This city has gone to “H” when it comes to going through the process of approving construction projects. No, do not approve buildings that are different or too tall as it may block the view of that dank and lifeless Hill. Be careful and treat the south end with understanding, yes as councilors we know your feelings have been hurt with that Twisted sisters project. Actually I well Me I voted against it because it was not like me,square and short. What a waste of precious time dealing with a simple ruling on a building,which stretched out over years. I hear that there are a 1/2billion dollars worth of projects in the pipe to be voted on or not and my bet would be a NO vote from you know Who. I mean jest there won’t always be this many proposed developments in the area and to make them spend their money on just getting through the U.R.B I mean never mind city hall?
—Owen
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2009.
It’s been two years now since the Twisted Sisters project has been approved. Still no bulldozers, still no cranes. It’s been 30 years since the Empire building has been approved. Still no bulldozers. Still no cranes. It’s been three years since the Centennial building has been approved. Still do bulldozers. Still no cranes.
Etc.
One suspects there’s a different agenda at play….
Hey, it took them how long to come out and say that the cogswell street interchange was a bad idea, and they’re gonna take measures to get rid of it? It’ll be 20 years before they bulldoze it, but that’s another thing.
It’s not about blocking the view OF the hill, it’s about blocking the view FROM the hill. Preserving beautiful sight lines is unfortunately the least of our problems with development in Halifax. We might as well burn down metro and start over, it would probably go faster.
And maybe it wouldn’t be as ugly, SwampDonkey. I mean take a look at Scotia Square. That mall is deader than dead (it’s essentially a covered pathway to a bunch of office buildings and the metro centre/WTCC) and is probably the ugliest structure in HRM history, yet that’s what greets you in the heart of “downtown halifax.” Kind of depressing when you think about it.
Oh yes, Brutalist architecture. It can be stunning when done right, but an unholy eyesore when it’s usually not. They took out a whole street with that thing. The only thing I go in there for is to get food from Ray’s.
Halifax has ceased development. Let’s all leave now and move on to a city that embraces change.