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  #1  
Old Posted Oct 30, 2007, 1:08 AM
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Lister Block | ? | 6 fl | Renovation

Rendering.....



This has got to be one of the most exciting renovation projects in Hamilton. Thanks to the one-time grant of $7 million from Premier Dalton McGuinty the Lister Block will finally be restored back to it's old glory. Currently it's an abandon building with a long rich history, it's Canada's first indoor shopping mall which is protected under provincial heritage list. City Hall recently approved the financial commitment to the Lister Block project so renovation could start in the Spring of 08. Once the renovation is complete it'll accommodate Hamilton's public health department.



The eyesore that Lister Block is today
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  #2  
Old Posted Oct 30, 2007, 1:10 AM
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Supporting Lister Block Restoration Project Means Good, High-Paying Jobs, Better Quality Of Life For Families

HAMILTON — Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced today that the government is building a high quality of life for people in Hamilton by helping to revitalize its downtown core.

"Maintaining Ontario's heritage and preserving our history is part of building a stronger, more vibrant province for all of us," said Premier McGuinty. "The Lister Block restoration will not only revitalize downtown Hamilton, it will create new high-value jobs and strengthen the city for future generations."

Premier McGuinty made his remarks at the Lister Block site, where he joined Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, other local officials and community members.

The McGuinty government is investing $7 million to redevelop the Lister Block, a six-storey vacant building that was constructed in the 1920s and has distinct architectural features. The project will help Hamilton realize its vision as a modern urban centre. It will also help attract new visitors and investment to the city.

Once the project is complete, the remodelled building will accommodate Hamilton's public health department.

"The renewal of the Lister Block is a significant step toward the successful revitalization of Hamilton's downtown core," said Mayor Eisenberger. "Investment in Hamilton's future is essential, and Premier McGuinty's continued commitment to healthcare, transit, and now this latest investment in the Lister Block is an encouraging step in moving forward. I welcome the Province's continued partnership with the City of Hamilton over the long-term."

"The Lister Block is a provincially significant landmark and historical site," said Hamilton West MPP Judy Marsales. "By preserving its magnificent history and architectural beauty, our government is helping to make Hamilton a great place to live, work and play for families."

"I am so pleased that the Lister Block will be taken off of the 'critical' list," said Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, MPP for Hamilton Mountain. "The rehabilitation and renovation of this historic site will be a turning point in revitalizing Hamilton's downtown core, and will provide more opportunities to showcase Hamilton's unique atmosphere and vitality."

Revitalizing downtown Hamilton is the latest way the McGuinty government is getting results for communities. Other measures include:

Creating a multi-year, $17.5-billion rapid transit action plan for the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton that will deliver jobs and investment by reducing congestion

Launching ReNew Ontario, a five-year, $30-billion infrastructure investment plan to repair, revitalize and expand public infrastructure

Releasing a landmark Places to Grow plan to create complete communities, with a better mix of businesses, services, housing and parks that will make them more livable.

"A stronger Hamilton, means a stronger Ontario," said Premier McGuinty. "Working, building and dreaming together, we can make Ontario the place to be for our children, and our children's children."
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  #3  
Old Posted Oct 30, 2007, 1:27 AM
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City makes Lister deal official
Sep, 13 2007 - 6:20 AM

HAMILTON (AM900 CHML) - The Lister Block agreement, between the city and the provincial government, is now official.

Hamilton City Council has formally signed the deal, which requires it to house staff in the heritage building under a 20 year lease.

In return, the city receives seven million dollars in promised provincial funding to assist in the redevelopment, regardless of the outcome of next month's election.

Mayor Eisenberger say the agreement also requires that a lease be finalized with the developer by March, and that city staff move into the restored Lister by 2010.
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Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 3:31 PM
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Lister should be residential apartments -- NYC style -- and ground floor retail.
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Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 4:33 PM
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Lister Block restoration project in dark: heritage activist

Kevin Werner, Mountain
(Nov 2, 2007)

At least one heritage activist is worried about the lack of action being done publicly to restore the Lister Block.

