The chair of the Halifax Forum Association says he is cautiously optimistic about the Forum redevelopment not getting deferred.

The budget committee voted down Mayor Andy Fillmore’s motion to press pause on the $120 million project in favor of building housing on the land.

Paul Card tells Acadia News that the redevelopment has been in the works for 12 years and the thought of delaying it was disappointing at best.

“[It was] quite odd because the mayor comes from a planning background. I assuming he understands the importance of community space and green space and recreation space in urban settings. That’s exactly what this Forum is,” explains Card.

Fillmore has proposed building the Forum somewhere else but has not pinpointed another location.

Card says that would be a step backwards.

“The idea that we were even having a conversation about removing the facility and replacing it with two rinks somewhere else in the municipality and not having any of the community centre, recreation centre [or] or any of the green space,” adds Card. “It was a lot of energy for something that didn’t make sense.”

He adds he’s concerned Fillmore may try to push it ahead again.

“The mayor made it very clear after the vote was stated to defer the project and that he was considering bringing it back again and trying again,” explains Card. “I found it quite disturbing, frankly, for the mayor to say the land is too valuable. Too valuable to be used for recreation and rinks and community space.”

What’s the plan?

The plan for the Forum is to demolish the current structure.

The building will then include two NHL sized rinks, one with about 2,000 seats, a dryland training area, an indoor walking track as well as multipurpose centre.

Card says they are very excited and it’s time to build.

“Hopefully this is the last step of the process of debating it and arguing on it and come 2031 we’re going to be all walking into a new Halifax Forum,” says Card.

Shovels are slated to be in the ground by July 2027.