[Halifax] Queen's Marque | 30 m | 10 fl | Completed

[Jonovision]

20180221_122737 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Colin May]

Rising sea level and Halifax :
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ticle38160929/

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Colin May

Rising sea level and Halifax :
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ticle38160929/

Fascinating... I'd assumed most of the waterfront developments were going to ignore potential for rising seas and just deal with disgruntled lease holders on ground floors. Interesting to read about what Queen's Marque is including in its design. Disappointing to read that HRM is not more forward looking in its requirements to protect people and property.

I didn't realize that the Historic Properties are a "fashionable shopping and dining destination..." LOL.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

Fascinating... I'd assumed most of the waterfront developments were going to ignore potential for rising seas and just deal with disgruntled lease holders on ground floors. Interesting to read about what Queen's Marque is including in its design. Disappointing to read that HRM is not more forward looking in its requirements to protect people and property.

This is sort of a trendy subject at the moment and there are a lot of dramatic stories of coastal flooding and erosion. But there are mostly in areas like Florida where the land is right around sea level. In the Netherlands too they have invested a huge amount of money in protecting the country from sea level rise but much of it is below sea level.

You can see from the maps they show that in the next few decades the flood-prone areas are right by the shoreline. The right way to deal with this is probably what's happening; design the new development in these areas so it can withstand some sea level rise.

I find it annoying how the article talks about how there could have been a bridge closing off the harbour but the city couldn't afford it. That project doesn't sound worth it at all. Also they say Queen's Marque is massive by east coast standards but it is only 40% as big as the Nova Centre.

[MonctonRad]

At some point in time, a flood barrage of some kind at the harbour entrance into Halifax might make sense. You could still have a working waterfront by having a lock system allowing for ship entry into the harbour.

Moncton could accomplish much the same by having a dike and pumping station further down the Petitcodiac River......

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by someone123

This is sort of a trendy subject at the moment and there are a lot of dramatic stories of coastal flooding and erosion. But there are mostly in areas like Florida where the land is right around sea level. In the Netherlands too they have invested a huge amount of money in protecting the country from sea level rise but much of it is below sea level.

You can see from the maps they show that in the next few decades the flood-prone areas are right by the shoreline. The right way to deal with this is probably what's happening; design the new development in these areas so it can withstand some sea level rise.

I find it annoying how the article talks about how there could have been a bridge closing off the harbour but the city couldn't afford it. That project doesn't sound worth it at all. Also they say Queen's Marque is massive by east coast standards but it is only 40% as big as the Nova Centre.

A prof at COGS has an interesting time lapse video re the impact on of rising sea levels Lunenburg county, it is several years old.
Also this from my favourite weather source : https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/we...al-new-england
" The rugged coast of New England has never recorded a one-two high-water punch like it’s gotten this winter with the nor’easters dubbed Grayson (January 4) and Riley (March 2-3). These storms produced two of the three highest water levels ever measured in Boston Harbor, and both of them produced widespread damage along the Massachusetts coast, with many water rescues carried out. Nearly a million people along the East Coast remained without power on Monday
In the longer range, there’s a more ominous outlook. Sea level is expected to rise even faster along the Northeast U.S. coast than in most places around the world, thanks in large part to the effects of a weakening Gulf Stream. The renowned ferocity of nor’easters will thus play out atop a progressively rising sea surface, making coastal impacts progressively worse unless adaptation efforts can keep pace."
Scroll down the page and look at the illustrations.
Bad news for Nova Scotia. Lawrencetown beach was destroyed this past weekend, what was sand is now all rocks.

[FuzzyWuz]

Originally Posted by someone123

... Also they say Queen's Marque is massive by east coast standards but it is only 40% as big as the Nova Centre.

Journalists love words like massive, multimillion, etc. Seriously, every development is described as multimillion dollar. Isn't that (almost) redundant? If it's under a million it's pretty much gonna be a house.

[Jonovision]

20180315_071302 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Jonovision]

20180316_164936 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20180316_164931 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[IanWatson]

Anyone know when the floating boardwalk is scheduled to go back in?

[Jonovision]

20180328_131137 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20180328_165058 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[peacockparasols]

[someone123]

Thanks for the photo updates.

I see a ramp in the last picture. Is this a ramp up from a completed lower parking level? How many parking levels are there? Are they at street level or still below? It is hard to tell from the pictures.

I guess this could be topped out by late summer or so?

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

Anyone know when the floating boardwalk is scheduled to go back in?

I noticed today its back in place (in fact you can see it in the above pictures). Not sure if its open though.

[peacockparasols]

Originally Posted by someone123

Thanks for the photo updates.

I see a ramp in the last picture. Is this a ramp up from a completed lower parking level? How many parking levels are there? Are they at street level or still below? It is hard to tell from the pictures.

I guess this could be topped out by late summer or so?

It is indeed not easy to see from pictures but the floor being built on the left of the first picture is already the 4th "level" of the building. The street level would be the one right below it.

The ramp in the second picture leads to one more lower level with means that two levels would be underground. I don't know much about construction but they seem to be going incredibly fast lately and with nicer weather, this will be topped out before next winter (my uneducated guess).

[someone123]

It will be interesting to see the shape of the building emerge. Right now it looks like it has a big rectangular footprint, but it will really be U-shaped, with some passageways for pedestrians.

Once a few more floors are built it will be easier to see how this will fit in with the rest of the area. Lower Water Street is narrow and the neighbouring buildings like Nova Scotia Crystal are mostly small. Before the buildings that previously occupied the site were torn down decades ago, this part of the waterfront had a fine-grained, intimate pedestrian scale. Hopefully the new building will restore that feel. Parking lots do a really good job of destroying it.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by someone123

It will be interesting to see the shape of the building emerge. Right now it looks like it has a big rectangular footprint, but it will really be U-shaped, with some passageways for pedestrians.

Once a few more floors are built it will be easier to see how this will fit in with the rest of the area. Lower Water Street is narrow and the neighbouring buildings like Nova Scotia Crystal are mostly small. Before the buildings that previously occupied the site were torn down decades ago, this part of the waterfront had a fine-grained, intimate pedestrian scale. Hopefully the new building will restore that feel. Parking lots do a really good job of destroying it.

I have little expectation that this will fit well into the area. All renderings I have seen so far make it appear to loom over Lower Water and turn that section of street into a narrow canyon. But time will tell.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

I have little expectation that this will fit well into the area. All renderings I have seen so far make it appear to loom over Lower Water and turn that section of street into a narrow canyon. But time will tell.

I have high hopes for the waterfront side, but yeah, I think Lower Water is going to feel pretty dark and canyon-esque when this is done.

[Jonovision]

A few super zoomed shots from the waterfront trail in Dartmouth.

20180415_174833 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20180415_180609 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[Jonovision]

20180418_131209 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20180418_131233 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

20180418_163450 by Jonovision23, on Flickr