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SGW - ENGAGEMENT VIDEO

11/7/2016

 
Having a publicly informed development process not only helps the public but also helps developers improve their designs.

Check out the new video below from DEXEL explaining  the Spring Garden West Engagement
and why engaging the public early about development is important.

Spring Garden West a Design by Public Engagement

9/29/2016

 
This document illustrates the collaborative process on how the design evolved based on a dialogue between the public and design professionals.

Click below for a downloadable version 
sgw_engagement_book.pdf
File Size: 10079 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

SEE THE RESULTS FROM THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT!

9/21/2016

 

PUBLIC AMENITIES CHART

public_amenities.pdf
File Size: 43 kb
File Type: pdf
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PARTNERSHIPS

partnerships.pdf
File Size: 123 kb
File Type: pdf
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RENDERINGS

pe3_renderings.pdf
File Size: 9972 kb
File Type: pdf
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PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BOOK

This document illustrates the collaborative process on how the design evolved based on a dialogue between the public and design professionals.

Click below for a downloadable version.
sgw_engagement_book.pdf
File Size: 10079 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

THANK YOU!

6/17/2016

 
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Thank you from the  Developer

This process was inspiring for not only me but my entire team. The public engagement process has brought forth so many ideas for this development that I cannot imagine building something of this importance without public engagement.
 
Throughout the process we have forged partnerships to help us with this development but the most important partnership has been with the public.
 
People from all over our community brought their ideas and experiences and shared them with us to make this the best development possible for this site. It was encouraging to see community members who gave their valuable time to attend our engagement sessions. 
 
Change is always hard for people. It is difficult to always know how to best move forward and now I know that public engagement was the right step to take.
 
This development is now better and stronger with the help of the public. Although, this is a private development, it is for the publics’ future, it is for the people of Halifax to use daily.  I believe now we are better equipped with the right tools and partners to start taking the next steps to make this project a reality.
 
Thank-you.
Louie Lawen, 
Dexel
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Summary of Overall Comments

See the breakdown of comments and areas that had the most feedback

Design Matrix #3

Read the responses to the latest comments and feedback from the engagement session.

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Stay Connected

Louie Lawen, the developer along with his design team and Tim Merry's public engagement team would like to sincerely thank neighbours, stakeholders and the general public for participating  in the Spring Garden West public engagement sessions.

​If you have any questions about this development or have any further 
feedback or comments, please send them along to sgw@dexel.ca

Launch Event Session #3

6/8/2016

 

YOU TOLD US! WE LISTENED! COME SEE THE RESULTS.

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Over 60 people gathered at O'Regan Hall at Halifax Central Library on May 31st, 2016 to see the results from the two previous engagements. 
​
Ekistics Architect, Chris Crawford and Ekistics's Landscape Architects, Rob LcBlanc and Katherine Peck presented on the building design and streetscape. The group connected how the public's feedback has influenced the building, including the following points:
Public's Feedback on Streetscape: Push back streetscape line inside property line boundary

Design Element: Yes, this will be the case for a retail unit and at the base of the atrium to create outdoor seating space. It is not ideal for shopfront to be pushed too far from the sidewalk but some recess will be used for articulation.

​Public's Feedback on Building Massing: What are the wind options?

​Design Element: The building's form, shape, façade variations, and details like canopies can be used to mitigate where wind effects might create problems. All these aspects are currently being designed and will be finalized prior to submitting to HRM for approval.

Public's Feedback on the Public Atrium: How is the atrium welcoming to the public? Benefits of the atrium to the public?
Design Element: The atrium will be welcoming by being an attractive and intriguing architectural feature (e.g. the overhanging "5th floor "living room" of the new central library). Being transparent, people will be able to see what is happening inside. The benefits to the public is that it will be a free space to meet at all seasons, many functions have been suggested (see atrium comments) including discussions which will be pursued with Symphony Nova Scotia. 

Public's Feedback on Balcom Park: How do pick up & drop offs work? (church/ daycare) 

Design Element: Shared street approach allows for both accesses but is detailed to give pedestrian priority for safety (e.g. change of paving type and ramping up to the area to slow down traffic will be a design consideration).​

To learn more on how the public has influenced the building, review the document Design Matrix PE 2 below and the architect's slides from the presentation.

Louie Lawen, President of Dexel answered questions directly from the audience at the end of the session and encouraged people to connect with them if they still had feedback after that evening. 

He then closed the session by sincerely thanking the neighbours and general public for participating and giving thoughtful feedback to his design team.  He told the crowd it is a better building because of the engagement.

DESIGN MATRIX PE 2

The document below responds to all feedback gathered at the second public engagement session and comments received by email. 

ARCHITECT'S PRESENTATION

Click on the slides below to review the presentation. Scroll down to see advice to the developer.
Watch the video of the street walk down Spring Garden and onto Robie Street.
​Scroll down to see advice to the developer.

