Downtown business expects more will join suit against Nova Centre developers

HALIFAX – The owner of the Carleton in downtown Halifax is one of the business taking legal action against developers of the Nova Centre and believes their complaints have been ignored for too long.

Mike Campbell expects more businesses to sign on to the suit that was announced Monday because of huge losses suffered over the last three years.

Construction on the one million square foot Nova Centre started in January 2013 and is expected to open next year.

Campbell said he hopes those in the business community can survive that long, and he expects more to join the lawsuit.

He stressed the group is not anti-development, but years of delays have just meant more closed streets, eliminated parking and reduced pedestrian traffic with very little recourse for businesses.

“Everybody’s suffered major losses to the point where I’m not really sustainable,” Campbell admitted. “The pain originally was supposed to last till January 2016, now it’s April 2017 and it’s probably not going to be all ready to go until this time next year which still gives us another year to go through this.”

A news release from Wagners Law Firm said businesses in the area around the new convention centre have suffered over the past three years as construction has closed streets, eliminated parking and reduced pedestrian traffic.

“We want to see a vibrant downtown core. That was one of the driving factors behind the project itself,” said lawyer Ray Wagner in the release.

“Ironically, due to poor planning and implementation, and a disregard for the realities of the impact the prolonged construction has had on small businesses, the Nova Centre is destroying the surrounding long-standing businesses as it rises up to dominate the area.”

Wagners said attempts to communicate the negative impacts with Nova Centre stakeholders have been “unfruitful.”

It said damages would be determined by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board if the parties cannot agree on compensation through negotiation proceedings.

The news release said municipal, provincial and federal governments have received notice of the intended legal action, as well as Argyle Developments Inc., its parent company Rank Incorporated and Halifax Convention Centre Corporation.

According to Campbell, the noise, dirt and dust associated with blasting and drilling in the area has only driven businesses away and so they have no other choice but to seek compensation for the damages that were sustained.

Campbell said businesses understood short pain would mean long term gain but because of a lack of help and numerous delays, the lawsuit is necessary.

“You realize the light at the end of the tunnel probably isn’t going to be a train, but in the mean time it might as well be.”