[SteelTown]

The most interesting part from Paul Wilson's Streetbeat article in the Spec today....

Gas stations with repair bays are rare these days. And 2009 saw the demolition of a vintage one — Forbes, at Main and Queen. Shell sent them packing, then left the premises vacant, a gift to area graffiti artists.

But now it’s down, and a few weeks ago Shell sold the property to developer Ralph Frisina.

He likes the location, likes Main Street. So did his father, the late Al Frisina. Eight blocks due east, he built Hamilton’s tallest building, the 43-storey Century 21 in the early ’70s.

Son Ralph hopes to erect a structure with retail on the ground level and a couple of floors of residential or commercial above.

Frisina is also trying to nail down a deal on another Shell eyesore on Main — the empty lot at John that was home to the station run by Al Bridge, who served Shell downtown for 63 years

[SteelTown]

Looks like the Frisina family is back in the development business in Hamilton.

[emge]

since i've only been here a few years -- what's their history in development here?

[SteelTown]

Well obviously the biggest legacy is Landmark Place/Century 21. Al Frisina went broke building that for awhile. Came back and mostly stayed up on the Mountain with housing developments such as Summit Park. He died in 2007, the Spec did a whole article on him. I can probably search for it. http://www.thespec.com/article/175385

Now his son is picking up the family legacy I suppose.

[realcity]

Landmark was finished with public money. It had the same promises that never materialized like developers today> It was to have a helicopter pad, rotating restaurant and observation deck.

But I'm glad it is what it is. If we didn't have it our skyline would suck. Maybe his son will try a new tallest.

[Jon Dalton]

Landmark was finished with public money. It had the same promises that never materialized like developers today> It was to have a helicopter pad, rotating restaurant and observation deck.


The observation deck is there, it's just empty.

[matt602]

The observation deck is there, it's just empty.

It's also incredibly small.

[LikeHamilton]

Moodie, Vranich to face corruption trial

TheSpec.com February 09, 2010

Former city worker and developer facing municpal corruption charges

Ontario Court Justice Bernd Zabel has ordered a former city worker and a developer to stand trial on municipal corruption charges.

Gordon Moodie, the former coordinator of Hamilton's Downtown Renewal program, was charged with municipal corruption and public breach of trust in May 2008 by the Ontario Provincial Police's anti-racket squad.

A municipal corruption charge was also laid against local businessman Denis Vranich, whom police allege paid Moodie $5,000 in November 2005 for helping his family get loans from the city's planning and economic development department, for proposed residential projects downtown.

Vranich runs several bars and restaurants in Hess Village, and the family is behind a number of local development proposals, including a hotel at Bay and Main streets.

Moodie left the employ of the City of Hamilton in April of 2009.

[emge]

What are the chances these charges will stick, and what penalty is there?

Remember when the younger Vranich got house arrest for sexual assult? Real fair there.
http://thespec.com/article/254585
http://thespec.com/article/274565

[c@taract_soulj@h]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmark_Place

"Frisina also believes that no other building will be built in Hamilton taller than Landmark Place because as he puts it; 'the demand's not there and nobody's crazy enough to do it."

:haha:

Harry Stinson?

[realcity]

Vranich lawyered up with Mani$hen again. He'll get off. Moodie on the other hand might go down. If not his reputation has already been damaged enough. He's still facing a drunk driving charge in Burlington while driving a vehicle owned by Vranich and also and lost his cushy City job.


It's a good thing the OPP stepped in. If you remember our own City Council asked Hamilton Police Services to 'investigate', at the time under police chief Mullan, and the found NO EVIDENCE. The OPP arrive and are like, are you guys stupid or corrupt? and then found enough evidence to lay criminal charges. There wouldn't even be a trial or a story if it weren't for the OPP. I think they need to look deeper then Moodie. Moodie wasn't acting alone at City Hall... that's my guess. Ask the question why didn't Hamilton Police Services didn't find evidence? Bernie Morelli who chaired (at the time) the Police Service and is the link between Police and Council, where was his statement? Where was his explanation why OPP found evidence... enough to warrent a trial/satisfy a judge for a trial ... but Hamilton Police found nothing? This whole story deserves a lot more attention then it's getting. I hope the Spec follows it (and the impaired driving charge) like it should. This is not the first time allegations were made at the Downtown Grant/Loan program. The only difference this time that it's out there, is bc it took an out-of-town investigation to uncover a tiny bit.

I'm so glad we have a new police chief... maybe the envelopes filled with our money will stop being passed around if someone's head rolls after this.

[SteelTown]

A total of 95 building permits, representing over $108 million in construction, were issued within the Downtown Hamilton CIPA in 2009.

This finding is the result of significant public sector investment in the Downtown, with over 90% of the construction value attributed to five projects, including the renovations to City Hall; redevelopment of the historic Lister Block; renovation of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market and Central Library; the construction of the new transit terminal at MacNab Street between King Street and Main Street; and the new Dr. J. Edgar Davey Public School and community centre at Wilson Street and Ferguson Avenue.

[SteelTown]

Downtown Hamilton Ground Floor Vacancies

The Downtown and Community Renewal Division has been tracking the number of ground floor vacancies in commercial and mixed-use buildings within the Downtown Hamilton Community Improvement Project Area since 2001. As shown on the following table, the rate decreased to 9% in 2009.

Downtown Hamilton Ground Floor Vacancies
2001 -16.4%
2002 - 16.1%
2003 - 9.0%
2004 - 10.4%
2005 - 12.6%
2006 - 10.6%
2007 - 11.1%
2008 - 10.1%
2009 - 9.0%

[realcity]

A total of 95 building permits, representing over $108 million in construction, were issued within the Downtown Hamilton CIPA in 2009.

This finding is the result of significant public sector investment in the Downtown, with over 90% of the construction value attributed to five projects, including the renovations to City Hall; redevelopment of the historic Lister Block; renovation of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market and Central Library; the construction of the new transit terminal at MacNab Street between King Street and Main Street; and the new Dr. J. Edgar Davey Public School and community centre at Wilson Street and Ferguson Avenue.

City Hall - public $
Lister - public $
Central Library - half public $
Bus Terminal - public $
Public School - public $
Community Center - public $

we need private investment then I'll get excited.

[realcity]

Downtown Hamilton Ground Floor Vacancies

The Downtown and Community Renewal Division has been tracking the number of ground floor vacancies in commercial and mixed-use buildings within the Downtown Hamilton Community Improvement Project Area since 2001. As shown on the following table, the rate decreased to 9% in 2009.

Downtown Hamilton Ground Floor Vacancies
2001 -16.4%
2002 - 16.1%
2003 - 9.0%
2004 - 10.4%
2005 - 12.6%
2006 - 10.6%
2007 - 11.1%
2008 - 10.1%
2009 - 9.0%

Thank goodness for Money Marts and variety stores. Downtown Renewal says nothing about the quality of the tenants

[drpgq]

Anyone know what other projects were cut?

City cancels $12M in loans for downtown residential projects


http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/731338
March 02, 2010
MEREDITH MACLEOD
HAMILTON SPECTATOR
The city has cancelled more than $12 million in loans for residential development in Hamilton's downtown this year.

That includes eight projects that were loaned money in August 2007 and another six approved for loans in 2003 and 2006.

In 2007, the city’s loan program began to require construction to begin within two years so that funding is not tied up in projects not moving forward.

The cancelled loans include $1.7 million approved for the redevelopment of the now demolished Century Theatre into 97 residential units, and $1.8 million to build a long-term stay hotel on Main Street West.

Since its inception, the downtown residential loan program has helped to fund 747 units worth close to $85 million.

mmacleod@thespec.com 905-526-3408

[SteelTown]

14 Mary Street - $1,746,000 - obviously the building collapsed
119 King Street East - $120,000
132 Main Street West (Hilton Hotel) - $1,800,000
245 King Street East - $60,000
53 King Street East - $360,000
275 King Street East - $26,600

[drpgq]

Thanks. Is 53 King East the Bingo building then (looks like it from Google Maps)? I didn't know anything was planned for that residentially.

