[Dartmouth] Opal Ridge (Penhorn Mall) | ? M | ^15 FL | | U/C

DigitalNinja · #1 Posted **Feb 2, 2021, 12:48 PM**

I didn't think we had a thread for this yet, but I could be mistaken.

New proposal for the back of the Penhorn Lands and the area in front of Brownlow Park.

An image has been posted on reddit of the proposal sign in the area, it's a new style one with an image of the proposed area. - looks good!

This will add some much needed density to the area. Lets hope the buildings turn out well.

mleblanc · #2 Posted **Feb 2, 2021, 2:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

I didn't think we had a thread for this yet, but I could be mistaken.

New proposal for the back of the Penhorn Lands and the area in front of Brownlow Park.

An image has been posted on reddit of the proposal sign in the area, it's a new style one with an image of the proposed area. - looks good!

This will add some much needed density to the area. Lets hope the buildings turn out well.

It looks nice! He also posted a picture in the General forum here

atbw · #3 Posted **Feb 2, 2021, 2:30 PM**

Posted in general as it seems like the type of thing that’s a long way out. Would be transformational for the area, though. A kind of density and proximity to transit we don’t always see outside of downtown and on the periphery of the core. Will be interesting to see if those colossal parking lots get repurposed down the line.

Jonovision · #4 Posted **Feb 2, 2021, 8:12 PM**

Also this should be in the Downtown Dartmouth part of the forum since its within the circumferential highway boundary.

Dmajackson · #5 Posted **Feb 3, 2021, 6:44 PM**

^I moved the thread.

Also the Case 23224 Details are up on Halifax Planning's website. Looks like Clayton will be putting a lot of money into neighbourhood improvements. The plans look great.

atbw · #6 Posted **Feb 3, 2021, 7:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

^I moved the thread.

Also the Case 23224 Details are up on Halifax Planning's website. Looks like Clayton will be putting a lot of money into neighbourhood improvements. The plans look great.

Definitely looks more thoughtful than a lot of what’s out around Larry Uteck. Looking at the Active Transportation Plan it’s surprising how close it is to so many things. Would be nice to see that multi-modal pathway extended out to the transit terminal but that’s a pretty minor thing.

Curious to see how the design comes out too. This will be pretty prominent.

Jonovision · #7 Posted **Feb 3, 2021, 9:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atbw

Definitely looks more thoughtful than a lot of what’s out around Larry Uteck. Looking at the Active Transportation Plan it’s surprising how close it is to so many things. Would be nice to see that multi-modal pathway extended out to the transit terminal but that’s a pretty minor thing.

Curious to see how the design comes out too. This will be pretty prominent.

The nice thing about this is it has to follow Centre Plan policies. So it should develop more as a proper town centre as opposed to what you see out at Larry Uteck and Bedford West.

Good Baklava · #8 Posted **Feb 3, 2021, 9:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

^I moved the thread.

Also the Case 23224 Details are up on Halifax Planning's website. Looks like Clayton will be putting a lot of money into neighbourhood improvements. The plans look great.

This is a step up from Rockingham South and miles ahead of what we see on Washmill Lake. I’m also glad to see a couple of the buildings are marked for mixed use. Overall way better than I expected.

Takeo · #9 Posted **Feb 4, 2021, 1:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Good Baklava

This is a step up from Rockingham South and miles ahead of what we see on Washmill Lake. I’m also glad to see a couple of the buildings are marked for mixed use. Overall way better than I expected.

I dunno… looks like a 1960s style public housing project to me. Or army barracks. Couldn’t pay me to live there.

atbw · #10 Posted **Feb 4, 2021, 2:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Takeo

I dunno… looks like a 1960s style public housing project to me. Or army barracks. Couldn’t pay me to live there.

I think that’s a function of the massing renders. Any suburb rendering would look similar. I do think there is a “tower in the garden” vibe that’s hard to shake and would benefit with having the big towers bolstered with better podiums or townhouses. But by far the biggest determiner will be the design of the buildings.

Good Baklava · #11 Posted **Feb 4, 2021, 3:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atbw

I think that’s a function of the massing renders. Any suburb rendering would look similar. I do think there is a “tower in the garden” vibe that’s hard to shake and would benefit with having the big towers bolstered with better podiums or townhouses. But by far the biggest determiner will be the design of the buildings.

Agreed. Given how we don't know what the buildings look like, my current commentary is about how the neighbourhood would function.

Dmajackson · #12 Posted **Jul 9, 2022, 4:40 PM**

This proposal was fast-tracked under the provincial Special Planning Areas program. The development agreement is now approved.

Case 23224 Details

Also CROMBIE REIT has been referring to this as "Opal Ridge".

Empire · #13 Posted **Jul 9, 2022, 8:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

This proposal was fast-tracked under the provincial Special Planning Areas program. The development agreement is now approved.

Case 23224 Details

Also CROMBIE REIT has been referring to this as "Opal Ridge".

Deleted

Wannabe Economist · #14 Posted **Jul 19, 2022, 7:06 PM**

Hali87 · #15 Posted **Jul 19, 2022, 8:44 PM**

This seems pretty unambitious in terms of the overall number of units but hopefully it will at least get built out quickly.

Arrdeeharharharbour · #16 Posted **Aug 22, 2022, 8:34 PM**

Well, they're scratching around over here...and there's a guy with a white hardhat and a clipboard. Might this project be getting started?

20220822_154054 by AJ Forsythe, on Flickr

Jstaleness · #17 Posted **Aug 31, 2022, 6:28 PM**

That seems unnecessarily spread out. I would rather see less land wasted, have more towers, and a closer situated center for townhomes, etc.

someone123 · #18 Posted **Aug 31, 2022, 6:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

That seems unnecessarily spread out. I would rather see less land wasted, have more towers, and a closer situated center for townhomes, etc.

I don't think the density is necessarily bad (not sure) but often these developments are too small to create much of a "village" feel on their own. You need some mix of density and a larger scale of development or infill in adjacent areas. Medium-sized medium-density attempted mixed-use pods of development in the suburbs end up working poorly for anything but cars, and often work poorly for the cars too.

Of course the HRM planning attitude to fret about height and density leads directly into this uncanny valley of planning in between urban and suburban that does nothing well. This is where Larry Uteck or Bedford West are.

DigitalNinja · #19 Posted **Sep 1, 2022, 2:21 AM**

It's too bad they're leaving the retail and parking lot. Would have been nice to see it integrated into some of the towers instead.

Saul Goode · #20 Posted **Sep 1, 2022, 1:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

It's too bad they're leaving the retail and parking lot. Would have been nice to see it integrated into some of the towers instead.

The retail buildings aren't even ten years old.