heres the article from todays paper:
Plans for CBC, YMCA on view
Proposed redevelopment project includes $22-million fitness centre
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Wed. May 5 - 4:53 AM
The public is invited to a two-day open house to preview plans for the CBC-YMCA site on the corner of Sackville and South Park streets. (Ted Pritchard / Staff)
A preview of what the YMCA and CBC/Radio Canada have in mind for one of Halifax’s most prominent intersections will be provided at a two-day open house, beginning today.
"We hope to submit a development application to HRM before summer, so this is our pre-application viewing for the general public," Bette Watson-Borg, YMCA president and CEO, said in an interview Tuesday.
A redevelopment of the YMCA and CBC/Radio Canada site, at the convergence of South Park and Sackville streets and Bell Road, has been in the works for a couple of years.
The YMCA plans to open an estimated $22-million recreation and fitness centre at its location opposite the Public Gardens.
CBC/Radio Canada indicated recently options for its broadcast centre beside the South Park YMCA remain under review.
Watson-Borg said the YMCA and CBC are working together on the redevelopment and will bring in a third partner to handle the overall development after it receives clearance from the city.
"It is important for people to understand that the $22 million figure that is being talked about is just for the YMCA portion of a much larger development," she said.
This is the first time the general public has had an opportunity to view plans for the new South Park YMCA and consider architectural renditions of that the project and what it will look like at street level.
"At this point we’re still working on a basic envelope and this is what we will bring to the municipality for approval," she said.
The open house sessions, which run from 7:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. each day at the South Park YMCA, are intended to obtain public input.
People can fill out comment cards and this input will be incorporated into the planning process, said Watson-Borg.
Officials with the CBC were unavailable for comment Tuesday, so it remains unclear if the public broadcaster will continue to operate at the location after the redevelopment.
YMCA officials have been keen to talk about their plans to use profits from the redevelopment to finance a portion of a new complex, which will include a rooftop atrium, major aquatics complex and about 375 underground parking spots.
A fundraising campaign is also planned to help cover the capital costs of a new South Park YMCA.
Additional details are available at
www.NewHalifaxYMCA.ca.
(
bpower@herald.ca)