The most vibrant, desirable, and successful urban spaces include a number of key ingredients: large numbers of people, an attractive built environment, and useful amenities. In this creative, reverent, and thoughtful development project in downtown Dartmouth, we at Sidewalk, along with our friends at ZZAP Architects, will achieve this by increasing the density of this urban block while protecting its valuable built heritage.

This project includes two buildings that have immense historical value. The home at 61 Queen St. built in 1899, was once the Alexander and Maude MacKay residence, and though it isn’t a registered heritage property is still a solid example of 19th century architecture. It will be lovingly restored so it can contribute to the streetscape of our city once more. The home at 86 Ochterloney is a registered heritage property built in 1863, and once belonged to the “Bard of Dartmouth”, George Shiels and his wife Mary. It too will be carefully restored to its former glory, maintaining the neighbourhoods innate character, while adding even more vibrancy (people) to the streets, shops, and restaurants of downtown Dartmouth.