[SteelTown]

No, it's the Thrift Store, 4 floors. Next to the bingo building.

[realcity]

Can we get the 3.8$ mil back for the Connaught project?

[SteelTown]

Residential construction falls in core

March 03, 2010
Meredith Macleod
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/731764

Public sector construction boomed in downtown Hamilton last year but it was a terrible year for boosting the number of people calling the core home.

There were 95 building permits issued in 2009 for the downtown, adding up to more than $108 million in construction. That almost doubled any single-year total since 2001 and lapped the average of $20 million a year.

But on the flip side, just three residential units were built in the core last year. That's a sharp drop from previous years and far off the average of 96 a year.

The city has cancelled more than $12 million in loans for residential development in Hamilton's downtown this year.

Of 10 projects approved for loans in 2007, eight have now been cancelled. Another six approved in 2003 and 2006 have been terminated.

Beginning in 2007, the city's loan program began to require construction to begin within two years so that funding is not tied up in projects not moving forward.

The cancelled loans include $1.7 million approved for the redevelopment of the now demolished Century Theatre into 97 residential units, $3.4 million for the former Royal Connaught property and $1.8 million to build a long-term stay hotel on Main Street West.

Ron Marini, the city's director of downtown renewal, says a lot of the recent residential slowdown is due to the recession and he's confident the numbers will start to climb.

There were no applications for the city's downtown residential loan program last year but there is already one filed this year. That's for a seven-storey condo and mixed-use building on James Street North beside Acclamation Bar and Grill.

More than 90 per cent of the city's downtown construction last year comes from five taxpayer-paid projects: City Hall, Lister Block, farmers' market and central library, the new transit terminal on MacNab Street and a new elementary school and community centre.

Councillor Chad Collins said at yesterday's economic development and planning committee meeting that he thinks attracting a grocery store to the downtown would go a long way to bringing in more residents.

Marini said it has been a priority for city staff but grocery chains generally make location decisions based on disposable income. "From a numbers point of view, we have a challenge with income levels."

He said the city tried to convince the owners of the Connaught property to consider a grocery express store, without success.

Councillor Brian McHattie said the city should directly market itself to every college and university in Ontario to attract a downtown campus.

Marini said his department is in "discussion with an institute of higher learning." He declined to say more in the public session.

Since its inception, the downtown residential loan program has helped to fund 747 units worth close to $85 million.

The program has delivered $33 worth of construction for every city dollar spent, Marini said. That ratio includes the program's only default: a $1.1-million loss when a condo development on King William Street went bankrupt.

That property, the former Spectator press building, has since been bought and is expected to be completed within the year.

[coalminecanary]

got news for them.. small scale residential units are being put in, but nobody tells the city because applying for a building permit turns an easy little project into a logistical and financial nightmare.

[coalminecanary]

City Hall - public $
Lister - public $
Central Library - half public $
Bus Terminal - public $
Public School - public $
Community Center - public $


I was thinking the exact same thing.... sad

[coalminecanary]

Thank goodness for Money Marts and variety stores. Downtown Renewal says nothing about the quality of the tenants

Interesting thought, but wrong

[drpgq]

No, it's the Thrift Store, 4 floors. Next to the bingo building.

Thanks. I wonder what happened there?

[oldcoote]

got news for them.. small scale residential units are being put in, but nobody tells the city because applying for a building permit turns an easy little project into a logistical and financial nightmare.

not to mention, a huge increase in property taxes

[realcity]

Can we get the 3.8$ mil back for the Connaught project?

Now we know. We're getting it back. $3.4, but thats good enough

[SteelTown]

I was thinking the exact same thing.... sad

All which is important and necessary to upgrade. With this economy you couldn't pick a better time to use public funds to do construction/renovation. Low interest rates and excess amount of skill trade workers looking for work, which means lower bids compared to previous years.

[thistleclub]

A total of 95 building permits, representing over $108 million in construction, were issued within the Downtown Hamilton CIPA in 2009.

This finding is the result of significant public sector investment in the Downtown, with over 90% of the construction value attributed to five projects, including the renovations to City Hall; redevelopment of the historic Lister Block; renovation of the Hamilton Farmers’ Market and Central Library; the construction of the new transit terminal at MacNab Street between King Street and Main Street; and the new Dr. J. Edgar Davey Public School and community centre at Wilson Street and Ferguson Avenue.

City Hall - public $
Lister - public $
Central Library - half public $
Bus Terminal - public $
Public School - public $
Community Center - public $

we need private investment then I'll get excited.

Take the five big-ticket public projects out of 2009's Downtown Hamilton CIPA sample and you're down to around $11 million spread across 90 projects -- $11 million out of the city's nearly $700 million in permits from 2009 (http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/734617). The good news is there's room for improvement.

[Dmajackson]

Hey,

The Tallest U/C In Your City (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=174954) thread has been reactivated recently and in hopes of updating the list I am going from city thread to city thread to see if the tallest under construction has changed recently.

I currently have the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre listed as the tallest in Hamilton. If this is completed or something taller is underway just message me or post it here and I'll add it to the list.

:cheers:

-DJ

[SteelTown]

Hmmm I dunno, I think the tallest under constuction would be that residential unit at the Central Mountain area at Stone Church. Think it's 8 storey. The hospital is probably 4 storey?

[Dmajackson]

Hmmm I dunno, I think the tallest under constuction would be that residential unit at the Central Mountain area at Stone Church. Think it's 8 storey. The hospital is probably 4 storey?

I have the hospital listed as 5 storeys on my list right now. I'll put in the other one though and call it Stone Church.

That puts Hamilton in 34th place right now.

[SteelTown]

480 Stone Church Rd | 8 fl | ? | Under Construction
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=176043

[palace1]

Does anyone have more information on the mortgage at Skydragon Centre being in danger of being pulled?

http://savethedragon.blogspot.com/

The James Street North blog, http://www.jamesstreetnorth.ca/blog/?p=829, is also reporting Reardon's lease not being renewed (and I have heard that they have already decided to move) and the parking lot on the south side of King William St. (formerly Zeller's/Grafton's) has been sold?

It also mentions the Downtown Arts Centre (formerly Salvation Army Citadel) on Rebecca has been sold?

LIUNA and the Lister restoration are the likely cause...

[matt602]

I really hope that none of those are true. If that entire block is left to LIUNA, I don't even want to know what they'd do with it.

[SteelTown]

Sky Dragon loses financing

March 17, 2010
Carmela Fragomeni
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/738785

The Sky Dragon Centre downtown is struggling to survive after learning its mortgage won't be renewed.

The mortgage decision has compounded an already shaky financial existence at the centre -- a worker co-operative supporting nonprofit businesses and groups promoting environmental and economical sustainability, fair trade and social justice.

Centre director Kevin MacKay alerted supporters on the weekend that, despite never missing a payment, the Teachers Credit Union won't renew Sky Dragon's first mortgage of $187,000 on its downtown building at 27 King William St.

"We haven't been meeting our debt-to-income ratio, which was part of our deal," MacKay told The Spectator. The ratio is $1.25 in income for every $1 in debt, he said.

The Centre hasn't met the ratio since taking out the mortgage in 2006, so MacKay and Sky Dragon users are perplexed at the credit union's actions now.

Credit union officials declined to comment. "This remains a private matter between us and Sky Dragon," said Tom Wilson, director of commercial services.

MacKay notes the credit union was the only institution willing to loan the co-op a mortgage, adding "while we're unhappy with the financing being pulled, we've also got to give them credit for taking a chance on us in the beginning and helping us get started."

It's now time for the community to step in if it wants to keep Sky Dragon going, he said. A meeting on Sunday attracted 75 supporters and a larger public meeting is planned. Sky Dragon has until April 18 to refinance and is considering new strategies, including fundraising, to wipe out $270,000 in debt, a total that includes the mortgage, a $25,000 line of credit and other debts.

