General Updates and News

[Jonovision]

A few smaller updates.

The renovations on the corner of Clyde and Birmingham are complete and the building is a vast improvement over what was there before.

20171114_145954 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

And the Geoff Keddy project is coming along nicely further up Dresden Rowe. I didn't realise it had a penthouse level.

20171114_145238 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[OldDartmouthMark]

Those projects are looking good!

[Jonovision]

Bell Lofts is starting to have a bit of a presence in downtown Dartmouth. You can see the steel columns poking up from Portland St and on the Ferry.

20171120_130433 by Jonovision23, on Flickr

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

Bell Lofts is starting to have a bit of a presence in downtown Dartmouth. You can see the steel columns poking up from Portland St and on the Ferry.

This is shaping up to be an interesting little project.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by eastcoastal

This is shaping up to be an interesting little project.

I agree. I'm thinking this project should have its own topic.

I can't recall seeing renderings for this one. Have they been posted here before?

Anecdotally, a friend once told me that when he was a teenager, he and his buddies actually climbed up to the roof using the protruding bricks as climbing points. Not sure if it's a true story or not, but it sure isn't something that I'd want to try.

Google streetside from 2009 with a view of the protruding bricks

[pblaauw]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

I agree. I'm thinking this project should have its own topic.

I can't recall seeing renderings for this one. Have they been posted here before?

Here is a rendering. I can't find a website.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Thanks!

It's strange that there isn't more info available online. Even that rendering doesn't give much of an impression of what the entire building will look like - it's just a slice.

Searched the address (34 and 36 Wentworth St.) on Halifax's planning and development site and nothing came up. Shouldn't there be some kind of info online for its development application or something similar?

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Searched the address (34 and 36 Wentworth St.) on Halifax's planning and development site and nothing came up. Shouldn't there be some kind of info online for its development application or something similar?

I believe it was as-of-right, so it would not be online.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

I believe it was as-of-right, so it would not be online.

OK... got it. Thanks!

[IanWatson]

Apparently the feds are moving ahead with fixing up the North Park Armoury, with the whole rehabilitation to cost someone in the realm of $130M. Sooooo presumably it will continue to be an armoury for the foreseeable future.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by pblaauw

Here is a rendering. I can't find a website.

http://brunobuilders.ca/ use the links to see other projects.
Bruno has bought property adjacent to St James United Church on Nov 17 2017
And 2 months ago Brad Hoyt & spouse bought 195 & 197 Portland for $1.025 million.
This now presents an opportunity for HRM to seek/insist upon one development on that part of the busiest thoroughfare in the downtown core.It can be done by bringing the 3 owners together. A denturist owns 189, 191 and 193 Portland.

[musicman]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

Apparently the feds are moving ahead with fixing up the North Park Armoury, with the whole rehabilitation to cost someone in the realm of $130M. Sooooo presumably it will continue to be an armoury for the foreseeable future.

Yes it will continue to be an armoury. The front door will be enlarged to allow modern millitary vehicles to enter the building. The rest of the outside will remain the same.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Colin May

http://brunobuilders.ca/ use the links to see other projects.
Bruno has bought property adjacent to St James United Church on Nov 17 2017
And 2 months ago Brad Hoyt & spouse bought 195 & 197 Portland for $1.025 million.
This now presents an opportunity for HRM to seek/insist upon one development on that part of the busiest thoroughfare in the downtown core.It can be done by bringing the 3 owners together. A denturist owns 189, 191 and 193 Portland.

Looks like they are in the process of building a proper website. Their instagram site has some cool in-progress shots, but still not a good rendering to give an idea on how the finished product will look.

Thanks for the link, Colin.

[IanWatson]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Looks like they are in the process of building a proper website. Their instagram site has some cool in-progress shots, but still not a good rendering to give an idea on how the finished product will look.

Thanks for the link, Colin.

I was walking past the NS Association of Architects building on Barrington last night, and in the right window there are some building models. I am almost certain one of them is the Bell Lofts. It looked good.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by IanWatson

I was walking past the NS Association of Architects building on Barrington last night, and in the right window there are some building models. I am almost certain one of them is the Bell Lofts. It looked good.

That sounds positive!

[Colin May]

The 2 projects Bruno has completed in downtown Dartmouth are excellent additions and he is obviously a person who has an eye for attractive design. Downtown Dartmouth is becoming more attractive because the improvements are all private sector and no government push for bigger 'statement' projects. So here we are almost 40 years since the feds put money into expropriating a large piece of waterfront and all that changed was Admiralty Place, which quickly went into foreclosure. The large lot at King has yet to attract a proposal- perhaps they could give it to Bruno for $1 and ask him to develop townhouses for families. And over those 40 years all the boosters who were gaga about booming Dartmouth and the offshore, most of them are 6 feet under, have been proven wrong. I never bought into the hype, and comments re me being 'too negative' are in the dustbin as DT Dartmouth evolves into a livable and attractive place for families and small business. Local entrepreneurs are at the forefront and that is great.
Finally, we should all thank the single mother who set up the Interlude when others were departing DT Dartmouth - she had the guts to buy a building, start a salon and expand as money permitted. You can still see her in the office, not on a daily basis but she goes in to see the progress. She is never mentioned in the hipster media.

[Keith P.]

Still some way to go though Colin - the many highly sketchy businesses on the lower end of Portland still need to be cleaned out before it can truly make a comeback. The Canteen is a hipster's delight but is badly overrated and the food has disappointed me. It's a shame the street levels of Queens Square and Alderney Gate have no real retail component that would attract pedestrian traffic.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Still some way to go though Colin - the many highly sketchy businesses on the lower end of Portland still need to be cleaned out before it can truly make a comeback. The Canteen is a hipster's delight but is badly overrated and the food has disappointed me. It's a shame the street levels of Queens Square and Alderney Gate have no real retail component that would attract pedestrian traffic.

Agree re the bars at the lower end of Portland Street. Whiskey's does not have a washroom, patrons go to Revanna. Two seperate properties and I don't understand how the Liquor Licence Board allows a tavern to operate without washrooms.

[Halifax]

Originally Posted by Colin May

Agree re the bars at the lower end of Portland Street. Whiskey's does not have a washroom, patrons go to Revanna. Two seperate properties and I don't understand how the Liquor Licence Board allows a tavern to operate without washrooms.

They are connected from the inside and basically run as one - The same people own both. being connected from the inside, its not like you have to go outside to a whole new building. Still, a freakish set-up.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by Halifax

They are connected from the inside and basically run as one - The same people own both. being connected from the inside, its not like you have to go outside to a whole new building. Still, a freakish set-up.

Two seperate registered businesses. at seperate addresses. Toulany seems to have an annual problem paying his registration fees and the registration is revoked and reinstated on an almost annual basis. The registration of Whiskey's was revoked on March 6 2017 and has not been renewed.