ADVICE FOR THE DEVELOPER

  • ​Challenge to HRM about making this design a reality
  • Streetscape and atrium look great - think about the maintenance of the plants
  • Worried about the city’s response to stuff on the sidewalk
  • Burying power lines is expensive - is HRM committed to partner on this?
  • Underground is much better given climate change issues and events
  • 2 houses on Spring Garden become a driveway?!
  • People make assumption that these are condos. Make sure they understand that they are apartments.
  • Balconies? Barbeques? How will that affect others?
  • Make sure this is integrated with the larger SGR plan.
  • One standard of design all the way up and down Spring Garden.
  • Love the signage of the plants - should also be in braille
  • Narrowing the street given the bus traffic - is this realistic?
  • Concerns of pet / dog owners in the streetscape… Will pets be allowed in the atrium?
  • What is the plan for the heritage properties?
  • My restaurant is all I have… It would affect me greatly to have this site developed. Give me enough time to find a new location. 
  • Employees losing jobs, business owners lose business and over ½ a million dollars. No one is talking about it.​
  • How about a protected bike lane - 2 way next to the sidewalk?
  • Thank you Dexel, let’s set a new standard


This was the final session in a trio of public engagements for this initial phase. There will be more  engagements through the Development Agreement Process with HRM. In the meantime, the developer encourages anyone who has further input to email them at sgw@dexel.ca

Orders up! - The latest video from PLANifax

5/25/2016

 
Check out the latest video from PLANifax. This one summarizes the second engagement session and looks ahead to the public engagement on May 31st, 6:30-8:30pm at the Halifax Central Library.
Join us to see the latest designs, give your comments and hear about the next steps.

Public Spaces Session #2

5/18/2016

 

What public spaces do you want to see on SGW?

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The second public engagement session on Public Spaces was held on Wednesday, May 11th  at St. Andrews Church Hall. 

Louie Lawen, President of Dexel thanked people for coming and sharing their input.  He reviewed what the team learned in the first public engagement and encouraged people to share their comments again this evening. 

Comments, ideas and feedback gathered from the first session and from online comments was organized under the following themes:
  • Streetscape
  • Affordability and Accessibility
  • Balcom Square
  • Building Massing
  • Public Atrium
  • Other (This category was created to capture further comments that did not  fit under one of the above categories.)
​
All of the information was then entered into the design matrix below. The team will add feedback including the input from Session 2.  The  matrix will continue to be updated so the public can follow the outcomes from the feedback gathered. 
​
DESIGN MATRIX

ARCHITECT'S SLIDE PRESENTATION
​Click on the slides below to review the Architect's presentation
Chris Crawford, Architect and Katherine Peck a Landscape Architect from Eksitics Plan & Design gave presentations reviewing what they had learned from the previous engagement session and presented working ideas for the different breakout groups for the evening.

BREAKOUT SESSION NOTES
click on the images to enlarge
The public was then invited to move among the six different working tables to ask questions, share ideas and give feedback. See the table templates below  that captured people's questions and comments. This feedback will be added to the design matrix and shared back with the public at the third engagement session on May 31st at O'Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library. 

PHOTOS from SESSION #2

YOU TOLD US! WE LISTENED! COME SEE THE RESULTS.
​JOIN US AT THE 3rd ENGAGEMENT SESSION 


O' Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library 
Tuesday, May 31st, 2016  
6:30 - 8:30 pm


   
RSVP HERE.

The Engagement - latest video from PLANifax

5/9/2016

 
Check out the latest video from PLANifax summarizing the engagement so far and looking ahead to the event on May 11th, 6:30pm at St. Andrews Church.

Public Engagement Session #1

4/25/2016

 

How Can We Rejuvenate Spring Garden West?

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The first public engagement session kicked off at St. Andrews Church Hall on Tuesday, April 19th 2016.  It was a good turnout with approximately 80 people in attendance. After showing a video to introduce the project, Louie Lawen, President of Dexel opened the evening by welcoming everyone and thanking them for attending.
 
The purpose of the event is to gather information from the public that will help the developer and architects design the public spaces, streetscapes and form of the development.  This is a developer led engagement not a HRM engagement. The developer wanted to hear back from the public before they start designing instead of after; this is different from the usual process.
 
Lead facilitator, Tim Merry, acknowledged the elephants in the room around height and developer cynicism. He asked people not to hold back and bring their opinion but don’t be attached that it's the only opinion that matters.

A presentation was given by architect, Chris Crawford from Ekistics on the city and neighbourhood context regarding the development. Nick Lopresti, an architect with Dexel also  highlighted elements that Dexel was looking for feedback on.  

Brent Toderliane an urban planner from Vancouver and consultant with the project spoke to how he will be following the project and holding it to a high standard. He reviewed slides on how he will assess the project for good urban design strategies.
​
Click on the slides below to review the presentation. Scroll down to see the outcomes of the public engagement and direct transcripts of the information gathered from the tables.

