do ▁resid ences ▁respectively , ▁while ▁the ▁pod ium ▁would ▁house ▁ret ail ▁space . ▁ ▁Like ▁other ▁high - r ise ▁propos als ▁in ▁Hal if ax , ▁the ▁to wers ▁were ▁controvers ial ▁among ▁some ▁who ▁believed ▁they ▁would ▁partially ▁ob struct ▁the ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁Hal if ax ▁Har bour ▁from ▁Cit adel ▁Hill . ▁City ▁planning ▁staff ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁to wers ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁visible ▁from ▁inside ▁the ▁Cit adel ' s ▁historic ▁para de ▁square ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁ste ep ▁slope ▁of ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁area . ▁During ▁the ▁multi - day ▁public ▁hearing ▁on ▁the ▁project , ▁her itage ▁groups ▁expressed ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁scheme ▁on ▁these ▁grounds . ▁Howard ▁Ep stein , ▁then - ML A ▁for ▁Hal if ax ▁Che bu ct o , ▁stated : ▁" We ▁have ▁already ▁been ▁bl essed ▁with ▁icons ▁[...] ▁The ▁things ▁that ▁make ▁Hal if ax ▁recogn izable , ▁ge ology ▁has ▁given ▁us . ▁We ▁don ' t ▁need ▁anything ▁replacing ▁the ▁Cit adel ▁as ▁our ▁icon ic ▁focus ." ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁many ▁young ▁people ▁spoke ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁the ▁development , ▁calling ▁it ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁progress ▁and ▁a ▁bright ▁economic ▁future ▁in ▁Hal if ax . ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁was ▁approved ▁by ▁regional ▁council ▁on ▁ 7 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁Heritage ▁groups ▁( nam ely ▁the ▁Heritage ▁Trust ▁of ▁Nova ▁Scot ia , ▁the ▁Federation ▁of ▁Nova ▁Scot ian ▁Heritage , ▁and ▁the ▁Heritage ▁Canada ▁Foundation