[someone123]

I fear that the Champlain building facade will end up looking something like the one stuck on to Bay-Adelaide. If it's done well though it could look great.

I like Hume's point about the specific merits of the buildings, e.g. the fact that ACC worked because the carvings on the outside of the old building accounted for most of its value. Buildings like that are the best candidates for facadism. The former CIBC building is not one of those and thankfully the plan is to save the interior.

I'm never very convinced by arguments about how heritage restorations aren't viable in Halifax. I think either there's a demand for development and space or there isn't, and if there is then there's a way to make preservation work. This is clearly true in Halifax given the new construction happening. The only real reason why we don't see more preservation is that it would be less profitable for private interests. This may or may not be a sufficient reason but it's important to see it for what it is and to have a public discussion about the value of these buildings.