Purdy's Wharf

Purdy's Wharf is an office complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Built over the water at the edge of Halifax Harbour and resting on pilings, it consists of two office towers, and a smaller office structure called Purdy's Landing. The complex is located along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk.

Purdy's Wharf
Tower I (left) and Tower II (right)
General information
TypeOffice complex
Architectural stylePostmodern
Construction started1983
Completed
  • Phase I: 1985
  • Phase II: 1989
OwnerGWL Realty Advisors
Height
  • Tower I: 74.0 m (242.8 ft)
  • Tower II: 88.0 m (288.7 ft)
Technical details
Floor count
  • Tower I: 18 floors
  • Tower II: 22 floors
Design and construction
ArchitectShore Tilbe Henschel Irwin Peters
Purdy's Wharf in relation to the Downtown Halifax Link pedway system

History

The complex was developed by J.W. Lindsay Enterprises. Construction began in 1983.[1] The first phase opened in May 1985.[2] In January 1987, the developers announced that a second phase would be built.[3] This was completed in 1989, coinciding with the beginning of the early 1990s recession, which hurt the real estate market and contributed to the complex suffering from a 35.2 per cent vacancy rate in 1990.[4]

In January 1999, Olympia and York purchased a 47.5 per cent stake in the development for C$39.9 million.[5] At that time, GWL Realty Advisors owned 47.5 per cent while J.W. Lindsay owned the remaining five per cent.[6] In early 2000, J.W. Lindsay sold their share of the complex to the other two co-owners, who each increased their ownership shares to 50 per cent.[7][8]

In July 2005, Olympia and York sold their 50 per cent stake to GWL Realty Advisors for C$63.0 million.[9]

Design

Purdy's Wharf consists of two office towers, a four-storey building called Purdy's Landing, a seven-storey multistorey car park, and outdoor spaces including a wharf and green space. Purdy's Landing is commonly referred to as the "Xerox building", due to a large Xerox sign that used to hang on the exterior of the building. Pedways connect the complex to Casino Nova Scotia and the Downtown Halifax Link system.

Purdy's Wharf has a unique, energy-efficient cooling system that works by circulating sea water through a heat exchanger system with the building's cooling water. The colder sea water chills the building's cooling water, which is then circulated through the buildings.[10]

Transport

The complex is located within walking distance of the main Halifax Transit bus terminal, Scotia Square Terminal, via an enclosed footbridge spanning the Cogswell Interchange.

It is also a short walk from the Halifax Ferry Terminal.

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See also

References
  1. "Work begins at Purdy's Wharf". The Chronicle Herald. 8 June 1983. p. 5.
  2. "Purdy's Wharf complex opened". The Chronicle Herald. 31 May 1985. p. 22.
  3. Martin, Robert (21 March 1987). "Halifax just keeps sailing along". The Globe and Mail. p. D2.
  4. MacIsaac, Merle (March 1997). "Nerdvana". Canadian Business. St. Joseph Communications. 70 (3): 18–19.
  5. "Company news". Toronto Star. 28 January 1999. p. 1.
  6. "O&Y Properties buys into Halifax complex, sells Kanata mall". Building. Building. 49 (1): 14–15. 1999.
  7. "O&Y increases stake in Purdy's Wharf to 50%". National Post. 29 January 2000. p. D02.
  8. "Lindsay sells share of Purdy's Wharf complex". Nova Scotia Business Journal. Bilby Holdings Limited. 14 (10): A11. 2000.
  9. "O&Y REIT to sell stake in Halifax's Purdy's Wharf". The Globe and Mail. 1 July 2005. p. B7.
  10. Seawater Cooling System for Buildings Archived 2010-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, Natural Resources Canada: The Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE), Modified October 9, 2005; Retrieved June 3, 2008.

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