Seeing is believing

By Joanie Veitch - The Weekly News
Until the big construction trucks and backhoes drive onto the old Dartmouth Marine Slips site, speculation about the $300-million King's Wharf development will likely carry on.
"We know people have been wondering. There's no question with the way the economy is right now it's more challenging, but it is going ahead; there is no question about that," said Sherry Spicer, vice-president of operations with developer Fares Real Estate.
The development process has been slower than anyone at Fares Real Estate anticipated when the project was first announced in 2005, Spicer added. "HRM has really been quite supportive, but because of where it is and the uniqueness of the buildings, it's taken much longer than we expected."
Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission executive director Tim Olive says people are anxiously awaiting action on the site.
"It's that old saying 'seeing is believing,'" said Olive. "We know it's going to happen but until we see it, well … lets just say we're looking forward to seeing the heavy construction equipment there."
The city's development process has two stages. Stage 1, which involved a preliminary site design of the 12-hectare plan, was passed by council last summer. Stage 2, which according to the HRM website involves the delineation of roads, lots, parks and other physical design features of the development, is the next step.
Because the King's Wharf project is so large, Spicer said Fares Real Estate will be divvying it up into separate phases, each to go before Harbour East Community Council in its turn.
"We're hoping the first of these will be going before (community) council by the end of April or early May."
Phase 1 involves a 30-storey condominium tower and significant "in-filling" in the harbour.
Olive said the addition of as many as 2,500 new residents in the tower will act as a major catalyst for Dartmouth's economy.
"It's not just going to be good for us in downtown Dartmouth, it will provide a big boost to the whole area. This project will put in excess of $500 million into HRM. That's huge."
New architectural and site plan drawings for the project were to be unveiled at an open house, What's Happening on the Dartmouth Waterfront, hosted by the Waterfront Development Corporation Ltd., on Thursday, March 26, at Alderney Landing.
joanie.veitch@gmail.com