General Updates and News - Page 339

Waye Mason · #**6761** Posted **Apr 14, 2015, 10:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith P.

One can only hope that the enemies he has made on council team up to do just that.

Passes 10 to 7.

#micdrop

Colin May · #**6762** Posted **Apr 15, 2015, 12:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

Passes 10 to 7.

#micdrop

Nice to see sanity prevailed.
Sure beats giving city/taxpayer money to replace a chimney on a temple. Who approved that idea ?

OldDartmouthMark · #**6763** Posted **Apr 15, 2015, 2:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

Passes 10 to 7.

#micdrop

So far so good!

Let's hope that Neptune can help make it happen.

Keith P. · #**6764** Posted **Apr 16, 2015, 12:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

Passes 10 to 7.

With 7 opposed to even an innocuous motion to kick it down the road for 6 months, it sounds like your pipe dream is already on life-support, so I wouldn't be too smug if I were you. I like the chances of fiscal sanity returning to Council in the fall, since Neptune will likely be asking for more tax dollar handouts to make this happen. Not hearing much public sentiment in favor of the KAS clubhouse either.

IanWatson · #**6765** Posted **Apr 19, 2015, 12:05 AM**

The school board has purchased Shannon Park Elementary School from the feds. While this is great for the students and families who were worried about losing their school, I can't help thinking it's a negative for the site redevelopment.

We did conceptual designs for Shannon Park in the first year of my planning masters, and the location of the school really throws a wrench in any efficient/quality use of the site. If I recall, pretty much everyone in my class moved the school in their conceptual site design (because we were generally unconstrained by money, politics, or any other non-design considerations).

I was talking to some people in the know and it sounds like the school's location could make the site a challenge for any sort of large stadium.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...inute-reprieve

Colin May · #**6766** Posted **Apr 19, 2015, 3:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanWatson

The school board has purchased Shannon Park Elementary School from the feds. While this is great for the students and families who were worried about losing their school, I can't help thinking it's a negative for the site redevelopment.

We did conceptual designs for Shannon Park in the first year of my planning masters, and the location of the school really throws a wrench in any efficient/quality use of the site. If I recall, pretty much everyone in my class moved the school in their conceptual site design (because we were generally unconstrained by money, politics, or any other non-design considerations).

I was talking to some people in the know and it sounds like the school's location could make the site a challenge for any sort of large stadium.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...inute-reprieve

French Immersion parents get what they want.
Middle to upper middle class and all of them vote. You cannot get on the school board without their support ( does not apply to African NS and First Nations seat). HRSB spends a significant amount busing the kids to Shannon park.
Next up, a new school. This has been a Savage priority for many years. A CPF parent was the main person at the first public meeting organised to discuss the Commonwealth Games bid and the possible effect on N Dartmouth. The meeting was held at the library near John Martin.

fenwick16 · #**6767** Posted **Apr 19, 2015, 3:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanWatson

The school board has purchased Shannon Park Elementary School from the feds. While this is great for the students and families who were worried about losing their school, I can't help thinking it's a negative for the site redevelopment.

We did conceptual designs for Shannon Park in the first year of my planning masters, and the location of the school really throws a wrench in any efficient/quality use of the site. If I recall, pretty much everyone in my class moved the school in their conceptual site design (because we were generally unconstrained by money, politics, or any other non-design considerations).

I was talking to some people in the know and it sounds like the school's location could make the site a challenge for any sort of large stadium.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...inute-reprieve

I guess that you could look at it on the positive side. The province got several acres (it looks like about 15 acres, depending on how much is included) for only $313,000.

Ziobrop · #**6768** Posted **Apr 19, 2015, 3:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanWatson

The school board has purchased Shannon Park Elementary School from the feds. While this is great for the students and families who were worried about losing their school, I can't help thinking it's a negative for the site redevelopment.

We did conceptual designs for Shannon Park in the first year of my planning masters, and the location of the school really throws a wrench in any efficient/quality use of the site. If I recall, pretty much everyone in my class moved the school in their conceptual site design (because we were generally unconstrained by money, politics, or any other non-design considerations).

I was talking to some people in the know and it sounds like the school's location could make the site a challenge for any sort of large stadium.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...inute-reprieve

The site was carved into 3 parcels. Iirc 1 was the school, 1 was for redevelopment and one was for a stadium.

Keith P. · #**6769** Posted **Apr 19, 2015, 2:43 PM**

One wonders how much money this cash-strapped province could save if French immersion was simply done away with entirely. It is really just a status thing for the parents. Let them pay if they want little Josh and Alicia to learn French better than what is in the regular curriculum.

beyeas · #**6770** Posted **Apr 20, 2015, 11:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colin May

French Immersion parents get what they want.
Middle to upper middle class and all of them vote.

