[Halifax] The Trillium l 65 m l 19 fl l Completed

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by someone123

There was a short piece in ANS a couple of months ago about somebody in the provincial government complaining about how slow the process to develop the infirmary lands has been. The demolition at this point happened 5 years ago and plans to redevelop could have come before that. As for the Clyde Street lots, well, they've been sitting there for as long as I can remember.

In most cities development is limited by how much demand there is for new buildings. In Halifax it's limited by the bureaucracy. It is astounding how slowly things move there compared to Toronto or Vancouver, where planners and others presumably have a lot more work since there is more going on. Really that kind of thing is what makes Halifax feel like a bit of a backwater.

Being someone who works in the bureaucracy (but not in HRM; for Calgary) I can say that it's not always all of the staff. Here in Calgary; we have a team approach where each application is reviewed by transportation, parks, engineering and planning at the same time - only those who feel it warrents a review take it. On the surface; this sounds like a reasonable and quick process. Would you believe that this process has been the cause of about 80% of the problems with the city? The processes surrounding the administration of this and what happens if one group digs in their heals is mind boggling. I remember dealing with a land use file where Urban development (engineering) took it; looked at it and said it was fine. Not 5 minutes after presenting the file at Planning Commission; they come to me saying it's close to a gas station and can't go onto council until some sort of tests are done to ensure gas hasn't leaked. They had the file for 5 months.

I haven't worked in HRM in a while but it seemed to me the groups always talked well and worked to find solutions (at least they did when I worked there). I wonder if it has to do with not enough staff? A lot of people are retiring but I don't see anywhere near the number of postings needed?

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Why the heck was the NSLC even built in its current location in the first place? How long has it been there?

I'm not sure on length of time, but I would guess it would be built within 10 years of Park Vic.

I would also guess that there was formerly a house or two on the lot. Retail formats were alot smaller back then... now alcohol retail is usually big box design with walk in refridgerated rooms.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

Why the heck was the NSLC even built in its current location in the first place? How long has it been there?

I don't know. But I remember when I was a kid sitting in the car outside the Clyde St store while my dad went in to make a purchase. That would be in the mid-1960s.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I haven't worked in HRM in a while but it seemed to me the groups always talked well and worked to find solutions (at least they did when I worked there). I wonder if it has to do with not enough staff? A lot of people are retiring but I don't see anywhere near the number of postings needed?

HRM has battalions of planning staff. If anything there are too many of them. But they do a very poor job. Look at the sad case of the Jazz condominiums, the Roy Building, and the Discovery Center proposals, all stalled by bureaucratic bungling. The Clyde St lots could have been developed 10 or even 20 years ago if there was a will. Then we have the absurdity of the library proposal and how that managed to hijack any and all other possible uses for that prime corner. HRM works to actively discourage certain developments, and that is just plain wrong.

[JustinMacD]

A TON of work being done on the Trillium today. Those cement blocks/siding are going up all over the place.

One thing that I noticed immediately was that there isn't going to be nearly as much glass on this building as I had originally thought there would be. Some of the windows up high are going to be WAY too small too. Eventually it should be one of the prettier buildings in Halifax, but it's not as nice as I was hoping.

Are they going to paint those cement walls white on the outside or what? Right now they are more of a brownish/sandstone type of colour.

[phn902]

Those cement walls are called precast panels. That will be the finished surface for the exterior of the building.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

A TON of work being done on the Trillium today. Those cement blocks/siding are going up all over the place.

One thing that I noticed immediately was that there isn't going to be nearly as much glass on this building as I had originally thought there would be. Some of the windows up high are going to be WAY too small too. Eventually it should be one of the prettier buildings in Halifax, but it's not as nice as I was hoping.

Are they going to paint those cement walls white on the outside or what? Right now they are more of a brownish/sandstone type of colour.

Yeah, they won't be painted... but I like the precast, its a good colour and will match up nicely with the towers to the east and west and the brown shade of park vic's new balconies.

[DigitalNinja]

I'm not sure if anyone said this...

But the building curry village is in next to this development is for sale.

Hopefully someone will buy a few properties there and build another tower.

[HRM]

Don't worry there will be lots of glass. The bump outs are either balconies or windows and the SP view is a one complete curtain wall from floors 14 through 18 plus the penthouse. The SGR side is also one curtain wall from floors 14 through 18 from SP to the left side of the far left windows facing SG.

[HRM]

panels going up

Photos by me

[alps]

Thanks for the pic. The windows certainly looked larger in the render...


(from Trillium website)

[Jonovision]

Its hard to judge before its completed, but that is what we do on here. I'm a bit disappointed in the precast. I was hoping it would be a bit nicer then the standard stuff you see around the city. This is about equal to what we see down on the new building on Kaye street. It should look much better once all the glass is installed though.

A bunch more pictures from yesterday.

[Empire]

I think the building is a bit overhyped. Except for the rounded corner, a few extra setbacks and some sort of crown roof detail, it is a very basic building with hfx basic construction materials. The roof detail may end up much less significant than the promo renderings. This is the oldest trick in the hfx development book. However, it is the best building going up in hfx at the moment and it will look like a tower and not a shoebox.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Thanks for the update Jono! You have filled the shoes of DJ nicely... when I return to Halifax I will do my own extensive phototour.

I don't think its overhyped... I think the real gain here is the height... The precast is decent enough (I wish this was the lowest quality things could be... I hate Letson Court's pink precast) and the glass will more than make up for it.

[someone123]

Well it is definitely over-hyped by the developer since they have ads comparing it to the Chateau Frontenac and so on, but those are always over the top.

I think it's fine for what it is - a moderate-sized residential building. I like the bottom floors and the glass atrium part. Hopefully the top will also look good.

[JustinMacD]

This building looks TERRIBLE from Spring Garden. Just another typical Halifax building. The corner on near Park Vic will look awesome but the colour of it makes me want to throw up.

It's 100X better than what was there before, but this building had the chance to become one of the nicest in Atlantic Canada. Nowhere near enough glass, boring colours.

Let's hope that the atrium thing at the top is impressive because I've been pretty disappointed over the past week or so.

[Phalanx]

I think it's a little too early for the negativity. I'm withholding judgement until the glass is in. I think that will improve things dramatically.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by JustinMacD

This building looks TERRIBLE from Spring Garden. Just another typical Halifax building. The corner on near Park Vic will look awesome but the colour of it makes me want to throw up.

It's 100X better than what was there before, but this building had the chance to become one of the nicest in Atlantic Canada. Nowhere near enough glass, boring colours.

Let's hope that the atrium thing at the top is impressive because I've been pretty disappointed over the past week or so.

Although I am not there in person, I completely disagree. The colour is a perfect neutral given all of the buildings in the area... it ties them together... the accents on the tower next door, the one across the street and the brown and grey tones of buildings near it.

I haven't seen a building look this good partially clad ever in Halifax.

And it clearly is the nicest in Atlantic Canada because the residential towers in other cities don't even compare to the scale/quality.

[DigitalNinja]

i think this tower is looking great, i like the color on it and it has a nice shape to it. Buildings don't need to be all glass to look great, that is just a modern version of having something that is "nice". But IMO I don't like all these glass boxes and rectangles. I'd rather have a mix of both and have a nice shape to the building.

[kph06]

The bulk of the "balconies" are suppose to actually be large bay windows. Who knows if this will change or not, I know I'd much prefer a balcony rather than a bay window if I were a condo owner. These should add much more glass if they are still following the original plan.