General Updates and News

[Dmajackson]

I've been offline for a few days so sorry if this was already mentioned;

Geoff Keddy has a new project proposed for 1580 Queen Street (near Spring Garden)

http://www.designprojects.ca/index.html

[Phalanx]

Jonovision found some info on it the other day, but no rendering or detailed info at the time, so that helps.

[gm_scott]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

I've been offline for a few days so sorry if this was already mentioned;

Geoff Keddy has a new project proposed for 1580 Queen Street (near Spring Garden)

http://www.designprojects.ca/index.html

Looks great. This is what is there right now:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1580+Q...N&hl=en&tab=wl
Anything that adds retail to make Spring Garden a shopping district and not just a road is welcome. Plus it's modern.

[dmac26]

Someone had mentioned, a number of weeks ago, a development off portland street on Eisner Blvd. Today there is a back-hoe and some equipment at the corner of Potland and Eisner at the old Esso station.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by gm_scott

Looks great. This is what is there right now:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1580+Q...N&hl=en&tab=wl
Anything that adds retail to make Spring Garden a shopping district and not just a road is welcome. Plus it's modern.

WOW! the Citadel Hill is gone and were did all those skyscrapers come from. Are you sure that is the right location?

[gm_scott]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

WOW! the Citadel Hill is gone and were did all those skyscrapers come from. Are you sure that is the right location?

haha, wow, looks like I picked the wrong link. This one MAY work:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Halifa...KqrYs4EuzbWRhA

[someone123]

According to ANS a dessert place is opening up in part of the old Carsand-Mosher place. Maybe it will more or less fill the niche that La Cave once did.

Anybody know if the Carsand-Mosher building is the same on the outside? There were plans to renovate and potentially add more floors on top. I don't know if the additional floors could happen with tenants.

The new businesses are a really good sign for Barrington. There are still empty storefronts but they are mostly tied up for one reason or another. The storefronts put up on the market have filled with new businesses -- Starbucks, Obladee, Oddjects, etc. That would not have happened if the street were dying and it strongly suggests that more businesses will move in as new projects (like the Discovery Centre) happen.

I don't know if it has been posted yet but I think this post about Barrington has a good sense of perspective: http://www.andrewburke.ca/ajlb/viewB...ry.php?ref=216

It's telling how many people commented on the closing of the Tim Horton's at Sackville Street, taking it as a sign of the street's imminent demise, only to then see a higher end business take over the space. The pessimists can be just as wrong as the optimists.

[q12]

Originally Posted by someone123

I don't know if it has been posted yet but I think this post about Barrington has a good sense of perspective: http://www.andrewburke.ca/ajlb/viewB...ry.php?ref=216

The video posted in that Blog is very interesting showing life in Halifax in 1957 including a vibrant Barrington Street that resembles Spring Garden Road today. Even shows some aerial shots of the Downtown that look much different than today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qPvbPdF_9o#t

[BravoZulu]

Originally Posted by someone123

According to ANS a dessert place is opening up in part of the old Carsand-Mosher place. Maybe it will more or less fill the niche that La Cave once did.

From the CH

DIY s’mores at new dessert, martini bar

By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor
Wed, Apr 20 - 4:54 AM
Anyone looking to roast their own marshmallows at a downtown Halifax table might want to visit The Middle Spoon Desserterie and Bar.

The new restaurant has inked a deal with Starfish Properties to set up in the former Carsand-Mosher building on Barrington Street, next to Argyle Fine Art.

"It’s supposed to be a nice comfy place where you can go for a date or a girls night out and have a nice dessert and a martini," said Ciaran Doherty, whose wife, Lacey, is the driving force behind the establishment slated to open in mid-June.

They are hoping to draw from the Neptune Theatre crowd, as well as diners who eat in one restaurant but want a change of scenery before satiating their sweet tooth.

