Developments on the waterfront
Colin MacLean has been at the helm of the Waterfront Development Corp. Ltd. in Halifax for just over a year and brings an infectious passion to the job.
By BILL POWER Business Reporter | Five Questions
Mon. Sep 14 - 4:46 AM
Q: The Waterfront Development Corp. is often associated with large-scale projects like the $2.7-million boardwalk extension at the foot of Salter Street in Halifax. But much of the provincial Crown corporation’s work involves smaller undertakings such as the recently completed Dartmouth Harbourwalk. How does the entire metro region benefit from this modest project?
A: In Dartmouth we’re expanding the trail system that exists between the two ferries. The project highlights one of the principles of good waterfront development and this is to maximize public access to the water’s edge. It’s a really nice grassroots piece of work because it involves the Dartmouth Trails Association, Shubenacadie Canal Commission, Alderney Gate and the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission. It’s expanding the trail system between the two ferries so that this city is going to have the opportunity for visitors to travel across the ferry, walk to downtown Dartmouth, cross back on the other ferry and walk the boardwalk. It is really a nice circular route. The focal point is the beautiful ($300,000) pedestrian bridge across the canal. It’s a nice, long elegant bridge that brings together so much of the history of the area
Q: The Bedford-Mill Cove area has much of its waterfront infrastructure in place and the WDC owns land in the area. What’s next for this part of the urban waterfront?
A: Together with HRM we have been working with a local community group called the Vision Implementation Committee. This is a group of volunteers who have dedicated their time for over two years now to develop a vision of what they want the waterfront to be in Bedford. We co-invested with HRM $200,000 for a comprehensive study. We should be finished early in the next calendar year. It’s involved a lot of consultation and community workshops. What it’s going to do is take the vision from the local community and put something in place to attract public and private investment to help make it a reality. We’re trying to attract developers, and what comes with this is the money required to support the desired public amenities.
Q: The recession has many people wondering about the status of the $80-million-range Salter Street development to be built by Ralph Medjuck’s Centennial Group Ltd. What role, if any, is the WDC playing in encouraging this project?
A: We’re working right now with the developer and we’re pretty sure there will be an announcement in the fall. We’re urging him to move forward but we have to recognize the current financial environment. I think we’ll know in very short order what the timeline for that project is going to be.
Q: Can you tell us something we don’t know about the Halifax waterfront?
A: To the best of our knowledge, the Halifax waterfront has the largest timber-frame boardwalk on an urban waterfront in the world. But more significantly, this is a real working harbour. This is not like a visit to Disneyland. Everything here is real. Visitors can get up close to the tugs and take in all the activity. Our hope is that the working waterfront concept can be extended to Lunenburg so the waterfront there will have four seasons of activity.
Q: What do you think the WDC will be up to five years from now?
A: The ocean literacy movement is gaining ground around the world and Halifax and Lunenburg, with their waterfronts, have the potential to be right in the middle of things. When we start talking about Nova Scotia taking full advantage of its coastal environment, it is easy to get excited thinking about potential of undeveloped features like Georges and McNabs islands. Hopefully, Georges Island will be open and accessible as a part of the national park system in five years, with many links to the waterfront.
(
bpower@herald.ca)
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