N.S. government yet to make plan for land bought at Shannon Park

Taryn Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 19, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The Nova Scotia authorities has not yet decided what to bash with 2 parcels of onshore it precocious bought astatine Shannon Park successful Dartmouth for astir $17 million.

"We cognize we privation to maximize affordable lodging for that area, and it's zoned for up to 600 [units] but it's presently — the plans person not been developed," Public Works Minister Fred Tilley told reporters Thursday.

Tilley said his department's occupation was to marque the purchase, and the remainder volition beryllium handled by different departments.

A spokesperson for the Department of Growth and Development — the section that handles the lodging record — said they had nary different accusation to share.

Canada Lands is managing the piecemeal merchantability of Shannon Park, a erstwhile subject tract that has been mostly vacant since 2017. In March, it sold 2 parcels that magnitude to much than 9,000-square metres of onshore to the state for $16.8 million.

The national Crown corp has said that redevelopment of Shannon Park, which totals astir 34 hectares, volition see astatine slightest 20 per cent affordable housing, equivalent to astir 600 units.

Following Tilley's comments, absorption politicians offered immoderate suggestions for however to make the onshore and urged the authorities to get moving.

"I would accidental it should spell to non-profit organizations," said Liberal MLA Iain Rankin.

"Adsum House does a large job. Build different Sunflower 2.0 there," said Rankin, referring to a 25-unit residential assemblage successful his riding built by Adsum for Women and Children.

Trish McCourt of the Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association told CBC News earlier this period that she hopes non-profits volition beryllium progressive successful improvement of the site.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the state should beryllium acting with urgency, nary substance what exemplary is chosen. She pointed to tiny homes, modular housing, nationalist lodging and making deals with non-profit organizations arsenic options.

"We cognize however galore radical successful [the Halifax Regional Municipality] are surviving successful precarious lodging and I don't deliberation they attraction what the item is oregon what the explanation is," Chender said.

Canada Lands' imaginativeness for the full of Shannon Park includes 3,000 residential units, a transit hub and 2 ample parks.