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  #1  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 3:12 PM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
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[Halifax] Pavilion (YMCA) and Curve | 2X49 m | 17 & 15 fl | Completed

Some initial concept drawings and a website have been setup for this redevelopment. I haven't seen a thread started - so i thought I would start it.

There website link is:
http://www.newhalifaxymca.ca/
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  #2  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 3:53 PM
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heres the article from todays paper:


Plans for CBC, YMCA on view
Proposed redevelopment project includes $22-million fitness centre
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Wed. May 5 - 4:53 AM


The public is invited to a two-day open house to preview plans for the CBC-YMCA site on the corner of Sackville and South Park streets. (Ted Pritchard / Staff)





A preview of what the YMCA and CBC/Radio Canada have in mind for one of Halifax’s most prominent intersections will be provided at a two-day open house, beginning today.

"We hope to submit a development application to HRM before summer, so this is our pre-application viewing for the general public," Bette Watson-Borg, YMCA president and CEO, said in an interview Tuesday.

A redevelopment of the YMCA and CBC/Radio Canada site, at the convergence of South Park and Sackville streets and Bell Road, has been in the works for a couple of years.

The YMCA plans to open an estimated $22-million recreation and fitness centre at its location opposite the Public Gardens.

CBC/Radio Canada indicated recently options for its broadcast centre beside the South Park YMCA remain under review.

Watson-Borg said the YMCA and CBC are working together on the redevelopment and will bring in a third partner to handle the overall development after it receives clearance from the city.

"It is important for people to understand that the $22 million figure that is being talked about is just for the YMCA portion of a much larger development," she said.

This is the first time the general public has had an opportunity to view plans for the new South Park YMCA and consider architectural renditions of that the project and what it will look like at street level.

"At this point we’re still working on a basic envelope and this is what we will bring to the municipality for approval," she said.

The open house sessions, which run from 7:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. each day at the South Park YMCA, are intended to obtain public input.

People can fill out comment cards and this input will be incorporated into the planning process, said Watson-Borg.

Officials with the CBC were unavailable for comment Tuesday, so it remains unclear if the public broadcaster will continue to operate at the location after the redevelopment.

YMCA officials have been keen to talk about their plans to use profits from the redevelopment to finance a portion of a new complex, which will include a rooftop atrium, major aquatics complex and about 375 underground parking spots.

A fundraising campaign is also planned to help cover the capital costs of a new South Park YMCA.

Additional details are available at www.NewHalifaxYMCA.ca.

( bpower@herald.ca)
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  #3  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 6:37 PM
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haligonia haligonia is offline
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I wonder if this goes through, would the CBC consider consolidating radio and tv production into one regional hub.
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  #4  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 6:52 PM
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I use the gym at the Y, so I'll check it out tonight while I'm there and let you guys know what I see.
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  #5  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 9:22 PM
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Just caught a glimpse of this on the news, and at first glance it looks fantastic.

Hope someone has soon renderings or images from the open house soon.
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  #6  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 9:28 PM
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deleted - double post
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  #7  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 10:33 PM
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I hope the images on that website are very preliminary...the architecture looks pretty bland and I was hoping they'd do something more interesting with the Sackville/South Park corner (aside from the question of whether plate glass in a gymnasium is a good idea).
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  #8  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 11:02 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alps View Post
I hope the images on that website are very preliminary...the architecture looks pretty bland and I was hoping they'd do something more interesting with the Sackville/South Park corner (aside from the question of whether plate glass in a gymnasium is a good idea).
Have some renderings of the exterior of the development been posted? I have only seen interior renderings of the new YMCA.
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  #9  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 11:26 PM
worldlyhaligonian worldlyhaligonian is offline
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Somebody please get some pics up of this... I'd do it myself if I was in Halifax.
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  #10  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 11:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
Have some renderings of the exterior of the development been posted? I have only seen interior renderings of the new YMCA.
They haven't been posted yet - I saw a quick shot on the news tonight, but can't yet find any online. It looks like the building keeps some of the qualities of the CBC building - round corner - is a podium base with 10-12 stories stepped back on top. Looks good at first glance. But article in the coast already states that they are proposing double the height than what is currently approved for the site.

This is (or at least could be) a great project. The YMCA is proposing to sell the development rights above the podium to a developer to help finance their project. This is a great model and this type of thinking should be encouraged by the city.
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  #11  
Old Posted May 5, 2010, 11:52 PM
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Well, they can build up to those heights on the YMCA site but not the CBC site because it is next to the Citadel.

