'This is home for us': Dartmouth Ocean Breeze Village residents worried on next steps as demolition begins

Heavy machinery was moving into Ocean Breeze Village in Dartmouth on Tuesday as the first day of demolition began.

The neighbourhood located next to Halifax’s Mackay Bridge held some of the lowest rent prices in the city.

“Everyone here is in the same position pretty much that there’s nowhere else to go but here because of rising rent costs and the housing market, so we’re just biding our time,” said tenant and vice-president of the Ocean Breeze Resident Association, Jenn Laverty.

Laverty said seeing the beginning of the demolition made her emotional.

“It was a little hard in my throat this morning when I walked out of the house and I could hear the noise. So I walked up and watched it all get taken down in half an hour,” said Laverty.

“This is home for us.”

The apartments at Ocean Breeze Village being torn down. (CTV/James Morrison)The developers who own the property says the area will be redeveloped and will have higher-density housing with high rises and townhouses.

The project is set to take five to ten years to complete.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.