Council gets update on QEII redevelopment project

Five members of the provincial government were present at council on Tuesday to give an update and answer questions.

The QEII New Generation Project is a $2-billion investment that has been underway since October 2018, and is scheduled to be fully operational by 2026.

“It’s a once in a generation opportunity to rethink and rebuild the way we deliver health care in Nova Scotia,” says John O’Connor, Vice President of Infrastructure at Nova Scotia Lands.

O’Connor gave the main part of the presentation to council, which gave an in-depth look at each new building, it’s size, how it would be renovated and what services it would contain.

“It allows services to be moved from the aging Centennial, Victoria and Dickson buildings at the Victoria General site to the Halifax Infirmary site” explained O’Connor. “To prepare for the eventual closure of that site.”

But the hospital buildings themselves weren’t the main topic of discussion – parking was.

In January, Councillor Waye Mason, who oversees the downtown district where the QEII site is located, took issue with the possibility of constructing a parking garage in the current Natural History Museum parking lot.

“There is a huge risk here,” Mason wrote in an open letter in the Chronicle Herald. “Rushing a project of this magnitude with last-minute changes made behind closed doors with a tight timeline and proceeding without further consultation, partnership, and respect for existing agreements and planning policy, all creates risk.”

Mason told NEWS 95.7 and the public he was particularly concerned about the loss of land for the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers and Wanderers Grounds.

 “What has changed since public engagement closed that you can no longer manage public parking?” Mason asked provincial staff.

The province told council that 2,700 parking spots would be needed at the new site once the renovations are complete.

“There is a large parking demand around hospitals. There are a lot of visitors each day,” O’Connor explained.

The presentation to council said 14,000 people visit the QEII each day, and 92 per cent of those drive.

A diagram from the presentation to council on Feb 25 showing which buildings have parking spots underground or on surface level, and how many. (Nova Scotia Lands Company)

“Parking has been a challenge all along,” O’Connor added.

O’Connor says there are two to three levels of parking planned under three of the new buildings at the QEII.

“But that will get us only about 1,000 additional spots underground,” he said.

Councillor Sam Austin noted that the situation could at least partly be helped by the province enrolling as an employer in the Smart Trip E-Pass Program.

“We have a program, you have a parking problem. And it seems to me like a very good match,” he said.

At the last council meeting on February 11, councillors unanimously voted to narrow Summer St. and keep the garage on the West side, away from the historic Halifax Common.

Municipal Solicitor John Traves said he was working closely with representatives from the province.

“That work continues. There’ll definitely be another meeting or two before we mutually beneficial conclusion,” he said.

As the discussion concluded, Mayor Mike Savage told council that if anything could come from this discussion, it was the need for the province and the city to cooperate.

“This whole process has elevated the need for the province and the city to work closely together,” said the Mayor.

The presentation indicated the parking garage is scheduled to be completed for $28.5 million by Spring 2021.