Halifax developer wants new deal but council says no way
It was a groundbreaking agreement: In exchange for three extra storeys, a for-market developer agreed to include 18 affordable, discounted units in a new development in an HRM suburban neighbourhood.
But maybe it was too good to be true.
Three years later, with eight storeys already up at 205 Bedford Highway, the developer is now asking Halifax regional council for a new deal. Instead of providing 18 affordable units for 15 years, KWR Approvals, on behalf of Rockingham Station Ltd., applied to the HRM to make a cash-in-lieu public good payment of $174,620.81 instead.
But at a Halifax regional council meeting on Tuesday, councillors were having none of it.
“The only possible way that we could consider taking out the affordable housing is if they came back and said they were going to jackhammer off the top three floors but that is probably not going to happen,” said Coun. Waye Mason (Halifax South Downtown). …[Read More]