95 King St. East | ? | 3 fl | Approved [Archive]

SteelTown

Nov 13, 2009, 12:08 PM

From strip club to arts centre

November 13, 2009
Eric McGuinness
Special to the Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/671985

CityHousing Hamilton boss Keith Extance wants to convert a boarded-up former strip club at 95 King St. E. into an arts centre featuring a two-storey, glass-fronted entry court with 10 artist studios upstairs.

Extance recently persuaded his agency's board of directors to approve spending $3.5 million to turn the building into a "creative catalyst" on the rundown north side of King between James and Catharine streets. It would also complement CityHousing's new Gore Building next door.

CityHousing bought the building last December and cancelled the adult entertainment licence. A study found it's structurally sound and worth saving.

Extance sees an opportunity to create a high-profile home for a local arts group and affordable live-work space that might entice graduating McMaster University fine arts students to stay around.

He says: "The city is trying to promote the creative industry and this could be a catalyst. It's been fully endorsed by the board, but we're still looking for that last little bit of funding before we go ahead."

CityHousing has already met with a group of artists to get advice on what would attract them -- slop sinks, for one, a feature not included in most apartments.

"We want to build it to make sure they come," he says. "The last thing I want is vacant units."

Extance is also working with city culture manager Anna Bradford to identify prospective tenants for the first floor and basement.

When the centre is up and running, CityHousing expects either to mortgage it or sell it, and possibly the Gore Building as well, to raise money for other projects.

http://media.hamiltonspectator.topscms.com/images/70/f3/498f1b94490599474e890de5106e.jpeg

FairHamilton

Nov 13, 2009, 1:54 PM

1. Since they are using the term "Creative Catalyst". Is this the plan we paid consultants $150,000K to come up with, http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=170509&highlight=150%2C000? Or is "creative catalyst" now just one of those annoying catch phrases?

2. In my opinion, it should have been used for a CSI type (or Cossart Exchange from what I understand of it) office space, http://socialinnovation.ca/. We need space downtown that brings many young, artistic, energetic people downtown to work and create wealth. Not residential space for 10 people (20 if they are couples). Starving artists need to sell their work, that means you need people in the area who have jobs.

I recall Emge mentioned in one thread that Freeway Cafe was pretty dead this past summer. Slow except for BizClip employees, who worked just up the street. I am now convinced our politicians don't understand there is a connection between employed people, and them spending money in businesses local to their workplace.

Zaz

Nov 13, 2009, 2:32 PM

This is a cool project. Together with the Connaught renovation across the street, it could indeed become the creative catalyst for that stretch of King St. Add Rapid Transit to the mix for easy accessibility to and from Mac, and I am getting excited about it. I think Harry Stinson's contrarian position (http://www.thespec.com/article/649563) on Connaught makes sense now in light of this new development.

realcity

Nov 13, 2009, 2:59 PM

.... trust me there will be nothing creative about it... It;s a Housing Project... one to match the Connaught across the street,

realcity

Nov 13, 2009, 2:59 PM

I'd rather it be a strip joint

SteelTown

Nov 13, 2009, 3:03 PM

.... trust me there will be nothing creative about it... It;s a Housing Project... one to match the Connaught across the street,

When the centre is up and running, CityHousing expects either to mortgage it or sell it, and possibly the Gore Building as well, to raise money for other projects.

It's not an affordable housing project.

crhayes

Nov 13, 2009, 5:13 PM

I can't believe some of you can't see anything positive in this proposal. Sure it does not bring any businesses to the core, but think about what it does to transform the streetscape. It's contributing art to the core in conjunction with urban design principles. Furthermore it's attracting artists to live there, and it is in close proximity with James North. Artists could live on King and have a gallery or shop on James North.

matt602

Nov 13, 2009, 5:29 PM

I'd rather it be a strip joint

Seriously, what's with your pessimism on this site? This is a wonderful project and beside being funded by CityHousing, it isn't anything like what is proposed for the Connaught. I mean, look at the design. It's not exactly Toronto quality but it certainly breaks out of the usual generic mould for Hamilton building designs.

highwater

Nov 13, 2009, 6:09 PM

Furthermore it's attracting artists to live there, and it is in close proximity with James North. Artists could live on King and have a gallery or shop on James North.

And who's going to buy the art that will keep the galleries open and the artists in groceries? FairHamilton's right. We need more businesses downtown so there will be more people with disposable income to support the arts. We're planting artists downtown and forgetting to water them.

