Halifax’s downtown core will soon look a lot different, now that HRM council has given approval for a new convention centre on Argyle Street. It will be the focal point of the new ‘sky-scraping’ Nova Centre which will also house a hotel, apartments and retail space.

While the majority politicians are in favor of giving the downtown a face lift, critics are calling the project a waste of money.

The $164-million convention centre is being paid for by all three levels of government – using taxpayer dollars.

“Disappointed, since this MOU (memorandum of understanding) now spells out in black and white what our group has been saying for a long time, that this is going to cost taxpayers a lot of money and will result in higher taxes,” said Kevin Lacey with the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation.

“This is a 14- and 18-storey building,” said Judy Haiven with the group Save The View. “The height of these buildings is very high, and they’re going to create wind tunnels, sun blockage, and all kinds of bad things that could lead to increased falls for the elderly and increased icing on the sidewalk.”

The province and city are both putting in $56-million while Ottawa has committed $51-million.