Southwest Properties design for former YMCA site rejected by Halifax staff

A Halifax developer says he's "nottotally surprised" city staff rejected adesignfor a major development onthe former YMCA and CBC sites.

Southwest Properties andToronto's Streamliner Properties Fund Ltd. arebuilding a $140-million development on South Park Street at Sackville Street in downtown Halifax.

In a report released Friday, city staff recommendHalifax's design review committee turn down nearly half of 14 bylaw variances requestedby the developers.

"I'm a little disappointed," Southwest president JimSpatz said Friday."We've known from the beginning that they weren't thrilled about some of the variances."

But despite having been told of potential issues, the designers went ahead to pitch a "beautiful building," Spatz said.

Most of the rejected variances haveto do with exceeding maximum tower width and depth limits, and not stepping back from street lines.

As a result, the report said theproposed buildingswillcrowd the street, negatively impacting "compatibility and livability." It saidone is "simply too close" to the neighbouring Paramount apartment building.

'Simply too close' to Paramount

The report recommends theside closest to Paramountbe tapered back from the other building. But Spatz disputes therecommendation as the Paramount has no windows on that side.

"We would have come up with an ugly weddingcake shaped kind of building," Spatz said."We've come up with a better building than had we nipped and tucked where they'd suggested."

Spatz saidhe will attend the design review committee meetingJan. 14.

Can't 'colour totally within the lines'

In all, the reportrecommends turning down six variances to the building bylaws. The rules allow for some flexibility in design, but are"not intended to increase building volumes," the report said.

"We like to do beautiful buildings," Spatz said. "If you colour totally within the lines of the land-use bylaw ... you don't always get to beautiful buildings."

Spatz saidthe former CBC Radio building onSackville Street will be demolished in February.

He hopes to start excavating that and the former YMCA site in May and June. Construction is scheduled to be finished sometime in 2018, he said.