Council reverses decision on Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Halifax councillors have reversed course on a previous decision and will be moving forward with the first phase of the Windsor Street Exchange redevelopment project.

In January, councillors rejected a design from staff in part because of a lack of dedicated transit lanes.

On Tuesday, councillors voted to move forward with the first phase of the plan while staff work on a second phase that will more closely match council’s asks on active transportation by widening the roads to make room for those transit lanes.

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“Congestion is a major issue across the municipality,” said Mayor Andy Fillmore. “I think you can hear I’m looking forward to support the motions on the floor today.”

Staff outlined a number of risks that could become reality if the first phase of the project didn’t move forward, including the potential loss of nearly $35 million in federal and provincial funding.

The total cost of the project has increased to $150 million, up from around $100 million in the summer of 2024. The original cost estimate in 2019 was $50 million. Most of the increased cost would fall to the municipality.

Construction is expected to begin this year.