Bedford Developments & Discussion Thread

[Dmajackson]

I'll create a proper first post later on.

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Photo of Bedford Map to be inserted at a later date.
Map base from Google Maps, Edited by Dmajackson

Related Projects:

COMMUNITY | PROJECT TYPE | PROJECT NAME | STATUS | YEAR COMPLETED/EXPECTED
Section Under Construction

All projects with a * symbol are linked to external websites

Series Information:

The "districts" and "areas" series is based upon my Developments Maps (see above for link). It is designed to allow discussion on the district in general and provide a place for smaller developments in the area to have a place to be discussed. Larger projects will have a seperate thread that will be linked to this post in the space above.

This thread is the third of the series and will focus on the Bedford area. This area consists of all of the Halifax Regional Municipality within the political and municipal strategy boundaries of Bedford (District 21).

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A photo I took today of the new Shopper's under construction at Sunnyside Mall;



One's got to admit I was bound to create a Bedford thread eventually.

[Dmajackson]

Bedford complex planned
Jodrey descendants to build office tower
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Wed, Jan 5 - 4:53 AM

The Hennigar family, grandchildren of the late Hantsport business legend R.A. Jodrey, will begin construction in mid-March of a four-storey office building near the Bedford Common.

The 40,000-square-foot complex, to be called Thornridge Tower, will be home to Thornridge Holdings Ltd. and its wholly owned merchant bank, Hawthorne Capital Inc.

Other companies owned by Thornridge Holdings are also expected to operate out of the proposed development.

"We’ve applied for a building permit and engineering work is underway," Nick Betts, president of Thornridge Holdings, said in an interview Tuesday.

An information technology centre will be a major project component, Betts said.

Thornridge Holdings emerged as a result of a realignment of Jodrey family interests in November 2010, he said.

The company is 100 per cent owned by the Hennigar family of Nova Scotia.

Word of the office complex came with the announcement Tuesday that Hawthorne Capital had purchased a "significant interest" in Belmont Financial Services Inc., a news release said. Belmont Financial operates from Dartmouth and Saint John, N.B.

The value of the deal was not released.

Belmont Financial manages benefit programs for more than 300 clients and administers $500 million in assets, said the release.

"The intention is to build up business significantly," said Betts.

Hawthorne Capital and Belmont Financial will team up to provide exit strategies for owners of successful businesses preparing for retirement.

"Some of these businesses built up by Nova Scotians are excellent operations but lack assets that would interest traditional lenders," said Betts.

"As a result, potential buyers have a tough time obtaining financing."

He said one potential scenario would see Hawthorne Capital providing purchase capital for a successful transaction, with Belmont Financial providing financial services such as administration of group benefits for the new business owners.

Some details of Hawthorne Capital’s new equity stake in Belmont Financial were included in the release, circulated jointly by the companies Tuesday.

The release said Thornridge Tower is designed to accommodate predicted growth and will be ready for occupancy by the fall of 2011.

Through Thornridge, the Hennigar family holds major interests in High Liner Foods, Assisted Living Concepts, Envirosystems Inc., Annapolis Group Inc. and a number of public and privately held companies across North America.

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1220246.html

[Dmajackson]

New buidling for the older district of Bedford;



It's going to replace the Koppernaes Building at 268 Bedford Highway (just south of Meadowbrook).

[someone123]

Hideous building and the existing one is actually somewhat historic and character-filled by Bedford standards.

[Jstaleness]

I dunno, I do like all the glass in front. The old building was pretty tired looking on the outside. I wonder if the structure is sound?

[Dmajackson]

Community, HRM, Provincial Partnership Adds Centre and Sports Field to New Bedford High School - Lund, Outhit

(April 1, 2011) - HRM Regional Council has given the green light to enter into a joint partnership with the Province on a $10.7-million community centre and regulation size artificial turf sports field for the new Bedford-Hammonds Plains high school.

"I want to thank the Province, my Council colleagues, staff, and residents for their tremendous support of this once-in-every-30-years' opportunity,” District 21 Councillor Tim Outhit said today. “This facility and field will address a long-time need for sports, meeting, and recreation space in our growing community.

The multi-million dollar project is to be paid through a combination of HRM budget allocation and the Bedford-Hammonds Plains Area Rate. The details will be discussed and finalized in the upcoming 2011-12 HRM budget process.

“The outdoor turf will benefit football and soccer leagues all across HRM,” District 23 Councillor Peter Lund said. “Expansion of the basketball court and construction of a second court are welcome additions to our community. Not only will the sports community benefit, folks in Bedford and Hammonds Plains will have a community space to call home, a place to gather, read, exercise and watch student performances.”

The initial motion to help fund half of the capital cost of the local project through the area rate was approved by North West Community Council on January 27, 2011.

In April 2009, the Province announced a replacement for the Charles P. Allen High School by September 2013. Last December, Innovation Drive was selected as the site for the new school.

The project falls within Bedford West, one of HRM’s designated Master Plan growth areas. The Province is currently working on the detailed design phase for the new school.

The Bedford Councillor noted that the announcement of a new school for the area provided yet another opportunity for the region to look at the benefits of partnering with the Province to expand the school to include a community centre component. This partnership would reduce construction costs over building a stand-alone municipal facility by almost $2.6 million

HRM Press Release

[worldlyhaligonian]

$11 million??? How were people even using cost as an excuse for the trade centre? I'm all for this, but I mean, its like 1/5 of the HRM contribution for the trade centre... and will be used by 0.1% of the Halifax population!

[Dmajackson]

^Don't forget half of the $10.7 Million to be provided by HRM is coming directly out of the pockets of Bedford residents and not the general tax pool. I was at the public meeting a couple of months ago and every Bedford resident was for the tax rate so there's no lack of public support for paying for it by ourselves.