Why is this area important to you? 
  • It’s our neighbourhood
  • It’s a main gateway
  • Green Boulevard
  • Opportunity to Make Great Neighbourhoods
  • Commercial with Residential
  • Share this area with others
  • Walker.. Wind tunnels, please consider
  • Trillium, Park Vic, wind…
  • What needs to be rejuvenated?


How Can We Rejuvenate Spring Garden West?

CONTEXT, CONNECTION & CORRIDORS
  • Context - East. What is happening in the block beyond Carlton? Killam Development? Don’t approve in isolation.
  • Attractive, welcoming gateway/ entranceway to SGR / downtown core
  • Becomes a catalyst for the corridor
  • Having a uniform connection from Spring Garden to Carlton
  • To connect SGR with subject neighbourhood SGW
  • Are you thinking about what is already being built? You haven’t addressed the context well. There are so many buildings being built or about to be. We ask for less height and Killam took some height off. Will you do that?

NEIGHBOURHOOD LIVABILITY & FAMILIES
  • Affordable for families to live and businesses to stay local
  • Families
  • Impact on livability & liveliness of the neighbourhood
  • More people in the neighbourhood to support locally owned restaurants and shops.
​
LOCAL BUSINESSES & RESTAURANTS
  • Encourage small local business
  • Small and multiple food options
  • Food locations and groceries
  • What is your plan during this long construction period? It will ruin this area if it takes so long.
 
AFFORDABILITY & ACCESSIBILITY
  • Affordable rents for businesses & restaurants
  • Continue to be accessible / affordable for all economic levels / people who currently access the area
  • Accessible to all ages
  • Foster / retain / encourage more community (how building interacts with street and neighbourhood)
  • Business owners who are currently there, will they be able to afford? They do well in this area because of the population
  • Affordability 

QUALITY DESIGN
  • Quality design (durable, interactive, attractive, etc.)
  • Honesty in representing the architecture
  • If the architectural renderings you present are nice and we like them but how can we know that your building will even look like that? Like the Nova Centre?
  • Mixed use density

LEED GOLD IN PUBLIC
  • Extend LEED Gold into public domain - use warmth of grey water to defrost sidewalk
  • What is LEED design?

MITIGATE CONSTRUCTION IMPACT
  • Mitigate construction impact
STREET EXPERIENCE
  • Great street experience
  • Safety: 7 X 24 well lit
  • More of a destination
  • Outdoor space, cafe, gathering place
  • Orientation & shelter along street edge
  • Maintain fabric of streetscape
  • Inviting streetscape, place to wander, business to explore, quiet shady places to rest
  • Commercial and restaurants including sidewalks and summer seating
  • Generous sidewalk and green spaces along street
  • Is there enough street space? If you have outdoor restaurant and shop space we run out of sidewalk.
  • Create an urban village ambiance - Spring Garden Village
 
GREEN SPACE
  • Engaging green space
  • Gardens and flowers and grass in front - not building the buildings right on the sidewalk
  • Green spaces with trees - not only terrace green space)

WINTER SCAPE
  • Renderings - this is Halifax! No leaves for 7 months so what about a winterscape - heat lamp?
  • We need something we can use year round not just 2 or 3 months of the year? How is this building going to provide this?
​
HEIGHT, WIND & LIGHT STUDIES
  • Concerned about following through with wind, traffic and light studies
  • 28 story bldg? Why?
  • Sunlight to other properties
  • Will it affect the air space for the helicopters landing at the hospital?
 
BIKE & CAR PARKING & TRAFFIC
  • Does not constrict SGR cars traffic
  • Parking- coordinated with all of SGR, affordable, accessible, coordinated signage for parking, enough/ more
  • Parking, provide enough for the public not just for residents or customers of the stores in the building)
  • Bike friendly with secure parking for bikes
  • Making wider - better pedestrian and cyclist streets 

​PUBLIC ACCESS WITH A VIEW
  • Year - round access to public realm with a view

BALCOM SQUARE
  • Do not close the street by the church
  • If you close Balcom Square you would lose 5 parking spaces. You keep eliminating easy, accessible parking for people coming into the downtown. They might be able to afford underground parking.
​REVITALIZED!
  • Enliven rather than rejuvenate
  • Revitalize instead on rejuvenate
The architects will review the information from the public engagement sessions and incorporate the comments into the design. This will be presented at the second engagement session and the public will be able to breakout into specific sessions for comment. 

SCROLL OVER PICTURE TO ENLARGE

The next public engagement session will take place at St. Andrews Church Hall on Wednesday, May 11th 2016.  Doors open at 6:00pm with a presentation starting at 6:30 pm.  RSVP HERE.

PLANifax video on the development and engagement

4/14/2016

 
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