October 15, 2009
We passed a major milestone in the project this summer. On July 8th, Regional Council of the Halifax Regional Municipality passed unanimously our plan amendments and view plans revisions that were necessary for this project to continue. On August 5th, Community Council unanimously approved the development agreement in principle, along with Stage 1.
The King’s Wharf project will create an exciting new environment along the Dartmouth waterfront. The Downtown Dartmouth Secondary Planning Strategy envisioned the continued operation of the Marine Slips property for marine industry. To proceed with the development, the Planning Strategy was amended to add a special framework for consideration of a mixed use development on the lands.
Recognizing that King’s Wharf is a large project that will proceed in stages, HRM staff recommended the use of a two-stage development agreement process. Under this arrangement, Fares Real Estate entered into a Stage I development agreement that was approved by HRM Council during the summer of 2008. The Stage I agreement approved the overall concept for developing King’s Wharf along with arrangements for accessing and servicing the site.
The Stage I agreement also sets the framework for considering Stage II agreements, which are required for each separate phase of the King’s Wharf development. In all, King’s Wharf will be built in six phases. Stage II agreements for each phase will ensure that new structures are designed and located consistently with the approved concept and that proposed amenities are provided.
The business community and general public should be very proud of the way they rallied behind this project to ensure its success at Regional Council. We also extend our appreciation to the professional Community Development Staff at the Halifax Regional Municipality who have ensured that the development process has been transparent while at the same time acting responsibly to ensure that the standards of construction and site development proposed were compatible with the regional plan and other municipal planning guidelines.