[Halifax] The Boss Plaza | ? m | 8-8-6 fl | Completed

[Dmajackson]

Residential: 100 multi-family units (condominiums) within a 4 to 6 storey building; 7 semi-detached dwellings (14 units);

Commercial: 4-storey, 40,000 sq. ft. commercial building with retail on ground floor, offices on remaining 3 floors; 2-storey, 24,000 sq.ft. commercial building with retail on ground floor, offices on 2nd floor; 10,000 sq.ft. of ground floor retail within residential building; Total of 74,000 sq.ft. commercial (approx.);

Parking: 330 underground spaces, 76 surface spaces; Total parking - 406 spaces (approx.);

Parkland: 26,500 sq.ft (0.61 acres) off Coronation Avenue extension;

Streets: Cul-de-sac extension of Coronation Avenue into site.


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Building(s) Name: Halifax West High School Redevelopment
Height: ?m
Floors: 6 - 4 - 2 & single unit dwellings
Use: Mixed-use
Case Number: 01254
Status: Proposed
Year: N/A
Location: 3620 Dutch Village Road, Halifax, NS
Developer: United Gulf Limited
Architect(s): ?

[Jonovision]

It's about time something happens with that site!

[kph06]

It'd be nice to see something go in here, but I'd be more excited to see some of their many other projects go ahead first.

[Dmajackson]

Case 01254 Details

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Proposal - Information Sheet

Residential: 100 multi-family units (condominiums) within a 4 to 6 storey building; 7 semi-detached dwellings (14 units);

Commercial: 4-storey, 40,000 sq. ft. commercial building with retail on ground floor, offices on remaining 3 floors; 2-storey, 24,000 sq.ft. commercial building with retail on ground floor, offices on 2nd floor; 10,000 sq.ft. of ground floor retail within residential building; Total of 74,000 sq.ft. commercial (approx.);

Parking: 330 underground spaces, 76 surface spaces; Total parking - 406 spaces (approx.);

Parkland: 26,500 sq.ft (0.61 acres) off Coronation Avenue extension;

Streets: Cul-de-sac extension of Coronation Avenue into site.

Site Plan
Elevations - Residential Buildings
Elevations - Commercial Buildings

[Jonovision]

It's a good density for the site. I like the look of the residential building. Don't know how I feel about the commercial one however. It looks like something from the 50s.

[kph06]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

It's a good density for the site. I like the look of the residential building. Don't know how I feel about the commercial one however. It looks like something from the 50s.

I was thinking the commercial part looked a little bland too, to save money they should have left the school there, similar lines as far as I see.

[alps]

Looks okay, too much wasted space IMO.

Originally Posted by kph06

I was thinking the commercial part looked a little bland too, to save money they should have left the school there, similar lines as far as I see.

It was demolished due to sick building syndrome, I doubt it would have been salvageable at all.

[sdm]

Originally Posted by alps

Looks okay, too much wasted space IMO.



It was demolished due to sick building syndrome, I doubt it would have been salvageable at all.

Agree

Great density, but the project eats a lot of land. I wouldn't be targeting commercial office if i was the developer. I rather see something else like townhouses or more residential.

[kph06]

Originally Posted by alps

It was demolished due to sick building syndrome, I doubt it would have been salvageable at all.

I was actually just making a joke that whats proposed doesn't look much different than what was there.

[Dmajackson]

The public information meeting for this is tonight.

Hopefully someone can make it.

[worldlyhaligonian]

I like the wall effect of this development... the empty lot that is currently there breaks the little coherence that exists in the area.

[Nilan8888]

That was my old high school. It was also my sister's high school, my mother's high school, my father's high school, and high school to at least 5 uncles, 3 aunts and 2 cousins.

Whatever it is, it had better be good.

[worldlyhaligonian]

I went to QEH, so I'm of a similar opinion. Put in a landmark... how much hospital do we need.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

...how much hospital do we need.

A rather curious statement, given our aging population and lack of beds.

[Dmajackson]

Did anybody who was talking to UG last night get to ask about this project?

[halifaxboyns]

I went to the old Halifax West; I can tell you it was a really sick building. There were times that the radiators would just spit fire (on the main floor), which was wild. At least 5 teachers left while I was there from illness and I never could breath right (since I had asthma).

I have a piece of the building in my condo (a small piece of brick). I have to say I don't miss the building; it was way too cramped.

Then there was the head of the french department who was found guilty of molesting a child and gave my mother and I the creeps - guess that explains why I failed grade 10 french, but that's another story.

As far as the density goes; I don't have a site area - but I think it would be up over the 20 units/ha mark, roughly.

[Dmajackson]

No information updates on the HRM website yet but here is a short blurb on the revised proposal for the site;

United Gulf Revises Plan for Halifax West High School Site

[someone123]

The sad thing with this process is that the school closed down in 2000 after opening 42 years earlier. The site has sat empty for 10 years. No wonder there are all kinds of empty lots around the city.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by someone123

The sad thing with this process is that the school closed down in 2000 after opening 42 years earlier. The site has sat empty for 10 years. No wonder there are all kinds of empty lots around the city.

Looking at this from the city perspective (I'm not speaking on behalf or HRM but as someone who is 'administration' in another city) - sometimes the delay falls mainly on the applicant. Here in Calgary we review a development permit and send out what's called a Detailed Team Review (DTR) which is the comments from planning, transportation, engineering and parks. Sometimes some of the stuff that engineering or transportation may require to move forward can take a lot of time - traffic impact assessments, wind tunnel studies - those things are very complex.

But there can be delays internally as well. Just as the information requested can be complex, if there is one person reviewing all the traffic impact assessments for every development - that can take time. It's not a perfect system in HRM nor in Calgary and we've been taking flack on our timelines for a while now. It wasn't uncommon last year when a rezoning went to our planning commission that if the file said 2006, 2007 or 2008 - the planners got a real grilling on why it took YEARS to get the application to commission. Fortunately, we were prepared with timelines to detail the delays and having been one of the planners involved in a 'delayed file', I took my licks for causing some delay (family issues - requiring me to fly home to Halifax).

But systems can be improved!

[-Harlington-]

This proposal does seem to contribute more than the old one