Argyle less ‘funky and local’

Businessman says he’s lost millions because of construction woes

The now-former owner of the Economy Shoe Shop says the future of Argyle Street is looking less “funky and local” as businesses change hands due to nearby construction.

Victor Syperek sold the restaurant late last week and said he’s lost millions of dollars because Halifax has “ignored” the effect of the past four years of construction on nearby businesses.

If the city had taken the businesses into account, Syperek said they could have planned to finish the Argyle Street side of the Nova Centre more quickly.

“They could have made an effort to get Argyle Street finished two years ago and I would be in fine shape,” Syperek said in an interview Monday. “Business was still good then.”

Instead, he has seen traffic to the street decrease and his business decrease with it. Last year, he joined a lawsuit against the Nova Centre and the municipality with several other businesses in the area.

Though his restaurant has suffered in recent years, Syperek believes the Nova Centre and other new buildings downtown will get people back to Argyle Street, but he thinks that Argyle Street will be less “funky and local” than it was before the construction as more local businesses struggle to stay afloat.

Another concern for Argyle Street restaurants — many already coping with fewer customers than usual — is that they can’t have outdoor patios this summer because of the upcoming streetscape project.

Now, Syperek will be focusing on his Gottingen Street businesses: the Marquee Ballroom, the Local and the Seahorse Tavern.

“It’s booming there,” Syperek said of the north end Halifax community. “It’s the new cool part of the city.”

The Economy Shoe Shop has been sold to the owners of the Toothy Moose next door, who he said are also taking over the Argyle Street spaces that were previously home to The Foggy Goggle and The Seahorse Tavern.

Bars and eateries changing hands on Argyle Street is all part of the evolution of the area, according Gordon Stewart.

Stewart, executive director of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, thinks the bar and restaurant business updates and renovations are “pretty standard.” The Foggy Goggle, which has always been an Argyle Street staple, is moving to a new location on Gottingen Street.

“It’s nothing unusual,” Stewart said during an interview Monday.

Despite all the changes, Stewart thinks Argyle Street, which has long been known as the bar heart of Halifax, will still remain a large part of the entertainment district.

Although the new Nova Centre may have some influence on the streetscape, and shadows can’t be avoided, the proposed plan will be a “classy” upgrade, said Stewart.

“It’s an interesting opportunity,” he added.

The city’s planned streetscape project, with construction taking place this summer, will eventually allow restaurant patios to stay open longer and Stewart says that’s just one positive. The project is set to also include designs to eliminate curbs and reduce the amount of parking. It will also be more “green,” with proposed underground boxes that will hold trees.

“It’s a change for the good,” Stewart said.