Latest news with #Obladee
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
'Much prettier' scaffolding will allow Halifax wine bar to open patio for 1st time in years
New scaffolding that aims to be eye-catching — instead of an eyesore — is being built around a Halifax wine bar, creating space for a summer patio the business has been prevented from using the past two seasons. Obladee said its business has suffered since 2023 when the municipality initially ordered scaffolding to be placed around its leased downtown location to protect passersby from falling debris. That tangle of steel and wood left no space for a patio, but work is underway on a more attractive design that does, following the latest municipal order issued May 9. "I'm very pleased with it," said Heather Rankin, the co-owner and sommelier of Obladee. "The idea is to provide maximum visibility for Obladee, maximum use of the sidewalk for pedestrians, while still protecting anybody below from what might fall off of the facade." The most recent order issued to the property owner, Caryi Group, detailed Nova Scotia building code violations, including hazardous loose stone and facade cladding. The order was made after a recent engineering report identified further concerns. The company doing the work, Skyrise Scaffold, has come up with a design that will leave room for a patio while also trying to hide the steel-frame structure and providing the required safety protection. "It is hopefully going to provide a much prettier finished product that fits in nicely into its surroundings around here," said Hywel Tyler, project manager and chief designer. Covering steel shoring posts in black plywood, for example, will make the structure blend in with the rest of the building on the corner of Barrington and Sackville streets. "We've been in conversation with [Obladee] about lighting and sort of melting away the beams up underneath and hiding as much as we can while not compromising any of the structure," Tyler explained. The additional engineering work means the project is a lot more complex — taking three days just for the initial base — whereas a routine build would only require that amount of time to complete. "When you're walking down the streets of Halifax, you wouldn't, unless you're looking upwards, actually know that there's scaffolding here," he said. The Caryi Group is going through insolvency proceedings in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. A representative for the company could not be reached for comment. It has been a long haul for Obladee, whose owners said the previous structure made it difficult for people to know they were even open. "Nobody wants to be crawling under old steel bars to get to us. And once they're inside, they don't want to be looking out at them either. So this is a huge improvement," Rankin said. She's hoping the new scaffolding system will be completed by the end of the day Thursday, after which time the city will need to return to examine it. "They'll do their normal inspections to hopefully approve our patio permit at that stage," Rankin said, noting it has already been submitted. The patio that is currently in storage is ready to install, she said, as soon as the business receives the approvals it requires.
CBC
05-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Halifax wine bar surrounded by scaffolding says building inspection is 'significant' step forward
Social Sharing The crumbling facade of a downtown Halifax building is set to be inspected this weekend, giving hope to the owners of a wine bar who say scaffolding that has surrounded the property for nearly two years is driving their customers away. The scaffolding was ordered as a safety measure by the municipality after a person was injured by falling debris in June 2023. But the owners of Obladee Wine Bar, which has occupied a corner of the building at Barrington and Sackville streets for nearly 15 years, said the property owner has yet to make repairs or take any action — until this weekend. "The fact that we are getting some communication from the city, we're getting some action on behalf of the property owner, that's very significant," said Heather Rankin, who owns Obladee with her brother, Christian Rankin. She credits the breakthrough with their decision to go public last month with their dilemma. At the time, Christian Rankin told CBC News the tangle of steel and wood that wraps around the building is an eyesore that makes it difficult for people to know they're open. He said what was supposed to be temporary scaffolding has also prevented Obladee from opening its 20-seat patio for the last two summers. "It's extremely urgent," Heather Rankin said this week. "We've been struggling for nearly two years. This should have happened 20 months ago, not now." Mayor Andy Fillmore, who was elected last November, posted on social media earlier this week he wants to see the matter resolved so the wine bar does not lose another patio season. His post did not elaborate and he was unavailable for an interview with CBC News. The municipality confirmed the property owner has arranged for inspection work on the building. It's expected to happen Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time. Traffic delays in the Barrington and Sackville streets area are expected and sidewalks that are impacted will be closed. In a previous statement to CBC News, the municipality said it has issued repeated orders to the property owner since the passerby was injured in 2023. One order resulted in a $4,000 fine that was paid by the property owner in September 2024. A fourth order was issued in February requesting an updating on a structural engineer's report that was mandated. Property group insolvent The Caryi Group, which owns the building along with a number of other commercial and residential properties in Atlantic Canada, has fallen into financial trouble. The group's principal, Steven Caryi, died in 2023. His family is now trying to sell the building and others he left with mortgage debts estimated at about $47 million as of January, according to court documents. His sister, Joanne Caryi, previously declined to comment on the insolvency proceedings now before the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. She is identified as the executor of her brother's Canadian estate in court documents. She could not be reached for an interview this week. Obladee will remain open this weekend and Rankin said they will be following up to make sure the inspection is followed by actual repairs. "It's a step in the right direction, but there's still a lot of work to be done and it needs to happen quickly," she said. Rankin and her brother are hoping the facade can be fixed so that the scaffolding can be taken down before the summer to allow for the patio to return to the Sackville Street side of the building. The Halifax Regional Municipality has made it clear the scaffolding has to remain in place until repairs are done.
