'Much prettier' scaffolding will allow Halifax wine bar to open patio for 1st time in years

New scaffolding that aims to be eye-catching — instead of an eyesore — is being built around a Halifax wine bar, creating space for a summer patio the business has been prevented from using the past two seasons. 

Obladee said its business has suffered since 2023 when the municipality initially ordered scaffolding to be placed around its leased downtown location to protect passersby from falling debris.

That tangle of steel and wood left no space for a patio, but work is underway on a more attractive design that does, following the latest municipal order issued May 9.

"I'm very pleased with it," said Heather Rankin, the co-owner and sommelier of Obladee. "The idea is to provide maximum visibility for Obladee, maximum use of the sidewalk for pedestrians, while still protecting anybody below from what might fall off of the facade."

The most recent order issued to the property owner, Caryi Group, detailed Nova Scotia building code violations, including hazardous loose stone and facade cladding. The order was made after a recent engineering report identified further concerns. 

The company doing the work, Skyrise Scaffold, has come up with a design that will leave room for a patio while also trying to hide the steel-frame structure and providing the required safety protection.

"It is hopefully going to provide a much prettier finished product that fits in nicely into its surroundings around here," said Hywel Tyler, project manager and chief designer.

Covering steel shoring posts in black plywood, for example, will make the structure blend in with the rest of the building on the corner of Barrington and Sackville streets.

"We've been in conversation with [Obladee] about lighting and sort of melting away the beams up underneath and hiding as much as we can while not compromising any of the structure," Tyler explained.

The additional engineering work means the project is a lot more complex — taking three days just for the initial base — whereas a routine build would only require that amount of time to complete.

"When you're walking down the streets of Halifax, you wouldn't, unless you're looking upwards, actually know that there's scaffolding here," he said.

The Caryi Group is going through insolvency proceedings in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. A representative for the company could not be reached for comment.

It has been a long haul for Obladee, whose owners said the previous structure made it difficult for people to know they were even open.

"Nobody wants to be crawling under old steel bars to get to us. And once they're inside, they don't want to be looking out at them either. So this is a huge improvement," Rankin said.

She's hoping the new scaffolding system will be completed by the end of the day Thursday, after which time the city will need to return to examine it.

"They'll do their normal inspections to hopefully approve our patio permit at that stage," Rankin said, noting it has already been submitted. 

The patio that is currently in storage is ready to install, she said, as soon as the business receives the approvals it requires.