[Halifax] The Vincent Coleman | ? m | 9 fl | Completed

[Dmajackson]

Part of the third floor now poured;

[fenwick16]

Thanks for the updates. The second image appears to be the wing of the building that will merge with the first. The only thing that I don't like about this project is the colour scheme. I would like it better if the green section were white or off-white in this rendering http://www.halifax.ca/planning/image...yCbirdseye.jpg

[worldlyhaligonian]

^ I don't think those colours will accurately reflect the end product.


Thanks for the update DJ. The form of this building looks good, but I am also concerned about exterior cladding. Precast > Thin Fake Stone.

[Dmajackson]

Just a quickie;



BTW the crane and building are now visible from Mount Royale. See the skyline/Mount Royale thread for the photo.

[pascalosti]

is there a company website for this condo?

[sdm]

Originally Posted by pascalosti

is there a company website for this condo?

Not yet, and i believe its rental apartments

[halifaxboyns]

What troubles me about the project (still) is the access. A right in and out doesn't seem that great to me; because now you'll force more traffic onto the one way street near Mailing Street - in order to head back downtown (or the turning lane to go through the underpass by the fire station).

Plus with the potential widening of Bayer's Road - much of the landscape buffer between the building and the road is going to get eatten up. I hope they plant some good trees along there; versus a fence. The trees will be better in the long run and less prone to vandalism.

[alps]

Drive-by shot from earlier today:


(my photo)

[Dmajackson]

^Interesting timing I'm just starting to upload photos from Monday;

[Dmajackson]

I've updated the first post in this thread.

[Dmajackson]

From Tuesday;

[worldlyhaligonian]

Check this out... turn on Bing's new 3d option with bird's eye view.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=44....20Park%2C%20NS

This area is still underutilized... they need to put up a tall residential building in that parking lot!

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

From Tuesday;

This is really moving along. Thanks for the picture.

[Dmajackson]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

This is really moving along. Thanks for the picture.

What until you see the ones from today (well yesterday looking at the clock ...)

There's still no exterior up but they're on the seventh and third floors now and certainly going at a fast pace. They almost had as much activity as Kings Wharf this time (and thats saying a lot).

[DigitalNinja]

Wow this is going up quickly maybe after this building we will see them put in another proposal... Something a little taller, that will go through

[Dmajackson]

From Tuesday;

[fenwick16]

Taller would be better DigitalNinja, but this is a very unique building anyways. Thanks for the photos Dmajackson - they clearly show how the two buildings merge together into one (or such is the illusion). This building when finished will be best viewed from an aerial shot.

[Jonovision]

That looks identical to the concrete pump I saw at Kings Wharf today.

[DigitalNinja]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Taller would be better DigitalNinja, but this is a very unique building anyways. Thanks for the photos Dmajackson - they clearly show how the two buildings merge together into one (or such is the illusion). This building when finished will be best viewed from an aerial shot.

I think the design is unique and ok, I just wish it made better use of the land area around it. This is HRM's fault for not approving the original proposal though.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

I think the design is unique and ok, I just wish it made better use of the land area around it. This is HRM's fault for not approving the original proposal though.

Planning is about compromise, especially on projects where there is controversy. The fact that anything got approved at all on this site; considering the opposition to the original approval is a miracle.

In situations where I've dealt with projects like this; the emphasis should be placed on getting a reasonably compromised project approved in order to provide context to another development down the road. For example: If you had an area that had mainly 2 storey single family homes and someone consolidated a number of lots and proposed a 15 storey building - you may get a lot of opposition. So you compromise and bring the height of the building down and say it gets approved at 8 storeys? Not what everyone wants; but it gets approved.

A few years down the road; the same (or a different) developer consolidates more lots and proposes a 15 storey building. There may still be opposition; but then you have the context of the approved building to say; well 8 is pretty tall; so lets go slightly more. It may result in a compromise of say 12 storeys or the 15 storey may get approved; but you take small steps forward to the desired level.

I don't remember the report and how it was written, but typically when the planner writes up their report they talk about the context of the neighbourhood. I know the planner who did this project; she's pretty good about those write ups. Ultimately; context may not always save a project. Look at the church site by the Hydrostone? Most of the buildings that have gone up around there are in the 7 to 8 storey range; so going above 10 would seem to be the 'next logical step'; but that doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Sometimes communities (regardless of what compromises you make) won't want to accept change. So; you have to just try to get something and see what happens? As disappointing as some of believe the compromise is (believe me; I'm a fighter; so I would've wanted to take the original proposal forward); sometimes it's better not to die on the hill. Besides; if the applicant decided to make the compromise; sometimes the planners don't have a choice - it's what the applicant wants.