[Halifax] Saint Lawrence Place | 40 & 18 m | 13 & 5 fl | Completed

[Dmajackson]

Floors: 11
Height: Unknown
Status: Proposed
Uses: Resdential/Commercial/Office
Location: 3473 Dutch Village Road near Joseph Howe Drive
Architect: W.M. Fares
Additonal Information:

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A suburban style building on the peninsular border ....

Anyways this is a new proposal by Saint Lawrence Church to permit a new 11 storey retail/office/condo building on its land on Dutch Village Road with it backing onto the Chester Spur lands (future trail) and Joseph Howe Drive.

Case 01302

BTW this literally straddles the border between the Downtown and Suburbs thread so if it is decided that it is actually on the Peninsula feel free to move the thread I just put it here because of its offcial address.

[worldlyhaligonian]

A big improvement on whats on the site currently...

[fenwick16]

Halifax has a great variety of new buildings. I can't get enough of these new developments. Based on all the developments currently in the works it really looks like Halifax is booming!

Now I wish they would do something with the old TexPark site (United Gulf Proposal). At this point even a low rise structure would look good on that site. (I know that there is no connection between these, this is just a general comment).

[Dmajackson]

The renderings reminded me a bit of the Bayview Condos plans just down the street. Thats a good thing though the area could do with some glass and a modern facelift.

Just my thoughts here but now that the Chester Spur line is officially going to become a nice path I imagine this neighbourhood will experience a little "boom" in the coming years. 6955 Bayers is already underway, Bayview is still in the plans, Halifax West is still being considered I believe, the Loblaws building was redone and is looking good, and The Village has experienced a few upgrades recently. And with a desirable location, good transportation and some amneties nearby I don't see a slow down coming for a few years at least.

[Jonovision]

Luckily I saw this the other day. It seems that case has been pulled down.
It looked rather interesting. A definite improvement, but similar to the new Bayers Road building I don't like how it is in the center of the block away from the street and surrounded by parking. I would have preferred the building to front onto one or both of the street and have the parking in the middle of the site.

[Dmajackson]

^I reposted the link and it seems to be working now for me. I don't know why the other one went down.

BTW I was checking the info and apparently this is officially on the Peninsula according to the By-law areas so if somebody wants to move this thread to the Downtown thread it would be greatly appriciated.

[Jonovision]

Weird, maybe it was just down for the afternoon.

The more I look at the building itself the more I like it.

I lifted these off the pdf.

[fenwick16]

I like the curved section and rooftop garden. Also the color scheme looks good.

[Dmajackson]

Development seeks council’s blessing

By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor
Tue. Nov 24 - 4:46 AM

It’s God’s house now, but one day you could live there.

The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corp. of Halifax is taking a proposal to Halifax regional council today to build an 11-storey residential tower on top of a floor of commercial space and a connected five-storey commercial building on land now occupied by St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Rectory and Centre.

"They’re closing churches and the land is becoming available," said developer Wadih Fares.

"It happens in Halifax that the church has been occupying good real estate property."

He plans to pay the church more than $2.5 million for the property, located between Dutch Village Road and Joseph Howe Drive north of the Bayers Road intersection.

"We have an agreement with them," Mr. Fares said Monday. "We’ll be buying from them. We won’t be developing with them."

Constructing the project will cost $15 million to $20 million.

The episcopal corporation is consolidating three church parishes into Saint Benedict Parish and building a new church in Clayton Park.

St. Lawrence Church hasn’t closed yet. But parishioners are hopeful council will approve the new development.

"I think there have been a lot of people praying for this so we can move on with the process and bring this to a pleasant conclusion," said Les Stewart, who heads Saint Benedict’s task force to sell the three old churches.

The project’s would-be developer is planning a meeting with the neighbours in January.

"We feel that we have a good, attractive proposal that will enhance the area," said Mr. Fares, president of WM Fares Group.

"And I believe we have a good enough name to carry this project through."

The episcopal corporation is looking for council’s approval to replace the church buildings with 104 residential units. Seventy-nine of them would be two-bedroom and 25 would have one bedroom.

They will likely be rental units as the condo market in the area wouldn’t be able to absorb them, Mr. Fares said.

The apartments will be "high-end," he said. "You’re probably looking at around $1,200 for a two-bedroom."

If he is able to get a development agreement wrapped up by next summer, construction could start as early as the fall of 2010 or as late as the spring of 2011.

