Development ideas take shape
Corporation unveils three waterfront designs
By PAT LEE Staff Reporter
Fri, Jun 10 - 4:54 AM
The Waterfront Development Corp. wants to hear from you.
The provincial Crown agency has commissioned three visions for redevelopment of Halifax waterfront land at the foot of George Street and at the Cable Wharf and Chebucto Landing, and it wants public input on the proposals.
The submissions, unveiled Thursday night in a public meeting at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, are not intended to be the final designs but were commissioned to glean ideas, which a subsequent winning bidder will then incorporate into the project.
Colin MacLean, president of the corporation, says the development means a lot to downtown Halifax and his agency wants to get it right.
"We think this is a very, very significant piece of the waterfront," he said after the design concepts were unveiled.
"It’s important to get it right because it’s where people from all over the world visit every year."
The area is also in the heart of the traditional financial district and the seat of government, MacLean said.
The corporation sought three designs — submitted by Halifax firms Breakhouse/TEAL, Ekistics Planning & Design and WHW Architects — in order to explore the sites’ potential for commercial, residential or other uses.
"We engaged these three people to turn their attention to what are the possibilities on the site, so we could have the right kind of development," MacLean said. "We want to ask the public, both tonight and on our website, how to get the elements right."
The firms came up with everything from giant light projections, to a rooftop bar in a blueberry patch, to an urban estuary.
"Tonight is about ideas," MacLean said.
The public is asked to check out the designs and add their comments until July 7 at
www.my-waterfront.ca.