A second mortgage of $133,000 from a private lender is unaffected.

Laurel Harrison of the Hamilton Area Eco-Network said Sky Dragon is more than just a co-op -- it's a gathering and welcoming place for those interested in improving the city. The centre is "trying to keep the heart of Hamilton alive. ... It is interested in civic engagement and the life of the community."

Sky Dragon is helping revive a rundown area with "a vibrant place to become engaged in peace, environmental action and civic engagement," she said. If it closes, "it's another nail in the coffin in the decay of the city. ... We lose a place that worked so hard to bring some life in the city in an area badly in need of it."

Sky Dragon is used as a community centre, renting space to groups and offering social and environmental workshops, films and speakers. It hosts an organic farmers' market every Saturday and sells fair trade coffee from its roaster. Its Bread and Roses Cafe is an eatery using local produce and foods.

Community activist Maggie Hughes said Sky Dragon acts as the heart of the city's creative-minded people and is full of artists and musicians. "Losing it rips the creative soul out of the heart of Hamilton," she said.

[SteelTown]

the parking lot on the south side of King William St. (formerly Zeller's/Grafton's) has been sold?

The lot is/(was?) owned by Silvestri investments, they built Cityview Terrace. Ever since part of a wall collapsed they wanted to sell the lot. I guess they finally got a good offer.

[realcity]

Has to with Lister I bet. Maybe something will finally be built. Or it's a parking lot for the city workers moving in?

[markbarbera]

Hart department store has reopened in City Centre.

[SteelTown]

Reardon's: A cut above
Fourth generation joins the business

May 01, 2010
Mary K. Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/761548

To commerce gurus who insist that family businesses do not survive a third generation, Paul Reardon has this to say: "Meet my daughter."

When 25-year-old Katie Reardon starts work today at her parents' King William Street shop, she becomes the fourth generation of Reardons in the family butchery.

It's a remarkable development, considering the business almost didn't make it past the founding brothers, Fred and Bert.

Immigrants from County Cork, Ireland, the boys opened Reardon Bros. Butchers at the Hamilton Farmers' Market in 1912.

When the market burned down five years later, they relocated in a shop at York and Bay streets and carried on.

Fred was about as keen to have his son, Jack, working for him as Jack was ... that is, not at all.

"My dad didn't want to take over from my grandfather," says Paul. "He wanted to be an accountant."

But when Jack was overseas during the Second World War, his father died of a heart attack.

"When he came home, his mother told him he was taking over the business and those were the days when people listened to their mothers," says Paul.

So Jack dutifully donned the butcher's apron and joined his uncle Bert behind the counter.

There was another move -- to York and MacNab in 1930 -- where Reardon's continued to build its reputation for quality meats and butchering.

On Bert's death in the early 1950s, Jack changed the name of the enterprise to Reardon's Meat Market, which was uprooted yet again by the construction of Jackson Square.

So Jack cast his eye a littler further east and reopened on King William Street at Hughson in 1970.

And then history repeated itself. When Jack was 68, he announced at dinner one night that he was retiring and, as none of his four boys was interested in the butcher trade, would be closing the shop.

That's when his eldest son, Paul -- visiting from Toronto where he was a well-established restaurateur -- surprised him with an offer to take over.

By the time Paul started in 1984, the Right House had already closed. Then Mills' China, the Chicken Roost, Zellers, Robinson's ... there was a bus strike, a steelworkers' strike ... "It was brutal. I was asking myself, 'What the hell did I do?'"

But the resourceful Paul, who'd already set up a popular sausage cart outside the store, responded by selling sandwiches.

(His own favourite is bologna on white bread with zucchini relish.)

He started with three stools, graduated to tables a few years later and, eventually, expanded into the back half of a neighbouring store to accommodate the booming lunch trade.

The deli proved to be Reardon's salvation and has been so successful that it now comprises half the business. It's run by Paul's wife, Karen, who makes most of the dishes herself for small weddings, showers, meetings, receptions and other special events.

"Until about two years ago, I was like my dad," says the affable Paul. "I never talked to my kids about taking over the business, never pressured them. I never really thought about the long term. I was too busy thinking about surviving today."

So it was a complete surprise when young Katie announced she'd like to come aboard.

"I told her there might not be much future for a place like this, but she wanted to take a stab at it," says Paul.

At his insistence, she completed the chef's course at George Brown College and will be learning the butcher biz from her dad while managing the deli with her mother.

"We'll just keep doing it the way we do it and see how it goes," says Paul. "Then we'll talk new ideas."

In the meantime, another move for Reardon's seems inevitable. The lease is up on the cosy but tired premises Reardon's has occupied for 40 years, but Paul promises he's staying downtown.

"We're down here, we've always been down here and this is where we're going to stay."

[SteelTown]

May 8, 1945
http://media.hamiltonspectator.topscms.com/images/e7/15/837df12f4fa1932ea6cc9c14b7e6.jpeg
Courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/762006

[holymoly]

Thanks, SteelTown. Great shot.

[SteelTown]

Pictures and videos of downtown Hamilton in 1945, cool stuff...

http://www.thespec.com/videogallery/763863

[hamtransithistory]

Pictures and videos of downtown Hamilton in 1945, cool stuff...

http://www.thespec.com/videogallery/763863

Very Cool. 1940s colour footage with a HSR bus in the background! And streetcars!

My Grandfather was a Lt in the 29th Armoured Recon regiment during WWII. He was from Hamilton, Cline Ave in Westdale to be exact.

[emge]

In about a week, Barbarossa's Cafe at 312 King East will open in the old Spoons Cafe space. I talked to the owner tonight, who was putting up letters for the sign (because the guy he hired to do it didn't show up today...).

[Millstone]

Pictures and videos of downtown Hamilton in 1945, cool stuff...

http://www.thespec.com/videogallery/763863

Good luck getting anybody in the city to rally like that anymore.

[realcity]

no. because Hamilton is not a regional city anymore. It no longer has anymore federal relevance as Mississauaga.

It's time to get Hamilton back... back on the political map and then on the business map.

[SteelTown]

Part 1 of 5

FL3xN7cIec4

Rest is here......
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4854916&postcount=626

[matt602]

That was a very nice but also very depressing series. Lots of things I didn't know and hadn't seen before.

That poor Lister Block...

[SteelTown]

Downtown peep show survives city closure bid
Hamilton doesn't have authority to close theatres

May 27, 2010
Emma Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/776457

The city has failed in its attempt to shut down the peep show on King Street East for six months -- a move that would have temporarily cleared the downtown core of its last adult entertainment venue.

Instead, council voted last night to ban the peep show from renting adult videos or screening them in its 29 private booths. The venue, Show World, is still permitted to show porn in six theatres with a total of 99 seats.

The city's licensing tribunal originally recommended that Show World be shuttered completely for six months for violating the city's bylaws. On four occasions between December 2008 and August 2009, city bylaw officers found adult videos were being displayed or played where they're not supposed to be.

Councillor Brad Clark introduced a revised motion to only close private booths at last night's council meeting after being advised the city didn't have the legal authority to shut the peep show completely. Show World's six theatres operate under provincial licensing, meaning the city has no power to stop them from screening adult videos there.

"You need the administrative authority to remove a licence," Clark said. "In Canadian law, municipalities have the authority over the licence we issue only."

"We can't get involved with the licence issued by the province," Clark said.

The city licenses the peep show as an amusement arcade, food shop, tobacco seller, and adult video seller.

Show World's owner, Karsten Rumpf, must comply with the bylaw before the city reinstates his adult video license. City bylaw officers will also make impromptu visits to Show World to make sure the theatre is following the rules.

Rumpf, who owns properties in Hamilton and across Canada, keeps a notoriously low profile. The last time The Spectator reported on his whereabouts, he was living in the Caribbean.

Attempts to reach Rumpf's company, Karrum Amusements, were unsuccessful, and calls to his lawyer Nicholas Macos were not returned.

