McMaster Innovation Park | ? | various | Construction

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by Goldfinger

Nothing wrong with dreaming big. The problem is that around here, the people who are the big dreamers have little or no financial support and experience to make it reality. Lots of guys dream, but it takes guts and good business acumen to realize the vision.

What I can't stomach is when people won't accept reality, i.e. when a project is pitched in the city and we have morons spewing off from their ass, complaining that it doesn't meet their expectations or accusing the people of being liars, crooks, mafiosi, stupid, etc.

the bigger problem is that those good businessmen with all the money tend to skimp out in Hamilton to save a buck. In TO or Buffalo or other cities you see builders spend that tiny bit of extra money to make a project go from ho-hum to nice....in places like TO or Vancouver with more money they go even further and make projects go from nice to WOW. I'd be happy with these guys in Hamilton going from shite to ho-hum...maybe the odd one, like CoreLofts (they made a bundle on that, so save me your speech about how guys won't spend the extra few bucks in Hamilton because it's a poor town etc....) could actually go up to nice. Turned out well for them (CoreLofts) and for the city.
Is that too much to ask??

[Goldfinger]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

the bigger problem is that those good businessmen with all the money tend to skimp out in Hamilton to save a buck. In TO or Buffalo or other cities you see builders spend that tiny bit of extra money to make a project go from ho-hum to nice....in places like TO or Vancouver with more money they go even further and make projects go from nice to WOW. I'd be happy with these guys in Hamilton going from shite to ho-hum...maybe the odd one, like CoreLofts (they made a bundle on that, so save me your speech about how guys won't spend the extra few bucks in Hamilton because it's a poor town etc....) could actually go up to nice. Turned out well for them (CoreLofts) and for the city.
Is that too much to ask??

Spare me your speaches or should I say diatribes on peak oil, poor transit, Harry Stinson, ugly design, the Mafia and LIUNA, Stucco Sucks, roads and cars suck, Hamilton Developers Suck, Aerotropolis and Hamilton Airport sucks, Big Box Sucks, all cities suck (except Buffalo and Portland), Toronto developers are great, Socialism will save us all, and all the other useless tripe you drone on about on a daily basis.

[raisethehammer]

so in other words, you have nothing to say in response to my last post. maybe eventually you'll come around to desiring a little bit better for Hamilton too. until then, enjoy attacking people for no reason (although most of what you said is untrue...nontheless, it's an impressive listing so I won't bother correcting any of it right now...maybe someday in the future when I'm bored. lol)

[realcity]

Afterall Hamilton is "The Ambitious City"

Where ambition means settling for anything.... and calling it reality.

[SteelTown]

The pace of change is accelerating at McMaster Innovation Park.

The first of eight tenants, who will occupy one-third of the former Camco building on Longwood Road South, is expected to move in by spring. There is currently a 10 to 15 year plan for the park, where ultimately we expect to see as many as 3,000 people and 1.7 million square feet of office, laboratory and meeting space.

The renovation of the red brick building is to be completed by the end of 2008, with new offices, wet and dry labs, conference space, fitness facilities and food concessions. The rear annex of the building will centre on an open atrium that forms the hub of the northeast corner of the park.

Before the work is done, construction for the park's key tenant, the federal government material laboratory, CANMET, will be underway next door to the south, with groundbreaking expected in the autumn of 2008. That building is expected to be complete by 2010 and become home to 100 top federal scientists.

We are also finalizing plans with a hotelier to build a long-stay hotel at the MIP, immediately north of the red brick building overlooking Highway 403.

[SteelTown]

Dalton will be in town to unveil a plan to have classes at the Innovation Park, Mohawk and McMaster together, MoMac.

Also Dalton will be on CHML around 11am with Bill Kelly so call in and ask about the $300 million rapid transit funding.

[raisethehammer]

great news.
so will this Mac-Mohawk program be at the Innovation Park?
They mentioned adding new classroom space and 100 new jobs. Is that at the park or one of the campuses?

[SteelTown]

$16.5 million is what Dalton is bringing to Hamilton for the program.

It's basically a program where Mohawk students can turn their dipolmia into a degree, hence MoMac.

I'm in one of the program and I heard years ago that they wanted to move into the Camco building but I'm not certain.

[DC83]

I believe they said the space will be added to the MIP. So this is great news. Give MIP a cpl years and watch our city's economy change for the best.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton Students Being Trained For The New Economy

HAMILTON (AM900 CHML) - The President of Mohawk College predicts it's a model that will be used for years to come.

Mary-Lynn West-Moynes adding that thanks to a 16.5 million dollar provincial funding announcement, they can now move an apprentice to a diploma to a degree to graduate studies.

Premier Dalton McGuinty confirming that his government is pumping the money into a new Bachelor of Technology partnership between McMaster University and Mohawk College.   

He says it's about training students to take their place in the new economy, by marrying the "executive suite" with "shop floor savvy".

