The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has ordered the Halifax Regional Municipality to revoke the heritage designation on a building owned by Dalhousie University, which will allow Dal to demolish the building. In a written decision, Justice Peter Rosinski found that the process to grant the property heritage designation was “fundamentally flawed.” Dal had purchased the building in 2021 with the intention of demolishing the site, but in 2022, the Halifax University Neighborhood Association applied for the building’s heritage designation to prevent this demolition. The designation was granted, after which Dal filed for a judicial review of the decision. With the heritage registration now revoked, Dal spokesperson Janet Bryson said that the school is developing plans for the building’s replacement, clarifying that the university is mindful of the need to increase student housing.
