[Halifax] The Vuze at South Village (Fenwick) | 106 m | 36/10/8 fl | U/C

[Aya_Akai]

A friend of mine helps run the Chebucto community net project (all done under Dal) and when they got rid of the building to Templeton, they got the boot. They had the webcam up there, they also had high power wifi transmitters on the northwest corner of the building to provide free wireless to those who signed up for access. Interesting fact: Sirius/XM's land-based repeater for their satellite radio service is on top of Fenwick! I'm not sure if they're still up there or if they got the boot too when Templeton took ownership.

[Dmajackson]

Time running out on Fenwick bids
November 30, 2012 - 6:32pm BY THE CHRONICLE HERALD

Construction firms looking to tap into the $150-million redevelopment of Fenwick Place have less than 48 hours to get their bids in place.

The request for proposals issued by property owner Templeton Properties Ltd. closes Monday.

After 12 months of delays and $800,000 in cost overruns due in part to the site’s intrusion on view planes from Citadel Hill, property developer Joe Metlege says he hopes to see a crane on the site next spring.

...

[worldlyhaligonian]

Hells yeah... possibly the last major remaining eyesore in Halifax (other than empty lots).

[beyeas]

Ended up in a conversation with the super for Fenwick today. He was saying that he was basically hired to get the building organized for an April start for construction. They are going to empty out the apartments in the top half or so, start by doing the work required for the roof of the building, then begin in constructing the other half. Glad to hear that this has actual planned progress.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Hells yeah... possibly the last major remaining eyesore in Halifax (other than empty lots).

I must be the only one around who sort of likes Fenwick as-is. Don't get me wrong--it's an imposing, oppressive, unpleasant building, but I kinda like it anyway. Can't explain it. I also have a softish spot for the much-hatedBell Aliant tower, so maybe I just have a thing for concrete.

I'd say as far as large eyesores go, we still have Trillium, the downtown bank towers (especially the old RBC and CIBC) and 1801 Hollis. (I know, I know, but...meh.)

[someone123]

Fenwick as it is has a certain charm, but I don't like the gravel pit at all.

I don't think you can have much meaningful discussion about attractiveness by looking at buildings in isolation. Big concrete buildings or monumental buildings in general are more attractive when there are few enough of them that they provide some kind of interesting contrast. They don't work well when they make up 90% of a city. Halifax doesn't actually have that many concrete slab type buildings, and soon it will have even fewer, so my view is that they're not that bad and add a bit of interest to the cityscape.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

Fenwick as it is has a certain charm, but I don't like the gravel pit at all.

I don't think you can have much meaningful discussion about attractiveness by looking at buildings in isolation. Big concrete buildings or monumental buildings in general are more attractive when there are few enough of them that they provide some kind of interesting contrast. They don't work well when they make up 90% of a city. Halifax doesn't actually have that many concrete slab type buildings, and soon it will have even fewer, so my view is that they're not that bad and add a bit of interest to the cityscape.

Pretty much. That's why a city like Paris gets sort of boring after a while, even though the individual buildings are so beautiful--it's so relentlessly monumental.

[someone123]

A bit of news for this one -- a construction manager is expected to be hired by mid-January for the Fenwick project.

[someone123]

Templeton has gotten city approval to build this in 3 phases, starting with the redevelopment of the main tower. A crane's expected on site by April or May.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by someone123

Templeton has gotten city approval to build this in 3 phases, starting with the redevelopment of the main tower. A crane's expected on site by April or May.

Thank you for this update. Seeing a crane at this site will certainly make me feel better about the progress of this project, after the minor setback regarding the viewplanes.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by someone123

Templeton has gotten city approval to build this in 3 phases, starting with the redevelopment of the main tower. A crane's expected on site by April or May.

Finally!

[someone123]

I wonder if they're still on track to start construction sometime during the next few weeks?

[pblaauw]

Originally Posted by someone123

I wonder if they're still on track to start construction sometime during the next few weeks?

A reply from Joe Metlege, to a posting in the FB group Vision of Fenwick Tower says they are "anticipating a summer start".

Can't come soon enough.

[kph06]

Originally Posted by someone123

I wonder if they're still on track to start construction sometime during the next few weeks?

They still seem to be renting apartments at various floors, upper and lower according to their website.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by kph06

They still seem to be renting apartments at various floors, upper and lower according to their website.

Possibly they plan to start the extension of the tower first?

[fenwick16]

Based on a story in the allnovascotia.com, Fenwick Towers is fully occupied and there is no urgency to get started on the renovation.

Some hand-typed excerpts from the allnovascotia.com April 30th edition are below. It is disappointing but it sounds like work might not begin this year (just my opinion based on the tone of the story). If it does proceed in the not too distant future then it might be a different proposal.

No Urgency to Start Fenwick, Says Joe Metlege
by Amy Pugsley Fraser
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.
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"And where the building is fully occupied, there is no major urgency for us to get started."

"If we are not completely comfortable and confident with our costs, our schedules, our trades selection, and our returns, then we have the luxury of delaying the projects to the point where we refine things to where we are comfortable."

.
.
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[someone123]

This is particularly disappointing since the Trinity development at Cogswell and Brunswick was shelved a while ago after the historic church was demolished. An apartment building on that lot would complement the Citadel Hotel project nicely.

[Nifta]

Originally Posted by someone123

This is particularly disappointing since the Trinity development at Cogswell and Brunswick was shelved a while ago after the historic church was demolished. An apartment building on that lot would complement the Citadel Hotel project nicely.

But we have a beautiful parking lot there now, so that people can drive their cars downtown and visit the other parking lots. Who needs an old church?!

[worldlyhaligonian]

Well, now that Citadel has been reshaped, the Trinity lot is a lynchpin in terms of density and, if built at what I remember to be 22 stories, it is said to effectively tie downtown into the "North End".

I personally think something would also have to happen at the famous Staples location in order for this to be a real transition from downtown to the areas to the north. That being said, the issues that exist in these areas would be diluted by the density and likely a more secure environment (e.g. police monitoring shelters, etc because they are in close proximity to more high end locations).

[worldlyhaligonian]

^ By that I mean I'm more concerned about people messed up, drunk, etc versus "gang crime" or "the Square" in this particular area.