Grant Head, a member of Heritage Watch Hamilton, and a member of the Lister Block working group, told members of the city's heritage committee last week he is "quite concern" there is no information" being released about the restoration process of the Lister Block.

"The details of what is to be done have not been fleshed out," said Mr. Head.

Mr. Head's issues include the minimal information being made public about the city appointing a person to oversee how the province's $7 million, is being spent, and the hiring of a heritage architect to make sure the restoration plans include details on how to preserve the building's historical significance.

The Lister Block working group, which was formed to save the Lister Block, said Mr. Head, specified the Lister Block's arcade would be preserved, and the facade was to be protected. In addition, the two buildings on either side of the Lister Block, one on James Street and the other on King William, have yet to be subjected to a heritage impact assessment, he said.

Last June, Prime Minister Dalton McGuinty announced to a room full of Hamilton dignitaries the province was providing the city with a $7 million grant for the Lister Block. At the time, Mr. McGuinty said the one-time grant will flow as soon as council agrees to changes to the lease arrangement with the owner of the building, the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA).

The province has pressed the city to re-write its lease agreement with LIUNA for a 20-year lease. The city had agreed in May 2005 to a controversial 15-year, $30-million lease arrangement with LIUNA. The idea is for the city to relocate its public health department into a re-developed Lister Block building.

Joseph Mancinelli, vice-president of LIUNA has stated it could cost about $8 million to renovate the Lister Block.

Mr. Head said the $7 million, which has not been given to the city yet, is not supposed to pay for any restoration work, but to help the city overcome the cost of the lease.

"I'm concerned about the $7 million," said Mr. Head. "(The money) would more than cover the rehabilitation of the Lister Block."

Mr. Head said monitoring any cost overruns protects the city from criticism about wasteful spending.

"If there are any (cost overruns) it doesn't do our cause any good," he said.

Mr. Head said he has met with Mayor Fred Eisenberger twice to discuss the issue, but he was not comforted by the mayor's attitude.

"He was very cordial, but said he had not heard what has happened," said Mr. Head.

Mr. Head's plea was echoed by committee members, including councillors Maria Pearson, who was also a member of the working group and Brian McHattie.

"I share all of your concerns," said Mr. McHattie, who admitted he doesn't know what is happening behind the scenes with the Lister Block negotiations.

David Cuming, acting manager of community planning, said heritage staff have not received any plans from the Lister Block project to be submitted to the city for review.

"We are waiting just like everybody else," he said.

Mr. Cuming also pointed out there is no requirement by the city for the owners to conduct a heritage assessment on the two buildings located beside the Lister Block.

"The assessment is discretionary," said Mr. Cuming.

The heritage committee did pass a motion urging council to request the province designate the Lister Block under the Ontario Heritage Act.

