City staff seeking public feedback on potential heritage conservation district

The project aims to be completed in 2023

HALIFAX TODAY \ Stephen Wentzell

As parts of Halifax including Spring Garden Road are being revitalized, one initiative by the city hopes to preserve areas of historic or architectural value in HRM.

The proposed Downtown Halifax Heritage Conservation District (HCD) would also include consolidation of the Barrington Street Area and Old South Street Area HCD’s, in a regulated effort to expand heritage protection.

A virtual public meeting occurred on Thursday evening, for community members to learn about the project and provide feedback. Public feedback will be collected until summer 2022.

Seamus McGreal, senior heritage planner with HRM, said only one registered heritage building of more than 500 in the municipality has been demolished, taking place in 2003. He credited heritage registration and the establishment of HCD’s as effective tools to protect heritage resources and buildings in Halifax.

“[HCD’s are] protected by regulations governing such things as demolition, exterior alteration, and new development,” McGreal explained.

According to a benchmark study of the 2009 downtown plan, about half of the more than 100 potential heritage buildings identified have since been demolished, McGreal said.

“These buildings have been replaced with modern developments that are not necessarily keeping with the traditional character of downtown Halifax,” McGreal said, “so we are seeing this change in modernization in the downtown.”

On Barrington Street alone, there are 20 registered buildings and another 20 unregistered heritage buildings that are protected from demolition as part of the HCD.

The new area, McGreal says, would be referred to as, “The Capital,” encompassing Province House square, Granville Mall, and nearby historic properties.

“The value of downtown Halifax as a heritage conservation district lies in a significant role in the economic, social and political development of not only our region and province but of our nation as well,” McGreal said.

“The Capital Area, together with the rest of the area between Citadel Hill in the harbour, is the oldest historic area associated with the original town of Halifax established in 1749,” he added.

The project’s background study received approval on May 4. A second public meeting is scheduled for June 2022, with public engagement and feedback completed by September 2022.

After being reviewed by three committees, a Public Hearing before Halifax regional council will take place. McGreal estimates the HCD’s could be completed by May 2023.

In the meantime, McGreal says there’s no provision preventing potential heritage sites from being demolished during the two year period required to authorize an HCD. An absence of a moratorium runs the risk of losing additional potential heritage buildings across Downtown Halifax.

“It comes down to sustainable development,” McGreal said. “by adapting existing buildings to modern needs [and] not making demolition the go-to development option.”

An online survey is open until July 31 and McGreal says they have received more than 160 responses. The survey and video of the public meeting can be found here.

A map of heritage properties in Downtown Halifax can be found here.