Development Rumours

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by atbw

I'm torn on this one. Is there any plan on what's going to happen with the VG site?

No plan that I know of. The site is part of the Halifax Common from what I understand, so no doubt there will be pressure to return it to more of a "Common-like" state.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

No plan that I know of. The site is part of the Halifax Common from what I understand, so no doubt there will be pressure to return it to more of a "Common-like" state.

Does anyone know if what I posted is a live proposal? I would assume centre plan makes that corner limited.

Are the houses still there (South and South Park)?

[JonHiseler]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Does anyone know if what I posted is a live proposal? I would assume centre plan makes that corner limited.

Are the houses still there (South and South Park)?

Houses are still there. I can't imagine there'd be any demolition activity there for probably a couple years.

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Has this ever been posted? https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default...ed.Apr2018.pdf

5706-5720 SOUTH ST, HALIFAX, NS

already rejected by Centre Plan?
Appendix B
https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default...iCUl2MzundRFf8

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

already rejected by Centre Plan?
Appendix B
https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default...iCUl2MzundRFf8

What a shame. This area is completely built up already. An 8 story building that is one block away from Fenwick tower is rejected?

The buildings on this site are not exactly attractive or historical? They are subdivided student apartments, like most other buildings in this area.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Northend Guy

Not sure if this has been referenced on the forums yet. I walked by the corner of Bayers/Joe Howe, and the three brick apartments on the corner have the approval application signs up. Most of the apartments look empty.

http://wmfares.com/7135br/

This is how 7135 Bayers Road appears for now. If work begins I'll keep posting photos tagged #7135Bayers (click on photo below for quick access).


Halifax Developments Blog (Photo by David Jackson)

[OldDartmouthMark]

I will consider whatever is put there to be a big improvement!

[Keith P.]

That style of brick apartment building was the Highfield Park Special of the 1940s and '50s. They are interesting in that they typically were well-built with hardwood floors throughout and sturdy construction. Some of the apartments were intended for families and so are fairly expansive, although other units are quite small. Most suffer from tiny bathrooms and small closed-in kitchens as were typical of the era. Hopefully some examples will be well-maintained and preserved, not meeting the fate of these.

[Northend Guy]

The excavators have already razed a house immediately adjacent on Joe Howe, I'm assuming is part of the development. Looks like the rest will be coming down shortly.

[Jonovision]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That style of brick apartment building was the Highfield Park Special of the 1940s and '50s. They are interesting in that they typically were well-built with hardwood floors throughout and sturdy construction. Some of the apartments were intended for families and so are fairly expansive, although other units are quite small. Most suffer from tiny bathrooms and small closed-in kitchens as were typical of the era. Hopefully some examples will be well-maintained and preserved, not meeting the fate of these.

I've been in a few of the Killiam owned units at Lakefront Apartments in Dartmouth and they are nice given that they have had very little investment. They are well built buildings.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That style of brick apartment building was the Highfield Park Special of the 1940s and '50s. They are interesting in that they typically were well-built with hardwood floors throughout and sturdy construction. Some of the apartments were intended for families and so are fairly expansive, although other units are quite small. Most suffer from tiny bathrooms and small closed-in kitchens as were typical of the era. Hopefully some examples will be well-maintained and preserved, not meeting the fate of these.

Am I reading this correctly? Keith, are you lamenting the loss of buildings that you have some sentimental appreciation for?

I'm not much of a fan of buildings that are basically brick cubes, and run down ones at that, but I now have more appreciation for them than I did before.

[Northend Guy]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

This is how 7135 Bayers Road appears for now. If work begins I'll keep posting photos tagged #7135Bayers (click on photo below for quick access).


Halifax Developments Blog (Photo by David Jackson)

Well, this is gone now, and they are breaking rock.

[someone123]

The small wooden building on Blowers below Barrington is gone:


Source

I remember that long ago (early 2000's) there was a "loft" development proposed for this site and the empty lot next door. Don't think I ever saw a rendering.

[OldDartmouthMark]

That's too bad. I had hoped that somebody would do something interesting with this building. Actually had lunch in there several years ago when it was some sort of cafe, and I liked the ambiance. But, it's been vacant for several years, so not a surprise - neglect any building long enough and the options reduce until finally there's only one.

Anybody have any idea of the age or history of the building? I always thought it had the profile with chimney reminiscent of a building built in the mid 1800s, but that's just an aesthetic without information.

Profile on Google Maps

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

That's too bad. I had hoped that somebody would do something interesting with this building. Actually had lunch in there several years ago when it was some sort of cafe, and I liked the ambiance. But, it's been vacant for several years, so not a surprise - neglect any building long enough and the options reduce until finally there's only one.

Anybody have any idea of the age or history of the building? I always thought it had the profile with chimney reminiscent of a building built in the mid 1800s, but that's just an aesthetic without information.

