Carlton Street Heritage

Getting bulldozed in Halifax: Jean’s Chinese forced out by tower development

Aaron Beswick · Reporter, Saltwire, 22 November, 2023

HRM’s Heritage Advisory Committee will consider the Dexel/Lawen plans to add 2 30-storey+ towers to the Carlton block on Wednesday. The last time the public saw the plans it was for 16 & 30 storey towers. If approved a total of four ~30-storey towers will mean 12-14 historic buildings & approximately 112-114 small scale affordable commercial/residential units will be demolished.

Jean Kong, owner of Jean's Chinese Restaurant, will be forced out of business by the massive towers planned for the corner of Spring Garden Road and Robie Street.Kong Jean, owner of Jean's Chinese Restaurant, will be forced out of business by the massive towers planned for the corner of Spring Garden Road and Robie Street in Halifax. - Aaron Beswick

One kid is in law school, another works in IT and the third has a good job with Sobeys.

Kong Jean figures that’s pretty good for a fellow who, 38 years ago, came from rural China with nothing.

“My children are my number 1 success; my other success is that I’ve been able to give people jobs so they could pay their bills,” said Jean.

“You want to see my bank account, I’ll show you, there’s nothing in it. That’s fine, I’m happy. All I have is this restaurant.”

But Jean’s Chinese Restaurant, along with most of the rest of the block bordered by Spring Garden Road and Robie, Carleton and Oulton streets, is getting bulldozed and replaced with four massive towers.

Dexel Developments Ltd. (on behalf of Lowen Properties) plans to build two 30-storey towers with a mix of residential and commercial units facing Spring Garden Road. The Rouvalis family are building another two towers — one 28 storeys and the other 29 — on the same block that they’re calling the Promenade Robie South.

Amongst all the coming concrete and glass, there will be no room for Jean.

“You need money to move,” he said.

“You need money and you need a good spot. I don’t have either.”

Unable to sell a business in a rented space that will soon be torn down, the 58-year-old is out what he’d counted on to be retirement savings.

And a growing city is out another small business that had become an institution

For Jean, his restaurant isn’t just a place where you can get a plate of sweet and sour chicken balls, chicken fried rice and an egg roll for $9.99. It’s the culmination of a life’s work.

When he arrived in Toronto at 19, he could barely speak English. He took business and English courses during the mornings and worked long shifts through the evenings at New Light Restaurant.

“I learned a lot,” said Jean.

One of the lessons was that you need to own the restaurant to get ahead. But that took money, so an eye had to be kept out for opportunity.

It would appear five years later in Powassan, Ont., a town of 3,000 near North Bay whose biggest claim to fame is giving the name to a tick-borne virus.

The owners of a restaurant there couldn’t find any buyers and so were offering it for free.

Jean and his wife, Yan Zhu Chen, took it over with another couple and named it the China Garden.“When you’re in your 20s, you can work all day on a half-hour’s sleep,” said Jean.

“We did very well there. When you own a business in a small town, everyone is so friendly. You couldn’t go anywhere without people stopping you to talk.

”After they had their first child, the China Garden became a destination and they accepted an offer to sell.Jean found himself back in Toronto, one of 180 applicants interviewing for three jobs at the Honey Garlic Buffet in Bayers Lake.

“They asked me, ‘Would you mind living in a small town?’ They considered Halifax a small town. I said, ‘I lived in Powassan!’ ” recalled Jean.“Then they asked what I wanted to make and I said, ‘You’ll see me work, then you’ll tell me what you’ll pay me.’ ‘Best answer yet,’ they said. They saw me work and they paid me good money.”

He was soon head chef over 20 line cooks at the busy restaurant.Two more children followed. Looking to the future, Jean opened Best Choice Chinese Food in Fairview, sold his shares in that and then, 18 years ago, opened Jean’s Chinese Food near the corner of Robie and Spring Garden.Word spread.

With cheap prices and tasty food, Jean’s Chinese attracted good reviews. It won Best Chinese in the Coast’s Best of Halifax competition from 2007 to 2012, and again in 2017 and 2018.At its height, they employed 47 people full time and part time.Their three children were brought up working in the restaurant.They know how to work,” said Jean.

Through the pandemic shutdowns, Jean’s Chinese Restaurant kept open by focusing on delivery.Over the same period, Lowen Properties was buying up the two-storey wood storefronts along Spring Garden Road. Halifax’s growing population and housing shortage has seen the city looking up to increase density on the peninsula.In 2017, Dexel Developments applied, on behalf of Lawen Properties, for amendments to municipal planning rules to allow it to build a 30-storey two-tower highrise on the site.

On Wednesday, Halifax’s heritage advisory committee will consider a staff recommendation that they in turn recommend to regional council an amendment to municipal planning documents that would allow for the new build to go ahead.

The company didn’t respond to a request for an interview.

Jean said he’s been told to expect to be out of his building by the end of next year.

“You know, I’ve contributed over a million dollars in taxes to this country in my 38 years here and employed many, many people,” he said.

“This restaurant is all I have. Call government? Who would I call? Nobody cares about you.”

The Carlton Victorian Streetscape

Carlton Victorian Streetscape is valued as an excellent example of a Victorian era residential street. Originally Carlton Street was part of the South Commons in Halifax. Prior to 1818 this area was divided into four large lots that were purchased by merchants Richard Tremaine and John Staynor. The lots were again subdivided and houses began to be built in 1860 and continued until 1906. During this period construction materials and labour was inexpensive. Those who had money built lavish houses, such as those on Carlton Street, employing many workers.

Following the end of World War I the cost of building supplies increased and there was a shortage of labour, both of which slowed the construction of elaborate and large homes. In addition, Victorian homes, such as these on Carlton Street, became too costly to maintain and were often converted to rooming houses or hotels. Some were demolished and replaced by smaller, less adorned dwellings. Today Carlton Victorian Streetscape is a rare example of an intact Victorian era street, consisting of seventeen large and lavish homes.

Architecturally, Carlton Victorian Streetscape is valued for its sense of unity in scale, materials, and detail. These homes incorporate and blend elements of the Greek Revival, Modified Gothic, and Second Empire styles. The houses and townhouses range between two and three storeys, which allows for the human element and sense of community to flourish. All of the houses are of wood frame construction. There is a variety in the pitch and type of roof lines, placement of the doorways, and window styles that complement each other’s unique characteristics. In addition, the buildings offer a vast array of dormers, windows, and bays, decoration, porches, and verandas. Each house commands its own attention while complementing its abutting, opposite, or adjacent structure.

More detailed information Here.