Halifax Convention Centre

Last updated
Halifax Convention Centre
Argyle Street and Nova Centre.jpg
Nova Centre under construction in 2016
Halifax Convention Centre
Location Argyle Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Operator Events East Group
Opened2017
Enclosed space
 • Total space120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2)
 • Exhibit hall floor50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2)
 • Breakout/meeting40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2)
 • Ballroom30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2)
Website
halifaxconventioncentre.com

The Halifax Convention Centre is the main conference centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It opened on December 15, 2017 in Downtown Halifax, replacing the older World Trade and Convention Centre.

Contents

The Halifax Convention Centre is part of the $500-million Nova Centre project. With 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) of mixed-use space, Nova Centre is the largest integrated development project undertaken in Nova Scotia’s history.

History

Background

Trade Centre Limited (TCL), the provincial Crown corporation that operated the World Trade and Convention Centre, advocated replacing the facility to accommodate demand for larger scale conventions, citing the lack of a dedicated exhibition room and the larger size of comparable facilities elsewhere in the country. In 2008, Trade Centre Limited and the provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal issued an expression of interest for an expanded facility. [1] This process identified a successful proponent, Rank Inc., a private developer. It was announced that Rank Inc. would build the overall development, called Nova Centre, in which the convention centre would be located.

In August 2011, the federal government announced it would invest $51 million toward eligible construction costs for the new convention centre. The remaining funding was shared by the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality, with each contributing $56.4 million. With funds in place for the convention centre portion of the project, the developer, Rank Inc., continued to work on preliminary designs and securing tenants for the other aspects of the Nova Centre project. In July 2012, Rank Inc. CEO Joe Ramia officially announced his intention to proceed with the project, beginning with wide-ranging public consultation to help inform the look and feel, streetscape and public spaces for the Nova Centre. That same month Regional Council gave its final approval to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Province of Nova Scotia that outlines the construction, operational and financial agreements surrounding the new convention centre. [2]

Auditor General Jacques Lapointe, in 2012, criticized the market study used to justify construction of the new convention centre. Without questioning the general merits of a new facility, he stated that "some industry realities were ignored" and provided new calculations which suggested that the economic spinoff could be significantly diminished if the expected utilization rate was lower than calculated. Trade Centre CEO Scott Ferguson responded by stating that he stood by the original projections. [3] [4]

The branding and name of the facility, Halifax Convention Centre, were announced in early 2014 by Ferguson, who praised the "simplicity" and marketing sense of the name and graphic identity. [5]

Development

In November 2014, the developer confirmed a substantial completion date of September 30, 2016, for the Nova Centre, with an official opening for the Halifax Convention Centre planned for January 2017. [6]

In April 2014, the province introduced the Halifax Convention Centre Act, legislation that will see the provincial government and the Halifax Regional Municipality establish the Halifax Convention Centre Corporation to manage and operate the new facility. [7] The legislation requires the two levels of government to jointly appoint a board of directors. Once in place, the board will set and implement the strategic direction for the corporation.

Convention centre under construction in 2015 Nova Centre June2015.JPG
Convention centre under construction in 2015

The developer updated information in its planning application to amend the Downtown Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-law and its request to close and acquire Grafton Street. This proposal went before the Design Review Committee on March 20 and was subsequently approved and recommended to Regional Council on April 1, 2014. [8]

A public hearing was held April 29, 2014, to discuss the proposed amendments and to consider the closure of Grafton Street to accommodate the new design of the Nova Centre, specifically bringing the ballroom of the Halifax Convention Centre above ground. This new design arises from public feedback gathered during the consultations in 2012. In the end, Council approved the amendments and asked municipal staff to look into options for the closure of Grafton Street. [9]

The developer presented the final design of the building to the Design Review Committee through a substantive site plan approval application. [10] The Committee approved the application, with conditions, at a special meeting on June 12, 2014. [10] On June 10, 2014, Council discussed the sale of Grafton Street and subsequently approved the sale to Argyle Developments at a price of $1.9 million. The sale closed on August 14.

Facility

The new convention centre comprises over 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of meeting space, including a 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) ballroom, 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) of multi-purpose convention space, and 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of meeting space. [11] It was constructed on a site comprising two city blocks bounded by Prince, Argyle, Sackville, and Market streets, bisected by Grafton Street which has been temporarily closed and destroyed to permit excavation and construction. One of the two blocks was previously the longstanding head office of The Chronicle Herald , who relocated to Armdale.

The convention centre is part of a larger development called Nova Centre, composed of the convention centre podium with office and hotel space above. The entire development has been stated to be about 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) in total. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Stanfield International Airport</span> International 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Capital and most populous municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, and as of 2022, it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480,582, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade and Convention Centre</span>

The World Trade and Convention Centre (WTCC) was a convention centre and office complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, adjacent to the Scotiabank Centre. The facility had 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of meeting space and a 20,000 square foot ballroom. It was replaced by the larger Halifax Convention Centre in 2017, and the building was sold to a private developer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Halifax</span> Downtown Area in Nova Scotia, Canada

Downtown Halifax is the primary central business district of the Municipality of Halifax. Located on the central-eastern portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour. Along with Downtown Dartmouth, and other de facto central business districts within the Municipality, Downtown Halifax serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.

