A major housing project planned for the Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, has quietly grown to encompass 3,800 residential units, significantly exceeding initial estimates, according to a statement from the developer, Westwood Developments.
The expansion, revealed in a recent interview with SaltWire, was described by Westwood Developments principal Colin Stoddard as a “misunderstanding” regarding height allowances. Stoddard explained that the original plans called for buildings of a certain height, but subsequent interpretations allowed for additional storeys. “We thought we were building to the height that was permitted, and it turns out we were allowed to travel a couple of floors higher,” he said.
The project, initially conceived as a mixed-use development, now focuses heavily on residential construction. The scale of the development has drawn attention as Nova Scotia grapples with a housing shortage and rising rental costs. The Mic Mac Mall site is undergoing a substantial transformation, shifting from a traditional retail centre to a densely populated urban area.
The development is proceeding as Nova Scotia EV and hybrid owners prepare for a novel tax on plate renewals, as reported by SaltWire. While unrelated to the Mic Mac Mall project, the new tax highlights the provincial government’s ongoing efforts to address revenue streams amid increasing infrastructure demands.
Westwood Developments has not yet released detailed plans regarding the types of housing units to be included in the expanded project, nor a timeline for completion. The Dartmouth Regional Council has not yet publicly commented on the increased scale of the development.
