A crane here, a crane there. Soon enough, will there be a crane everywhere in Halifax Regional Municipality? Well, with the way things are looking right now, more cranes and construction sites will definitely have a place here in the next decade or so, as the region undergoes a significant transformation. 

Developers are eyeing large stretches of land as potential in hopes of bringing new high-rises and mixed-use properties to the region currently facing a 1.9 per cent rental vacancy rate. Affordable housing projects will coincide with these private developments to add below-market level rental units to the rental supply. At the same time, the municipality is pushing projects like the Cogswell district redevelopment, with a plan to form a gateway from the north end all the way to downtown Halifax. These developments would bring hundreds of new apartments to the region, while also attracting new businesses, residents and visitors. 

Here’s a breakdown of some of the major proposed and approved developments to keep an eye out for. 

Penhorn Mall site transformation

It’s been a few years since Sears shut down in the Penhorn Mall, but only a couple of businesses have come forward to claim the space since then. But now, Clayton Developments and Crombie REIT have their eyes on the spot and are proposing a mixed-use development with low-, mid- and high-rise buildings to be built alongside existing retail and commercial buildings. 

If approved, roughly 900 residential units and 45 townhouse units would be built within eight new development blocks off Portland Street in Dartmouth. An active transportation trail and multi-use greenway are also planned for the site. The application, submitted in December 2020, is currently under review by the municipality’s staff and “may change as a result of staff comments.” 

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