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  #1  
Old Posted Jan 27, 2011, 9:05 PM
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[Halifax] The Sister Sites | 2X29 m | 2X9 floors | Completed

Rendering(s):


Source: Page 8 (allnovascotia.com)


Name: The Mary-Ann
Height: 28m
Floors: 9 Floors
Status: Approved
Case Number: 18006
Location: Queen Street & Clyde Street
Year Completed:
Developer(s): WM Fares
Architect(s):
Uses: Commercial/Residential
Notes:




This is the nickname HRM has given the three devleopment sites in Schmidtville as part of the funding for the central library project.

All of the information can be found below;

http://halifax.ca/sistersites/
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NEW!!!Halifax Developments Blog

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Last edited by Dmajackson; Sep 16, 2012 at 3:40 AM.
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  #2  
Old Posted Jan 27, 2011, 10:32 PM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
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Quite an interesting an approach to the site - I forgot that the parking lot next to the library was going to be incorporated (I was thinking 'three sisters'? I thought it was two!).

Did you also see the link to the materials for the NSCC store they want in the area? Very interesting. I also liked how they provided a lot of material on the design restrictions from HbD - gives people a good idea of the potential of the lot.
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  #3  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 12:40 AM
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Originally Posted by halifaxboyns View Post
Quite an interesting an approach to the site - I forgot that the parking lot next to the library was going to be incorporated (I was thinking 'three sisters'? I thought it was two!).

Did you also see the link to the materials for the NSCC store they want in the area? Very interesting. I also liked how they provided a lot of material on the design restrictions from HbD - gives people a good idea of the potential of the lot.
I would have liked to seen a higher score towards design. It appears with a weighted average of 60% being that of purchase price that they are concerned with attracting the highest bidder.
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  #4  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 12:56 AM
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I would have liked to seen a higher score towards design. It appears with a weighted average of 60% being that of purchase price that they are concerned with attracting the highest bidder.
Agreed. The weighting for this is way out of wack. Also not so keen on approaching the three sites as so separate. Fine to have different buyers/buildings, but would be nice to have some vision to proceed on besides three names and a basic branding exercise. Maybe I missed something in my quick scan of the documents?
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  #5  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 1:34 AM
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Agreed. The weighting for this is way out of wack. Also not so keen on approaching the three sites as so separate. Fine to have different buyers/buildings, but would be nice to have some vision to proceed on besides three names and a basic branding exercise. Maybe I missed something in my quick scan of the documents?
no, in most part your assumptions are correct. There is however a brief description saying a proponent may consider both lots in their submission.

But again, with price being the importance it means bid prices for the lands may compromise design as economics become pressed. I don't see the highest and best use for the sites as condo's, but if the price goes to high then the options for rental become very hard to justify.

It would have been better to remain with the original height amount, which would allow for 10-12 stories, not the 7-8 that is in place now. If anything that motion de-valued the land.

Anyhow, let the games begin and i look forward to seeing the proposals that result out of this competition.
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  #6  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 1:43 AM
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Cool historical info in the environmental assessment PDFs!
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  #7  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 2:15 PM
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Spring Garden to change again

City will call for development proposals on three sites


By BILL POWER Business Reporter

Halifax Regional Municipality’s call for development proposals for some prime Spring Garden Road area properties will be heard across the country, devel­oper Danny Chedrawe said Thursday. “The pending avail­ability of these properties was already a hot topic among devel­opers," the president of West­wood Developments Ltd . said in an interview.

“I think these days we’re see­ing Spring Garden at its worst.

Everybody is excited about turn­ing it around," he said.

Chedrawe has two major pro­jects in the works for the Spring Garden Road area, including a 25,000-square-foot glass struc­ture at the corner of Spring Gar­den Road and Birmingham Street (formerly Sock It To Ya), and a hotel-condominium and retail complex at a land assembly fronting on Spring Garden Road, and bordered by Brunswick, Queen and Doyle streets (where Second Cup is located).

“The availability of the city properties will add to the energy of the area. It will be very good for us and what we’re trying to accomplish with our projects," said Chedrawe.

The city announced Thursday the first of three properties — collectively known as the Sister Sites — is on the market.

A parking lot to the south of Mills department store and iden­tified as the Mary Ann site is the first to be offered to developers.

The call for proposals closes March 24.

The city will eventually call for
proposals for a second site identi­fied as the Margaretta, fronting on Clyde Street, and a third, called the Rosina, which is the former Halifax Infirmary site.

Collectively, the three proper­ties provide parking for about 200 vehicles, and parking will be a critical component for any projects that move forward, said Peter Stickings, manager of real estate and facility services for the municipality.

“Parking requirements, design expectations, height and land­use requirements were clearly laid out through the planning process. This streamlines the process for developers, making it easier for them to submit propos­als," he said.

The Mary Ann development site measures 33,869 square feet and contains 70 parking spaces.