"I don't think there would be any problem," said committee member Michelle Stark. "Everybody is on the same page
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  #6  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 5:59 PM
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So... everyone is just sitting around with their thumbs up their arses, waiting for "someone else" to do something. Very nice. I see this project is really on the fast track. I thought Fred really wanted to get this one going, as his words were "as soon as the money comes through, work will be started immediately". Yah. The money is here. Get off your ass and get to work. At 80 something years old, Lister ain't getting any younger.
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  #7  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 6:42 PM
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So... everyone is just sitting around with their thumbs up their arses, waiting for "someone else" to do something. Very nice. I see this project is really on the fast track. I thought Fred really wanted to get this one going, as his words were "as soon as the money comes through, work will be started immediately". Yah. The money is here. Get off your ass and get to work. At 80 something years old, Lister ain't getting any younger.
amen to that.
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Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 7:41 PM
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It's now completely up to LIUNA but mostly Hi-Rise to start hiring contractors, getting the money and renovating the place. Nobody wants to start construction in the winter. Hi-Rise is responsible for the renovation.
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  #9  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 9:12 PM
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the lister project is a disaster, as if that needed to be said. the 15-year lease is a joke and if i were fred i'd nix the deal. screw liuna. it's a shit deal from bottom to top. no one can convince me that there isn't someone out there that wouldn't be willing to drop $7-$10M to reno that beauty. just look at the interest that developed from a 6 hour tour from a toronto developer. the bottom line is that i don't want it developed at any cost and that's what's happening under the terms of the current deal, in my humble opinion. just another gift to one of di ianni's cronies.
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Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 9:15 PM
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yup...this whole thing sucks.
The heritage committee report talks about preserving the facade and arcade.
I thought the entire building was being renovated??
friggin LIUNA
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  #11  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2007, 9:23 PM
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But you also mentioned in another thread that City Hall will be gutted with the renovations, therefore knowing what renovation means. Why is it any different here with the Lister Block? Obviously it's gonna be gutted out, floors 4 to 6 aren't even accessible as it collapsed.
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Old Posted Nov 3, 2007, 3:08 AM
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gutted is one thing...but I worry that they may preserve the facade and arcade but build a new structure behind/around it.....I thought the whole thing was to be renovated??
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Old Posted Nov 3, 2007, 3:11 AM
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That's likely to happen, turn the L shape building into a box. The facade and the arcade will be restored. The rest will be gutted out, much like City Hall, restoring the main floor with the stairs and marble titles but the rest of City Hall gutted out.

A new addition to Lister Block is part of phase II, something Mohawk College likely will join in with.
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  #14  
Old Posted Nov 3, 2007, 1:36 PM
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i love your eternal optimism, steeltown. i'm old and pessimistic. i'll eat my shoe if we ever see a phase II.
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  #15  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 7:22 PM
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shock of all shocks...LIUNA-HiRise are going to try to steal more public money since they don't think they're pocketing enough already from this Lister deal.
Please, Harry Stinson, buy this property and save us from these idiots.
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Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 7:28 PM
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shock of all shocks...LIUNA-HiRise are going to try to steal more public money since they don't think they're pocketing enough already from this Lister deal.
Please, Harry Stinson, buy this property and save us from these idiots.
What??? Did they not get $7mil from Dalton & The Libs in Sep? Not to mention the rediculous 30yr lease agreement from the City???

I thought with the $$$ from the Liberals, this project would have been a sure-thing. God we need LIUNA out of this city. Two good projects (old Bell Bldg on Hughson/Main & CNR Station) doesn't give them the right to screw us (Hamiltonians) around.
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Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 7:32 PM
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Is Lister Block project getting too pricey for mayor, LIUNA?

Andrew Dreschel
The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 17, 2007)

Six months after Premier Dalton McGuinty came to town with a $7-million commitment to help redevelop the deserted Lister Block building, a giant question mark hangs over the project's future.

The developers now say it's going to cost several million dollars more than expected to renovate the mouldering downtown landmark at King William and James streets.

And Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger says that's "problematic" if it means the city, the anchoring tenant, would have to pay a higher leasing rate.

"From where I sit now, not knowing what the numbers are but with some sense that they may come in higher than previously anticipated, I think it's going to make it very difficult for me and others to support it," Eisenberger said.

The developers, Labourers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) and Hi-Rise Group, say their studies show that renovating the Lister instead of tearing down and replicating it is driving the increased costs.

"After doing the analysis, we have construction costs which are in the $23-million to $25-million range," said Joe Mancinelli, LIUNA vice-president.

He says the group of stakeholders who came together to find a solution, after the province intervened to stop the demolition of the 1886 heritage site, expected renovation to range from $18 million to $20 million.

Mancinelli didn't have figures showing how the new estimate will affect leasing rates for the city, but he agrees the increase may be hard to deal with.

