3,000 residential units planned for Shannon Park harbourfront neighbourhood

There are 86 acres of vacant harbourfront land in Dartmouth, N.S., that are being eyed as part of a major housing development that's been in the works since 2014.

Canada Lands, a federal Crown corporation that specializes in real estate and development, owns the Shannon Park site which has sat vacant for nearly 25 years.

The company has now put the finishing touches on a site masterplan that will transform the former military site into a thriving neighbourhood community that would include 3,000 residential units and commercial spaces.

Halifax is one of the fastest-growing urban centres in the country, only second to Moncton, and as the population grows, many are eager to get housing developments like this one going.

"We've been working on the master plan for a number of years," said Mary Jarvis, a senior director with Canada Lands. "And when we acquired the site we made a commitment to fully look at all of the features that we could include in the site."

Shannon Park's proposal would be a pedestrian-friendly community that would include 23 city blocks, 3,000 residential units, 150,000 square feet of commercial space and two parks spread across 7.5 acres of parkland and a pathway and trail system with access to the waterfront.

"The real focus in the transformation of Shannon Park will be in creating a community that’s mixed-use, transit-oriented, that’s really focused on the pedestrian," said Jarvis. "To really emphasize public residents moving through this space and living and learning in a well-planned community.”

Area councillor Tony Mancini says there's a great need for housing projects like the Shannon Park development and though there’ve been some delays, it's important to get the process right.

“We had to wait for the centre plan," said Mancini, who admits he gets a lot of questions about the land. "Then there was the conversation about the (CFL) stadium that came up and then the pandemic arrived.”

A concept drawing for the Shannon Park development is pictured. The Crown corporation Canada Lands has put the finishing touches on a site master plan that will transform the former military site into a thriving neighbourhood community. (Source: Canada Lands)

Canada Lands submitted building applications in 2015 and undertook a public engagement process which included a questionnaire that polled information from residents on the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) website.

Mancini will get a first look at the Shannon Park plan during a Harbour East and Marine Drive community council meeting Thursday before it goes to Halifax council for a general public meeting.

“We’re now starting to see a lot of growth on the Dartmouth side and so Shannon Park is very important," said Mancini. "But what a lot of people are asking about, is the affordable housing piece. How much affordable housing will be included?"

As they redevelop federal lands across the country, Jarvis says affordable housing is an important pillar of the Canada Lands mandate.

“We expect to provide more than the HRM’s requirement of affordable housing," said Jarvis. "Our standard is 20 percent of residential units that are provided on-site are affordable."

In terms of a timeline, the development is considered to be in its early stages and pending all approvals would be 10 to 15 years away from completion.