New look for Halifax's Quinpool Road sparks some criticism

Development of Halifax street attracts critics Quinpool Road in Halifax is undergoing some major changes that some aren't happy about. Sarah Plowman reports.

HALIFAX — Change is in the air and on the ground on one of Halifax’s most recognizable streets.

Quinpool Road was once home to landmarks like the Oxford Theatre and Ben’s Bakery.

While those landmarks are gone, the Quinpool area has become a hotbed of development. But construction of new buildings has also brought out critics.

Dimitri Christeas’ family-run shoe repair business has been on Quinpool Road since the 1950’s.

Christeas says the streetscape has changed a lot since then, and construction continues to ramp up.

“I mean it’s good. Some of the buildings were run down, it’s nice to have a facelift,” says Christeas.

More cranes and construction crews are evidence of the city’s plan to attract people to live in the same areas where they shop and work.

“There will be more development on Quinpool Road, and you see it already,” says Shawn Cleary, the city councillor for District 9 which includes Quinpool.

Cleary says construction will begin on at least five new buildings in the next year or two.

“I expect over the next decade, another three or four on top of that,” says Cleary. “There’s only been one new building on Quinpool Road in the last 40 years.”

But not everyone is a fan of the new developments.

“There’s an intention to add as many as 30,000 new residents to the peninsula area or the circumferential highway and Dartmouth, and there’s no new green space,” says Peggy Cameron, co-chair of Friends of the Halifax Common.

She points to the site of the old St. Patrick’s High School, which has been sold to a developer for $37-million.

“You could see multiple buildings going up on that site over the next few years, and they will probably be a staged development,” says Cleary.

Cameron and the Friends of the Common had petitioned to turn the 3.3 acre site into an urban farm.

“The city isn’t hearing what the citizens are concerned about,” says Cameron. “They’re not responding to clear questions about where is the additional public open space.”

Christeas believes it’s too early to judge whether or the new developments will help, or hurt the neighbourhood.

“It’s too soon to say with things being built and not really knowing what it’s going to look like until you really see it,” says Christeas.