I predict an exodus of artists in the next 5 - 10 years if we don't get more private sector economic development in this town. What good is cheap live/work space if there's no one who can afford to buy your work?

SteelTown

Nov 13, 2009, 6:38 PM

Since the Stelco smokestacks have switched back online the Debbie the Downer syndrome has come in full swing.

FairHamilton

Nov 13, 2009, 6:52 PM

My point is that we need operations that bring 50, 75, 100+ people into the core every day to do business, and spend money.

That building could easily have 50+ people working out of it, maybe 100+. They wouldn't all be there full time (though some would). They would come and go at different times of the day, and different days of the month. This provides people on street, activity, vibrancy.

Live work spaces are really, really cool. But also very insular, artist will work where they live, and live where they work. This limits the need to venture out as often.

The arts scene in Hamilton have been very grassroots and has established with limited city involvement. In fact, in some instances it's established in spite of city involvement (i.e. The Pearl Company).

The city needs young, vibrant people who work to create jobs & wealth in our core. In short, the city needs people who'll support the arts & the artists.

The starving artist image is not a joke or cliché. Artists in Canada on average earn something like $13,000 – well below the poverty line. So over the years I’ve covered peoples rent, cut them breaks, let them pay late, and in some cases had to ask people to leave because it simply wasn’t going to happen. I hate doing that – only had to do it once actually.

Source: http://www.thehamiltonian.net/2009/10/10-tough-questions-with-jeremy.html

IMO, the city missed an opportunity with this building. I'm sure that Jeremy Freiburger wouldn't need to think twice at launching his Cossart Exchange in that building.

FairHamilton

Nov 13, 2009, 7:07 PM

BTW, I'm not being negative on the buildings use. I think it will be a positive, it's just I think my suggested use would be a greater positive.

Blurr

Nov 13, 2009, 7:33 PM

My point is that we need operations that bring 50, 75, 100+ people into the core every day to do business, and spend money.

The city needs young, vibrant people who work to create jobs & wealth in our core. In short, the city needs people who'll support the arts & the artists.

Yes the city needs a young pro business leader to take the top job. Someone not associated with the unions or the old club.

realcity

Nov 13, 2009, 8:01 PM

Who's to say it will only be artists living there? Are you going to have to produce 5 samples of work to be able to buy a unit.

this is so bogus. Rember Terraces on King started out as high-end condos. Connaught was going to be redeveloped into a 5-star hotel. Trust me. this will not look like that rendering and it will be public housing.

adam

Nov 13, 2009, 10:38 PM

This is a very important area, right around the gore in the heart of the downtown. With the new farmer's market and library, redone gore park, this area is definitely going to attract some forward thinking creative types. We can't snap our fingers and expect things to happen the same way they do in a 1 hour tv show, change is slow, it is in fact happening, however.

SteelTown

Dec 3, 2009, 8:15 PM

It's actually going forward in 2010, part of the 2010 Budget.. I'll change this from Proposal to Approved.

realcity

Feb 26, 2010, 4:46 PM

Are there any signs this is starting soon? Does anyone know?

SteelTown

Jun 25, 2010, 5:27 PM

Former strip club to become artist live/work space

June 25, 2010
BY PAUL MORSE
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/796375

A former downtown strip club is about to be transformed into a place for artists to live and work.

Hamilton councillors, sitting as committee of the whole, have just agreed to spend a further $900,000 to turn the defunct Maxim's and Foxes Den strip club at 95 King St. E. into rental units and commercial work space. About $2.6 million has already been committed to the project.

"This is the first of its kind in Hamilton," CityHousing Hamilton director and CEO Brenda Osborne told The Spectator earlier this week.

Councillors, in committee of the whole, recommended the $900,00 be released from council's strategic capital initiatives fund.

The city bought the building, at 95 King St. E., in late 2008 and cancelled the adult entertainment licence. Last year, CityHousing Hamilton developed a $3.49-million plan to turn it into an arts centre with a two-storey glass fronted entry court with 10 artist studios above.

The city has been keen to revitalize the rundown north side of King between John and Catharine streets, and to help protect the neighbouring Gore Building.

drpgq

Jun 25, 2010, 6:30 PM

That's good news, but I have to wonder about the cost effectiveness. 3.5 million for ten units? That's a lot per unit.

Former strip club to become artist live/work space

June 25, 2010
BY PAUL MORSE
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/796375

A former downtown strip club is about to be transformed into a place for artists to live and work.

Hamilton councillors, sitting as committee of the whole, have just agreed to spend a further $900,000 to turn the defunct Maxim's and Foxes Den strip club at 95 King St. E. into rental units and commercial work space. About $2.6 million has already been committed to the project.

