[Halifax] City Centre Atlantic | 25 m | 5 fl | Completed

[RyeJay]

S'all comin together now!

I wonder if there will still be green...

[someone123]

The CCA addition shows up a little bit in the skyline:


Source

[Jonovision]

From the citadel.

[someone123]

Looks like the Clyde Street developments will also be visible from this perspective when they are built.

Sometimes a highrise is hard to see and then other times a 5 or 6 storey building can be really prominent. Part of the reason for that is the hilliness, but part of it is patchy development. I think the city will look a lot nicer as it fills in. I agree with what somebody said in another thread -- in a decade or two I think people will look back at areas like Clyde Street and thing "whoa.. that all used to be parking lots?"

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by someone123

Looks like the Clyde Street developments will also be visible from this perspective when they are built.

Sometimes a highrise is hard to see and then other times a 5 or 6 storey building can be really prominent. Part of the reason for that is the hilliness, but part of it is patchy development. I think the city will look a lot nicer as it fills in. I agree with what somebody said in another thread -- in a decade or two I think people will look back at areas like Clyde Street and thing "whoa.. that all used to be parking lots?"

But where will we park?



And the children?

[SekishikiMeikaiHa]

Taken today:

[someone123]

I wonder how long those little rowhouses will last?

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by someone123

I wonder how long those little rowhouses will last?

Hopefully awhile, if renovated they could be really nice.

[Jonovision]

[kwajo]

Great angle, really shows how nicely this project works to add mid-rise density to the area, hopefully something we'll see a lot more of soon.

[someone123]

A lot has changed in that view over the past 10 years. The only big remaining holes are the Clyde Street lots, and they should be developed soon. When they go in the neighbourhood should be busier and I think it will be a lot more visually appealing. I really dislike the small town style facade of commercial buildings surrounded by parking lots.

I doubt the old surface lots will be missed much. That's actually pretty important since some people in Halifax still believe in the 1950's model of urban retail districts mimicking strip malls in order to remain successful. Maybe it's less true now but in the past the complaints were always about parking, parking, parking. If a business needs to be surrounded by acres of surface lots to be successful it shouldn't be located downtown.

[Phalanx]

Unfortunately, I don't think they've changed that much. Weren't the Spring Garden streetscape improvements derailed over concerns about on-street parking and and vehicle access by area merchants?

It's not the same as surface parking lots, but it's the same mentality.

[W.Sobchak]

Truth be told, the money ear-marked for the SPR streetscape improvement was bullied (by higher powers of federal ilk) into a stretch of road out by Purcells cove.

That's not rumor either, that's from the councilwoman's mouth of disappointment, and frustration.

[spaustin]

Yep the feds fairly randomly said streetscape improvements didn't qualify for stimulus cash. They picked the Washmill Lake Underpass for funding, which was way down HRM's list. To add insult to injury, the project ended up going way over budget and HRM had to make up the shortfall on its own. The Spring Garden Road's Merchant Association didn't help though. They actively campaigned against the proposed street improvements for fear of losing parking and having to be better organized with delivery times. The real loser in the Washmill Lake saga was Quinpool Road. The Quinpool businesses were in favour of the streetscape project for their street, but politics seems to have worked against them.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by spaustin

Yep the feds fairly randomly said streetscape improvements didn't qualify for stimulus cash. They picked the Washmill Lake Underpass for funding, which was way down HRM's list. To add insult to injury, the project ended up going way over budget and HRM had to make up the shortfall on its own. The Spring Garden Road's Merchant Association didn't help though. They actively campaigned against the proposed street improvements for fear of losing parking and having to be better organized with delivery times. The real loser in the Washmill Lake saga was Quinpool Road. The Quinpool businesses were in favour of the streetscape project for their street, but politics seems to have worked against them.

This is all true but fundamentally we're also talking about capital projects that the city could (and arguably should -- if sidewalk improvements don't fall to the HRM then what does?) fund by itself. Maybe it would have to wait until the next budget year, but if they were truly priorities they'd be funded. Federal funding did not come through for the Bedford ice rink and yet it was built anyway.

[Jonovision]

At one of the centreplan meetings I attended councillor Uteck said there was now a budget allocated for the Quinnpool Rd streetscape improvements and it was scheduled to go ahead next year with Spring Garden following the year after.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

At one of the centreplan meetings I attended councillor Uteck said there was now a budget allocated for the Quinnpool Rd streetscape improvements and it was scheduled to go ahead next year with Spring Garden following the year after.

!! ...I hope to read about this soon.

[someone123]

I hope the streetscape improvements get built this time. If Spring Garden Road is worked on in two years then it will have been 6 years since the scuttled 2008 attempt.

[Waye Mason]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

!! ...I hope to read about this soon.

I was at that meeting and the couple hundred grand she mentioned (I think it was $600,000), while a nice start, falls well short of the $8,918,890 suggested to do the full on streetscape as proposed in 2009. Nickels and dimes don't get you a great city. I found her comments frustrating, not just because I am running against her!

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Waye Mason

I was at that meeting and the couple hundred grand she mentioned (I think it was $600,000), while a nice start, falls well short of the $8,918,890 suggested to do the full on streetscape as proposed in 2009. Nickels and dimes don't get you a great city. I found her comments frustrating, not just because I am running against her!

You mean Uteck?

Sadly, the $600,000 is the kind of thing I expect. Basically I expect council to place streetscape improvements for Spring Garden Road on the same level as sidewalks along Sackville Drive or Purcell's Cove Road. This is of course an incredibly raw deal for Spring Garden Road because of the high densities and tax rates.

Aside from the spending I also think most regional councillors just don't get what is needed downtown. It would be much better served with some kind of permanent, moderate sized budget for improvements along the lines of streetscaping. I thought that was what the Capital District was going to be but these projects are still very ad hoc and micromanaged by council.