<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">TD Centre (Halifax, Nova Scotia)</span> Office building in Halifax, Canada

TD Centre is an office building home to the Toronto-Dominion Bank in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The complex was completed in 1974 and substantially reconstructed in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Halifax Link</span> Network of pedways in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Downtown Halifax Link system is a network of climate-controlled pedways connecting various office buildings, hotels, parkades, and entertainment venues around downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is similar to Toronto's PATH or Montreal's RÉSO system, but on a much smaller scale. These walkways are all open to the public, and are convenient during inclement weather and the winter months.

Casino Nova Scotia is located in Nova Scotia, Canada, and has locations in Halifax and Sydney. Steelman Partners designed Casino Nova Scotia and its sister casino Sydney Casino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Overview of the culture of Halifax (Canada)

Hosting the region's largest urban population, Halifax, Nova Scotia is an important cultural centre in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is home to a vibrant arts and culture community that enjoys considerable support and participation from the general population. As the largest community and the administrative centre of the Atlantic region since its founding in 1749, Halifax has long-standing tradition of being a cultural generator. While provincial arts and culture policies have tended to distribute investment and support of the arts throughout the province, sometimes to the detriment of more populous Halifax, cultural production in the region is increasingly being recognized for its economic benefits, as well as its purely cultural aspects.

Saint Mary's University (SMU) is a formerly Catholic, 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">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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax City Hall</span>

Halifax City Hall is the home of municipal government in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Designed by architect Edward Elliot, and constructed for the City of Halifax between 1887 and 1890, it is one of the oldest and largest public buildings in Nova Scotia. The property was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroLink (Halifax)</span>

MetroLink was Halifax Regional Municipality's former BRT express bus service, operated by Halifax Transit.

<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">Trade Centre Limited</span> Former Nova Scotia Crown corporation

Trade Centre Limited (TCL) was a Crown corporation of the Government of Nova Scotia, Canada. Its stated mission was to "create economic and community benefits by bringing people together in Halifax and Nova Scotia". It operated the largest convention and events facilities in the Halifax Regional Municipality, and was a member of the World Trade Centers Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Parade (Halifax, Nova Scotia)</span>

The Grand Parade is an historic military parade square dating from the founding of Halifax in 1749. At the north end of the Grand Parade is the Halifax City Hall, the seat of municipal government in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. At the south end is St. Paul's Church. In the middle of Grand Parade is the cenotaph built originally to commemorate the soldiers who served in World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Central Library</span> Public library in Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Halifax Central Library is a public library in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street in Downtown Halifax. It serves as the flagship library of the Halifax Public Libraries, replacing the Spring Garden Road Memorial Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova Centre</span> Commercial development in Halifax, Canada

Nova Centre is a mixed-use commercial development under construction in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It comprises a hotel tower, two office towers, the new Halifax Convention Centre, retail space, and Grafton Place, a public pedestrian arcade that was formerly part of Grafton Street. It is being developed at a cost of $500 million by Halifax developer Argyle Developments Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyle Street (Halifax)</span> Street in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Argyle Street is located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is approximately 460 metres long and stretches four city blocks to the west of, and parallel to, Barrington Street from Duke Street to Blowers Street. The street is a popular centre for live music, nightlife, theatre, and al fresco dining.

References

  1. ↑ "Assessing the Potential for Expanded Convention/Trade Show Facilities in Halifax" (PDF). Trade Centre Limited. HLT Advisory. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Halifax Regional Municipality (2012-07-10). "Regional Council approves agreement with province to move ahead with convention centre". Halifax.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  3. ↑ Withers, Paul (21 November 2012). "Auditor general doubts convention centre targets". CBC News. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Halifax convention centre jumps latest hurdle". CBC News. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Davenport, Ruth (23 January 2014). "New convention centre brand unveiled, 16 conferences already booked". Metro Halifax. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Assouad, Mayya (28 November 2014). "Opening of Nova Centre, new Halifax convention centre delayed by months". Global News.
  7. ↑ "New Corporation to Operate Halifax Convention Centre". Province of Nova Scotia. 2014-04-23. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  8. ↑ "Case 18708 - Amendments to the Downtown Halifax Secondary MPS and Downtown Halifax LUB and the Closure of Part of Grafton Street for the Nova Centre Redesign" (PDF). Halifax Regional Municipality. 2014-02-28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  9. ↑ "Halifax Regional Council Minutes" (PDF). Halifax Regional Municipality. 2014-04-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  10. 1 2 "Design Review Committee Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Halifax Regional Municipality. 2014-06-12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  11. ↑ "Facility". Halifax Convention Centre official website. Halifax Convention Centre. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  12. ↑ "Developer of Halifax's new Nova Centre releases final design". CTV News. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2014.

44°38′47″N63°34′30″W / 44.6463°N 63.5751°W / 44.6463; -63.5751

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.