Waterfront Concert Hall

[bornagainbiking]

In today's CBC news:
"Halifax musicians are petitioning the city to create a new concert hall on the waterfront".
If not maybe Dartmouth could scoop this?

[gm_scott]

Anyone else want anything? Stadium? Carousel? Concert hall now? I am all for Halifax getting the infrastructure it deserves it just seems everyone waited until now to get serious about it. At least the library and convention centre are already under construction.

[Hali87]

To be fair, this isn't really a new idea. I remember "nova centre" being tossed around as a potential nand for a concert hall, so the idea at least predates the proposal for the new convention centre.

[MonctonRad]

In today's CBC news:
"Halifax musicians are petitioning the city to create a new concert hall on the waterfront".
If not maybe Dartmouth could scoop this?

I hear the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay has a leaky roof. How about we fix that first, or is that too far off the peninsula........

:runaway:

[worldlyhaligonian]

Its a good idea... but not on the Salter lot. I personally think a concert hall should be part of a mega development of the cogswell lands and done by the private sector for the benefit of everyone.

[MonctonRad]

It's not a bad idea - no, but the cost for all these proposals is starting to add up.

- The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial: $200M
- new football stadium: $300M or so
- downtown concert hall: $100M or so

etc, etc, etc.

Add this to the new regional library and to the Nova Centre amongst other projects and we're starting to talk about some serious coin here.

Reality will have to step in here somewhere. The public debt in NS is similar to NB and it wouldn't take too much to push the province over the cliff.

Let's establish some priorities shall we……..

[Drybrain]

Definitely some cost concerns vis-a-vis public funds. It IS true, however, that Halifax is bizarrely under-served by performance venues for a city with such a good arts scene.

[Keith P.]

Utilizing some of the Nova Center may not be a bad idea.

I do not see why it needs to be on the waterfront. Depending on where you are looking to put it, some parts of the waterfront might be a very bad choice (i.e. the area around the Cunard Center is a wasteland).

I agree that some of the asks are getting very silly. The Dartmouth Carousel is sheer idiocy.

[ILoveHalifax]

Some cities have signature concert halls on the waterfront. It would be nice to have another outstanding building in addition to the library.

[Drybrain]

Someone suggested on another thread using the armoury. I have ZERO sense of whether or not that would work as far as capacity/acoustics/etc, but since we'll apparently soon be looking for a purpose for armoury (a massive building suited mainly to mono-purposes) it makes sense to look into it, probably?

Not waterfront, but hey--everything can't be on the waterfront. It is right beside the Commons, which would be nice proximity for outdoor concerts/events.

[eastcoastal]

...The Dartmouth Carousel is sheer idiocy.

Wow. I had not heard of this particular idea. Just... wow.

[Jonovision]

I would love to see it incorporated into part of the redevelopment of the Cogswell Lands. Imagine a new concert hall that fronted onto a big urban plaza right in the heart of the downtown. Would be awesome.

[halifaxboyns]

I would love to see it incorporated into part of the redevelopment of the Cogswell Lands. Imagine a new concert hall that fronted onto a big urban plaza right in the heart of the downtown. Would be awesome.

Shockingly, I am of the same mind with Keith on this one. The Hamilton Convention Centre complex includes the Convention Centre, a concert hall and Copps Coliseum all in one (I think they are run by the same group). I can see some advantages from a convention centre perspective on including something like that so that various parts of the convention can have meetings rooms and a 'lecture' hall type thing.

If it can't go into Nova Centre though - then we have to recognize it as a want, not a need. So I'd say, if we want to have it...then we need to start doing some private financing to get it done. Or...could it be part of the battle of the Atlantic building somehow? Could be quite an interesting idea - private event, tour the museum and then go to the hall for a concert/event?

[ILoveHalifax]

I for one have no desire to go near a military museum when going to a concert. I think it is just fine to have BOA on the waterfront and I might take a quick walk thru once it is built; it is part of our history. Generally I do not want anything to do with that which glorifies war. .

[Keith P.]

Shockingly, I am of the same mind with Keith on this one.


Shockingly? Why? You are often on the correct side of things, not as often as I am, of course, but enough... ;)

[spaustin]

I agree that some of the asks are getting very silly. The Dartmouth Carousel is sheer idiocy.

Why? I like the idea. Sometimes its the small projects that can make a difference. The Dartmouth waterfront is underutilized and a carousel could compliment the unique playground that's already there. I don't think it's something the municipality should just go out and build on their own, but if the group is able to get business to sponsor seats as they're planning than why not? I don't think we're talking big money here.

[Keith P.]

Why? I like the idea. Sometimes its the small projects that can make a difference. The Dartmouth waterfront is underutilized and a carousel could compliment the unique playground that's already there. I don't think it's something the municipality should just go out and build on their own, but if the group is able to get business to sponsor seats as they're planning than why not? I don't think we're talking big money here.

The old beat-up playground was already destroyed by vandals once. Something like this will be an instant target and will quickly fall into disrepair. It will sit unused 6 months of the year. Who will pay for the operator, for the power bill, the liability insurance, the maintenance/upkeep, and all the other costs associated with running the thing? I see this quickly falling into HRM's lap and becoming yet another piece of municipal property that will become very expensive very quickly.

There are far better uses for Dartmouth's waterfront land than this. If it is currently underutilized, a carousel will not solve that problem. Let's get it properly utilized instead. This sounds like another ridiculous waste of money like the community oven Gloria paid $20K for.

[halifaxboyns]

The old beat-up playground was already destroyed by vandals once. Something like this will be an instant target and will quickly fall into disrepair. It will sit unused 6 months of the year. Who will pay for the operator, for the power bill, the liability insurance, the maintenance/upkeep, and all the other costs associated with running the thing? I see this quickly falling into HRM's lap and becoming yet another piece of municipal property that will become very expensive very quickly.

There are far better uses for Dartmouth's waterfront land than this. If it is currently underutilized, a carousel will not solve that problem. Let's get it properly utilized instead. This sounds like another ridiculous waste of money like the community oven Gloria paid $20K for.

From a CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) perspective, that park doesn't really meet CPTED requirements. I'm not surprised the playground was torched - you can't get eyes in the park very well. So I would agree, putting anything like a carousel there would just be inviting damage.

That said, I wonder if modifications to the park and the increase in population associated with King's Wharf would help the situation?

Isn't there a park proposed for King's wharf or an extension of the waterfront boardwalk? Why not a carousel in there? If the whole point of King's Wharf was to try to mimic Vancouver and create a watertaxi drop off point, perhaps the board walk, shops and Carousel could add to that feel?