People should be talking about this piece of land

By Joanne Oostveen
The Weekly News
What could be one of the biggest new development sites in downtown Dartmouth is now up for grabs.
The property recently listed for sale is 53,015 sq. ft. and is located on Ochterloney and Pine Streets. And the asking price is $1.1 million.
Tim Olive, executive director of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, says this land would be the perfect site for a medium-sized grocery store.
"This site has approximately 75 feet frontage on Ochterloney and 100 feet frontage on Pine," said Olive. "Downtown does not have a grocery store and this would be a great spot for one. But really, I like to help promote development opportunities in the downtown for anything, and people should be talking about this piece of land."
The former site of the bowling alley is currently owned by Sobeys.
It purchased it years ago and has been sitting on it ever since, said Olive.
Partners Global Corporate Real Estate Inc. is advertising this property as being zoned commercial with a potential for residential development. And Olive says the time is right for this site to be on the market.
"In 10 years from now there will be 2,500 more people living in the downtown and 3,000 more people working here," he said. "So we have to get ready for this influx of people. This land could potentially be the biggest development site outside of the Marine Slips."
Olive said he gets about two calls a month from interested developers from Toronto and Calgary asking him about what is available in the downtown.
A developer from Calgary, with metro roots, is now buying up the block between Dundas and Wentworth, he said.
"But who knows, maybe HRM will step in and buy this land," he said.
"I will keep on plugging for the downtown. Growth has been coming slowly, but it will balloon soon. We will have to see how this one unfolds."
joanneoostveen@accesswave.ca
For information, contact Dan Sangster at 444-8671, 830-4234, or email dan@partnersglobal.com.