Global moving to Gottingen St.
 

Gottingen Street has a glitzy new tenant.

Toronto-based Global News told The Chronicle Herald on Wednesday that it will move its Global Maritimes television news studio from Burnside Park in Dartmouth to the former Palooka’s gym in Halifax.

Global will spend more than $3 million on the building and renovations necessary to change the former fight club into a studio.

“This is a statement that we think of news as content and connection with community,” Troy Reeb, vice-president of Global News, said in an interview.

“We looked at some locations in much higher-rent areas. This isn’t a decision based on money; this is a decision based on where can we really start to make a difference within a revitalized community.”

Last week, Micco Companies, which holds Halifax entrepreneur Mickey MacDonald’s diverse string of companies, including the Shops on Mills and the Chickenburger, closed a deal to sell the building to Global owner Shaw Television GP Inc.

MacDonald had high hopes in 2007, when he transformed the building that once housed the Vogue Theatre into a boxing and martial arts club for at-risk youth.

But he closed the club in September, claiming that the non-profit facility was too costly to operate for the small impact it had. Since then, it has been largely vacant except for the occasional fundraiser.

A renovated building housing a 35-person news operation could help give the on-the-rise street a high-profile new presence.

“Whatever the design, it will be open and inviting to the public at large — a place where people will be able to come in and tell their stories and feel themselves reflected in the product,” said Reeb.

The new Global Maritimes studio will be up and running by September, he said, just in time to launch a new morning news show.

(jdemont@herald.ca)

This does sound somewhat "high profile" as the article says, and they will be putting a bit of money into the property.

I would really like to see Gottingen return to its status as a busy "uptown" sort of district that is a natural extension of the downtown and a normal place where businesses can set up shop or people can move to without worrying about crime. I don't think its ghetto status has helped anybody, including those in public housing or cheap apartments. There are affordability and social issues but those are solved by providing houses and services, not by preventing private investment in the area.

The municipal government is harming the city's poorer residents far more than developers: http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...back-18-months

People are trying to build affordable housing but the city is burying the projects in red tape, causing delays lasting years, and charging nonprofits hundreds of thousands of dollars in development fees.

A quick note for a moderator: the title should be changed from Gottington to Gottingen.

EDIT: Thanks!

I know the Casino and the Cove were on that block, right beside each other. But I thought the vogue was on the other side of the street?

No , they were virtually next to each other:

Vogue from NS Archives site

Yep. The thing is the Vogue and Cove are the same thing. Just different names over time. The Vogue Tailor building is across the street, but that was never a theatre.

I see this move as a huge step forward for this area. It will bring far more eyes onto the street, since media outlets usually have people on site until about 1am and then showing up really early for morning shows.

While this one move won't turn Gottingen Street into the time square media mecha with huge crowds outside the glass while shows are shot, it's a good step forward.

I will be interested to see how the building is reconfigured for them.

Yeah sorry for the spelling error...my bad

It's fine! :) I'm just particular about stuff like that.

Oh, you're particualr about stuff like this are you?

:haha: Sorry, I just had to point it out.

Here is Global's story on their move:

Read the rest of the story here (with video): http://www.globalmaritimes.com/new+n...847/story.html

Here is a photo posted on their website not sure how recent.

http://www.globalmaritimes.com/uploa...-Gottingen.jpg

I wonder if they will take the vacant lot next door and add onto the building?

Photo Gallery: Global Maritimes new Halifax studio

http://www.globalmaritimes.com/uploa...?size=original

More pictures here (taken a month ago): http://www.globalmaritimes.com/Pages...?id=6442774126

I was supposed to get a tour (since my friend Trevor is the weatherman), but I ended up dealing with so much family stuff while I was home it didn't happen. I'm hoping to do it when I visit again in July.

I think everyone is friends with Trevor. lol

Another friend of Trevor's here. lol Actually i worked at global in the past..

He's a great guy - wonderful. I've known him for years and when my family was having issues, he'd always text me to check on me.

Finally some competition in HD for morning tv news.

Thank goodness there is a local alternative to CTV's abysmal "Morning Live", though I have my doubts this will be much better. Crystal Garrett used to host the CTV show for a time and was truly annoying in that role, so unfortunately I have no reason but to expect more of the same here. Ms. Chappell is pleasant enough and I have no knowledge of the other fellow.

As noted, at least this will be in HD. CTV should be ashamed that they still have not converted local production here to that format.