General Updates and News

[kph06]

I had heard a while ago it was slated for a residential conversion. However, a decent commercial tenant could change that.

[someone123]

Atlantica Hotel renovations:


Source

[hoser111]

Originally Posted by someone123

Source

Council votes on decks proposed for 2 downtown Halifax businesses

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...ncil-1.5641153

".....But an application from the Atrium bar along Argyle Street did not get the go-ahead from council. The owners are renovating the building and proposed four levels of decks. One of them would have hung over two-thirds of the sidewalk.

Mason was concerned about how much that would block the sun."

[someone123]

I hadn't heard of the Maritime Centre one before. That one was allowed to go ahead.

I think these things tend to make streetscapes livelier and more interesting. I am not sure I agree about the Argyle one being worse because it's near the Grand Parade. There's tons of outdoor space in that area and little traffic so if anything it makes it a better spot for a deck. Also note that there's already a seasonal patio here where the deck would overhang. The city should permanently expand the sidewalk out to where the seasonal patio walkway is now.

[Keith P.]

Perhaps one applicant greased the skids more than the other, or there is a grudge against the one denied.

[someone123]

I think Halifax if anything tends to have boring and denuded looking streetscapes. Complaints about encroachment to me usually don't see the forest for the trees. There are concerns around accessibility and snow removal but those aren't unsolvable problems and the existing infrastructure often isn't optimal.

It's the same with the safety brigade that comes out and complains about every little thing people might slip on or fall off of. Meanwhile our normal standard for pedestrians, which the vast majority manage to operate under just fine, is a narrow sidewalk a couple feet away from vehicles that move at 50 km/h. What's the body count from the wave statue? 0? People have "known" for decades that it is deadly and will get the city sued.

[Keith P.]

Well, the Dome overhang troubled me when I saw the rendering. I can just imagine a bunch on liquored-up/stoned 20 year-olds up there lobbing things at or dropping them on people passing by. Even without the overhang I'm not sure that structure is a good idea.

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Well, the Dome overhang troubled me when I saw the rendering. I can just imagine a bunch on liquored-up/stoned 20 year-olds up there lobbing things at or dropping them on people passing by. Even without the overhang I'm not sure that structure is a good idea.

Except every other rooftop patio that currently exists in the city where I've never seen this happen. They both look great - I agree with the streetscapes of Halifax needing stuff like this

[planarchy]

Originally Posted by mleblanc

Yes! That is true. From the Jazz thread:
-fenwick16 (RIP)

Later on, the city decided against it:

I believe Polycorp actually won on this issue in the SCNS in 2011:

http://canlii.ca/t/flxc3

"Part VI: Conclusion

[206] In the First Application, the Court declares that the Applicant’s development rights with respect to the Property are not affected by any purported development agreements, site plans or authorizations made by HRM pursuant to s. 538A of the former Halifax City Charter. Any decision respecting a development permit application in respect of the Property shall be solely governed by the terms of the Land Use Bylaw.

[207] HRM’s Second Application is dismissed on the basis that HRM has no standing to bring the application. If I am wrong, I would have dismissed it on the basis set out in this decision.

[208] Costs are awarded to the successful parties in accordance with the terms of this decision."

[Keith P.]

So I guess despite the smackdown of the HRM Planning Dept., Peter Polley must have decided to move on to other things. Unfortunate.

[mleblanc]

Originally Posted by someone123

Atlantica Hotel renovations:


Source

Drove past the Robie St. side today and was surprised to see these nice white panels going up. If I'm back in the area soon I'll snap a picture!

[Jonovision]

^^ I wonder if any treatement is going to be given to the windows or that side of the building?

[TheNovaScotian]

Originally Posted by spaustin

Doing the right thing to make a better community sometimes requires that. I would rather lose doing what's right than win by caving in all the time to every bit of pressure that comes my way. My rundown of this one in the link below.

https://samaustin.ca/council-update-...y-development/

Liked your take on it, I agree this building should be built. Though I find it odd that the great and powerful Centre Plan needs to be re-aligned before it is fully implemented in the first place. Isn't it supposed to encompass the variances and get rid of the constant whining of private land owners trying to shoot down developments. Or is it just another club to hit people with when trying to get something built in Halifax?

