Plans to redevelop the Halifax Forum will continue after Mayor Andy Fillmore’s attempt to delay the project failed in a very close vote.

On Tuesday, Fillmore asked the city’s budget committee to defer the project for one year, after seeing the overall price tag rise to about $126 million over the next few years.

He said the extra time was needed to explore cheaper options for community and recreation space through private partnerships on the municipally owned site. 

“It is just so expensive. It’s even hard for me to imagine the inappropriateness of it in this budget,” Fillmore told reporters outside the meeting.

Although Halifax Regional Municipality has explored private partnership options over the years with no success, Fillmore said the neighbourhood and city are in a very different place given the recent population and development boom.

The plans for the Forum would see the existing building rebuilt with some similar design elements, and include two new ice pads with a concourse between them, large multipurpose space, parking, and parkland.

Fillmore suggested an alternative vision that does not include ice rinks, which he said should go on less expensive land somewhere else.

“Until we give that signal, no one’s going to step forward because the council direction today is proceed at the Forum site,” Fillmore said.

‘Absolutely ludicrous’

Multiple councillors said they could not support a delay with no evidence from Fillmore, with Coun. Shawn Cleary calling it a “pipe dream” with no hard numbers.

“This is absolutely ludicrous that we’re having this conversation,” Cleary said.

If a delay happened, municipal staff said that would likely push the life of the building out by at least three years, rather than the current 16-month timeline to closure. 

That kind of delay would mean about $10 million to keep the building open and operating, as staff said bricks currently fall from the facade, the ice equipment is at its end of life, and there are major roof issues that have the building closed in high winds and snowstorms now.

Staff said of the $10 million, about $4 million would be needed in this 2026-27 budget, bringing the current residential property tax bill increase up from 9.5 per cent to 10 per cent. A staff note also said inflation is expected to be about $4 million, pushing the overall cost of delaying to more than $14 million.

Area councillor Virginia Hinch spoke passionately against any delay, and said the project is “so much more than just two pads of ice.”

Hinch said the community supports the current plan, and the city is only dealing with a more expensive project because it has been more than a decade since the council of 2014 started the redevelopment process.

“Deferring it will not help our cause right now. Deferring it will make us look bad as a council,” Hinch said.

Hinch and other councillors said they would be open to external partnerships if they came forward, but it made sense to have a design in place.

The debate ended in a tie 8-8 vote, which failed. Coun. Tony Mancini was absent. Councillors David Hendsbee, Patty Cuttell, Billy Gillis, Nancy Hartling, Trish Purdy, Jean St-Amand and John Young voted for the delay alongside Fillmore.

Staff are expected to come back to council with a 50 per cent design of the Forum project in April.

Fillmore said he may bring the issue up again at a later date.

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