"This is the first of its kind in Hamilton," CityHousing Hamilton director and CEO Brenda Osborne told The Spectator earlier this week.

Councillors, in committee of the whole, recommended the $900,00 be released from council's strategic capital initiatives fund.

The city bought the building, at 95 King St. E., in late 2008 and cancelled the adult entertainment licence. Last year, CityHousing Hamilton developed a $3.49-million plan to turn it into an arts centre with a two-storey glass fronted entry court with 10 artist studios above.

The city has been keen to revitalize the rundown north side of King between John and Catharine streets, and to help protect the neighbouring Gore Building.

SteelTown

Mar 18, 2011, 3:39 PM

Stinson questions city’s $3.4-million plan
Andrew Dreschel

Developer Harry Stinson wants to turn a former downtown strip club, now owned by the city, into a hotel and showcase music venue.

Problem is, the city has its own plans for the joint. CityHousing is planning on spending $3.4 million to build 10 rental units for artists and a commercial work space.

Stinson questions whether that’s good use of taxpayer money.

“It’s a public entity and I think there’s a responsibility to ask if this is the best and highest use of city funds,” he says.

According to Brenda Osborne, CEO of CityHousing, Stinson approached them with a purchase offer for 95 King St. E. — formerly home to Maxim’s and the Foxes Den — about a month ago.

Rest: http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/503471--stinson-questions-city-s-3-4-million-plan

realcity

Mar 19, 2011, 2:59 AM

Sell it to Stinson. CityHousing has been sitting on these plans forever.

LikeHamilton

May 2, 2011, 3:48 PM

This tender closed on Thursday.

Proposal for Prime Consultant Services Required for 95 King Street East Redevelopment

This is the list of Architects that picked up a copy of the proposal. The first 5 are located downtown:-

Garwood -Jones & Hanham
TCA - Thier & Curran Architects Inc
Lintack Architects In.
David Premi Architect inc.
McCallum Sather Architects Inc.
Grguric Architect Incorporated
Karp Namisniak Yamamoto Architects Inc.
RAW Design
Maged Basilious Architect
John MacDonald Architect

SteelTown

May 31, 2012, 12:50 AM

It's moving along, asking for variances.

thistleclub

Dec 9, 2012, 5:08 PM

City Housing Hamilton completed the Gore Building (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=140390) around four and a half years ago, and the 1,780 sq ft of ground floor retail has been vacant ever since. Now the hoarding and signage is up and City Housing (via TCA (http://www.tcarch.ca/projects.php?projectID=152)) is undertaking the project next door.

According to CHH documents from 2009 (http://cityhousinghamilton.com/userfiles/file/BOD_documents/BOD20090916/Report%2309040_95KingStEArtLive_Work_rev.pdf), 95 King Street East’s total completion cost was initially pegged at $3,489,500 ($3,724,165 in 2012 CAD), “to create a 10-unit artists live/work development with ground floor commercial.” (The valuation below the TCA render is a more modest $2.9m, marginally less than the $3.5m cited for 118 James North (http://www.tcarch.ca/projects.php?projectID=147).) Another option on the table at the time was "a true live/work arrangement," meaning 7 larger units rather than 10 residential units fitted with buzzwords.

Although City Housing Hamilton had only seen a year of ground-floor vacancy in the Gore Building at that point, the authors noted: “There is a strong probability of an uneven income stream and initial rent-up and on-going rent-up at unit turnover would be longer recognizing the desired occupancy for artists only.”

They continued: “Upon fiscal stability, CHH will consider either selling the property outright, possibly in tandem with the adjacent “Gore Building”, or securing a mortgage and utilizing the equity for other revitalization development initiatives. Attached as Appendix “B” is an operating cost pro forma that estimates upon full occupancy will generate an annual surplus of approximately $76,400.”

One wonders what the balance sheet for the Gore Building looks like.

Jon Dalton

Dec 9, 2012, 5:36 PM

It should be worth noting that about 3 years after this sudden glut of new retail space due to new housing developments, stuff is eventually filling up. Burrito Boyz has made great use of the ground floor of Victoria Hall, Coffee Culture is setting up in the Gore Building and a home decorating store in the Terraces on King.

thistleclub

Dec 9, 2012, 7:25 PM

Coffee Culture is setting up in the Gore Building

Hadn't had a look recently. Any idea when it's slated to open?