Honestly, I don't get a sense of urgency at all from council about the affordability catastrophe consecutive councils have created. Even in your write up tall equates to bad and short seem to be acceptable. 1 floor added to this building is potentially 4-5 more families that could move into an already established area, that the city doesn't have to sink a dime into. This is consistent losing battle for the city that would rather placate property owners over new residents, and one thing to remember people that rent vote too.
I feel most Council members don't care or understand due to owning their own homes and not having to feel the pain when rents have soared for squalid half century old apartment buildings with so little supply coming on line compared to people coming in, the owners don't even hesitates to increase rents every year. Want a great investment opportunity? REITS are the safest bet in town. Capreit has almost cornered the market in that department buying up everything they can. Remember when Halifax was an affordable place to live? When that was one of the selling features of moving here? What happens when we lose that moniker and don't have half the services needed compared to similarly priced jurisdictions?

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

Liked your take on it, I agree this building should be built. Though I find it odd that the great and powerful Centre Plan needs to be re-aligned before it is fully implemented in the first place. Isn't it supposed to encompass the variances and get rid of the constant whining of private land owners trying to shoot down developments. Or is it just another club to hit people with when trying to get something built in Halifax?

Families want to own a home, not a condo in a tall or medium size building.
They want their kids to go to 'a nice school' so they carefully pick a place that is in an area that does not have poor people or Black people or people on welfare.
The potential buyers look very carefully at school boundaries. They also look at which schools feed into 'a nice junior high'; that means the precious offspring will not meet the 'ordinary people' or the 'poor people' until high school. Or they pick a private school. Or if they live in Dartmouth the 'precious one' gets on a bus to go to French immersion and the parents pray the child does not have a learning disability, which sometimes shows up in Grade 2 or 3, and then the child is sent back to the regular system. DND parents living at Shannon Park used to ensure their kids did not go to John Martin Jnr High - they sent them on transit to Bicentennial .
There is a reason that 3 new schools are being built in Bedford and the message from this decision has not been heard/understood by the Centre Plan councillors.

[FuzzyWuz]

Originally Posted by Colin May

Families want to own a home, not a condo in a tall or medium size building.
They want their kids to go to 'a nice school' so they carefully pick a place that is in an area that does not have poor people or Black people or people on welfare....

I do assume you're being ironic. Nevertheless seeing the distinction between 'people' and 'black people' is pretty disturbing. Especially since it's probably on point.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

Though I find it odd that the great and powerful Centre Plan needs to be re-aligned before it is fully implemented in the first place. Isn't it supposed to encompass the variances and get rid of the constant whining of private land owners trying to shoot down developments. Or is it just another club to hit people with when trying to get something built in Halifax?

The front half of this project is in the Package A area but they had an application in before Package A was adopted, so it went by the old process (development agreement). The back half is in the Package B area, which has not yet been adopted, so is still under the old planning rules.

Centre Plan is indeed massively streamlining approvals. In the Package A area there are already a number of medium and large projects that have been approved with little fuss.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuz

I do assume you're being ironic. Nevertheless seeing the distinction between 'people' and 'black people' is pretty disturbing. Especially since it's probably on point.

No. When a home in this area is for sale real estate agents tell potential buyers they can put their kids on the bus to French Immersion at Shannon park, they never mention Bicentennial which is a P-8 school and a 2 block walk from our house. The bus stops on Pine which is one block from the school. The Black kids are usually from public housing and other rental properties;and we also have immigrants and refugees of colour; in other words, it is much like other inner city schools in HRM and across the Canada. Our 3 kids went to Bicentennial and I have always believed school boundaries should be enforced; if you move into an area your kids should go to the local school. The racism of parents is quiet. The former principal of Joe Howe told CBC how a family moved into her area and immediately asked for a transfer for their child. She asked them if she could show them the school before signing a transfer request. The parents refused her offer and subsequently complained to the school board about the offer from the principal. The board told the principal that any future requests for a transfer should immediately be forwarded to the board office. The school has many non-white students, students from low income homes and students who are refugees.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Northend Guy

Just a follow up on 5555 Almon, I believe a permit application just went in for it.

Demolition permits were issued in May for this project. As of this week all of the buildings are still standing. Any actual updates I'll post in the project's thread.

[someone123]

Rendering for 3488 Dutch Village Road (corner of Rosedale):


Source

[Colin May]

This will upset a lot of people on this forum and the majority of our very woke HRM councillors.
Heresy.
https://www.theguardian.com/artandde...tall-buildings