The commercial part of the project will face Joseph Howe Drive. The plan going to council today is to build 52,500 square feet of commercial retail and office space.

"We’re still looking at the commercial to see if that much commercial will really go there or if we could decrease the commercial and increase the residential."

The property is zoned for minor commercial use. To allow the project to go ahead, council will have to approve a site-specific plan amendment.

"The proposed mixed-use building would be an investment in the economic fabric of the adjacent business commun-ity; small businesses such as banks, restaurants, daycares and retail shops will benefit from a building of this type with its proposed uses," said a report from Randa Wheaton, a senior municipal planner.

"At the same time, it would provide a good opportunity to live and work, where future residents can enjoy available services and amenities."

The residential portion of the proposed development will face Dutch Village Road.

"Two levels of underground parking and a substantial amount of outdoor parking will serve all of the uses," said Ms. Wheaton’s report.

In an interview, she said it’s difficult to tell if neighbours will like the plan. There are homes directly across from it on Joseph Howe. North of the property, in Fairview, are low-rise apartment buildings.

"It’s hard to say (what the public’s reaction will be) at this stage because it’s really, really early," Ms. Wheaton said. "Once it’s initiated and we start doing the review process and hold a public information meeting, that’s when we get a better idea of what the public feeling is.

"It’s a fairly tall building for this area, and that alone may be of concern to some of the residents."

( clambie@herald.ca)

[Keith P.]

Seems crazy to be proposing "high-end" apartments for that neighborhood and site, neither of which justifies high-end pricing.

[miesh111]

Fairview will be undergoing a lot of changes in coming years.


We are already seeing it with Mount Royale at the top of the hill (even that former dingy area of Main Ave. has new sidewalks, trees etc. and has been repaved) and in houses and smaller buildings throughout Fairview. It really isn't the lower income neighbourhood it used to be.

Housing prices have steadily been climbing in the area. Roads all over are being paved. The new Superstore, Lawblaw's, the Shopper's Drug Mart Mall, even the Dairy Queen is renovating. That office building at the corner of Dutch Village & Joe Howe (just before the Fairview overpass) has renovated recently and is in great shape as well. Commercial businesses in this area are booming, and the depression left from the Halifax West High School move is clearly over.

Fairview will be a desireable area in a few years, and larger developers are understanding the fact that there is no new land available around town anymore, its time to start adding density and gentrifiting in the interior neighbourhoods. (inside the 102).

[Dmajackson]

There's a public information meeting for this project on Wednesday (Jan 13th) at St. Andrews Centre, in back of the massive hole coming down Bayers Road

It starts at 7:00pm

[Dmajackson]

Beutiful new renderings on the information page;

Case 01302

[beyeas]

and apparently everyone who lives there is going to drive either a Rolls or Mercedes!

[beyeas]

Not to mention the fact that I liked the look in the old renderings better! Where did the nice curved front go etc??
It is not a "bad" design, but it went from looking pretty cool to just looking like one of many buildings in Hali.

[-Harlington-]

that doesnt fit the area, especially the cars lol

[Wishblade]

Some harsh critiques. I actually really like the look of the building. I find it an improvement over the earlier renderings. I don't know the area too well so I cant really say whether or not it fits in. But the way I see it is if a community is going to build up, they have to start somewhere right? Other buildings may follow in the future and make this building fit into its surroundings a bit better.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Its way worse than the old rendering... its pretty uggers... that stone is b/s.


Why would they put a Mercedes-McLaren SLR in that parking lot? There isn't even one in Halifax.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Apparentely Fairview is a forest meadow and the site isn't as flat as I remember. They're nice renderings but they show nothing about how the building fits into the site. I have a feeling it's going to be very suburban - large setbacks, lots of parking and low lot coverage, which is a shame because Dutch Village functions as a neighbourhood commerical street. It needs buildings approaching the street, especially in that location.

I think the height's fine just put some more thought into the placement of the building and its relation to the street. The architecture is mediocre, but I like that the buildings massing is broken up a little.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by -Harlington-

that doesnt fit the area, especially the cars lol

But I suppose if they showed an '89 Dodge Spirit up on blocks and a '91 Corolla with 4 flat tires, it might be a bit less appealing, even if it was more accurate.

I have a hard time believing they are going to get big money for these units as they plan.