Nova Centre developer asks to skirt foundation permit

The developer building downtown Halifax's new convention centre wants to start pouring the building's foundation without a regular construction permit in order to finish the $500-million project by January 2016. 

The construction zone hole visible on Argyle Street is as deep as it's going to get and now developer Joe Ramia wants to start building up.

His company, Rank Inc., is asking for an exception from the province to construct the parking garage and foundation of the Nova Centre without a permit. That would keep the project moving ahead while the city looks at the revised plans.

The centre's design altered after public consultations last year and Ramia said if construction doesn't start soon, it won't be finished by the January 2016 deadline.

"It changed the whole project. Lifting the ballroom above and carrying such a big space, and it's all columnless," he said.

Halifax regional council is examining Ramia's request for an exemption; the permit approval process typically takes eight months.

"I want to know why the delay to this point and why it's going to take eight months after this to get a development agreement in place," said Coun. Gloria McCluskey.

Halifax Regional Municipality planning staff said in their memory, there's never been a similar request for a special exemption from the province before.

If the city doesn't approve the plans in eight months, Ramia said he’s willing to shoulder the costs of tearing out the foundation and starting again.

Public opinion: warranted or unwarranted?

The Nova Scotia Heritage Trust said the public should be able to have input on the entire building before anything goes up.  

"Part of the development would have already been built, violating those bylaws, before the public would be allowed to be heard. That's not timely input," said Phil Pacey, chair of the Halifax committee.

"People should be allowed to comment, not after the fact on whether they thought something was right, but they should be able to comment before irreparable changes have been made."

Andy Fillmore, architect of HRM by Design, said Rank Inc. has already gone beyond the requirements.

"The developer has gone way out of their way and the delay as the result of that due diligence on the part of the developer to hear from the people of Nova Scotia about what this building should look like," he said.

"That's not a benefit that any other project downtown receives. So we're really quite far ahead of expectations in terms of community engagement on Nova Centre."

Ramia said he's confident the new design is the right one.

"We're very confident that they will like what we present to them, because like I said, it's not the will of what we want, it's the will of the people," he said.

Ramia submitted the new plans to the city on Friday afternoon. Council will have to decide whether he can start his underground construction on Tuesday.

Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality have committed $56 million each towards the project, while the federal government is putting in another $51 million.