Report recommends selling corner of Halifax Forum site to help fund redevelopment

A new report recommends selling a portion of the Halifax Forum site to help pay for a redevelopment project.

The cost for refurbishing the 94-year-old Forum, plus retaining a second rink and building a new multi-purpose centre, could reach $89 million.

In November 2019, HRM staff were asked to look into potential partners. But, according to municipal officials, there is little interest in partnerships and some support for land purchase.

Staff recommend a section at the corner of Young and Windsor streets. They are identified under the municipality's Centre Plan for high-density, mixed-use development.

Following input from the Halifax Forum Community Association, which manages the facility, HRM staff are also recommending almost doubling the size of the multi-purpose centre for both programming and storage. That would add about $2.5 million to the cost.

Selling the land at Young and Windsor and expanding the multi-purpose centre would also reduce the number of parking spaces from 350 to 150.

With a new green space being considered for the front of the Forum, the report says there would only be two options for increasing parking. Those would be to reduce the green space or build a two-level parking garage on the east side of the property.

The proposed changes will be discussed at regional council on Tuesday before another round of public consultations are scheduled.