It has 172 feet fronting Queen Street to the east, 201 feet front­ing Clyde Street to the south, and 163 feet of frontage on Birming­ham Street to the west.

Stickings said any mixed-use development that occurs at the Mary Ann site will be balanced to accommodate the residential area to the south of Clyde Street.

Bob Mussett, senior vice-presi­dent with commercial Realtor CB Richard Ellis , said he expects to see interest in the Spring Garden Road area properties from many local developers and some from outside the region. “We should see some very interesting responses to the call for proposals for the first proper­ty," he said.

Mussett said he would have preferred an allowance for a greater population density at the Mary Ann site, where the win­ning developer will be limited to a maximum of eight storeys in the residential component.

Additional information is available at www.halifax.ca/ SisterSites.

(bpower@herald.ca)
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  #8  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 2:50 PM
DigitalNinja DigitalNinja is offline
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Where they say a max of 8 stories in the residental component does that mean that they may be able to add an additional floor retail? Or would that be the whole site?
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  #9  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2011, 3:29 PM
JustinMacD JustinMacD is offline
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Just waiting for all of the negative comments to pop up on The Herald's website.

"Too tall"
"Put money towards education"
"The people will not benefit from this"
"How do you expect people to visit downtown when there are no parking lots. Save the parking lots. Won't somebody please think of the parking lots"

Yadda, yadda, yadda
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  #10  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 12:11 AM
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Might as well :












The area lots, aha
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  #11  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 12:16 AM
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Originally Posted by JustinMacD View Post
Just waiting for all of the negative comments to pop up on The Herald's website.

"Too tall"
"Put money towards education"
"The people will not benefit from this"
"How do you expect people to visit downtown when there are no parking lots. Save the parking lots. Won't somebody please think of the parking lots"

Yadda, yadda, yadda
like i mentioned before in a unrelated post, these lots went to RFP back in 1987 and submissions made. It was then that presure was placed on the reviewers by the merchant association to maintain the lots for surface parking because "women don't like parking structures"

I saw this comment in the allnovascotia a few weeks ago and thought, will history repeat itself?


I hope not. Besides, back then you could build 11-12 stories under that RFP, now its been reduced to just 8...........
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  #12  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 2:23 AM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
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Originally Posted by sdm View Post
like i mentioned before in a unrelated post, these lots went to RFP back in 1987 and submissions made. It was then that presure was placed on the reviewers by the merchant association to maintain the lots for surface parking because "women don't like parking structures"

I saw this comment in the allnovascotia a few weeks ago and thought, will history repeat itself?

I hope not. Besides, back then you could build 11-12 stories under that RFP, now its been reduced to just 8...........
11 to 12? I would've thought that the viewplanes would've had the same effect on these lots as they do with City Centre Atlantic - since it was pretty much stuck at 5 stories of residential above 2 to 3 stories of commercial? They should've allowed it go to the 10 stories - would've gotten more units. I'm willing to bet that there may be a map amendment to HbD coming (perhaps?).

I think that comment is so 80's - I'm hoping that they won't have much pull in terms of parking. It should all go underground.

I'm not fully happy with the RFP but it's okay - it does have some flaws. I agree with planarchy; evaluation ratings are a little odd - but I think the way they are doing the RFP (naming each lot) is very interesting. It's certainly new.

Personally, considering that the Dartmouth viewplanes are being looked at; I'd like to see them do the same for the Halifax ones (although I suspect it would be political suicide). There are two viewplanes which cast over this area but DJ and I seem to agree why not have one large one (still doing the same thing, covering the same area)? Then on top of that, as sdm points out - if the vp allowed 11 stories, why not model the building heights from the start point on the hill and figure out how tall everything could be within the viewplane - then set what the effect would be of increasing building heights slightly? For example - would the view be that drastically affected if this site were able to have a 15 storey building (not counting the HbD restrictions)? I'm guessing probably not - it might peak over City Centre Atlantic, but that might be it. But lets see a model and figure it out - because I suspect the next big area will be Fenwick and that area should be allowed 10 storeys for multi without any problems.
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  #13  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 2:26 AM
JustinMacD JustinMacD is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sdm View Post
like i mentioned before in a unrelated post, these lots went to RFP back in 1987 and submissions made. It was then that presure was placed on the reviewers by the merchant association to maintain the lots for surface parking because "women don't like parking structures"

I saw this comment in the allnovascotia a few weeks ago and thought, will history repeat itself?


I hope not. Besides, back then you could build 11-12 stories under that RFP, now its been reduced to just 8...........
Rofl @ "women don't like parking structures.

That makes zero sense.
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  #14  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 2:56 PM
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Keith P. Keith P. is offline
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Rofl @ "women don't like parking structures.