Money and the ethnic vote really spoils things for those who know what is best for people.

Colin May · #**6771** Posted **Apr 20, 2015, 3:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyeas

Money and the ethnic vote really spoils things for those who know what is best for people.

Having been intimately involved in successfully opposing funding cuts to education funding in Dartmouth as well forming an ad hoc group of parents with diverse interests from all parts of the city I think I may have more experience than many other people. Prof. Stuewe can attest to our success.
The unfortunate decision in Dartmouth in 1984 resulted in the scrapping of a proposal to teach French in all primary schools starting at Grade 3.

someone123 · #**6772** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 2:21 AM**

Good news: the Green Lantern Building has been sold to the son of the developer who owns the Discovery Centre site next door.

fenwick16 · #**6773** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 3:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Good news: the Green Lantern Building has been sold to the son of the developer who owns the Discovery Centre site next door.

It is great that developers are optimistic about the future of Barrington Street.

someone123 · #**6774** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 4:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenwick16

It is great that developers are optimistic about the future of Barrington Street.

It's also nice to see that there is a bit of a snowball effect happening, and that developers of larger projects see the importance of making sure that the heritage buildings along the street remain in good shape. Downtown Halifax needs both new buildings and well-maintained heritage buildings.

I think the Green Lantern Building is more or less the last one in rough shape on Barrington. Of course, there's still lots of room for improvement around the northern end of the street. A street-level overhaul of the Maritime Centre could be great too.

Drybrain · #**6775** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 12:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

Good news: the Green Lantern Building has been sold to the son of the developer who owns the Discovery Centre site next door.

From the media source that shall not be named?

GREAT news, as long as he plans to abide by the heritage regulations. But I can't imagine someone buying it without that intention, unless his goal is to make his life very difficult.

ILoveHalifax · #**6776** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 1:21 PM**

Maybe he will work a deal to redo both of those old slums and build a new modern building on the combined site.

OldDartmouthMark · #**6777** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 1:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

It's also nice to see that there is a bit of a snowball effect happening, and that developers of larger projects see the importance of making sure that the heritage buildings along the street remain in good shape. Downtown Halifax needs both new buildings and well-maintained heritage buildings.

I think the Green Lantern Building is more or less the last one in rough shape on Barrington. Of course, there's still lots of room for improvement around the northern end of the street. A street-level overhaul of the Maritime Centre could be great too.

Very good news. It will be interesting to see what plans develop for the building in the near future. Whatever it is, it'll be better than letting it fall apart as has been the case of late.

With this getting some attention, the NFB project underway, the Khyber hopefully getting a spiffing up, along with the recently completed 1592 building, this part of the street is definitely about to look a whole lot better. Now, if only the Tramway bldg. would get some cosmetic attention...

OldDartmouthMark · #**6778** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 1:51 PM**

From the CH:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...garden-address

someone123 · #**6779** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drybrain

From the media source that shall not be named?

GREAT news, as long as he plans to abide by the heritage regulations. But I can't imagine someone buying it without that intention, unless his goal is to make his life very difficult.

Yep. The article was pretty vague, but there was a quote about wanting the street to do well, etc., and the same family (Ghosn) are developing the Discovery Centre tower, so it seems likely to me that they see the value in restoring the Green Lantern to create something that complements the property next door. I don't think they would be permitted to go much higher on that site anyway, heritage status aside.

Starfish also seems to get how Barrington Street could work, and puts effort into both new construction and restoration of the character buildings that are most of the reason why the street's interesting in the first place. I think they realize that they stand to gain from improving the overall state of the street rather than focusing on one-off redevelopments.

The Tramway Building is yet another case where there is an older landlord with a seemingly smaller scale operation.

counterfactual · #**6780** Posted **Apr 21, 2015, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

It's also nice to see that there is a bit of a snowball effect happening, and that developers of larger projects see the importance of making sure that the heritage buildings along the street remain in good shape. Downtown Halifax needs both new buildings and well-maintained heritage buildings.

I think the Green Lantern Building is more or less the last one in rough shape on Barrington. Of course, there's still lots of room for improvement around the northern end of the street. A street-level overhaul of the Maritime Centre could be great too.

Tramway looks like hell.

And really, Reznick would likely have bought it, and fixed it up, had it not been for decades old grievances between old landlords, that led Strug to sell it to a smaller developer, instead of Starfish.

While the rest of Barrington improves, Tramway is a total blight.