Development Rumours

[someone123]

I think the whole Queen/Fenwick area is ripe for redevelopment. It's a strange part of town -- it was underdeveloped even in the 1950's and earlier compared to everything around it.

[Drybrain]

Condos atop a grocery store seems weird, but whatever, that's cool...

That Queen-Victoria-Bland intersection SHOULD be a neighbourhood nexus, but that Sobey's and the big parking lot just kill it. I hope that whatever happens it's turned into a more urban grocery store format with underground-ed parking and the lot infilled with some residential and/or commercial development.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Condos atop a grocery store seems weird, but whatever, that's cool...

Why do you say that?

I have always been partly jealous of my friends who live in Quinpool Tower because of their downstairs Sobeys.

I would definitely consider investing in a condo that existed in the same building with an Atlantic SuperStore. The convenience is an asset.

[ILoveHalifax]

Manulife Center in Toronto had grocery and shops under the condo tower, decades ago, back in the 70's.
I used to shop at a 2 story IGA in downtown Vancouver with condos above. Publix in downtown Fort Lauderdale was 2 stories with roof top parking

[worldlyhaligonian]

It seems logical and pedestrian oriented to me.

We need more smaller format grocery stores at the base of new and existing towers. It would be fantastic if the new street side of Scotia Square would have a Sobeys.

I though Quinpool tower had a Superstore downstairs on Quinpool... has Sobey's now taken what was formerly the IGA?

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

I though Quinpool tower had a Superstore downstairs on Quinpool... has Sobey's now taken what was formerly the IGA?

Opps! Yes, you're right. Quinpool Tower has a Superstore.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

Why do you say that?

I have always been partly jealous of my friends who live in Quinpool Tower because of their downstairs Sobeys.

I would definitely consider investing in a condo that existed in the same building with an Atlantic SuperStore. The convenience is an asset.

I guess you're right, actually. Hadn't thought of that. Maybe it's the idea of a two-storey building, groceries on the bottom and residences on top, that's weird. A tower or mid-rise seems logical, but redeveloping and only adding one storey seems kind of like a wasted opportunity.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

I guess you're right, actually. Hadn't thought of that. Maybe it's the idea of a two-storey building, groceries on the bottom and residences on top, that's weird. A tower or mid-rise seems logical, but redeveloping and only adding one storey seems kind of like a wasted opportunity.

My impression is that it would be a 2 storey grocery store with more floors of condos on top of that.

Pete's also has apartments upstairs. It's a pretty good arrangement that's common in many cities. I'm hoping the North End and Dartmouth will get to the point where they can have these sorts of developments as well. My favourite apartment was 1 short block away from a grocery store in Vancouver. It was really convenient and made it more practical to shop on foot, buying small amounts of stuff at a time. It seems like people will only do this when stores they need are within a couple blocks of endpoints/transfers of their normal commute. If they can't, they revert to suburban-style shopping, going less frequently and driving if at all possible. This is one of a bunch of important factors in determining the level of car vs. pedestrian culture and local vs. large scale/chain retail in a neighbourhood.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

My impression is that it would be a 2 storey grocery store with more floors of condos on top of that.

Ah. Then never mind all my rambling. Excellent news.

[Aya_Akai]

I remember seeing back when all the building was happening in the olympic village in Vancouver a few years back, that one of the athelete residences (to be turned into apartments afterwards) had a grocery store on the bottom couple of levels, and going with their LEED goals for the project, the apartments/condos built above it used waste heat from the compressors for the store, and other cost-saving energy recycling projects incorporated into the apartments above. I've been with Sobeys for 5 years now and have been drilling that idea to people on all levels.... maybe it finally sunk in.. lol

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by HaliStreaks

I remember seeing back when all the building was happening in the olympic village in Vancouver a few years back, that one of the athelete residences (to be turned into apartments afterwards) had a grocery store on the bottom couple of levels, and going with their LEED goals for the project, the apartments/condos built above it used waste heat from the compressors for the store, and other cost-saving energy recycling projects incorporated into the apartments above. I've been with Sobeys for 5 years now and have been drilling that idea to people on all levels.... maybe it finally sunk in.. lol

While it's likely that it won't turn into this, we can someday hope.

This is a two storey Loblaws, with cart escalators to get you and the carts up and downstairs. Add into that a movie theatre and a few other big box retail (urban format).

[teddifax]

delete post

[someone123]

There was more news tonight about Crombie's plans for an apartment building by Brunswick Place (formerly Trade Mart) on Brunswick Street. They're planning to put up a 12-15 storey tower at some point during the next 5-10 years on what is now the parking garage. Hopefully they'll also do something about the street level of Brunswick Place itself.

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

While it's likely that it won't turn into this, we can someday hope.

This is a two storey Loblaws, with cart escalators to get you and the carts up and downstairs. Add into that a movie theatre and a few other big box retail (urban format).

We can hope ;___; lol

[teddifax]

Originally Posted by someone123

There was more news tonight about Crombie's plans for an apartment building by Brunswick Place (formerly Trade Mart) on Brunswick Street. They're planning to put up a 12-15 storey tower at some point during the next 5-10 years on what is now the parking garage. Hopefully they'll also do something about the street level of Brunswick Place itself.

Where can we get information on this one?

[essaysmith]

I just got back from Chicago and was surprised that EVERY residential tower, parking garage, office building has ground floor retail on the first floor or two. Why don't we do that? There was a parking garage with a Whole Foods on the ground floor and some of the parking within was designated grocery store parking. This allowed the store to go right to the curb and hid the fact that there was a parking garage there as well.

[someone123]

The AGNS is getting ready for a funding drive for a new building.

I'm hoping this will be something architecturally decent that will be planned for a currently empty site, and that there will be a good plan to preserve the current building. Not sure if it is feasible for them to expand onto the lot next to the Dominion building across the street, and that would be interesting and it is a great spot for a tourist attraction.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by someone123

The AGNS is getting ready for a funding drive for a new building.

I'm hoping this will be something architecturally decent that will be planned for a currently empty site, and that there will be a good plan to preserve the current building.

Hopefully. That block is one of the most architecturally perfect in the city. The idea of demolishing the Gallery South building is beyond terrible--but, as with the Dennis Building, it's a provincially owned structure that SHOULD have heritage designation, but doesn't. (The Dennis, incidentally, has been placed on Heritage Canada's most-endangered list, in light of the mould issue and removal of workers from the building, lack of heritage designation, and an apparently disinterested government response.)

I feel a little bit like AGNS is falling prey to the building-envy phenomenon common to cultural institutions post-Bilbao. The Art Gallery of Alberta did the same thing a few years ago, hiring an off-brand Gehry (Randall Stout, a Gehry understudy) to create a new building that featured impressive interior spaces, but a pretty random and chaotic exterior that came off like weak-sauce starchitecture.

A new, stunning facility on an under-used downtown site would be great, but I can't help but feel there's a bit of cool-new-building envy.

[Keith P.]

Maybe if the Dennis Building is such a great place, the gallery should be moved there.

[Empire]

This would be an ideal site for a new Art Gallery and Arts Centre combo......

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=halifa...=12,53.17,,0,0