However, in the minutes of the licensing tribunal meeting, Macos argued that his client is working to ensure that Show World is operating under the correct provincial and municipal licensing laws.

Show World is the last adult entertainment venue in the downtown core. In 2008, the city purchased Maxim's, a Gore Park-area strip club, with the intent of turning the building into public housing. The city has also introduced a bylaw that prohibits new strip clubs from opening downtown or within 500 metres of a residential neighbourhood.

Hamilton Strip on Barton Street East is the city's last operating strip club.

[matt602]

Cheapies ripped out the old windows above their store this week and it revealed a very interesting secret that the general public may not have known since the windows were painted over before: the upper floors are completely abandoned. It looks like they have been for at least 20 years. They are in an advanced state of disrepair. The paint has long since flaked off the walls, theres definitely some mould and water damage too. Looks much like the Lister Block did before it was worked on.

Hopefully the fact they are redoing the windows means they will be renovating the upper floors. They would make wonderful residential units.

Also got me thinking about how many other old buildings with active ground floor storefronts have abandoned upper portions. Apparently everything above the dollar joint on King is abandoned. One of the ex-owners and I chatted and he said it's all just empty warehouse-type space. The windows all had metal cladding or something put over them years ago, and apparently it's only accessible by way of a very antique freight elevator. Probably one of many other abandoned floors downtown. I heard some wonderful stories about the space above the Sirloin Cellar on James North.

[emge]

Hopefully the fact they are redoing the windows means they will be renovating the upper floors. They would make wonderful residential units.


Me and another person were chatting with the workers the other day - fro what they told me, this is just the first step and other renovations are coming.



Also got me thinking about how many other old buildings with active ground floor storefronts have abandoned upper portions. Apparently everything above the dollar joint on King is abandoned. One of the ex-owners and I chatted and he said it's all just empty warehouse-type space. The windows all had metal cladding or something put over them years ago, and apparently it's only accessible by way of a very antique freight elevator.

Probably one of many other abandoned floors downtown. I heard some wonderful stories about the space above the Sirloin Cellar on James North.


Just along that small stretch a few places immediately jump to mind - that one, the Boyz Toyz pawnshop... and wouldn't it be amazing to see the former Sandbar Tavern location gutted and changed.. that would be hopeful sign.

Nearby, I would kill to see a gut renovation of all the floors above Urban Alley (the 4th/5th building east of James on King is) - that is an amazing building that's been left to rot with junk piled up in the rooms.

The building on the northeast corner of King and James also has visible empty upper floors above the convenience store.

[matt602]

Yah. That also reminds me of all of the space over the old Spectator building on King. Everything above the stores is abandoned (or just used for storage). There must be potential for hundreds of residential units if existing spaces were renovated downtown. Hundreds more on vacant parcels of land too, of course.

[IronWarrior]

There's many buildings around downtown with Upper floors that have just been left empty for years and years! the space above the Sirloin Cellar is huge, and I remember it being rented out as a apartment back in the early/mid 90's as I was up there a few drunken nights during my clubbing days...lol

[SteelTown]

The DePasquale Family Foundation and Copper Cliff Metals & Wrecking Corporation are donating to demolish the Sunday School section of St. Mark’s Church.

Along with that City "staff is recommending that an in-house study be conducted to determine the feasibility of Whitehern Historic House and Garden staff operating St. Mark’s as a cultural programming space. Whitehern staff would administer and maintain the site including rentals to cultural groups for programming. Programming could include but not be limited to literary readings, children/adult art classes, and small theatre performances."

[SteelTown]

Development in a digital age
City gets creative online to attract business to Hamilton

June 07, 2010
Steve Arnold
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/783277

Reviving Hamilton's core and economy is not a Monday-to- Friday, 9-5 challenge.

That's why city staff are taking to the Internet in a big way to make economic development services and stories available around the clock.

The latest development, which kicked off last week, is an online application system for loans and grants under the city's downtown and community renewal programs. It follows the creation of an Internet television service to spread Hamilton's success stories around the world.

Initiatives such as these are among the reasons Hamilton's economic development website -- investinhamilton.ca -- was recently ranked one of the top operations in the country by a Montreal-based consulting firm.

"Being able to offer services like this really says something about an organization," said Ron Marini, director of downtown renewal. "If we tried to still do everything with pencil and paper, what does that say about the way we approach government?

"Now you can submit your application directly through the program," he said. "Now there's no need to come down to City Hall and you can get updates as your application moves through the process."

In an effort to jump-start the revival of several neighbourhoods, including the downtown core, Hamilton provides a number of incentive programs aimed at helping property owners ease some of the costs of making improvements.

Funds are targeted to Hamilton's six downtown areas, 13 business improvement areas and other retail strips.

Marini added he hopes the system can be adapted to the needs of other city departments.

The city's economic development department has also created its own online news agency to tell local business success stories -- stories advocates hope will attract other businesses looking for a new home.

"We looked at the future of the web and saw that social media was becoming big," said Michael Marini, the department's marketing co-ordinator. "We thought it would be great for Hamilton to create its own online news agency."

Having such a tool on its economic development website earned praise in a study conducted last year by Montreal-based E&B Data. It found many municipalities still haven't grasped everything that can be done on the web to get the message out.

Where many still consist of little more than some background information, the telephone and fax numbers of the economic development department and maybe a link to the local chamber of commerce, Hamilton, Halifax, London and Ottawa are among the few to use the full range of tools.

"Implementing new tools is never easy. However, (Hamilton) worked through the process of implementing the different Web 2.0 applications with the unconditional support of the mayor," report author Isabelle Poirier wrote.

"The Invest in Hamilton website offers over 50 bookmarking and content-sharing applications to push information across the web ... These tools are efficient and effective for viral online marketing efforts for the city."

Features such as an online database of available industrial-commercial properties, tax calculators, direct links to incentive programs, market and demographic statistics and connections to Hamilton profiles on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn have all become highly important channels. Most unique about the Hamilton site is its use of Internet television to tell its stories.

The videos, produced by Hamilton-based BizClip, tell the stories of firms that have chosen Hamilton for expansions, new plants or operations or of the homegrown companies that have succeeded beyond the local market.

The videos can easily be embedded on the Facebook accounts of Hamilton fans, spreading the message quickly around the world.

Every one of those stories, Michael Marini said, is an advertisement for Hamilton as a place to locate.

"We're starting to get followers from all over the place," he said. "We're developing a vast, online community that's following what's happening in Hamilton's economy."

Stories chosen for the web TV part of the effort have to be more than infomercials, Michael Marini said.

"Big-picture economic development news is what we're trying to highlight," he said. "It's got to have some big picture potential."

A companion site, HamiltonRenewal.ca, is being used to tell stories of downtown revival.

Where it can be difficult to measure the success of traditional marketing methods such as booths at trade fairs and advertisements in business magazines, the Internet marketing efforts can track the number of eyeballs looking at the site, and the way its information spreads through the cyber universe.

Details of the deal between Hamilton and BizClip are being treated as proprietary, but BizClip founder Moe Masoudi said the effort "is definitely still in a pilot phase, but we think it can be very profitable in the future."

Masoudi said he took the idea to the city last year, and when officials expressed some reluctance he "picked up a camera and shot a few stories myself. Once they saw it, they were sold."

He sees the Hamilton project as just the first step in an effort to develop a new kind of news channel -- one that tells stories of business expansions, openings and successes.

"There are lots of stories out there that traditional media can't cover, but InvestinHamilton TV can," he added.

"We're using this to shine another light on our city."

[crhayes]

Development in a digital age
City gets creative online to attract business to Hamilton

June 07, 2010
Steve Arnold
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/783277

Reviving Hamilton's core and economy is not a Monday-to- Friday, 9-5 challenge.

That's why city staff are taking to the Internet in a big way to make economic development services and stories available around the clock.

The latest development, which kicked off last week, is an online application system for loans and grants under the city's downtown and community renewal programs. It follows the creation of an Internet television service to spread Hamilton's success stories around the world.

