Aspotogan Sea Spa

Last updated
Aspotogan Sea Spa
Canada Nova Scotia location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Former namesSea Spa Nova Scotia
General information
StatusDemolished
Location Aspotogan Peninsula, Nova Scotia
Coordinates 44°30′38″N64°01′01″W / 44.5105°N 64.0169°W / 44.5105; -64.0169
Construction started1992
Demolished2016
Technical details
Floor count5
Floor area16,300 square metres (175,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators2
Design and construction
Architecture firmSperry and Associates
Other information
Number of rooms131

The Aspotogan Sea Spa was a luxury hotel development at the tip of the Aspotogan Peninsula, Nova Scotia, Canada. Construction was aborted in the mid-1990s when the developer ran out of money, leaving the hulking hotel building sitting abandoned for two decades until it was demolished in 2016.

History

The Sea Spa Nova Scotia, as it was called when first marketed in 1990, was privately financed by German siblings Brigitta Hennig and Wolfgang Spiegelhauer of the construction company Suwobau. [1] The two stated that they were "deeply impressed by the beauty of the land" and conceived the 131-room, five-storey, 16,300 square metres (175,000 sq ft) luxury resort to be developed at an estimated cost of C$37.5 million on a site of more than 120 hectares. [1] They predicted that Europeans would flock to the hotel to enjoy a range of stress-relieving activities including seashore walks, bodybuilding, underwater massage, electrical therapy, and electro-galvanic and carbon-dioxide baths. [2] The hotel was to feature an indoor saltwater pool, special air-filtration systems, and the use of non-toxic construction materials. [3] The project received $10,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to assist in marketing. [2] The spa was a welcome development in an area hit by the decline of the fishing industry, and was expected to employ up to 200 people.

Construction began in 1992. [4] In 1994, after the hotel structure was substantially complete and weather-tight, the developers ran out of money and couldn't secure additional financing after sinking more than $20 million into the project. [5] One of their partners had dropped out of the project, and the value of their assets in Germany had reportedly depreciated following the reunification of that country. [2] The collapse of the project left many contractors unpaid, putting some smaller companies out of business. [2] In late 1996 creditors forced a foreclosure sale to two Halifax developers, Jim Spatz and George Armoyan, for a mere $505,759. [5]

Spatz and Armoyan tried for years, to no avail, to resell the development to a hotel company. [4] In a 2015 interview, Spatz stated that as the building aged they felt it became less and less likely that it would ever be completed, so they decided to demolish it. [4] Demolition began in late 2015. [4] The site will be subdivided into private residential lots. [6]

Related Research Articles

John Patrick Savage was a Welsh-born Canadian physician and politician. Savage was the 23rd premier of Nova Scotia between 1993 and 1997. He was born in Wales, and educated in both the United Kingdom and Ireland. He immigrated to Canada in 1967 and was a noted family physician in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He became the mayor of Dartmouth in 1985, and won re-election twice. He then became the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party in 1992 and stepped down as mayor. In 1993, he defeated the incumbent provincial government and became premier. Savage was a controversial premier, bringing in many reforms in taxation, regional government, and government hiring practices. He resigned as premier in 1997 due to his low approval ratings in public polls. He died of cancer at the age of 70 in 2003. He was the father of Mike Savage, current mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Stanfield International Airport</span> Airport in Goffs, Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax Stanfield International Airport is a Canadian airport in Goffs, Nova Scotia, a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality. It serves the Halifax region, mainland Nova Scotia, and adjacent areas in the neighbouring Maritime provinces. The airport is named in honour of Robert Stanfield, the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and former leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

The Westray Mine was a Canadian coal mine in Plymouth, Nova Scotia. Westray was owned and operated by Curragh Resources Incorporated, which obtained both provincial and federal government money to open the mine, and supply the local electric power utility with coal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia</span>

St. Margarets Bay is a bay located on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada on the border of Halifax County and Lunenburg County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominion Atlantic Railway</span>

The Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia in Canada, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The St. Regis Toronto</span> Luxury hotel in Toronto

The St. Regis Toronto is a mixed-use skyscraper located in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was built by Markham-based Talon International Development Inc., which is owned by Canadian businessmen Val Levitan and Alex Shnaider. The hotel portion of the building is owned by InnVest Hotels LP, which acquired it in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Patrick's High School (Halifax, Nova Scotia)</span> Public secondary school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

St. Patrick's High School was a non-denominational school centrally located on Quinpool Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Historically a Roman Catholic public school, St. Pat's opened in 1954 less than one block from its rival non-denominational public school, Queen Elizabeth High (QEH). St. Patrick's closed in 2007, merging with QEH to form Citadel High School. The school building was demolished in 2015.