CaptainKirk

Dec 9, 2012, 11:53 PM

And a coffee shop around the corner in Treble hall?

drpgq

Dec 10, 2012, 12:03 AM

Ugh, four and a half years. The city truly is an incompetent landlord.

Isn't coffee culture still looking for a franchisee? Probably the premium rent the city is charging isn't helping. I'll bet the Treble Hall coffee place will open far faster than the Coffee Culture one.

Pearlstreet

Dec 10, 2012, 5:26 AM

The city should clean up that Boy's Toys used garbage store across the street. It's the store with used bicycles, broken windows and crap piled up against the glass so high you can't see in. I wouldn't open a business next to that.

beanmedic

Dec 10, 2012, 7:05 AM

Hadn't had a look recently. Any idea when it's slated to open?

work on the inside is starting soon.

pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Dec 10, 2012, 9:06 AM

The city should clean up that Boy's Toys used garbage store across the street. It's the store with used / stolen bicycles, broken windows and crap piled up against the glass so high you can't see in. I wouldn't open a business next to that.

I wanted to change that for you. I had a bike stolen out of my backyard a few years back turn up there.

Underneath that sh*t sign is a decent building, not unlike the one just up the street at John, also covered from head to toe. The City needs to address that sort of signage.

matt602

Dec 10, 2012, 10:20 PM

The dollar store a few doors East is also a massive, old warehouse building that sits completely vacant aside from the first floor. A guy who worked there a few years ago gave me and a friend a peak of the upstairs. We boarded one of those really old freight elevators with the metal gate and manual operation to get up there. It's all wooden floors and brick walls, much like the Cannon Knitting Mills. It's been sitting empty for many decades now, complete with covered over massive windows that would look over King Street.

Pearlstreet

Dec 11, 2012, 1:04 AM

A bit off topic of 95 King Street, except that the surrounding buildings contribute to the difficulty they have finding tenants. I would love to see the downtown migrate eastward and help the tougher areas just beside the core.

The dollar store a few doors East is also a massive, old warehouse building that sits completely vacant aside from the first floor. A guy who worked there a few years ago gave me and a friend a peak of the upstairs. We boarded one of those really old freight elevators with the metal gate and manual operation to get up there. It's all wooden floors and brick walls, much like the Cannon Knitting Mills. It's been sitting empty for many decades now, complete with covered over massive windows that would look over King Street.

Interesting! What a massive waste of space if only using the floor level.

Is that marble under it the metal ugly siding?

I wonder if anyone has pictures of what the once looked like.

http://i45.tinypic.com/1zed2tt.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/ek43sk.jpg

pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Dec 11, 2012, 1:50 AM

That building is the perfect candidate for renewal. I'd love to see what it looks like with that nasty metal cladding removed. No idea what it was, aside from probably being a warehouse.

palace1

Dec 11, 2012, 2:22 PM

I remember it being a Bargain Harold's but the building has painted signs indicating it was once Home Furniture, Established 1908.

A prime candidate for Hamilton's worst facade...

thistleclub

Dec 11, 2012, 4:11 PM

$1/sq ft rent* was possibly a factor (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4762478&postcount=81) in filling McKay Building & Victoria Hall. The fact that reno was a private investment (albeit aided by heritage grants (http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/21C30789-DF10-4960-A70E-48367168779F/0/Jul07PED08165.pdf)) may also have instilled confidence. Either way, hats off to them.

Across the street (http://www.bbsrealty.com/images/uploads/resources/King_Street_East_89_Units_A__B.pdf), one lingering mystery is why it took more than a year (http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/748542--coffee-culture-coming-to-gore-in-the-core) to bring Coffee Culture into the fold, given that Obsidian Group (http://www.obsidiangroupinc.com) was an interested party. Could it really take that long to negotiate an appropriate rate for two-units-as-one?

*$12/sq ft annually

oldcoote

Dec 11, 2012, 9:46 PM

$1/sq ft rent was possibly a factor (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4762478&postcount=81) in filling McKay Building & Victoria Hall. The fact that reno was a private investment (albeit aided by heritage grants (http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/21C30789-DF10-4960-A70E-48367168779F/0/Jul07PED08165.pdf)) may also have instilled confidence. Either way, hats off to them.

That's $12 per square foot

thistleclub

Dec 19, 2012, 2:25 PM

From Hamilton strip club to art hub (http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/856071--from-hamilton-strip-club-to-art-hub)
(Hamilton Spectator, Mark McNeil, Dec 19, 2012)

There's a lot of stripping going on at 95 King St. E.

But unlike some years ago, no one is taking off their clothes.

The stripping these days has more to do with removing and redesigning walls as part of a major renovation.

