Urban West Condos - 427 Aberdeen Avenue | 25m | 7 fl | U/C
 

Housing planned for Hortons lot

July 10, 2009
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/597575

A developer wants to build a seven-storey, 42-unit apartment building where Tim Hortons once stood on Aberdeen Avenue at Dundurn Street South.

Urbancorp Developments Inc. has applied to the city to change the existing commercial district zoning to residential to accommodate 42 units in a building on the southwest corner of the intersection.

It would include at-grade ground floor parking, five residential storeys and a one-storey penthouse, a mechanical area and a rooftop garden.

The developer has also asked for a reduction in the parking requirement.

The Aberdeen Avenue Tim Hortons outlet closed on March 1, 2008, after serving coffee and doughnuts since 1979.

A Tim Hortons spokesperson said at the time that the store closed because it was old.

It was not relocated, but patrons were told they could get their coffee fix from three other nearby locations north of the store.

The developer is planning a community information meeting after Labour Day to explain the project plans and address area residents' concerns.

Before a staff report is prepared for city council, residents have the opportunity to provide comments prior to July 28.

These will be published as part of the report.

seems like a tight squeeze on that lot

nice density though.

I would love to live in this neighbourhood. If the suites are good I would seriously look into this building.

I'm going to guess the neighbours won't like this proposal.

It's Kirkendall so hopefully the neighbours are a little more progressive. Also, I'm pretty sure there's an apartment building just in behind, so there's precedent.

It's too bad they're not doing street level retail This is a prominent intersection in that neighbourhood. It's a shame to lose one of the corners to parking.

I am a neighbour and I am in favour. Street level commercial would be nice, but it would make it more difficult to sell the reduction in required parking. This is appropriate intensification and the concept design looks attractive. The apartment directly south of the proposed development is already 5 floors at a higher elevation so the height and scale seem compatible.

hopefully they adopt a SIGIMBYIIHTB (Sure, I guess in my backyard, if it has to be) attitude :)

This would be exactly what Places To Grow Act outlines what to do. Problem is the city will force it to downsize the density. They'll make the density too low so that the builder won't get the economy of scale and will likely abandon the project. Remember this City is only aiming for the bare minimum requirement in the PTG density.

I predict the City will only allow 20 units on 3 floors to meet parking requirements and 'air rights' for the building behind it.

Hopefully the city will consider the new Innovation centre and realize this kind of density is appropriate.

I believe the city already meets Places to Grow targets re: density. I think Hamilton is 200 ppl/ha or something. So in theory, yeah, I guess the city would downscale it. But more units = increased taxes no? So I don't really get why it would be in the city's best interest to decrease density...

You can see some of Urbancorp's previous work at their website.....

http://www.urbancorp.com/

The project's Planning Justification report (including a sun shadow study), Parking Study, and Traffic Analysis Study are all available for viewing at the Locke Street Library.

Watson do a search on raisethehammer.org and you'll be able to read a lot more about the Places to Grow Act. Hamilton is only aiming for the minimum requirement. Yes 200 people/jobs per ha was set out by the Province as a minimum. Urban areas to benefit from economies of scale should be much higher in the 400-500 range. The only way to get there is to be creative with housing. A variety of types. Up is the obvious answer, and not allowing anything one-floor to be built. Street retail with upstairs housing used to be the 'affordable housing'. Instead of the current affordable townhouse projects (single use) that only create problems and stigma.

I'm still trying to figure out how they are going to fit 42 units into 7 floors on a site that small. Then add parking to it. The planned units couldn't be more than 500sq ft. If they can fit it in I say go for it. The neighbors might not like the idea though.

Realcity,

I doubt that the city is intentionally forcing developers to downsize proposals to only meet the minimum requirements of the PGA. Hamilton IS currently meeting the Places to Grow - at least in the downtown. In the building I reside in, it was developed with the recommendation of the city to maximize units - and it was followed through.

Perhaps in the Aberdeen area the neighbourhood does not want density?

But yeah, creativity is required!

No they're not forcing developers? What happens when NIMBYs scream too much density. The city does force the development to downsize then.

The City is also not doing much to encourage density. They aren't educating residents that it can be a good thing. Why do people on here think density is good but NIMBYs don't?

Hmm never knew you could get a grant for brownfield cleanup for coffee spill haha. No apparently the land used to be a gas station from the 60s and 70s. Tim Hortons took over in the 80s.

Environmental Remediation and Site Enhancement (ERASE) Redevelopment Grant Application (ERG-09-02) – Urban Core Developments Inc., 427 Aberdeen Avenue, Hamilton (PED09257) (Ward 1)
http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyre...257REVISED.pdf

The application qualifies for an ERASE Redevelopment Grant as a result of required environmental site remediation in order to permit construction of a 6.5 storey residential building encompassing 42 condo units and a roof top garden.

The Grant application is for $157,300 in eligible environmental site remediation costs. Estimated project construction costs are $7,000,000. It is estimated that the proposed development will increase the market value assessment (MVA) on the site from its current $341,500 to approximately $4,200,000. This will increase total annual property taxes generated by this property. The municipal share of this property tax increase (municipal tax increment) will be approximately $46,996 of which 80% or approximately $37,597 would be paid to the owner in the form of an annual grant for approximately five (5) years up to an amount not to exceed total estimated clean up costs eligible for ERASE of $157,300.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Urbancore.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...Urbancore1.jpg

Nice building! :)

it looks great for a Black and white picture. Where did you get these from STeelTown?