Profile on Google Maps

I was wracking my brain too, trying to come up with the name of the cafe. I finally located it: 5190 Blowers was Pineau's Cafe. I visited there for lunch once and remember it being quite agreeable. According to an entry in the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia it was a gay-friendly spot; in fact it suggests the place was the only gay restaurant in town at the time, c. 1996-2007.

As to the history of the building or what was there before, I'm not sure. As if I needed more evidence of my faulty memory, I thought the place was the former home of Reid Sweet Photographic but, as the photo shows, that was next door at 5188.


Source: Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia

(The Reid Sweet building was proposed for a heritage designation back in 1985 but special council minutes show no one spoke in favour of it -- the owner opposed it -- and the matter was deferred. Sometime later that building was demolished.)

According to a story in the Halifax Examiner the owner of 5190 Blowers was (is?) Ramia's Barrington Street Historical Development Limited. The city ordered them to clean up the property two years ago but, as far as I know, they did nothing before now.

When walking by the place I've remarked several times that I've been surprised the place stood empty for so long. No clue though what, if anything, is planned for the site.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

That's too bad. I had hoped that somebody would do something interesting with this building. Actually had lunch in there several years ago when it was some sort of cafe, and I liked the ambiance. But, it's been vacant for several years, so not a surprise - neglect any building long enough and the options reduce until finally there's only one.

Anybody have any idea of the age or history of the building? I always thought it had the profile with chimney reminiscent of a building built in the mid 1800s, but that's just an aesthetic without information.

Profile on Google Maps

That is too bad. I always found that building charming with it's awning/roof projection at the sidewalk.

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

That is too bad. I always found that building charming with it's awning/roof projection at the sidewalk.

It could have been nice - but I used to work close and park next to this place every day and it was in very rough shape. I think the only way we'll see the Pacific Building livable again is if this whole block comes together (minus the Freemason building) as something like the Waterside Centre.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by mleblanc

It could have been nice - but I used to work close and park next to this place every day and it was in very rough shape. I think the only way we'll see the Pacific Building livable again is if this whole block comes together (minus the Freemason building) as something like the Waterside Centre.

This may be true but I wonder why this is how things work in Halifax. Other cities are packed with small old masonry buildings that are fully preserved. Looks around Portland ME on streetview for example. Or Quebec City which is a bit less than 2x the size of Halifax but probably has 10x the number of quirky old stone buildings.

I suspect the real problem is that larger developments are more profitable in Halifax, so developers have an incentive to let the small buildings rot. The municipality doesn't seem to do much about this.

There are so few of these heritage buildings left in Halifax that their heritage value has shot through the roof, while the real cost to maintain them in tip-top shape amounts to an insignificant portion of the city's economy. If it seems impossible to maintain 1% of the city's building stock that was maintainable from ~1750-1950 in a much smaller town, I think the problems are likely to be related to incentives or priorities, not technical capability.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Anybody have any idea of the age or history of the building? I always thought it had the profile with chimney reminiscent of a building built in the mid 1800s, but that's just an aesthetic without information.

Noticed in Nova Scotia has an article on fires in the city: https://halifaxbloggers.ca/noticedin...01/fire-build/

It points out that eventually the city required fireproof building materials downtown but does not give a date. I wonder if this rule was brought in after the Granville St fire of 1859? I think most of the remaining wooden buildings date to the mid-1800's or earlier. The Sievert's building is listed as 1842-1852.

[visualman57]

Originally Posted by ns_kid

I was wracking my brain too, trying to come up with the name of the cafe. I finally located it: 5190 Blowers was Pineau's Cafe. I visited there for lunch once and remember it being quite agreeable. According to an entry in the Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia it was a gay-friendly spot; in fact it suggests the place was the only gay restaurant in town at the time, c. 1996-2007.

As to the history of the building or what was there before, I'm not sure. As if I needed more evidence of my faulty memory, I thought the place was the former home of Reid Sweet Photographic but, as the photo shows, that was next door at 5188.


Source: Halifax Rainbow Encyclopedia

(The Reid Sweet building was proposed for a heritage designation back in 1985 but special council minutes show no one spoke in favour of it -- the owner opposed it -- and the matter was deferred. Sometime later that building was demolished.)

According to a story in the Halifax Examiner the owner of 5190 Blowers was (is?) Ramia's Barrington Street Historical Development Limited. The city ordered them to clean up the property two years ago but, as far as I know, they did nothing before now.

When walking by the place I've remarked several times that I've been surprised the place stood empty for so long. No clue though what, if anything, is planned for the site.

Back in the 1960's, '70's and probably '80's, this building housed The Cake Box. It was the bakery my parents always went to for baked goods, and our birthday cakes. I remember they made the most amazing donuts, in a similar style to those found now at the Masstown Market. I believe it was owned by Ron Wallace, who was Mayor of Halifax from 1980 to 1991.