"The next step is to sit down with the city and say, 'OK, how far apart are we? How can we fix this?'"

Under the conditions of the provincial grant, the city needs to enter into a lease before March 15 in order to collect the $7 million.

The provincial money buoyed hopes that the long-running Lister saga had finally reached a happy ending.

It was supposed to subsidize moving a city department into the restored building, which would ease the cost to local taxpayers.

Until now, the city was looking at paying an average premium of $24 per square foot.

But Mancinelli points out that figure was based on building a new Lister, not renovating the existing six-storey building at James and King William.

He says the new, higher cost is based on reviews by an independent contractor, architects, and special consultants.

The developers met with Eisenberger and city officials a couple of weeks ago for preliminary discussions.

City manager Glen Peace says once he gets confirmation of the updated numbers, which are expected to arrive within a week, the city will do its own cost estimate on the impact and prepare a report for council.

Eisenberger says the province has also agreed to pay for an outside review to see if the increases are justified.

"Everybody wants the project to go forward, but it has to be reasonable and fair," he said.

Council will also have to wrestle with extending the life of the lease from the 15 years as originally proposed to 20 years.

The 20-year lease is also part of the provincial conditions. Eisenberger doesn't expect that to be a deal-breaker because everyone already knows it's in play.

But, "Significant increases or changes in cost are going to make it very difficult to accept the arrangement as previously identified."

Still, Eisenberger isn't ready to throw in the towel.

"I'm not prepared to characterize it as being in trouble at this point, but I think once we have the numbers ... we'll be in a better position in January or February to make an assessment on whether or not there's a move forward."

It will be a huge blow to downtown revitalization if the project goes off the rails.

Besides cleaning up a jarring eyesore in the core, reviving the 1920s Lister is widely seen as a physical and symbolic catalyst for overall downtown renewal, including a proposed second phase that was widely expected to give Mohawk College a high-profile presence in the downtown by moving its music program into the Lister Block.

Mancinelli says he's far from giving up hope.

But once the city has the numbers to work with, the ball will be in its court.

"We really can't have this dance much longer.

"We need to nail this down and start working. The longer we wait, the more expensive this project is going to get."
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  #18  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 7:40 PM
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When you have special interests meddling in business decisions, this is the result you get. Should have let the owners build what they wanted in the first place.

Welcome to Hamilton, it's all starting to make sense why most investors won't touch this city with a 10 foot pole.


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Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 8:42 PM
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When you have special interests meddling in business decisions, this is the result you get. Should have let the owners build what they wanted in the first place.

Welcome to Hamilton, it's all starting to make sense why most investors won't touch this city with a 10 foot pole.



you've got it wrong. they bought a designated historic property and know full well what that means (assuming they are reasonably astute business-people...I'm not a business person and even I know what regulations are in place if I were to purchase a designated building).
They worked out a rule-breaking deal with former mayor DiIanni. The only 'special interest' groups that got involved were those interested in seeing the historic designation adhered to, both at the city and provincial level.

All we have here is a bunch of people who worked out a closed-door, law-breaking deal that would have absolutely fattened their pockets, now being forced to follow the rules (heaven forbid) and making a more 'normal' profit instead of the insane amount of free, public money there were going to 'take home' in the first place.
They're ticked off at that, and so are playing games like this. The blame lies with them, plain and simple. Recently, my employer purchased a new property in the city. We saw one that we liked but discovered that it was a designated historic property...we needed to make some serious changes to it in order to fit with our plans, so guess what. We didn't buy it. We bought a different property. That's why guidelines and rules are in place. These guys think they're bigger than the law just because they hang out with mobsters.
Sorry. You're not. And I hope the province/city has some legal grounds to take the building from them and give it to other groups waiting in the wings to redevelop it.
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  #20  
Old Posted Dec 17, 2007, 7:41 PM
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LIUNA, please sell Lister and Connaught
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