There would be nothing wrong with a well-designed 12 storey building right next to the Citadel, particularly if it steps back at higher levels. If it were up to me I'd also encourage development on the Citadel grounds themselves - it would be good to have some small buildings (maybe four storeys) on the north side of Sackville Street, for example. The edges of open areas like the Citadel should be built up.

The notion that the city should shy away from developing the periphery of public spaces like the Citadel really makes it difficult to bring in enough people to make these places vibrant. The Citadel and Commons are oversized for Halifax and underdeveloped. South Park and Cunard are sort of halfway toward being what we should see around these areas. The city should also be looking at uses for the inside of the Citadel. It is a unique piece of history but it doesn't need to be segregated from the rest of the city.
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  #12  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 12:35 AM
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I checked it out and was pretty impressed (sorry no pictures). Basically it's two buildings on a shared podium, but it looks like there is a large glass atrium in the middle. The CBC building will be torn down but the design will rebuild it almost identical and that I believe will house the new YMCA. On top of those few floors there are about 9-10 floors (13ish total ground to roof) with the same floor plate shape as the CBC building, but set back in each dimension. This building is not stepped, the 9-10 floors would have the same floor plate through out and maintains the same color scheme. In plan view it is stepped so that the South Park side is narrower than the Dresden Row side.

The other building is a darker building with dark red balconies and from plan view has a curved shape to it. This is about 17 floors total ground to roof and will sit about 2 floors shorter than the Martello. It buts fairly close to the Paramount and has balconies all around. It's podium is an angular building with green cladding.

One rendering showed the entire block and it was quite an impressive cluster with the Martello and Paramount worked in. The architect was Micheal Napier. Both Dawn Sloane and Watts (I'm drawing a blank on her first name) were there. The plan is to get approval now then have an RFP for developers. They are open to apartment, condo, boutique hotel and some commercial use.
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  #13  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 1:18 AM
worldlyhaligonian worldlyhaligonian is offline
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Sounds really good, thanks for the info.

Its been a big week for development in Halifax!
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  #14  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 2:16 AM
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looking forward to the renderings, thanks for the info all it does is make me want the renders more, lol
sounds like it will be great for the area though.
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  #15  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 2:24 AM
DigitalNinja DigitalNinja is offline
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Yay this should fill in the block nicely! I can't wait to see some pics.
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  #16  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 3:11 AM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
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There are renderings on allnovascotia.com but their software doesn't allow me to copy it. The renderings look great, however it sounds like there are quite a few issues to resolve such as height restrictions, property ownership, and finding a developer who is willing to undertake the development. I don't want to sound pessimistic but it sounds like it might take quite a while to resolve all of the issues.
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  #17  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 3:15 AM
Phalanx Phalanx is offline
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Any chance someone could do a screenshot and then c&p the renderings?
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  #18  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 4:08 AM
DigitalNinja DigitalNinja is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
There are renderings on allnovascotia.com but their software doesn't allow me to copy it. The renderings look great, however it sounds like there are quite a few issues to resolve such as height restrictions, property ownership, and finding a developer who is willing to undertake the development. I don't want to sound pessimistic but it sounds like it might take quite a while to resolve all of the issues.
Yeah, just press print screen then copy them into paint.
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  #19  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 4:30 AM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
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There was a story on it on the CBC news at 6 webcast for today - the renderings look great.

HRM by design limits the height on this location (pre and post bonus height) to 23 metres, which I think is sad.

No viewplanes on the site; this block and the one next to it with the Martello tower are the only two blocks heading towards SGR (and including the block with the Trillium) where the viewplanes don't cast over them.
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  #20  
Old Posted May 6, 2010, 4:32 AM
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I stopped by this afternoon. It does looks quite impressive. I even brought my camera with me to take some pictures of the renderings, but they assured me it was all online now. Not so much.
When I first saw it I did like it, but the more I looked at the renderings I'm not quite sure anymore. It's basically two separate buildings with a strange atrium in the middle. And both buildings have very different architectural styles. The new Y building, now where CBC is is kind of art deco, but it doesn't look like it goes far enough. It wants to be art deco but is not quite there. And the other one has nice materials by the looks of it. But the shape of the building doesn't work on the site. It seems like a big hodge podge of styles. I'm hoping things are still in the works to refine it and that this will not be the finished product.
I'm a bit sad. I normally really really like Michaels work, but this just doesn't do it for me.
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