Downtown Halifax Heritage Conservation District

Summer 2023 Update

The draft Downtown Halifax Heritage Conservation District Plan and By-law and amendment package are available for public review from the Heritage Advisory Committee Agenda package. Residents can also access documents for Case H00513: Downtown Halifax Heritage Conservation District Plan, By-law, and Amendments to Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies and Land Use By-laws.

Please contact municipal staff at heritage@halifax.ca if you have any questions or comments about this project.

Project
A Heritage Conservation District (HCD) is a defined area of historic or architectural value. It is protected by regulations governing such things as exterior alteration, design guidelines for new development and demolition. Financial incentives may apply to encourage private architectural conservation and programs may enhance public amenities.

There are currently two HCDs in Downtown Halifax: Barrington Street HCD and Old South Suburb HCD. The new Downtown Halifax HCD will integrate these two established HCDs with a new area called the Capital which will include Province House square, Granville Mall and Historic Properties.

Status
The municipality held its last public meeting on September 12, 2022. Staff have continued to engage with key stakeholders and members of the public through the fall 2022 and winter 2023.

The final documents will be presented to the municipal Heritage Advisory Committee and Regional Council for consideration to adopt in the spring/summer of 2023.

Origin
On May 4, 2021, Halifax Regional Council initiated a process to establish a new Heritage Conservation District (HCD) in Downtown Halifax through the approval of the Downtown Halifax HCD background study (download the Study).

Goals of the Proposed Downtown Halifax HCD Plan
The Plan includes three goals in the administration of the Downtown Halifax Heritage Conservation District:

1. To conserve the historic integrity of Downtown Halifax within a sustainable urban environment.

There are many registered heritage properties in this area, as well as many unregistered historic buildings, modern buildings and open spaces. The HCD Plan strengthens policies concerning demolition and substantial alteration for all buildings and structures. The Plan defines parameters for appropriately integrated development and encourages it with financial and land-use incentives.

2. To encourage new development that complements the scale and character of Downtown Halifax.

The HCD Plan encourages building revitalization and new development that complements the scale and character of the Capital, Barrington Street and Old South Suburb areas of Downtown Halifax to accommodate residents and visitors. Streetwall heights, stepbacks and setbacks are defined in the municipal Land Use By-law along with other parameters.

3. To promote Downtown Halifax as a cultural heritage destination.

The HCD Plan improves the historic setting by retaining existing elements in the public realm and by investing in additional street elements that promote the Capital, Barrington Street and Old South Suburb areas as distinct cultural heritage destinations. The Plan includes a strategy to incorporate significant elements of the public realm into a streetscape plan along with additional elements that promote the significance of these three areas of Downtown Halifax.

What does the HCD Plan mean for these areas of Downtown Halifax?
The proposed Downtown Halifax HCD Plan will promote the distinct heritage values and character of these three historic areas of Downtown Halifax. Some key conservation measures in the proposed HCD Plan and By-law are listed below:

• The Plan will identify "contributing heritage resources." These buildings and properties will be protected from demolition and inappropriate exterior alterations, much like registered heritage properties.
• Demolition of contributing heritage resources will require Regional Council approval and cannot be demolished at any time without this approval.
• Substantial exterior alterations to contributing heritage resources will require the approval of the Heritage Officer only, not Regional Council. However, Regional Council approval will still be required for substantial alterations to registered heritage buildings.
• Heritage design guidelines will apply to all new development within the HCD. These guidelines will be similar to the existing heritage design guidelines, attached to the Downtown Halifax Land Use By-law.

The Downtown Halifax Plan and Land Use By-law will be repealed as part of this process. The entire Downtown HCD will be incorporated into the Regional Centre Plan and Land Use By-law through an amendments package. Some key provisions in the amendments to Regional Centre Plan and LUB are listed below:

• A new zone will be established for the HCD, called the Heritage Conservation District - Downtown Halifax (HCD-DH) Zone.
• Maximum heights will not change, except for City Hall, St Paul's Church, Province House block (11 metres), Historic Properties (11 metres), and open space areas (4 metres). Max. heights are increased in a few areas in the Capital Area, only.
• A setback of 12 metres above the streetwall will be required on certain street frontages in the Capital Area. This provision is already in place in the Old South Suburb HCD Area.
• The tower portion of a high-rise building shall apply to any height exceeding 22 metres in the Downtown Halifax HCD.
• More than one main building will be permitted on a contributing heritage property.
• Setbacks from side or rear lot lines will no longer be required in the Old South Suburb area.
• No new cruise ship terminals or stand-alone parking structures will be allowed within the HCD.

The above lists do not include all of the new conservation measures and provisions but highlight the more substantial ones.

Click here to learn about heritage properties in Downtown Halifax.