Initiatives such as these are among the reasons Hamilton's economic development website -- investinhamilton.ca -- was recently ranked one of the top operations in the country by a Montreal-based consulting firm.

"Being able to offer services like this really says something about an organization," said Ron Marini, director of downtown renewal. "If we tried to still do everything with pencil and paper, what does that say about the way we approach government?

"Now you can submit your application directly through the program," he said. "Now there's no need to come down to City Hall and you can get updates as your application moves through the process."

In an effort to jump-start the revival of several neighbourhoods, including the downtown core, Hamilton provides a number of incentive programs aimed at helping property owners ease some of the costs of making improvements.

Funds are targeted to Hamilton's six downtown areas, 13 business improvement areas and other retail strips.

Marini added he hopes the system can be adapted to the needs of other city departments.

The city's economic development department has also created its own online news agency to tell local business success stories -- stories advocates hope will attract other businesses looking for a new home.

"We looked at the future of the web and saw that social media was becoming big," said Michael Marini, the department's marketing co-ordinator. "We thought it would be great for Hamilton to create its own online news agency."

Having such a tool on its economic development website earned praise in a study conducted last year by Montreal-based E&B Data. It found many municipalities still haven't grasped everything that can be done on the web to get the message out.

Where many still consist of little more than some background information, the telephone and fax numbers of the economic development department and maybe a link to the local chamber of commerce, Hamilton, Halifax, London and Ottawa are among the few to use the full range of tools.

"Implementing new tools is never easy. However, (Hamilton) worked through the process of implementing the different Web 2.0 applications with the unconditional support of the mayor," report author Isabelle Poirier wrote.

"The Invest in Hamilton website offers over 50 bookmarking and content-sharing applications to push information across the web ... These tools are efficient and effective for viral online marketing efforts for the city."

Features such as an online database of available industrial-commercial properties, tax calculators, direct links to incentive programs, market and demographic statistics and connections to Hamilton profiles on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn have all become highly important channels. Most unique about the Hamilton site is its use of Internet television to tell its stories.

The videos, produced by Hamilton-based BizClip, tell the stories of firms that have chosen Hamilton for expansions, new plants or operations or of the homegrown companies that have succeeded beyond the local market.

The videos can easily be embedded on the Facebook accounts of Hamilton fans, spreading the message quickly around the world.

Every one of those stories, Michael Marini said, is an advertisement for Hamilton as a place to locate.

"We're starting to get followers from all over the place," he said. "We're developing a vast, online community that's following what's happening in Hamilton's economy."

Stories chosen for the web TV part of the effort have to be more than infomercials, Michael Marini said.

"Big-picture economic development news is what we're trying to highlight," he said. "It's got to have some big picture potential."

A companion site, HamiltonRenewal.ca, is being used to tell stories of downtown revival.

Where it can be difficult to measure the success of traditional marketing methods such as booths at trade fairs and advertisements in business magazines, the Internet marketing efforts can track the number of eyeballs looking at the site, and the way its information spreads through the cyber universe.

Details of the deal between Hamilton and BizClip are being treated as proprietary, but BizClip founder Moe Masoudi said the effort "is definitely still in a pilot phase, but we think it can be very profitable in the future."

Masoudi said he took the idea to the city last year, and when officials expressed some reluctance he "picked up a camera and shot a few stories myself. Once they saw it, they were sold."

He sees the Hamilton project as just the first step in an effort to develop a new kind of news channel -- one that tells stories of business expansions, openings and successes.

"There are lots of stories out there that traditional media can't cover, but InvestinHamilton TV can," he added.

"We're using this to shine another light on our city."

This is awesome! This really is a good initiative by the city - as a web developer I can assure you that social media is by far one of the most important aspects in driving traffic to any web initiative. Kudos to those who worked on this project, I'm sure it will aid Hamilton in getting some well-deserved exposure.

[LikeHamilton]

Todays poll on 900 CHML

Should Hamilton follow Brantford's lead and demolish some it's aging downtown buildings?

http://www.900chml.com/

Vote! The poll at 2pm is 82.7% for yes. :hell: :hell: :hell: :hell: :censor: :censor: :censor:

You can vote only once per day. If you have access to more than one computer you can vote more often.

[Jon Dalton]

Whatever. I'd bet most of those people couldn't name one of our neglected buildings by name or street address. Some might be able to name the Connaught, but more would likely name the Lister Block, not knowing it's under restoration. They are just going from a mental image from the last time they drove down King Street probably 5 years ago, wondering why they can't make it look like up the mountain. Ignorant people are ignorant.

It's a misleading question anway, shame on CHML for asking it. "Follow Brantford's lead" ?? Insult your own city to provoke your audience?

[crhayes]

Todays poll on 900 CHML



http://www.900chml.com/

Vote! The poll at 2pm is 82.7% for yes. :hell: :hell: :hell: :hell: :censor: :censor: :censor:

You can vote only once per day. If you have access to more than one computer you can vote more often.

Eh don't take this too seriously... it's not a legitimate poll. This result is probably an artefact of the way the question was asked (people tend to agree with statements/questions versus disagree - referred to as acquiescence effect).

[SteelTown]

August Update on Downtown Priorities

Downtown redevelopment was a major theme at this year’s Hamilton Economic Summit on May 17, 2010. Delegates identified a number of priority leadership actions needed to help boost housing and job creation in our historic central downtown.

Last week, Ron Marini, Director of Downtown and Community Renewal for the City of Hamilton, submitted an update on recent activities that demonstrate achievement and momentum in revitalizing downtown Hamilton. Here are a few highlights:

1. The City of Hamilton, in partnership with the Hamilton Realty Capital Corporation, is working on a proposal for a downtown mixed-use development that includes commercial, office and housing space as well as a theatre, medical clinic and grocery store. If approved, the completion date would be 2012.

2. The City has reached out to 64 Toronto-based non-government agencies (NGOs) with an invitation to relocate to downtown Hamilton. Follow up efforts by City staff have identified four solid leads. The NGO sector, which is growing and includes many professional occupations, is a good fit for our downtown and has the potential to help increase office tenancy rates.

3. The City is conducting a first-of-its-kind survey to identify leading clusters of complementary firms now operating in downtown Hamilton (e.g., business services, etc.). This information will be used to attract similar firms and bolster existing areas of strength. The survey will be complete in early fall 2010.

4. Efforts to expand the presence of postsecondary institutions in our downtown are continuing and remain positive.

5. The City is working internally and with the province on efforts to reduce/eliminate taxes that are deemed an impediment to downtown renewal.

http://www.hamiltoneconomicsummit.ca/index.php/2010/08/august-update-on-downtown-priorities/

[matt602]

All looks great to me. :)

[SteelTown]

Moodie, Vranich to face corruption trial

TheSpec.com February 09, 2010

Former city worker and developer facing municpal corruption charges

Ontario Court Justice Bernd Zabel has ordered a former city worker and a developer to stand trial on municipal corruption charges.

Gordon Moodie, the former coordinator of Hamilton's Downtown Renewal program, was charged with municipal corruption and public breach of trust in May 2008 by the Ontario Provincial Police's anti-racket squad.

A municipal corruption charge was also laid against local businessman Denis Vranich, whom police allege paid Moodie $5,000 in November 2005 for helping his family get loans from the city's planning and economic development department, for proposed residential projects downtown.

Vranich runs several bars and restaurants in Hess Village, and the family is behind a number of local development proposals, including a hotel at Bay and Main streets.

Moodie left the employ of the City of Hamilton in April of 2009.

Municipal corruption charge dropped
Ex city staffer, local businessman cleared

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/254386--municipal-corruption-charge-dropped

A Superior Court judge has quashed a charge of municipal corruption against Hess Village businessman Denis Vranich.

In a decision released Tuesday, Justice James Ramsay also threw out a second charge of municipal corruption laid in 2008 against former city staffer Gordon Moodie.

