Dartmouth Crossing now accessible from Wright Avenue

Burnside - Motorists looking to explore the many new shops and services at Dartmouth Crossing now have easier access to the site, as the barricades blocking access through the Wright Avenue extension have finally been removed.

The concrete slabs, which forced drivers to double back along Highway 118 for over a year, were taken down this past December 19, just in time for last-minute holiday shopping.

Originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2007, the throughway was blocked as property owners and the City of Halifax butted heads on final details.

The roads themselves were actually completed on time and on budget, says Glenn Munro, managing partner for North American Development Company (NADC), which oversaw the construction of the entire area. However, we ran into a few snags with council over some of the stuff involving water and wastewater piping. That situation has since been resolved.

Residents and workers in Burnside welcome the news of the barriers removal.

Its about time, says Melanie Kingsley. Having to bypass the extension would sometimes tack on another 10 to 15 minutes of my trip there and back.

I havent even been out there yet, says Michael Levin. Mostly because I havent been able to access it from Wright Avenue.

Along with quicker access to Dartmouth Crossing, removal of the barricades allows drivers to now connect with Shubie Street, Finlay Avenue and McLure Drive.

This is another very important piece of the puzzle, Munro says, and it sets us up nicely for more development.

As such, NADC has big plans in store for growing the site over the coming years.

We have purposely overbuilt the roadways throughout the area in anticipation of things to come, Munro says. Along with the ongoing growth of the retail space including the opening of a brand new Costco outlet this coming March were in the final phases of planning the construction of 1,500 to 1,800 residential units, which we hope to see up and running by 2010.

As well, he points out the firm is building another network of roads in and around the City of Lakes district in anticipation of future expansion.

Were in the initial phase of planning a living and working community called The Ridge. More details on that project will be released in the next few months.

Munro and his peers are also involved in the bidding process to erect a new on- site four-sheet arena.

There arent enough rinks in this part of HRM, he says. This will give folks from the Burnside area a chance to play hockey over the lunch hour or take their kids skating after work.

However, not everyone is happy with the developments.

Dartmouth Crossing is an embarrassment, says local activist Jane McGrath. This is another example of corporatism doing its worst to create another generation of consumers. We dont need this big box store monstrosity here, especially when we have so many locally-owned and operated businesses that desperately need our support.

-30-