A proud company of The Shaw Group Limited
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PROJECT VISION
Opal Ridge incorporates an urban feel with pedestrian connections to existing parkland (Brownlow Park and Penhorn Lake), commercial, and transit amenities. The near-term plan consists of eight multi-residential buildings bounded by 45 townhomes as a transition to the existing low-rise neighbourhood of Manor Park. Future buildings will be mixed-use, incorporating commercial and office uses at the ground floors with residential above. The proposed development concept for Opal Ridge was created to enable a complete community. In the past, these lands have primarily served as a commercial node for surrounding residential neighbourhoods. This function of the lands, in combination with a highly accessible transit node, is enhanced within the proposed development. Street layout, sidewalks, pathways, bike routes, building design, and building massing are designed to enhance the context of the site while enabling more residents to live within this area of HRM. Community assets surrounding the site, such as Brownlow Park and Penhorn Lake, are preserved with enhanced connections to the existing surrounding neighbourhoods and newly proposed developments within the site. Open spaces and uses will emphasize and enhance the pedestrian environment. Buildings will have active streetwalls, and strategically located open spaces to break up large lots. Opal Ridge also proposes active connections within the site that support a pedestrian-friendly environment and promote interconnectivity between residences, private open spaces, public open spaces, commercial amenities, and public transit services.
PROJECT STATS
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Total acreage: ~25
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Total number of units: ~905
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Total muliple residential blocks: 8
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Total townhouses: 45
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Estimated population at completion: 2,086
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Open space: 5.4 acres (~21% of the site)
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Total project cost: to be determined
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Schedule: The proposed development will be broken up into four phases. Development is proposed to begin along Portland Street and progress towards the middle of the site. The existing plan does not preclude future redevelopment of existing commercial areas.
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Start date: 2022
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Length of project: ~4 years
PROJECT TIMELINE
CONCEPT PLAN
HOUSING MIX
We anticipate Opal Ridge will bring roughly 905 units to Penhorn area of Dartmouth. The majority of residential units will be multi-residential with some townhouses framing the back of the site to help blend this new development into the existing residential community.
SITE FEATURES
Grocery and Retail Components
There will be no change or impact to the retail and office complex currently on site. A former shopping centre, the site has been partially redeveloped as a retail and office complex adjacent Portland Street. This recently developed commercial area is active and well used, with the newest building having been constructed within the last two years, and with many longterm leases held by successful businesses. Therefore, the retail and office complex area is expected to remain in place.
Walkability and open / public spaces
The proposed development concept includes a variety of open spaces that amount to a total of approximately 21% (5.4 acres) of the site. These spaces would be integrated with the existing Brownlow Park and Penhorn Lake, and enhanced with multi-use trails that connect to the existing transit terminal and commercial amenities. The proposal includes a network of public and private open spaces that are strategically located to provide additional positive experiences for everyone and support a pedestrian-friendly and human-scaled built community. These spaces are planned with accessibility in mind by including barrier free access points, careful surface material selection, and appropriate seating. Enhanced streetscapes, attractive street lighting, planter boxes, and general site landscaping are significant elements of the concept plan that are compatible and consistent with open spaces abutting the site and within surrounding neighbourhoods.
Transit, Parking, and Integration into existing road systems
The concept includes a public multi-use trail system, creating an environment where residents have direct, convenient, walkable connections to private and public amenities and services, including public transit. The proposal includes two separate public street connections to Portland Street, a multi-use trail along the Circumferential Highway connecting Penhorn Lake to the Transit Terminal, a multi-use trail connecting Penhorn Lake to Brownlow Park, and a walkway connecting the development to the existing low-rise neighbourhood to the north. This plan allows for enhancement and expansion of existing parklands. Within our application, we’ve also identified an opportunity to enhance parking for Brownlow Park and Penhorn Lake, as well as pedestrian access.
PARTNERSHIP
Clayton and Crombie have partnered on this project. Clayton is the development manager and is taking the lead on the project.
ABOUT CLAYTON
A division of The Shaw Group Limited, Clayton Developments Limited is part of 160 years of business success. We're proud to have created communities for more than 80,000 residents to call “home”, while producing a substantial economic impact and more than a billion dollars in developed real estate. Our communities are well-planned, well-known and well-loved.
With a well-established history of successful and strategic partnerships, both solely in land development and more recently in multiple residential projects and home building, Clayton has approximately 1,200 acres of land under partnership arrangements in the Halifax market, and 114 acres under partnership in Newfoundland. Learn more at www.claytondev.com.