The address east of John Street was well known in Hamilton for the strip club Maxim's and Bannister's before that.

But the latest owner, CityHousing Hamilton, has much different plans for the building's rebirth in the spring. It will offer living and working space for a dozen artists at a reasonable rent of about $650 per month.

The artists will have their own apartments and communal space as part of the $3.5-million project.

The city-owned housing corporation bought the building in December 2008 and cancelled its adult entertainment licence.

Since then, CityHousing staff have been meeting with the Social Planning and Research Council to map out plans for the project.

CityHousing CEO Brenda Osborne says they are set to go through a request for proposals (RFP) process to find someone to manage the facility.

“It's all part of the city's downtown renewal plan,” said Osborne. “We're trying to revitalize the downtown core.”

“It will certainly add to the vitality of the street. The artistic community is a very engaged bunch,” said Councillor Jason Farr, who is hoping some of artistic renewal of James Street North can be replicated on King Street.

“I think that whole area along King Street is coming along quite nicely.”

Councillor Brian McHattie, who is president of CityHousing Hamilton, says the project has moved slowly because it has taken time to assemble the funding.

But McHattie believes it will be a positive addition to King, expanding the artistic vibrancy of nearby James Street.

Renée Wetselaar, a social planner with the SPRC Hamilton, said: “It's a catalyst space. We have seen the power of what artists have done on James Street North. Certainly, there are a number of artists unable to access space there now. It is starting to get priced out of the market.”

CaptainKirk

Dec 19, 2012, 6:06 PM

Good news.

(Too bad it couldn't become a music venue.)

durandy

Dec 19, 2012, 6:51 PM

I wonder how they can determine if someone is an artist.

bigguy1231

Dec 19, 2012, 10:44 PM

They should have left it as a strip club. At least that attracted people downtown to spend money. This is just going to be welfare housing for artists who can't make it on their own.

pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Dec 20, 2012, 12:19 AM

^Wow. You're particularly old and crusty today.

thistleclub

Dec 20, 2012, 2:17 AM

From 95 King Street East: Proposed Artists Live/Work Development (Report #09040) (http://cityhousinghamilton.com/userfiles/file/BOD_documents/BOD20090916/Report%2309040_95KingStEArtLive_Work_rev.pdf)

"Within the broad concept of creating artists live/work space, there are two distinct options.

The first option is to establish conventional residential units on the second and third floors and then the ground floor and basement would be devoted to the “work” including a street-front gallery to maintain a commercial presence along King Street. This option would create ten new residential units.

The second option is to create a true live/work arrangement with larger unit sizes. However, this would reduce the total number of units to seven: 3 each on floors 2 and 3 and one at the rear of the ground floor.

Staff believes the first option of the live/work concept has greater merit as 3 additional units will be created and will maintain the reception/meeting room at the rear of the ground floor. Notwithstanding, staff need to ensure that the preferred preliminary design does indeed meet the need of the artists community and will initiate a consultation process to further develop and refine the conceptual plans."

Now, instead of "a true live/work arrangement" CityHousing is apparently proposing 12 units. This seems to me like a scale model of the Gore Building, albeit with more headroom and a gallery downstairs rather than a cafe.

And in celebration of the regenerative power of the creative industries...

"Upon fiscal stability, CHH will consider either selling the property outright, possibly in tandem with the adjacent “Gore Building”, or securing a mortgage and utilizing the equity for other revitalization development initiatives."

vinchops

Dec 20, 2012, 2:43 AM

any renders?

SteelTown

Dec 20, 2012, 4:56 AM

any renders?

http://www.tcarch.ca/projects.php?projectID=152

mattgrande

Jan 23, 2013, 2:34 AM

FYI, they've posted lots of pics of the construction on the page SteelTown posted, above.

matt602

Jan 23, 2013, 10:37 AM

Looks great. They've also started work on the roof top addition in the back. You can see it really well from King William.

durandy

Jan 23, 2013, 2:23 PM

CaptainKirk

Jan 23, 2013, 2:34 PM

This is amazing! Some great pictures of the progress at the thier curran site. Now if they could just hop over to the Gore building while doing the main floor and make the ground floor space there less crappy...take out those stupid pillars. Anyway this is really exciting. Gore park in 5 years won't be recognizable.

It's been six months since this Spec article reporting that Coffee Culture is moving into the ground floor of the gore building. What's happening there?

http://www.coffeeculturecafe.com/index-5_ontario.html

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/748542--coffee-culture-coming-to-gore-in-the-core