Khyber building reno proposal includes fourth floor, elevator

A fourth floor and an elevator are just a couple of the highlights of a proposal for the Khyber building revealed at a public meeting Thursday night.

“What we’re proposing to do, I think, is actually more ambitious than what the city had proposed,” said Robin Metcalfe, president of the 1588 Barrington Building Preservation Society.

The society is made up of several groups trying to save the historic building.

The meeting was hosted by Friends of the Khyber at Halifax North Memorial Public Library at 7 p.m.

The full details weren’t released on Thursday because the group wants Halifax Regional Council to see the whole plan first, but Metcalfe said their version would cost less than the more than $4.1 million figure municipal staff proposed last year.

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The building has deteriorated over the years, closing being of asbestos being found inside.

“We’re looking to have offices for some of the LGBTQ non-profits in the city,” said Emily Davidson, a member of Friends of the Khyber.

She said other groups would be welcome too, along with the Khyber Arts Society.

A few spaces for businesses, such as a cafe, and a physical connection to the Neptune Theatre School are part of the plan, too, according to Metcalfe.

Halifax South Downtown Councillor Waye Mason, who attended the meeting, said he thought the plan was a good idea.

A staff report about the proposal is set to be seen by councillors as early as January 26.

“The main thing we’re asking the city for is that they sell the building to us for a nominal sum, for well under its market value,” said Metcalfe, adding that potential tenants have expressed interest in the space.

The plan includes a year’s time for the group to fundraise for the renovations costs.

WATCH: Joel Plaskett talks Fire Station 13 and the Khyber

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“I have a real love for the place because it was where I kind of cut my teeth as a musician,” said Joel Plaskett, a member of Friends of the Khyber. “I think my career would be a very different career had it not been for the Khyber building.”

The goal is to complete renovations and reopen the building in 2017.