PLANAPP 2025-01545 - 1102 Purcell’s Cove Road Heritage Development Agreement

Request

Application by FBM, on behalf of the property owner, requesting to enter into a heritage development agreement on lands at 1102 Purcell’s Cove Road, Halifax to permit an 18-storey plus penthouse building on a registered heritage property. 

Background

1102 Purcell’s Cove Road, also known as St. John the Baptist Church, was registered as a heritage property in 2022. The subject site contains the former St. John the Baptist Roman

Catholic Church and the associated parochial school, while the neighbouring site at 1110 Purcell’s Cove Road contains the former church rectory.

Character-defining elements of the building include, but are not limited to:

• Original Spanish Mission Revival church building;
  • Moderately pitched gabled roof with projecting eaves and a decorative parapet at the western gable end;
  • Apse with skylight at rear;
  • Board-formed concrete foundation pierced by pairs of single-hung, one-over-one windows with storm sashes; and,
  • Double central door with semicircular transept, label moulding, spherical label stops, and decoratively shaped parapet above.

The applicant plans to relocate the church to a central position on the property and rehabilitate the original 1929 section of the building.

Proposal

View the site in Google Maps

The applicant has applied to enter into a Development Agreement on the property to permit the construction of an 18-storey plus penthouse building on a registered heritage property. This development agreement is being sought in accordance with Policy 6.8 of the Halifax Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies (Halifax SMPS), which permits Council to consider a development agreement on any lot containing a registered heritage building that exceeds the requirements of the underlying zone in order to encourage the preservation and adaptive re-use of registered heritage buildings.

A key element of the proposal is the rehabilitation and continued use of the registered heritage building, which will be retained as a stand-alone structure within the new development.

If approved, the development agreement would allow the property owner to:

• Construct a 18-storey plus penthouse building at the rear of the property.

If approved, the development agreement would require the property owner to:

• Rehabilitate the registered heritage building known as St. John the Baptist Church to its original form and design, including:
  • the rehabilitation of original architectural features that have been removed (e.g., entry vestibule and stairs);
  • the rehabilitation of character-defining elements which have fallen into disrepair, such as windows, doors, structural elements, etc.

The applicant’s proposal also requires a second application which staff are processing concurrently – a substantial alteration application. This type of application is a heritage-focused application which is required by the Nova Scotia Heritage Property Act when significant changes are proposed to a registered heritage property. The substantial alterations must be reviewed by HRM’s Heritage Advisory Committee and approved by Regional Council.

Both applications must be approved before the applicant can pursue the proposed development.

Process

Staff are currently reviewing the initial development agreement application and will ultimately prepare a recommendation for Community Council to consider. Before Community Council can make any decision about the proposal, a public open house and a public hearing shall be held. The public open house will be scheduled for late 2025 to early 2026.

Staff are simultaneously processing an application to substantially alter St. John the Baptist Church. In accordance with the Nova Scotia Heritage Property Act, a substantial alteration application must be reviewed by the Heritage Advisory Committee and approved by Regional Council before any registered heritage property is substantially altered.

Status

Planning staff are currently reviewing the development agreement application with various municipal teams and partners. Information regarding the public open house will be available in the future. Please monitor this website for details.

Documents Submitted for Evaluation

The applicant has submitted plans and studies required by municipal staff to properly evaluate the application. The details of this application may change before consideration or approval by Regional Council. Updates or changes to the application will be posted on this website.

A – Design Rationale (includes elevations)

B – Heritage Impact Statement (HIS)

C – Traffic Impact Study (TIS)

D – Servicing Schematic