The Aspotogan Peninsula is a peninsula in the eastern part of Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, separating St. Margarets Bay in the east from Mahone Bay in the west. The peninsula was originally settled by second generation French immigrants on the east side and by second generation German immigrants on the west side. Traditionally fishing was a major industry for communities throughout the peninsula, however other primary industries such as farming and forestry were historically important as well. Shipping and shipbuilding were secondary and tertiary industries that also came into prominence during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purdy's Wharf</span> Office complex in Halifax, Canada

Purdy's Wharf is an office complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Built over the water at the edge of Halifax Harbour and resting on pilings, it consists of two office towers, and a smaller office structure called Purdy's Landing. The complex is located along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotia Square</span> Building complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Scotia Square is a commercial development in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was built from the late 1960s to late 1970s and is managed by Crombie REIT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maritime Centre</span> Office building in Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Maritime Centre, in Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is an office building, home to the regional telecommunications company Bell Aliant. The main entrance to the building sits on the prominent corner of Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Westin Nova Scotian</span> Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Westin Nova Scotian is a Canadian hotel located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, owned and operated by New Castle Hotels and Resorts. It was built in 1928 by the Canadian National Railway as the Nova Scotian Hotel and after several changes of owners and names in the late 20th century became the Westin Nova Scotian in 1996.

Saint Mary's University (SMU) is a public university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The school is best known for having nationally leading programs in business and chemistry. The campus is situated in Halifax's South End and covers approximately 32 hectares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berwick, Nova Scotia</span> Town in Nova Scotia, Canada

Berwick is a Canadian town in Kings County, Nova Scotia. The town is located in the eastern part of the Annapolis Valley on the Cornwallis River. The town site stretches south from the river and Exit 15 of Highway 101 to Highway 1. Berwick occupies 6.80 km2 and has an elevation of 43 m (141 ft) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Nova Scotia general election</span>

The 1993 Nova Scotia general election was held on May 25, 1993 to elect members of the 56th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Liberals under John Savage won a landslide victory over the unpopular Progressive Conservatives under Premier Donald Cameron, while Alexa McDonough's NDP remained a distant third, winning three seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texpark site</span> Vacant lot in Halifax, Canada

The Texpark site is a prominent vacant lot in Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Coast, a weekly newspaper, has called it "downtown's biggest gaping hole" and an "embarrassing missing tooth" in the urban fabric. Much of the site was once home to the Texpark, a city-owned parking garage, demolished in 2004.

Canadian Forces Station Mill Cove is a former Canadian Forces Station and currently a naval radio station located near Hubbards, Nova Scotia. Built in 1967, it is remotely operated by the Canadian Forces from CFB Halifax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RBC Waterside Centre</span> Building in Halifax, Canada

The RBC Waterside Centre is a commercial development in the downtown core of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada built by local real estate developer Armour Group. The project involves demolishing six heritage buildings and replacing them with a nine storey retail and office building, clad at ground level with the reconstructed facades of most of the former heritage buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Basil Building</span>

The Sweet Basil Building, also known as the P. Martin Liquors Building, was a heritage building on the waterfront of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada which was demolished by Halifax developer Armour Group in November 2008 as part of the company's controversial Waterside Centre Development proposal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cogswell Interchange</span> Highway structure in Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Cogswell Interchange is a multi-level highway interchange in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was built as the first stage of a greater scheme for an elevated freeway, called Harbour Drive, which would have run south through downtown and necessitated demolition of much of the downtown building stock. The plan was halted in the face of significant public opposition, but the Cogswell Interchange remains a visible reminder, occupying a large amount of prime land and posing a barrier to pedestrian movement.

References

  1. 1 2 "German entrepreneurs hope tourists will love Nova Scotia". Toronto Star. 8 November 1993. p. C2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cox, Kevin (23 December 1996). "Halifax Spa creditors taking a bath in red ink". The Globe and Mail. p. A2.
  3. ↑ Gougeon, Katherine (30 May 1995). "New kid on the medical block". The Globe and Mail. p. A15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Webster, Evan (8 September 2015). "Demolition of abandoned Aspotogan luxury resort begins". Halifax Chronicle-Herald.
  5. 1 2 Cox, Kevin (24 February 1997). "Halifax Construction empire takes over planned spa". The Globe and Mail. p. A2.
  6. ↑ "Abandoned Aspotogan Sea Spa razed after sitting empty for decades". Halifax Chronicle-Herald. Canadian Press. 29 January 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.