"We’ve been kind of kicking around the idea for a while," said Ciaran Doherty, who helps run his family’s 26 dry cleaning establishments in Nova Scotia, which operate as Don Schelew Dry Cleaning and Same Day Dry Cleaners.

Lacey Doherty will be running the kitchen at The Middle Spoon.

"I plan on doing cheesecakes, different types of sundaes and s’mores at the table where you get to roast your own marshmallows," she said.

The couple doesn’t yet know what fire source they will employ at tables to mimic that campfire feeling.

"We’re still kind of looking for a solution," she said.

"There are a couple of options out there, so we have a couple of them on order to see what actually is the best option," he said.

Classics including carrot cake and chocolate torte will also be on offer and berry seasons will dictate what other desserts might be available.

The restaurant’s name conjures up the dessert spoon in a typical table setting, nestled between the soup spoon and teaspoon.

"It’s going to be a really cool space," he said. "We’ve hired MAC Interior Design to put together what the space should look like for us. There’s going to be a lot of comfy sofas and chairs and all that type of stuff. It’s something that I think Halifax is kind of ready for.".

[macgregor]

The open house for this is tonight.

There is now a pretty cool online survey asking for public input into this project.

https://my-waterfront.ca/dartmouth/index.php

This may have earned it's own thread.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by macgregor

The open house for this is tonight.

There is now a pretty cool online survey asking for public input into this project.

https://my-waterfront.ca/dartmouth/index.php

This may have earned it's own thread.

Thanks for the link - it is very interesting.

In terms of seeing this built quickly, option-A might be the best since it is the only option that doesn't require an amendment to the MPS.

If all the proposed development projects take place in downtown Dartmouth then the ferry crossing frequency might have to be increased. I believe the 4th ferry is in the planning stage now and will start construction soon. A fifth ferry might be required within a few years with all the development that is occurring in Dartmouth.

[FuzzyWuz]

I've heard that there will be a North Face opening up on Barrington St.

[BravoZulu]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuz

I've heard that there will be a North Face opening up on Barrington St.

That would be awesome!

[someone123]

ANS confirmed that a North Face will be going into the last Carsand-Mosher spot. It will be the third business of its kind in the area, which is a big plus in terms of turning Barrington into a shopping destination. If you want outdoor gear it's probably the best place to go in the city now. Both Vancouver and Toronto have similar setups (along Broadway and I believe King Street).

[beyeas]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

That would be awesome!

Indeed. Nice to see Joachim obviously doing well (his father is a good friend of mine). He started with the Trail Shop on Quinpool, and is now up 4 businesses that he owns!

[q12]

Originally Posted by FuzzyWuz

I've heard that there will be a North Face opening up on Barrington St.

That's great news and very exciting for Barrington St.

[Jonovision]

Love that we are getting a North Face. Love their jackets!

[haligonia]

This was originally posted in the Canada section. I found it interesting that Halifax was ranked the second best large* North American city of the future.

Rankings: http://www.cbc.ca/news/pdf/american-...the-future.pdf




*Large = 250000 - 750000 people. Thanks for the correction q12

[q12]

Originally Posted by haligonia

This was originally posted in the Canada section. I found it interesting that Halifax was ranked the second best North American city of the future.

Rankings: http://www.cbc.ca/news/pdf/american-...the-future.pdf

We were number 1 in this groupdancingtaco

TOP 10 LARGE* CITIES QUALITY OF LIFE

RANK CITY STATE COUNTRY
1 Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
2 plano texas us
3 arlington texas us
4 victoria british columbia canada
5 seattle washington us
6 saint paul minnesota us
7 Quebec Quebec canada
8 las vegas Nevada us
9 portland Oregon us
10 sacramento california us


*Large Cities: Population more than 250,000 but less than 750,000

[Keith P.]

There's something screwy with that - Halifax and Seattle aren't even in the same class in terms of size. Seattle is a city I just love and think I could live in quite happily, but it is far more of a bigger, bustling place than Halifax.