That makes zero sense.
Maybe not, but I heard the same exact comment from a lady I know the other day. The discussion was about The Bay on Chebucto Rd and the reasons she never went there. The spooky parking garage was cited, saying that she felt she might get attacked in there.
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  #15  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 7:07 PM
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My guess would be that bids for the land will be relatively close together and so 60% will not necessarily put too much emphasis on the price. Because it is a bid I also think that 8 storeys will work out fine -- the city will just see somewhat lower bids than it would have seen had it permitted highrise buildings.

One thing I do dislike about this is the silly names and generic pictures on the website. The carefully-chosen stock woman photos scanned out of a newspaper look ridiculous.

Anyway, the fact that the NSLC wants a new location on Queen Street will make that lot very easy to develop. Guaranteed major retail tenant and apartments or condos in that area fill up extremely easily.
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  #16  
Old Posted Jan 29, 2011, 11:01 PM
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Keith P. Keith P. is offline
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My guess would be that bids for the land will be relatively close together and so 60% will not necessarily put too much emphasis on the price. Because it is a bid I also think that 8 storeys will work out fine -- the city will just see somewhat lower bids than it would have seen had it permitted highrise buildings.

One thing I do dislike about this is the silly names and generic pictures on the website. The carefully-chosen stock woman photos scanned out of a newspaper look ridiculous.

Anyway, the fact that the NSLC wants a new location on Queen Street will make that lot very easy to develop. Guaranteed major retail tenant and apartments or condos in that area fill up extremely easily.
Couldn't agree more on the cutesy-pie names and the cost that obviously went into the creative material associated with it, including the signs. Ridiculous, but that's HRM for you these days.

Regarding the development, while I agree that having a tenant makes it easier, I don't quite understand how this will work. They mention the NSLC but nothing more. I seriously doubt if any commitments have been made to them or anyone else about rents. So it is hardly a sure thing that the NSLC will pay any price. I just don't get how being interested is in any way close to making it a reality. If the successful developer goes and says, "great, here's your space, all I need is $100 a square foot", I doubt they or any other tenant would be interested.

I heard a few months ago that NSLC was totally frustrated by the slowness of this process and were ready to walk away from it. They were only here because it was offered up as a consolation prize when they lost out on the spot they really wanted, which HRM awarded to Queen Judith for her monument to herself. It will be interesting to see if they end up being part of this in the end or if they go off and find something on their own.

Last edited by Keith P.; Jan 29, 2011 at 11:28 PM.
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  #17  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2011, 1:45 AM
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It looks like they are just pointing out that there is interest in an NSLC location for the Queen Street site. It makes sense to mention that since it makes the site more attractive.

From the perspective of growing that area I think it's positive to have major tenants on "fringe" sites. That stretch of Queen can become like Dresden Row.

Quote:
I heard a few months ago that NSLC was totally frustrated by the slowness of this process and were ready to walk away from it.
I have never seen a good explanation for this delay. Turner Drake described HRM/provincial (which is mostly WDCL) development as "leisurely". There doesn't seem to be any consequence for bureaucrats when a key parcel of land sits vacant for decades.
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  #18  
Old Posted Jan 30, 2011, 5:46 AM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
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It looks like they are just pointing out that there is interest in an NSLC location for the Queen Street site. It makes sense to mention that since it makes the site more attractive.

From the perspective of growing that area I think it's positive to have major tenants on "fringe" sites. That stretch of Queen can become like Dresden Row.

I have never seen a good explanation for this delay. Turner Drake described HRM/provincial (which is mostly WDCL) development as "leisurely". There doesn't seem to be any consequence for bureaucrats when a key parcel of land sits vacant for decades.
I've gotten the sense (from the people I've talked too 'inside') it really isn't the planning department, so much as the real estate arm, which is in a completely different section. Either way though; it's disturbing that a group (whose purpose is to sell city land for a good return) is so slow - that doesn't say much. I don't recall who all is there still, but I got the sense that many had been around for a while - so I wonder if once the retirements start, if the speed will pick up with new blood? Just a guess on that though. BUt I wouldn't call it bad SDM - I know we're doing something similar with the east village, but I don't think we're naming the lots. I guess it's just something different, but I would hope they didn't hire someone to do it for them and at least did it in house.

As for the packaging of the lots - it's interesting. I'm neither here nor there about it; but it's an interesting idea. I think this is the first time they've done it this way but I'm sure it will get better.
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  #19  
Old Posted Feb 1, 2011, 12:21 AM
FuzzyWuz FuzzyWuz is offline
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So I just read somewhere that those names are of the three Schmidt daughters. There ya go...
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  #20  
Old Posted Feb 1, 2011, 3:15 AM
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CorbeauNoir CorbeauNoir is offline
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It looks like they are just pointing out that there is interest in an NSLC location for the Queen Street site. It makes sense to mention that since it makes the site more attractive.
Aren't there already like two NSLCs within a few blocks of that site? Good gravy NS, you guys really pound 'em back
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