King's Wharf infilling proposal attracts 300 to meeting

Hundreds of people turned up in Dartmouth on Monday night to learn more about a proposed development that would see part of the Halifax harbour infilled to expand the King's Wharf condo development.

Close to 300 people crowded in the Alderney Landing theatre to give their feedback on the proposed expansion.

The idea is to add three more buildings and 400 more condo units. Instead of shorter, wider buildings, developer Francis Fares said he wants to go taller and thinner.

"We are coming to the realization that we can improve on what we have and make it better for everybody," he said.

The changes include a salt marsh around the edge of the development and a boat launch where the old wharf used to be. But in order to do go ahead with those plans, part of the harbour needs to be infilled.

That doesn't sit well with Pat Guest.

"We're not short of land in Nova Scotia I don't think we should be infilling our harbour. The next thing they'll be wanting is to dredge it so the ships can come through. It just doesn't make sense," she said.

But others say that part of the harbour is already contaminated.

John Clayes lives in King's Wharf and said the project is a good thing for downtown Dartmouth.

"I mean the alternative to having shipyards and all that was there before can no longer be," he said.

The project has to go through council and another public hearing before it can be approved.