere in the province for example), having a hotel with plenty of parking and easy access from the highway is more important than anything else. Bus tours might also find a large suburban hotel such as this very attractive, especially since these tours often explore the entire province rather than just the deep south end, and a convenient base where bus parking is plentiful could be very attractive for the tour companies. For the one day the passengers are going to tour the city, the bus could shuttle them downtown to explore the Citadel and the waterfront.

The counter-argument to this is that there's lots of construction downtown and many new businesses have opened. New residences, hotel rooms, office space, and CRU storefronts have been built.

Also I think the number of parking spaces is higher than ever.

Many visitors come outside of rush hour when traffic is not really that bad, and transportation options generally are likely to improve in the future (walking, biking, transit).

Keith P. · #83 Posted **Aug 31, 2020, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Many visitors come outside of rush hour when traffic is not really that bad, and transportation options generally are likely to improve in the future (walking, biking, transit).

They need better options than those if they want to attract visitors.

kph06 · #84 Posted **Nov 3, 2020, 12:16 AM**

A couple photos I took yesterday. I didn't get a photo of it, but so far the side facing the city is odd, mostly all blank concrete, except with what looks like a door opening to a thin curved balcony. Maybe it will all be glassed in, or each floor will have common balcony space?

ns_kid · #85 Posted **Nov 3, 2020, 11:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kph06

A couple photos I took yesterday. I didn't get a photo of it, but so far the side facing the city is odd, mostly all blank concrete, except with what looks like a door opening to a thin curved balcony. Maybe it will all be glassed in, or each floor will have common balcony space?

If I understand you correctly, the side of the hotel with the most impressive views, over the city and harbour, appears to be a blank wall? That would seem to set a new standard for inept design.

kph06 · #86 Posted **Nov 3, 2020, 12:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ns_kid

If I understand you correctly, the side of the hotel with the most impressive views, over the city and harbour, appears to be a blank wall? That would seem to set a new standard for inept design.

It looks that way, I'm puzzled with what the finish will be. The corners of the "balcony" would be very narrow, which makes me think it will be all glassed in as a "faux" balcony or sun room, but there is definitely a door to it. The tower steps back from the old hotel next door, so I don't think the blank wall is a firecode requirement.

I recall quotes from the developer saying this would be their jewel or something along those lines. I am hopeful, but Grandhaven is a real mishmash of exterior materials.

Jonovision · #87 Posted **Nov 3, 2020, 6:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ns_kid

If I understand you correctly, the side of the hotel with the most impressive views, over the city and harbour, appears to be a blank wall? That would seem to set a new standard for inept design.

I drove by the other day and was also shocked to see this. You would think if it was firecode or something they could revert it to usable space once they got a few floors above the existing hotel.

kph06 · #88 Posted **Nov 3, 2020, 6:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonovision

I drove by the other day and was also shocked to see this. You would think if it was firecode or something they could revert it to usable space once they got a few floors above the existing hotel.

I think to account for future buildings on an abutting lot, you cannot put windows against the property line, that's why the TD building had that blank wall for years, same with the Dillon by the Nova Centre. However, in this case, the tower does step back after the podium is higher than the existing neighboring building.

Haliburger · #89 Posted **Dec 27, 2020, 8:55 PM**

Dec 27, 2020

RoshanMcG · #90 Posted **Dec 30, 2020, 9:29 PM**

*Big post ahead*

South Elevation:

East Elevation:

North Elevation:

West Elevation:

And from the highway:

teddifax · #91 Posted **Dec 30, 2020, 9:38 PM**

The blank wall just amazes me.... I don't understand it at all, but there is a Ledge of sorts on each level on that side. Is this supposed to be some design element to buffer this blank side, maybe have a light element on it.

Corker · #92 Posted **Dec 30, 2020, 10:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddifax

The blank wall just amazes me.... I don't understand it at all, but there is a Ledge of sorts on each level on that side. Is this supposed to be some design element to buffer this blank side, maybe have a light element on it.

Just to speculate, perhaps they plan to tear down the existing hotel in the future and replace it with a matching tower or extension against the blank wall.

Good Baklava · #93 Posted **Dec 30, 2020, 10:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddifax

The blank wall just amazes me.... I don't understand it at all, but there is a Ledge of sorts on each level on that side. Is this supposed to be some design element to buffer this blank side, maybe have a light element on it.

I was just guessing it was for balconies, that’s quite possible too.

Dartguard · #94 Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 2:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddifax

The blank wall just amazes me.... I don't understand it at all, but there is a Ledge of sorts on each level on that side. Is this supposed to be some design element to buffer this blank side, maybe have a light element on it.

Noticing the beveled cement with the squared off chunk out of the middle perhaps the elevator tower will be built on the outside on the blank wall and beveled glass will enclose the entire back side of the building?

I can see the tower starting to rise from the Top of Portland street coming from Cole Harbour. Another 13 floors will make a statement.

Haliguy · #95 Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It could be foreseeing the decline of DT Halifax as anything other than a tourist destination. Perhaps 20-30 years from now the business district will shift to places like Bayers Lake, and DT will be a place tourists take bus tours to visit before returning on them to their hotels in the suburbs, since they cannot easily bring their vehicles to DT directly and there is nothing for them to do there except buy souvenirs and eat fried food and ice cream from shacks on the theme-park waterfront.

Yes, I'm sure tourists want to be in the boring cookie-cutter suburbs that look like other suburbs in North America.

teddifax · #96 Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 3:53 AM**

That would be fantastic to have an outside Elevator, at least something to beautify that blank wall...I don't think it was built that way though sadly...

kph06 · #97 Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 11:42 AM**

I was out around the same time and grabbed a couple photos of this blank wall, the ones posted are better so I won’t clutter the forum up. That notch really has me puzzled too. My thoughts were more of a temporary one. Possibly an external construction elevator, or possibly support for the tower crane. The crane will have to be raised to complete the building, as it grows it will have to be braced. It’s current location is quite far from the building for the typical bracing we see, plus a long climb for the operator. So I was thinking it might be tucked in the notch soon.

atbw · #98 Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 1:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddifax

That would be fantastic to have an outside Elevator, at least something to beautify that blank wall...I don't think it was built that way though sadly...

An elevator going up with views like that would be an attraction in and of itself.

Good Baklava · #99 Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 2:56 PM**

Looking again, I’m guessing it’s an emergency staircase. Even then it still seems a bit narrow.

connect2source · #**100** Posted **Dec 31, 2020, 3:03 PM**

Is the podium actually a wood-frame structure?! Super odd, never seen anything like that here in Vancouver.