Historic Halifax Inn To Be Altered With Ten-Storey Tower
HALIFAX—Members of the public will get a chance to weigh in on a plan to alter the historic Waverley Inn on Barrington Street with a 10-storey tower.
The plan would see the back wing of the historic property removed to make way for the tower and some parking created inside the structure. It would also mean upgrades and renovations to the inn itself.
Nassim Ghosn’s Sterling Hotel Ltd. is behind the proposed changes.
Sterling bought the Waverley Inn shortly after former owner Abe Leventhal died in 2016. The company ran the Waverley until 2020, when it shut the Inn down indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now, Sterling is pursuing an “ambitious” proposal that will substantially increase the inn’s capacity and add another tall building to a densely built area of the city.
Jesse Morton, a planner with the Halifax Regional Municipality, says the renovation will increase the inn’s capacity to about 177 rooms and add 32 indoor parking spaces.
Speaking to the Heritage Advisory Committee last month, Morton said Sterling’s plan for the Waverley property is “a very significant and complex request.”
The ten-storey tower will sit between several other tall buildings on surrounding properties. A heritage impact statement for the project argues “the proportions of the new addition reflect the neighbouring context.”
“The design intention is to delicately transition the scale and mass of the addition from the six-storey Thompson Building abutting the property to the south and the 2.5-storey Waverley Inn and historic neighbouring buildings to the north of the property,” it reads.
Morton told the Heritage Advisory Committee the addition was designed so the Waverley Inn “remains the focal point of the site.”
Along with the new tower, Sterling is also proposing a “rehabilitation” of the heritage building itself. That would include work on the roof, windows, and some changes to bring the building up to code.
City staff reviewed the plan and say it will have “little to no impact” on the heritage value of the district.
The Waverley Inn sits in what the city calls the “Old South Suburb,” which was the first suburb in Halifax.
The building was built in 1860s and turned into an Inn in the 1890s. Shortly after, the owners built the back wing to expand the inn’s capacity. Notable guests included Oscar Wild and PT Barnum.
Although the rear wing does have some heritage value, city staff argue it was a “utilitarian construction” meant mostly to give add more space to the inn.
The Heritage Advisory Committee recommended council approve the alterations to the Waverley Inn. On February 8, council agreed and sent the proposal to a public hearing.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].