Moodie, who at the time was the loans administrator for Hamilton's Downtown Renewal program, was accused of taking a $5,000 kickback from Vranich.

Moodie still faces one count of breach of trust involving the alleged payoff.

Denis Vranich is no longer required to appear in court as the charge against him is now gone.

Moodie was charged under Section 123 of the Criminal Code with being a municipal official and corruptly accepting a benefit from Denis Vranich, Ramsay said.

“Black’s Law Dictionary defines office as a position of duty, trust or authority, especially one conferred by a governmental authority for a public purpose, as in ‘ the office of the Attorney General,’” he noted in his ruling.

“The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines office as a position of authority or service.”

While Moodie had “trust, responsibility and influence,” in his role as loans administrator, “I do not think that there is evidence that he had authority in the sense of having the power to make binding decisions,” Ramsay ruled.

The $5,000 cheque in question was issued in November 2005 and alleged by the OPP's anti-racket squad to have been in consideration of an interest-free loan from the city for a company owned by Darko Vranich, the father of Denis Vranich.

Vranich senior had applied for a loan for a downtown development proposal. It was approved by council in 2004.

No progress was made on the development, so the City of Hamilton rescinded the loan agreement in 2007. Moodie was ordered to appear in court on Sept. 17 to set a date for his trial on the breach of trust charge.

[emge]

Ginormous, ugly, electronic bylaw-breaking sign is back up at Delta Bingo. I sent it in to bylaw but hope some others complain about it again

It was put up months ago, then taken down after complaints -- I think they're giving it another go.

[SteelTown]

College aims to convert downtown building into residence

HAMILTON SPECTATOR
http://www.thespec.com/news/article/255059--college-aims-to-convert-downtown-building-into-residence

Students have certainly returned to the Westdale area, but Southern Ontario College is hoping to bring more young adults downtown as well.

Bob Glaister, owner and director of the small international college on York Boulevard, recently purchased a four-storey apartment building on Charlton Avenue East which he plans to turn into a student residence.

He and partner Brian Inglis are hoping to use the $640,000 building to kick-start a new wave of student interest and activity in the Corktown area.

Many of the 100 students at the international prep school billet with families in the Hamilton area, but the new residence will offer a housing alternative for some.

“Our plan is to eventually convert (the building) into a monitored and controlled student residence,” said Glaister. An on-site supervisor will live in the building to keep watch over the young tenants.

“We’ve had a lot of interest, especially from some of our Chinese students, in starting a small residence.”

The building has 17 individual units, and will offer two kinds of rooms for students: a “bachelor” unit at roughly 400 square feet, and a larger one-bedroom apartment.

“We would maybe put two students in the one-bedroom unit, and one student in the bachelor,” said Glaister. Rental fees will be rolled into students’ tuition.

The property is currently home to a few “sketchy” tenants, said Glaister, who began issuing eviction notices earlier this week.

Southern Ontario College hopes to keep four or five of the current tenants in the building — residents whom Glaister refers to as “good, decent people who don’t cause problems.”

“I realize there are some people who need that low-income housing, and it is reasonably cheap. I think we’re charging $400 or $450 per month.”

Glaister is hoping to have students in the building by January.

Longtime Ward 2 Councilor Bob Bratina welcomed the idea of more students in the core, and said moving existing tenants out of the building was “not necessarily a bad thing.”

He feels downtown residents with mental health problems or money issues shouldn’t be living alone “in squalor,” and that the city should help them find different lodgings with appropriate support systems in place.

“Those residences are often in very poor condition,” said Bratina. “In this case, the building will definitely be upgraded ... we feel that students are part of the rejuvenation of downtown, and we want more.”

Glaister said the Charlton Avenue property is in relatively good shape, but will require a cleanup and some renovations before students move in.

[SteelTown]

When did the City install the new waterfall fountain at York and Dundurn? I just noticed it now.

[LikeHamilton]

When did the City install the new waterfall fountain at York and Dundurn? I just noticed it now.

It is a few weeks old. Chris Ecklund paid for it out of his own pocket. I have seen it and I like it. We need more water features in this city.

[holymoly]

Is the water always bright blue? It was when I last passed it. I like the waterfall but wasn't keen on the colour job. Natural-looking moving water is lovely on its own.

[realcity]

Delta Bingo is the only thing that looks OPEN downtown at nite. Well that and the PizzaPizza.

[matt602]

Good god, I'm sure you could see that annoying delta bingo LED board from space.

[emge]

Looking at the city's sign bylaw, it has to be breaking some rules on size for electronic signs and such, so I put a complaint into bylaw and got no response. I can't imagine they would have received any special permission for it.

[drpgq]

Some excellent news, Treble Hall finally sold and being renovated:

http://www.thespec.com/living/article/279390--where-did-that-place-come-from

[holymoly]

Some excellent news, Treble Hall finally sold and being renovated:
Fantastic!! I love the bit about keeping the Pagoda sign. I used to spend a lot of time up there, some 30 years ago.

[markhornich]

i've always loved Treble Hall. this is great news

[Jon Dalton]

That's fantastic. Best downtown news in a while. That stretch of John is one of the last full streetwall blocks we have left, hopefully with the cornerstone of the block looked after others will follow suit.

[SteelTown]

Excellent news!

[matt602]

This is hugely great news. I am freaking stoked for this one.

[SteelTown]

City’s core headed in right direction

Steve Arnold
http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/305911--city-s-core-headed-in-right-direction

Ron Marini had barely settled into his new job as director of Hamilton’s downtown renewal project when The Spectator hit the streets with a multi-part series on the problems of vacant buildings and crime that were crippling the core of the city.

Now, a decade later and on the eve of his retirement, Marini can look at that list of problems and point to real progress in the long fight to drive the rot from the core.

The former planning director of the City of Stoney Creek during the days of regional government, Marini was named downtown director in 2000 when the new amalgamated City of Hamilton was formed.

“We knew that there were some serious issues to be addressed right from the start,” he said.

Charged with overseeing the revival of the core area bounded by Queen, Victoria, Cannon and Hunter streets, with a spine running up James Street from LIUNA Station to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marini tackled the problem by looking for a series of victories, rather than a knockout mega project.

It started with an exercise asking when was the core of Hamilton at its best?

Some participants remembered the 1996 Grey Cup, some talked about the 2003 World Cycling Championships – but a common theme to all the memories was a time when people came into the core and felt safe.

“Everybody said downtown was just a rocking place then,” Marini recalled. “We had tents set up and everybody felt safe.

“That was the empirical experience. We asked what did we do to create that. That was the challenge to ferret out from the property standards people, bylaw people to see what they did during those times.”

Seeing a goal, the next challenge was to get city council to agree to spend the money needed to achieve that vision. Councillors got behind the project – led by then-Ward 2 councillor Andrea Horwath.

“We had to identify the level of service and the dollars needed to reach that level of service,” he said. “It took about seven years to get council to approve the numbers needed to move those yardsticks. Council has been very receptive and responsive and responsible.”

Making people feel safe in the core of Hamilton required the co-operation of several city departments, with a heavy reliance on the police.

“They really worked to make the downtown a ‘no go zone’ for a lot of bad actors. People were being made uncomfortable downtown by a lot of things,” Marini said. A frail elderly woman could feel threatened by a skateboarder or someone riding a bicycle on the sidewalk while others could feel uncomfortable by a group of people standing around in front of a building.

He knew he was making progress when the property manager of two important downtown buildings voluntarily said she felt the atmosphere had improved.

“That’s one of our major, major accomplishments, to get a lot of bad actors out of downtown.”

Another was to drive out of the core some businesses that weren’t making it the kind of place people would want to come.

“The city spent money wisely getting rid of businesses we really didn’t want downtown, businesses that didn’t give us the right impression about being downtown,” he said, noting an important victory was getting a strip club out of the core.

That building is to be replaced by a housing project with money put up by the city.

Several housing projects in the core have helped to boost the area’s image. Another major victory will be getting a grocery store back in the heart of the city – something Marini said may happen soon on land near the police headquarters.

