Eastern Passage FAQs

After reading all your comments and questions on Facebook, we put together some answers so you can have more information on the project. We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to fill out the survey so we can capture all your feedback.

Is the proposed design finalized?

The project is not yet finalized. The Happy Cities team is conducting public engagement online and at in-person pop-up events at local shops so that we can respond to the community’s feedback. The City also requires that we host an in-person public information meeting. We will announce its date soon.

This engagement builds on what we heard last year in a local survey, prior to starting design on this project.

How will this new community impact traffic on Shore Road?

The engineering firm Design Point conducted a traffic study for this project, and found it will not have a large impact on traffic. You can find the study here. The city reviewed and accepted the recommendations of the study, which state: “No upgrades are required for existing infrastructure to accommodate trips generated by the proposed development.” 

We know traffic is getting worse in the area. We’ve tried to minimize traffic impacts by locating our higher-density homes on high-quality transit, and by providing people with shops they can access locally without needing to drive. Traffic is frustrating. It is difficult to build the homes we need while having zero impact on traffic, but we are sincerely trying to reduce that impact.

How will this new development impact local schools? 

Halifax Regional Center for Education (HRCE) has told us that the surrounding schools are under capacity, and can accommodate many more students. According to the Halifax Centre for Education’s Long Range Outlook, here are the school utilization rates for surrounding schools:

Oceanview elementary school: 64% of full capacity.

• Horizon Elementary (previously Tallahassee Community School): 78%.

• Eastern Passage Education Center: 73%.

• Seaside Elementary: 77%.

• Island View High School: 59%.

Is there enough water and sewage capacity for this project? What systems will be in place to manage stormwater when it rains?

Halifax Water has informed us that the existing sewage and water pipes in the area are currently under-used, and they have more than enough capacity to accommodate new homes on 1818 Shore Road. Homes here will make better use of unused capacity in existing pipe infrastructure. 

We have also designed the whole community to include rain gardens and bioswales that filter, retain and slow stormwater during high storms. 

You can see our servicing plan and study, submitted to HRM as part of this application here.

Will homes in this development be affordable?

Halifax is facing a housing crisis and desperately needs more affordable homes. We hope to meet this need in three ways: 

• First, we have designed modest-sized homes to make them more attainable to first-time homebuyers and renters. 

• Second, the majority of units in the site are townhouses and apartment units, which are intrinsically more affordable than single-family homes. 

• Third, we will apply for provincial and federal support for truly affordable housing. We cannot guarantee we will secure it, but we will do our best. 

Research shows that the number one strategy for making homes more affordable is building more homes.  Halifax is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, and we need to keep pace with that growth by building more homes, or hoursing will become much less affordable. We hope that by building more modest-size homes, we can help to stay ahead of that problem.

What are the price ranges for the homes?

At this point in the development process, it is too early for us to know the exact prices of the homes. The price of homes is dependent on materials and labour which are difficult to predict. Another factor is how long it takes us to get approval for this project and begin construction.

Is profit the only goal for this project?

Believe it or not, profit is not our only goal. This property already had an approved development agreement for over 34 units when the land was purchased last year. We could have already built and sold the units by now if profit was the only goal. But the approved design offered no public space or rentals, and the lots were so big that homes there would have been very expensive. The development team wanted to do something that matches our values, which is why we have designed a project around public spaces, more attainable smaller units, with more units on transit, with more units accessible to seniors, and with more rentals. We have invested substantially in redoing the project so we could present something we believe in.

Here are our goals for the project. (You can also find these in our master plan).

• Better for All: This community will improve life for all residents of Eastern Passage by ensuring accessible amenities and access for all.

• Walkable and Safe: The community will offer opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to comfortably and safely walk outside.

• Joyful and Beautiful: Every street, park, and building will instill a feeling of joy, pride, and Nova Scotian identity.

• Social: This community will offer spaces that nurture strong social ties and enable neighbours to meet each other with ease. In this way, the design will help to fight social isolation.

• Inclusive: This community will be welcoming to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, offering a diverse range of housing options and ensuring access for all.

• Healthy and Sustainable: This community will improve access to sustainable mobility networks, encouraging people to walk, cycle, roll and take transit to their destinations, leading to a healthy, active lifestyle.

• Financially Resilient: This community will use a replicable, financially sound business model that generates more municipal tax revenue than it consumes.

Will any or all of the proposed units be condos? 

In our current plan, none of the units will be condos. All the single-family homes and townhouses that face public streets will be sold as freeholds (i.e., owner occupied). Rental units will be available in the apartment building, the stacked townhouses, and some of the townhouses that do not face public streets.

We will likely set up a residents association which will levy a small annual fee on all homes in the development to maintain the public spaces. The roads and sidewalks will all be public property and will be maintained by HRM.  

Do you have any plans to mitigate erosion on the ocean side of Shore Road?

All land on the opposite side of Shore Road is owned by the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). We strongly support adding more natural vegetation to help keep soil in place.

Will trees be cut down?

We located the Village Square in the hopes of saving some trees, but unfortunately, it is difficult in such a major redevelopment. We really wish we could keep more trees! We will seek to replace every tree we lose on the site or in another place within the community. 

Could there be a dog park on the site?

Unfortunately, there is likely insufficient space within the site for an off-leash dog park. We plan to set up a residents association to manage the public spaces, and they may choose to establish a dog park. The Eastern Passage Common may be an appropriate place to setup such a facility, as it has far more space, and is next door. 

Could there be a medical clinic onsite? 

Lots of residents have told us they would like a medical clinic in the building on Shore Road. We will explore the feasibility of the idea. It will depend in large part on whether we can find an interested partner. If you know anyone who might like to set up such a clinic, please let us know.

Who owns the property, and who is building the project?

This project is owned and developed by Heliopolis Holdings Inc.

Heliopolis Holdings is based in Halifax and is a registered Nova Scotian company. The development firm has over 30 years of experience in residential development. Together with their construction arm, Heliopolis Homes, they have completed projects across Nova Scotia. 

Happy Cities is an urban design and research firm headquartered in Vancouver, with a team based in Halifax. They are supporting Heliopolis with community engagement, master planning and development consulting for this project.

Who are the people behind this project?

The co-leads of this project are Mohamed and Houssam Elokda. Mohamed runs Heliopolis Holding and its construction arm Heliopolis Homes. Houssam is the Managing Principal of Happy Cities. The brothers moved to Halifax 16 years ago as immigrants from Egypt, graduated from Dalhousie University and have since called Halifax home. This is the first project they are doing together. 

They each coordinate a wider team of professionals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines in their respective fields.