ABOUT CROMBIE
Crombie invests in real estate that enriches local communities and enables long-term sustainable growth. As one of the country’s leading owners, operators, and developers of quality real estate, Crombie’s portfolio primarily includes grocery-anchored retail, retail-related industrial, and mixed-used residential properties in Canada’s top urban and suburban markets. Crombie owns over 290 Canadian properties with approximately 18.5 million square feet in use, and a significant pipeline of future development projects. Learn more at www.crombie.ca.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The project receives questions from neighbours, local representatives, and media. The following frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) and answers will be updated throughout the project development to continually share our progress and inform interested parties with the information they seek.
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Does your proposal comply with the Regional Centre SMPS?The recently adopted Regional Centre SMPS supports a density figure of 3,500 – 4,000 people. The near-term proposed development plan includes approximately 905 units within the approximate 25-acre area. This equates to a total of 2086 people and a population density of 83 PPA, which sits well within the policy’s target. The proposed development satisfies the SMPS by providing: a variety of private open spaces, and enhanced connections to public open spaces abutting the development site; a mix of land uses, housing choices, and built forms that transition appropriately to surrounding, existing neighbourhoods; an environment where residents have direct, convenient, walkable connections to private and public amenities and services such as public transit; and a transportation network prioritizing active transportation through enhanced streetscaping, traffic calming design elements, and multi-use trails.
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What will happen to the existing businesses during construction?No impact to existing businesses.
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What environmental sustainability features are being incorporated?The community will benefit from a number of sustainable elements of this project including: Converting a Brownfield redevelopment (rehabilitating a disused site) Incorporating Transit Oriented Design (TOD) Adding pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street design Low Impact Design (LID) Planning for a Mixed-Use Community
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Who will own and manage the housing?Builder partners will be carefully selected as the project further progresses. Clayton has worked with several professional developers for more than 70 years and holds each to very stringent construction covenants and quality.
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How many trees will you cut down for this development?Under the landscaping plan there would be a significant net increase in trees and soft scaping added to the site. The proposed development includes landscaped vegetative buffers along the outer edges of the site, abutting existing low-rise neighbourhoods and municipal parks. Enhanced streetscapes, attractive street lighting, planter boxes, and general site landscaping are provided throughout the development concept. The plan supports the canopy targets of the Urban Forest Masterplan. The existing vegetative buffer surrounding Penhorn Lake will be maintained. An additional linear portion of land will be added to the existing buffer area between the proposed development and Penhorn Lake.
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What kind of amenity spaces will be included (interior and exterior?)The proposed development concept includes a variety of open spaces that amount to a total of approximately 21% (5.4 acres) of the site. These spaces would be integrated with the existing Brownlow Park and Penhorn Lake, and enhanced with multi-use trails that connect to the existing transit terminal and commercial amenities. The proposal includes a network of public and private open spaces that are strategically located to provide additional positive experiences for everyone and support a pedestrian-friendly and human-scaled built community. These spaces are planned with accessibility in mind by including barrier free access points, careful surface material selection, and appropriate seating. Enhanced streetscapes, attractive street lighting, planter boxes, and general site landscaping are significant elements of the concept plan that are compatible and consistent with open spaces abutting the site and within surrounding neighbourhoods.
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Where will all these residents park?The majority of vehicular parking areas are proposed to be located underground with landscaped podiums at grade, with a limited amount of surface parking located away from public streets.
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Has the community already been engaged on this project?Yes, a Community Visioning process took place years ago that formed the policies that guide the development of the property. We remain open to all input and feedback from the community about Opal Ridge and encourage you to leave any comments, ask any questions and please complete the inquiry form to ensure we share information with you and invite you to participate in any project opportunities.
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With whom will you consult when designing accessible elements of the project (parking, public spaces, buildings, units)?HRM incorporates all their prescribed regulations into their Development Agreements (DA’s), this includes parkland dedication, parking allocations, building size and form.
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Will there be more opportunities for the public to get engaged in the process?Yes, informal community consultation is ongoing, we encourage you to reach out to us.
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When will construction begin?Construction began in June 2022
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How long will construction take / when will it end?Approximately 4 years
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How will this site tie into public transportation?Residents would have direct, convenient, walkable connections to the Penhorn Transit Terminal which services multiple major routes and enables travel throughout HRM.
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How will development of this area impact residents of Manor Park Neighbourhood and Brownlow Park?The Regional Centre SMPS requires that future development in the area abutting the Manor Park Neighbourhood and Penhorn Lake Park and Brownlow Park maintain and enhance the existing vegetative buffer. Manor Park and Brownlow Park will enjoy enhanced access to the amenities and services currently available within the commercial component of the site, including improved access to the Penhorn Transit Terminal, and public amenities.
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What schools will the community attend?Deciding what your child needs and what matters most are key steps in choosing a school with the best fit for your child. Halifax Regional Centre for Education lets you find the school closest to you.