Infrastructure projects, such as the redevelopment of the Farmers’ Market, while keeping the existing merchants together in vacant parts of Jackson Square, have also been important steps.

“Look at York Boulevard now and it’s a completely different street with an entirely different feel. When people start patronizing the area it will get even better,” he said.

More important steps may be available now, Marini said, with the stadium debate almost finished. That could free up money from the city’s Future Fund for important projects in the core.

“There has been momentum. Maybe now with the stadium decisions there’s a chance to use money from the Future Fund for important projects downtown,” he said. “If we were able to lever money out of the Future Fund for this we could really accomplish something for the core.”

Some of those projects could involve financial aid for getting more educational institutions in the core. McMaster University already has its continuing education division in the old courthouse but further projects have been pushed to the back burner by the school’s focus on its newly opened Burlington campus. Until then there may also be an opportunity to get Mohawk or Redeemer University College downtown.

After 10 years of effort downtown Hamilton today houses a workforce of 23,000 people. Many are government workers, following a city council decision to make the downtown the governance centre for the region. About 71 per cent of the workers hold well-paid, full-time jobs. That’s important because those workers could be the honey that attracts specialty shops to the area.

“These aren’t part-time jobs. They’re very well paid,” he said. “It’s not a shrinking workforce. It’s an increasing workforce.

“Downtown has always been for specialty shopping, the things you can’t find in malls.”

The current office vacancy rate in the core is about 12.5 per cent – shy of council’s goal of 10 per cent “but heading in the right direction,” Marini said.

[LikeHamilton]

Ron Marini, director of Hamilton’s downtown renewal projects, was on Bill Kelly on Friday and he said he and staff had recently met with a developer and his Montreal based Architect. The developer wanted his Architect to talk to staff to find out the vision and direction the city wanted in the area so the approval process would be smother. He said this was on George Street (Hess Village) and included 2 Hotels!

(This is being posted in “Downtown Update” & “Hotel Developments”)

[realcity]

What's that development at Main and around Kenilworth. ? A new infill.. amazingly it's over 2-stories tall?

[markhornich]

i was talking to the guys in the co-op across the street. i don't remember exactly, but i think that the third story is just an addition to the building that existed there (the one on main, i dont know about the one on kenilworth just north of main).

i think it belongs to a church/is a church, and they are just expanding with some ground level retail. the New Hope Bike Co-Op will move into that building when it's done. i'm assuming it's all some church related thing.

i dont know if the development on kenilworth, essentially next to the one on main, is related, but it seems like it. in any case, nice to see some renovation on that corner.

[emge]

I remembered an article in the Spec about that co-op last year (before the theft/recovery incident) - I think this might be it. I wasn't paying attention when I went by last though, so this may be on the other side of the street or something:

http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/29972--new-hope-lives-on-main-east

Looks like Homestead owns the building, and is looking to do a community centre, space for the church, the bike co-op, and affordable housing units.

[realcity]

what's going on beside the TimH across from the General? It looks like a parking garage let's hope not.

[matt602]

Close. Just more parking for the hospital... not even a garage.

As usual, excellent land use.

[realcity]

omg frig off HHS, big surprise. That western paved paradise wasn't big enough? They only just paved that a couple years ago.

O I get it. That one was for employees, this one will be a paid-parking lot for visitors to visit loved ones. Can't put a price on that.. I say $5 min, with a max of $19 after 3 hours... that's how sick they charge.... parking revenue is huge for HHS. (Interesting that the Ticats are evil for wanting parking revenue, but not HHS)

These HHS guys can do whatever they want. Lets hold them to the same standard of "city building", that we expect from other institutions, *ahem* like Ticats are held to..

[matt602]

Maybe Bob Young can build the the Pan Am stadium on one of HHS' parking lots? After this one, there would probably be enough room for two stadiums, an arena and 3 drive-thru Tim Hortons.

[realcity]

haha exactly.

someone needs to explain Barton St to me.
- two way roads
- buses
- intact streetwall
- traffic that crawls barely over 35km
- anchored by a huge regional hospital

and yet the strip (Victoria to Sherman) is a disaster. I don't get it. It has all the 'city building' elements in place. Makes me believe that 2-way roads, transit and an anchor building have nothing to do with 'city building'. help me out here. What's needed for Barton Village to thrive again.?

[NorthEndRules]

Unfortunately, that part of town will not be an attractive area to live and work until the heavy factories and their associations are gone. Most people don't choose to live near heavy industry (perceived pollution: soil, air, noise)

[markhornich]

I think Barton will have its day again. Right now you can live just about anywhere in this city for relatively cheap so nobody chooses Barton area. There are more central/desirable locations to rent or buy for cheap.

The strip from James to Wellington is also pretty sparse in commercial terms, so there isn't really a way for anything positive to spread.. (like if there was pretty solid streetwall there i could see James North spreading down Barton). I do see Barton as an artsy street someday when James gets too expensive, but who knows when.

Unfortunately there is nothing else near Barton street... nothing noteworthy on Cannon really, or any of the north-south streets. The good thing is that there is steady residential on the north side until lottridge (where the streetwall basically ends).

The industry is a factor too. As for buses and the anchor building... the new hospital parking lots don't suggest that people are doing anything other than driveway to driveway and that's not expected to change.

My most realistic case for renewal of Barton is essentially some gentrification of other parts of town (namely James N) and a massive migration of artists. I suppose some arts-related anchor building(s) might help that, and then as the strip between Victoria and Wentworth starts to get trendy you will begin to get some foot traffic from hospital visitors/staff as well.

[matt602]

There is actually some very small changes to Barton between Wentworth and Victoria. A few apartment buildings have been renovated and some empty storefronts have been filled in the past year or two. I agree that Barton has some really good bones to it but the industry and lack of nearby amenities keeps it from thriving. The big problem is that Barton gets really gap toothed both West of Victoria and East of Lottridge. Lots of parking lots and strip malls. The "Centre on Barton" certainly hasn't helped anything.

[highwater]

I agree that Barton has some really good bones to it but the industry and lack of nearby amenities keeps it from thriving.

This kind of thing probably doesn't help either:

http://www.raisethehammer.org/article/1273/#comment-54234

[drpgq]

haha exactly.

someone needs to explain Barton St to me.
- two way roads
- buses
- intact streetwall
- traffic that crawls barely over 35km
- anchored by a huge regional hospital

and yet the strip (Victoria to Sherman) is a disaster. I don't get it. It has all the 'city building' elements in place. Makes me believe that 2-way roads, transit and an anchor building have nothing to do with 'city building'. help me out here. What's needed for Barton Village to thrive again.?

Barton always makes me believe, that while two way streets can help a bit, they're a pretty minor factor that people grasp at as an easy solution.

[flar]

haha exactly.

someone needs to explain Barton St to me.
- two way roads
- buses
- intact streetwall
- traffic that crawls barely over 35km
- anchored by a huge regional hospital

and yet the strip (Victoria to Sherman) is a disaster. I don't get it. It has all the 'city building' elements in place. Makes me believe that 2-way roads, transit and an anchor building have nothing to do with 'city building'. help me out here. What's needed for Barton Village to thrive again.?

It makes a much more walkable and pleasant environment for the prostitutes and drug addicts who frequent the area. Two way streets, transit and streetwalls are not a panacea, but they make a big difference if you have the most important things: the right people and money. Unfortunately for Barton, in addition to the poverty and desperation, the area suffers from a horrible reputation and proximity to heavy industry.

[emge]

Because of the reputation of the area, correspondingly better reasons to leave the hospital (more attractive amenities) are needed nearby to make people leave the hospital on breaks/lunches/etc.

A few really good lunch businesses nearby could do well, like Nina's outside of the Juravinski. The Tim Hortons near HGH is pretty much always packed with families and staff as well. But getting other chains to locate there, given the area's reputation, is a tough sell.

