[Dartmouth] Dartmouth Crossing

[Keith P.]

I can't find a thread specifically about Dartmouth Crossing so I thought I'd create one as it continues to grow.

I have not been out there since before Christmas and new buildings continue to pop up. Perhaps the most impressive is a new Hampton Inn of 150 rooms and perhaps 6 floors, located on the 118 near the Wright Avenue interchange. It is a fairly massive-looking building.

Driving through the development there are a number of low-rise retail building complexes being erected, nothing notable except the sheer numbers and size of the place.

Just off Commodore Dr in Burnside near the Jacques Whitford building (technically outside DC I suppose, but built to serve it undoubtedly) a new Best Western hotel is also going up, looming above the street from it's location on top of a bluff.

I don't particularly like the place in general for some reason -- probably the massive stores containing absolutely the same things as every other store of the same brand elsewhere in town, and the absolute soullessness of the place, no better than Bayers Lake. There isn't much there that's unique so far.

[Dmajackson]

The only store DC has the BL doen't have is Best Buy but other then that they are remarkably similar. DC is more accessible and doesn't experiance the congestion that BL has.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

DC is more accessible and doesn't experiance the congestion that BL has.

Yet

Once Wright Avenue opens up and that becomes a major thoroughfare for trucks and cars getting from Burnside to the 118, it'll probably be different.

[phrenic]

The JYSK store is kind of neat, although its no Ikea. Apart from that, there is very little out there that is much different that Bayers Lake. Best Buy is no different than the futureshop down the road at MicMac. Same chain stores, just different sizes and layouts. As it was said, it's quite soulless.

HRM really has to work on a better bus route out there though. To get there from Central Halifax buy bus is an adventure to say the least.

[hfx_chris]

That's the thing that made my eyebrows cock the most when I first heard it. Instead of the current route 56, it should have been routed form the Bridge terminal up through Highfield and into DC via Commodore Drive.
Then the route 72, which comes from the Portland area, could have been extended into DC via Commodore as well, since it goes through Ilsley anyway.
Would have been nice if the 66 could have serviced DC, but that route is screwed up enough, and has a very, very tight schedule as it is.

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by phrenic

The JYSK store is kind of neat, although its no Ikea. Apart from that, there is very little out there that is much different that Bayers Lake. Best Buy is no different than the futureshop down the road at MicMac. Same chain stores, just different sizes and layouts. As it was said, it's quite soulless.

HRM really has to work on a better bus route out there though. To get there from Central Halifax buy bus is an adventure to say the least.

And their actually moving that future shop at mic mac to DC. Its going to be directly across from the best buy.

[phrenic]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

And their actually moving that future shop at mic mac to DC. Its going to be directly across from the best buy.

[Canopus]

I noticed some pedestrian bridge work near DC connecting into the larger trail system. Does anyone know if it is very ped/bike accessible?

[someone123]

Putting Best Buy and Future Shop next to each other actually makes sense, but I wonder how Mic Mac Mall will weather DC. Last time I was in there was about a year ago and it wasn't looking that great.

Is there a bookstore like Chapters/Indigo at DC?

[Wishblade]

Originally Posted by someone123

Is there a bookstore like Chapters/Indigo at DC?

No, not right now atleast. Chapters will be staying at its Mic Mac location as far as I know.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by someone123

Putting Best Buy and Future Shop next to each other actually makes sense, but I wonder how Mic Mac Mall will weather DC. Last time I was in there was about a year ago and it wasn't looking that great.

Is there a bookstore like Chapters/Indigo at DC?

Every time I go in Mic Mac it's crowded... I think they'll continue to do just fine, they have a lot of little stores that really don't fit in an outdoor business park. Not sure what they could lure into the Future Shop site, if they do move to DC...

[Keith P.]

I drove by DC today and snapped these two pics of the Hampton Inn under construction before the battery in my camera packed it in...








Not a real attractive setting -- from the highway it looks like it's built on a pile of rocks though it isn't in reality. It does sort of loom over the road. Traffic noise might be an issue on that side of the building. You can't really tell from these pics but it is 7 floors tall.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

Yet

Once Wright Avenue opens up and that becomes a major thoroughfare for trucks and cars getting from Burnside to the 118, it'll probably be different.

Does anyone know when they're opening up the Wright Avenue Extension? It seems to me they've been building it forever.

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Does anyone know when they're opening up the Wright Avenue Extension? It seems to me they've been building it forever.

From talk I've heard around its *supposed* to be this summer...

[hfx_chris]

The sign originally said opening fall 2007, with a sticker over the date saying summer 2008. I don't know what's taking so long, it's a bloody street, they've been building it for a very, very long time. The Commodore Drive extension also took a while to complete...

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

The sign originally said opening fall 2007, with a sticker over the date saying summer 2008. I don't know what's taking so long, it's a bloody street, they've been building it for a very, very long time. The Commodore Drive extension also took a while to complete...

Through the knowledge that I and Wishblade can seem to remember, there was a land dispute over a section of road (I think it was 100 feet or something) that the owners of the property blew WAY out of proportion and have been holding this back for this long now.

[Aya_Akai]

On my way home from the airport today I decided to stop by The Crossing and check out what was up there. Not a whole lot to note, the Hotel is coming along, the future shop is standing and is now being clad with brick.. they are doing prep work on the plot of land Costco and the area where the gas station will be. Also the foundation is being layed and looks like ground infrastructure is now in for the building (51 Gale Terrace) that will house Allstate, Second Cup Subway etc etc...

Photos!

From the closed off part of the intersection between Commodore and Finlay Drive:


Costco Area Prep:


Unfinished shops in phase 2:


Future Shop to-be:


Hampton Suites Hotel:


Foundation @ 51 Gale Terrace:




They also seem to be making good headway on the Wright Ave. extension and it should be open pretty soon I would think:

[Jonovision]

Nice pics!
I didn't know that was going to be a FutureShop! Does that mean the one at MicMac is closing?

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

Nice pics!
I didn't know that was going to be a FutureShop! Does that mean the one at MicMac is closing?

Yep, in the Fall (according to "the plan"). Wishblade and I have been trying to figure out what might fill the space at Mic Mac earlier Any thoughts?? lol

[Jonovision]

No clue!
But it seems like such a waste! The MicMac building isn't even 10 years old.