Now that the lack of recreational space in Bedford is addressed maybe the municipality will start looking at our major traffic and public transit problems. If we can have traffic flow as smoothly as on the Peninsula then I will be satisfied (mind you this will costs tens of millions of dollars).

[DigitalNinja]

Mind you the city found 90 million to upgrade the street lights to new LED ones. A new school is needed in bedford and I think that part is great. But the convention center better go through!

[Dmajackson]

Noticed this sign today. 1040 Bedford Highway is in the wooded section of road between Hammonds Plains and Convoy just at the top of Mill Cove Hill.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/6039562...n/photostream/

[Dmajackson]

Bedford landmark outgrows space, moves to Sackville
Published on April 6, 2011
Bobbie-Lynn Hall Topics : Sackville , Bedford , Atlantic Gardens

Look up, look way up and you'll see an empty space where Atlantic Gardens used to be.

After more than 43 years, Atlantic Gardens — a recognizable Bedford landmark — has moved from its home on the Bedford Highway to Middle Sackville. A tough personal move, owners Jim and Peggy Godfrey still live behind where the greenhouses used to be, but from a business standpoint it made perfect sense.

"We simply needed the space," said co-owner Robin Godfrey.

Although the centre has moved, the history behind it is one for the Bedford history books.

"As the story goes, my father was here from Ontario doing contract work and boarding in a house in Upper Sackville," said Godfrey. "One day he saw my mother walking down the road and drove his truck in the ditch. They started dating and when she wanted to get a gift for her teacher he drove around trying to find a plant or a bush. When he couldn't find a thing he immediately thought of a great business opportunity."

In 1968, the Godfreys opened a roadside garden centre near the old fire department in Bedford, and things just started growing from there.

Now the centre has pretty much outgrown its spot, and with the increasing traffic on the Bedford Highway, lack of parking space and higher expenses it just made sense to move the entire production to land the couple had purchased in Middle Sackville years ago.

"We have sewer and water there now," he said. "We can grow and sell right there in one spot without having to transport. And most importantly, when the highway opens we will really be just six miles down the road — Exit 2A off Highway 101."

One person who's not necessarily happy about the move is Suzanne Boudreau co-owner of Bedford Draperies located right next to where Atlantic Gardens used to be.

"They were great neighbours," said Boudreau, who has run the store there for more than 20 years. "Everyone knew where they were so they were a great reference for advertising, and Peggy always used to come over and fix up our yard."

Godfrey said the property was actually sold a few years back and Atlantic Gardens had been renting it. He has no idea what the new owner plans to do with the property now.

The new location in Middle Sackville opened on April 1.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Noticed this sign today. 1040 Bedford Highway is in the wooded section of road between Hammonds Plains and Convoy just at the top of Mill Cove Hill.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/6039562...n/photostream/

This will eventually become this;


Case 16792

[worldlyhaligonian]

Not exactly the Trillium, but I trust it will be somewhat fitting with the area.

[Dmajackson]

Another small development for what is now the fringe of Bedford;



Given the location this development is quite forward thinking. At three storeys I think this might be the tallest building on Hammonds Plains Road west of the Bi-Hi.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Would this be considered a tower?

[Dmajackson]

The Chickenburger Lady's house is being demolished right now (the ugly house behind the restaurant itself). She only passed away a month or so ago so Mickey must of had some plans for it.

$5 it will be a new parking lot the restaurant

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

The Chickenburger Lady's house is being demolished right now (the ugly house behind the restaurant itself). She only passed away a month or so ago so Mickey must of had some plans for it.

$5 it will be a new parking lot the restaurant

It wasn't ugly at all. It was a nice example of an mid-century bungalow. A damn site better than a parking lot. I am personally no fan of Mickey MacDonald and his questionable nouveau-riche tastes.

[Northend Guy]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It wasn't ugly at all. It was a nice example of an mid-century bungalow. A damn site better than a parking lot. I am personally no fan of Mickey MacDonald and his questionable nouveau-riche tastes.

But at the same time, the man has invested alot in cleaning up properties and making them more street level friendly. Personally I think he deserves more credit. I also am not a fan of every nuanced idea that some developers have - but at the same time I appreciate MOST developments for the fact that they are forward thinking. I think Mickey has more than proven that he is a forward thinking investor - even if he does have ecclectic tastes.

[Dmajackson]

From the Burnside News

Bluewater Place

While the shovels aren’t in the ground on this Atlantic Acres Business Park project yet, the plan is to create an office and retail space development. Located at the intersection of Hammonds Plains Road and Bluewater Road, the current plans call for a 24,000 square foot building, but there’s some flexibility on the final numbers.
“Right now, we’re working on securing an anchor tenant,” says James Higgs, a salesperson with Network Realty Services. “If that anchor tenant says, ‘I want X amount of space’ and it doesn’t fit with the current plans we have, we’re willing to rework the plans to suit their needs.”
Higgs figures the ground level will be retail and is hopeful there will be three levels of office space. While the building will be owned and managed by Broadway Properties Limited, Network Realty is the licensed brokerage finding tenants for the development.
Higgs says the plans for the development aren’t the only thing that can be changed.
“The name is up for grabs too,” he says

[Dmajackson]

Just a couple of shots of some new houses in my neighbourhood (photos by me):





Within a kilometre of my house there has been 4 new builds (vacant lots), 2 rebuilds (demolition & new house), countless major exterior renovations, three site preps (for future infill), and one new condominium building all worked on within the last 12-24 months. Add in new houses in Ridgevale and ongoing renovations at Sunnyside and its apparent East Bedford is holding its own in terms of investment in the community especially considering zero municipal dollars have been spent on upgrades in the area over the past five years.