A decade in the making, Halifax Forum redevelopment a step closer to reality

The Halifax Forum redevelopment project is a step closer to becoming a reality, though questions remain about the $110-million estimated cost, the number of parking spaces it will have and how much of its historic character could be preserved.

On Tuesday, Halifax regional council voted 14-2 in favour of directing the CAO to provide a detailed site and facility design for the project and to allocate money for it. The price of the redevelopment increased from $81 million in 2021 to an estimated $110 million in 2023 because of "inflation pressures," a staff report noted.

Mayor Mike Savage said he was concerned delaying the project could make it even more expensive in the future.

"I think we have to bite the bullet on this and get something done regardless of how we feel about that," Savage said.

Talks about redeveloping the Halifax Forum have been going on since 2014, when municipal staff recommended replacing it and a number of other aging facilities. At the time, many people spoke out in support of keeping the Forum.

The Halifax Forum has two rinks, is a venue for indoor markets as well as bingo. It hosts hockey games, open skates and wrestling matches. It's sometimes a concert venue and several members of council brought up attending KISS concerts there in the 1970s.

"Thinking of the Forum as just a rink or just a community centre or just a bingo hall is the wrong way to think of it," said Coun. Lindell Smith, who represents the district where the 96-year-old building is located.

"This space has so many functions and operates as we know, [as] a multi-use facility."

CAO Cathie O'Toole said the $110-million price tag is an estimate and finalized amounts would be determined for fiscal year budgets.

Council can approve changes to building, planner says

City planner Aaron Murnaghan told council the figure was based on a redevelopment option regional council was presented in 2019, which he called the "Cadillac version of what could be done for heritage restoration on the site."

But he said council could approve changes to the building.

Coun. Trish Purdy, who voted against the motion, said she wanted to see different price options for redeveloping the Halifax Forum.

"So that we don't just have the Cadillac version ... that we get the Honda version as well just to see what the options are," Purdy said.

O'Toole said there are options for how much historic character is preserved.

"Instead of preserving 25 beams, we preserve two beams or different amount of flexibility in terms of what components of heritage are preserved," she said.

Parking spaces saved ... for now

Coun. Waye Mason said the building is in constant use, "so to not replace or renovate these spaces would be a loss to our community."

Part of the original recommendation in the report was to sell surplus land on the property to help offset the cost, but this would mean reducing the number of parking spots.

The report noted there are approximately 500 parking spaces, but the redevelopment plan would reduce it to 150 spaces, with the staff report noting 790 potential on-street parking spots.

Council unanimously voted against the motion of selling surplus property so that the number of parking spaces could be maintained.