Students will be trained in a variety of areas through the program, including manufacturing technology, automotive technology and biotechnology..

Much of the money will be used to build new classroom and lab facilities at McMaster's new Innovation Park.

[raisethehammer]

sweet!

[SteelTown]

McGuinty brings cash
Premier delivers $16.5m for technology program

February 08, 2008
Rob Faulkner
The Hamilton Spectator

Premier Dalton McGuinty says $16.5 million in capital funding for a joint McMaster-Mohawk technology program will give graduates "an edge" in the new economy.

Surrounded by politicians and against a backdrop of students, McGuinty was at Mohawk College yesterday to announce cash for a reinvented joint bachelor of technology program starting this fall.

The money will add classrooms and lab space, likely at Mac. One long-term vision is to eventually build its own headquarters at the McMaster Innovation Park.

Mac provost Ilene Busch-Vischniac said the four-year program is unique in Canada for concurrently teaching college and university material, instead of spending two years at each separate institution.

"The graduates of that program will be the first of their kind to have the sophistication to work in the executive suite and also the savvy to understand the technology of the shop floor," McGuinty said.

The partnership has existed since 1996, and was originally aimed at mid-career professionals seeking to upgrade. With a new curriculum and provincial funding, this fall it will more closely resemble other engineering programs.

The plan is to eventually have 1,400 students in the program.

Ontario has already committed $3 million for a building at the McMaster Innovation Park, to open in 2010. But Mac's provost said the program will grow quickly, so it can't wait four to five years for the park space to be built.

The program combines engineering technology and management studies. Students focus on automotive and vehicle technology, biotechnology and process automation technology. They get a Mac degree and Mohawk diploma.

Mohawk president MaryLynn West-Moynes said the cash is great, but lauds the fact that Ontario is now funding college-university requests for capital funds.

"The real big news is that they are investing in colleges and universities that work collaboratively," she said. John Milloy, minister of training, colleges and universities, said such partnerships will increase.

Tyler MacLeod, president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, said it's a "fantastic step in the right direction" as Hamilton diversifies. The city is seeing its manufacturing shrink, border security issues that slow trade and the need for the province and other governments to cut taxes, he said.

"We're happy to take public money because we paid for it ... cities like Hamilton contributed to the public purse," said MacLeod.

McGuinty said there are things he can't control, like the price of oil, the value of the U.S. dollar or the rapid emergence of China and India.

"You've got to develop the capacity for us to put in high-end jobs. When you think of laying the foundation for economic growth, it's not just infrastructure, it's not just your tax competitiveness, it's not just red tape," he said.

"It's, do you have the human resources? We have people who are about to be graduating from a program in Hamilton that are unlike any others anywhere."

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

A little off-topic, but, since you asked, I have a bit of a problem with a 'restaurant' whose only employment prerequisite for its waitresses is big boobs. It's not really one of the first places you want out-of-town hotel guests seeing as they establish their initial perceptions on what this city is all about. I am not sure how Hooters is perceived in your home turf of Windsor/Detriot, but here in Hamilton it's not exactly considered a nice place to take the wife and kids out for a family dinner.

You'll have to excuse my negativity, but I pride myself in keeping my mindset non-linear.

Hooters is really no big deal -- the big boob thing is just silly fun. Seeing a Hooters upon arriving in Hamilton is not really all that different to seeing a McDonald's. Most cities of a certain size have a Hooters and I hardly think that anyone coming to town would say "Goodness me, a Hooters! Let's cancel our visit!"

I have been to the Hamilton Hooters a few times, and while it certainly isn't fine dining, I have seen plenty of families having a meal. The way you tell it, you would think the place was a brothel.

[HAMRetrofit]

^ why don't you discuss these things on your own time somewhere else. They are astoundingly uninteresting.

The cash flow to Mo-Mac is good news. The program sounds quite innovative. Does anyone know where these workers are ending up?

[SteelTown]

I'm in the biotechnology program and I work at McMaster so there's one area. Another area I could have gone to as MaRs at Toronto.

[raisethehammer]

oh, speaking of MaRs in TO, the Star has an AWESOME photo tour in todays paper of their historic building and surroundings. I'd love to see the innovation park turn out like that surrounding the old pump station from Camco.

[SteelTown]

McMaster got it's idea about MIP based on MaRs. Mac and MaRs seriously doesn't get along well. They hate us and we hate them pretty much lol

[raisethehammer]

haha really?? competition I guess eh?
I hope MIP really takes off. This would transform the city.

[SteelTown]

One time MaRs invited a bunch of scientist around Canada to the place but didn't invite anyone from McMaster so there's a hint lol.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

oh, speaking of MaRs in TO, the Star has an AWESOME photo tour in todays paper of their historic building and surroundings. I'd love to see the innovation park turn out like that surrounding the old pump station from Camco.

Do you have a link? I searched but couldn't find it.