[Halifax] Coburg & LeMarchant | ? m | 6 fl | Completed

[Keith P.]

What a shock. The guy is a professional complainer and development gadfly.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Seriously, this guy is devoted to complaining about any and all development.

What a dick.

[Barrington south]

and this fellow "Gus Gassmann" is not impressed at all! "it looks like a mobile home that has not been unloaded from the trailer yet....Ugly" man, everyone is entitled to there own opinion, but to slam a building that bad is harsh, unless he is some sort of architectural super genius, in which case I hope he joins this forum, and enlightens us all

[worldlyhaligonian]

This new building is wayyy more attractive/modern than that church building hybrid.

[kph06]

Cranes up, looks like its the one that put up St James place. They have started laying out the reinforcement for the basement footings.

[Barrington south]

very nice

[JET]

In post #3 the picture shows a house to the east of the "church'. In post #12 the house is not there. Was it demolished for this building? It would be a shame. The new building is ugly. JET

[worldlyhaligonian]

I hope it was demolished... it ruined that part of the streetscape.

I don't think the new building is ugly at all... its modernity helps balance the old and new structures in the area and makes Coburg seem more coherent as it empties into the height of SGR.

[Barrington south]

JET, I have to seriously disagree with your assessment of the coburg Dal development. With sub par development's like Armoury Square and St. James Place being built and ugly, cheap projects like Courtyard Marriott and spice being thrown up, I find it hard to believe you are opposed to this project. This is exactly the type of building Halifax has, for the most part, missed out on over the last 8 years. I'm not claiming it is the be all and end all of development. It is however the type of medium sized structure that Toronto, or any other progressive western city has seen be built on so regularly a basis that it would hardly merit mention. In Halifax however, we desperately need well built, modern buildings such as this. And for that reason I am glad that rinky dinky little house has been erased from the urban landscape. and it also pleases me that Dal is forging ahead in these uncertain times

[worldlyhaligonian]

Totally, that is an inarguable fact. Halifax has seen low quality low rise for the most part due to special interest groups intervening in most cases high quality, but often taller, developments that are seen as more risky. High quality low rise like this is great and reminds me of some of the amazing U of T buildings around Bloor.

I think that house would have looked terrible sandwiched between the store further down the street and the development. The tower across the street boxes everything in nicely, and both it and this new development have urban landscapes on their Cogburg facing sides. Its a nice introduction from the Dal area to SGR and Robie.

[someone123]

This is a nice, modern building and that house was nothing special. There are many other houses in the area that are much nicer. The area bounded by Coburg, Oxford, Robie, and Quinpool has tons of great buildings that are fairly well-protected (though something needs to be done about that empty lot next to the Holiday Inn on Robie). The long-term goal should be to save the architectural highlights and replace middling buildings with new buildings of high quality.

And yes, I'd love to see lots of modern, mid-scale buildings like this go up. W Suites was pretty close in terms of scale and uses but fell short design-wise. The McCully Worklofts look great. The proposal for Kaye Street also looks pretty good. In general, I think we can expect more of this in the future. The North End needs a few dozen of these buildings.

[JET]

It was a nice old building and there are lots of ways to encorporate the old with the new; when there is a will. Everytime an old house is razed, it becomes more difficult to say that "there are many other houses in the area that are much nicer". But I realize that on this forum that argument holds little sway. The houses that will remain beside the trillium will look out of place, or conversely so will the trillium; but they can exist in harmony side by side. Maybe that house wasn't anything special; but if it was (in the eye of the beholder), it certainly isn't anymore. JET

[Dmajackson]

So have they got the basement poured yet?

[kph06]

They are still pouring the footings.

[Dmajackson]

Source: Chronicle Herald Article

[Dmajackson]

I was by this today. They have the entire foundation poured and there were a few footings in place for the first above ground level.

On a side note the new sign for Dalhousie down on University Ave looks okay IMO. It could be a lot worse.

[Dmajackson]

I was by this again today. Sorry no pictures for this one by I can say the entire basement is poured and all of the support columns are in place.

[Dmajackson]

Picture time. I'll have to talk to my girlfriend to see if I can get the picture of the construction workers posing for us.

All photos taken by me today;

[Dmajackson]

No pictures this time but the last time I was by this they seemed to have a lot of the columns in place for the walls of the first floor and they apeared to be extending the foundation down on the Robie Street side.

[Dmajackson]

As always all photos by me today;