Robin Halifax Holdings Ltd. has unveiled plans to transform an entire city block in Halifax into a 500,000-square-foot mixed-use development.

The project, 22nd Commerce Square, will comprise two towers and include a hotel, condominiums, restaurant, and office, retail and public spaces.

“My family and I feel an obligation to do something exceptional and long-lasting for Halifax with this large property,” says Wolfgang Thiel, president of Robin Halifax Holdings, which is owned by the Thiel family. “We believe that Lydon Lynch (Architects) has done just that with this beautiful, twin tower design.”

The entire block will be vacated, with some buildings undergoing demolition. Five buildings – the Bank of Commerce, Hayes Insurance, Merchant’s Bank of Canada, Champlain and Flinn buildings – on the site are registered as heritage structures.

The main Bank of Commerce Building will be retained intact, as will its lower extension facade. Efforts will be made to retain the main banking hall’s interior finishes, while the interiors of the other four buildings will be demolished. The four facades will be stabilized, restored and incorporated into the streetscape plans.

The development plans feature:

• A proposed 96-suite boutique hotel;
• A restaurant and small conference centre in a restored Bank of Commerce Building;
• Eighty-eight condominium units;
• Two hundred square feet of Class A office space;
• Street-level retail opportunities; and
• An underground parkade with 300 spaces, which utilizes vehicle-stacking technology.

22nd Commerce Square will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum standards. When finished, sustainable features will include geothermal heating and cooling, rooftop solar hot water panels, a rainwater collection system and a heat-recovery system that draws energy from sewage waste.