[drpgq]

http://www.thespec.com/news/business/article/475520--downtown-is-a-happenin-place
Downtown is a happenin' place

The face of downtown jobs

It's a surprising picture of Hamilton's downtown.

The city's core is adding jobs and residents — a total of 2,700 since 2001. More than 1,600 businesses now employ 23,400 people, making average salaries well above the city and provincial averages. The majority of those jobs are in government or professional, scientific or financial fields.

And more downtown people work in creative sectors such as design, music, digital media and the arts than in education and manufacturing combined. That all points to Hamilton making the transition from a manufacturing-based city to a player in the new knowledge economy.

These are some of the major findings of a report, Working in the Core, commissioned by the city to shed light on Hamilton's downtown employment. It calls the core an “economic powerhouse” and says “downtown will be Hamilton's calling card to attract next generation talent and provide diverse and well-paying economic opportunities.”

More than three-quarters of the jobs downtown are full-time and the average salary was $53,926, according to 2006 data. That's well above the city and provincial averages of $39,500 and $37,700.

The study will be an important marketing tool for the city's economic development team, says Glen Norton, acting director of the city's downtown and community renewal division. It paints a new picture of the core for the major retailers and other employers the city wants to attract, he says.

“This shows the vibrancy of the downtown and how it's growing. That's important to companies like Nike or Lululemon or Apple.”

The job numbers surprised even Paul Shaker, planner with the Centre for Community Study, a Hamilton-based urban research firm that produced the study.

“This shows the downtown is a major employment node and it's not often recognized as that. It's the single biggest cluster in the city.”

He said the numbers should counter the prevailing misconception that Hamilton's downtown is in decline. “It's important to send a message within Hamilton and outside about the opportunities in our downtown and what exists there already.”

Shaker said the city must treat the downtown as a business park to be developed, and focus on helping existing clusters grow. That includes, he says, making strategic investments in light-rail transit and a creative catalyst that will attract knowledge-based companies and workers.

It also means making decisions about development in all areas of the city based on what it will mean for the downtown, says Shaker. “For example, should new office developments be allowed on the urban periphery when there is office vacancy in the downtown commercial office district? All decisions should reinforce the renewal of the core to ensure its long-term vibrancy as an economic engine.”

Hamilton already has interesting urban architecture, lots of space for intensification, plenty of downtown amenities and development incentives and high affordability, he says.

No one needs to tell Josh Gordon, 24, that Hamilton's downtown is a great place to work. He's one of the much-sought-after “next generation” of talent. His age group is highly mobile and motivated by quality of life considerations more than job openings, say experts.

A designer at Kitestring Creative Branding Studio on James Street South for close to a year, Gordon says he feels connected to the city by living and working downtown.

“I love the character of the downtown. There is so much personality … Downtown is exciting and full of energy. There are so many shops, restaurants and theatre. Everything is always alive.”

Norton says attracting university and college campuses downtown, to keep more young talent in Hamilton, is one of his department's targets. He said McMaster University is searching for a site for a digital media school.

The downtown study is based on a 2010 door-to-door survey of businesses in the area bounded by Hunter, Queen and Cannon streets and Victoria Avenue, and both sides of James Street from the CN railway to Charlton Avenue.

The survey data, combined with population statistics, leads to an estimated density of 189 residents and jobs per hectare in 2010. The city's official plan, based on provincial urban growth targets, has set a goal of 250 residents and jobs per downtown hectare by 2031.

But the city needs to add about 12,000 people living or working downtown over the next 20 years to meet the target and will fall short if it doesn't increase the rate of growth of about 300 per year over the last decade.

“There should be the same concerted approach that there was to developing shovel-ready greenfields in the city over the last 10 to 15 years,” said Shaker. “The downtown has to have a similar focus and sense of urgency.”

Paul Bedford, Toronto's former chief planner, says Hamilton “lends itself easily to intensification in housing and jobs. Light-rail transit is the glue that could spark it and hold it all together.”

Visitors and potential investors in a city draw conclusions based on their perceptions of a downtown, says Bedford.

“It's the heart of a city. It pumps the system and makes the whole city work. If people don't think it matters, go to Buffalo or Detroit and see when it doesn't work.”

mmacleod@thespec.com

905-526-3408

• 6,264 in government (including police)

• 4,055 in professional and scientific occupations

• 3,656 in retail and entertainment

• 3,014 in finance, insurance and real estate

• 1,734 in health care and social services

• 1,387 in creative industries

• 862 in nonprofit

• 598 in education

• 568 in manufacturing

What's downtown

• 110 law firms

• 74 restaurants

• 73 specialty stores (florists, antique dealers, cellphone retailers, etc.)

• 61 cosmetic services providers

• 56 bars, lounges and clubs

• 55 fast food outlets

• 48 clothing retailers

• 40 coffee shops

[drpgq]

^^^
I'm wondering how many of those 110 law firms are actually multilawyer firms and not just sole practitioners.

[emge]

I don't know if I've said it before on here, but I had a job last summer working administration and i would constantly hear things like "well so and so likes to meet at Starbucks, but we're meeting someone downtown and there isn't one close enough... so just book the Hamilton Club"

I hope articles like this wake up chains to the fact that there need to be appropriate places to do business and hold meetings - that are familiar to people coming into town from other places.

[SteelTown]

There was a rumour about Williams at the Foster building but I guess that never materialized.

[emge]

Unfortunately not --- I know most coffee chains have a fairly hefty franchise fee involved, but more so than that it's the willingness of their administration to believe the location can be profitable - another safeguard built into these franchises, obviously. It would be hard to convince Starbucks, who doesn't franchise, to locate in downtown - but also fairly hard to get a Second Cup franchise here either because you need both investment capital and cooperation on their part. Unless there's enough evidence of a market now.

[SteelTown]

$100-million development planned for downtown

By Kevin Werner/News staff
News
Feb 13, 2011
http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/news/article/229450

Converting Caroline Street to two-way traffic in downtown Hamilton is the linch-pin to the development of a $100-million downtown development, says a prominent local developer.

Darko Vranich, president and chief executive officer of Vrancor Group, said the city needs to convert the current one-way traffic along Caroline Street to two-way to make his proposed residential and commercial development from Bay to Caroline streets work.

“Two-way on Caroline is key to the development,” said Vranich.

The proposed scheme includes building three 25-storey towers for residential and possibly senior condominiums, and two hotels. Vranich said he could begin construction on the hotel at George and Caroline streets within six months.

“I’m ready to go,” said Vranich. “I’m looking forward to working with the city staff and planning committee.”

He said there will be 800 underground parking spaces, and along George Street there will be commercial spaces. But to make the development work, he said, people must be able to drive along Caroline from Main Street to get to George Street. He said if all goes well, the development could be completed within five years.

“We’ve done the market studies, (and they) support very well what we are doing. Hamilton is ready (for the hotels).”

City tourism officials have lamented the lack of hotel rooms necessary for the city to host large conventions, and provincial or national sporting events. Vranich also owns the Sheraton Hotel.

“We need hotels,” he said.

Vranich had built a Staybridge Suite Hotel at the corner of Caroline and Market streets, but had it converted into senior apartments.

Vranich had been battling the city over an existing parking lot he set up the corner of Bay and Main streets. He had demolished the former Hamilton Motor Products, and under his company Vrancor Group, was planning to construct a Hilton Hotel. Instead, he built a parking lot that city officials argued was illegal.

Holding up the development was the public outcry that Vranich was going to demolish the Revenue Building on Bay and Caroline streets, which contained valuable sculptures crafted by Hamilton artist Dr. Elizabeth Holbrook.

Vranich, who purchased the building in 2004, and discovered that a covenant existed on the building that protected the art work, announced he was donating the friezes to the city.

The city did issue a demolition permit to Vranich, but he is unclear as to when he will use it. He is planning to build the condominium towers at the location of the federal building.

“I’m not ready to go for demolition,” he said. “Let’s do the first thing first. Remove the art work from the building and give it to the city. I want the people of Hamilton to enjoy the art. I’m happy to do it.”