Regency on Main | ?m | 26 & 12 fl | Completed 2017

[omro]

I'm going to hope for a compulsory purchase order and that the city actually sells the building to a decent developer.

However, I'm seeing a disturbing trend of lowest cost, lowest imagination, lowest common denominator = best policy in this city. It depresses me how future generations are being sold out. Call me disillusioned or jaded. Time for a change.

[SteelTown]

From the Hertiage Committee (March 25, 2010).....

"Michael Adkins noted that there is a fair amount of graffiti on back end of the property and there are some broken windows on ground level which should be reported to the Property Standards staff. Councillor Bratina indicated that the owner is now ready to move ahead with the project.

[SteelTown]

From the Hertiage Committee (August 9, 2010).....

Councillor Bratina advised he has a meeting with the owner and architect with respect to a proposed design for the building.

Michael Adkins indicated that he heard there was a proposal to designate the friezes on the building.

http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/...0__amended.pdf

[SteelTown]

Federal Building, 150 Main Street West (L) – M. Adkins

Meghan House advised that a site plan application has been submitted by the owner of the Federal Building. A hotel development is proposed for the north/west corner of George and Caroline Streets. A previous hotel proposal was approved for the corner of Bay and George Streets. Staff has advised the owner’s planning consultant that the Federal Building should be considered for reuse and the impact of any redevelopment assessed however, staff has been advised that the building is likely to be demolished. Background information respecting the building and the artist, Elizabeth Holbrook are included in the agenda. The Heritage Impact Assessment respecting any potential re-development will be circulated to Committee.

[SteelTown]

Frieze is frozen as federal building may be designated heritage site

Steve Arnold
http://www.thespec.com/news/business...-heritage-site

Hamilton’s heritage guardians want to slap an historical designation on an abandoned downtown office building in an effort to save six bas relief sculptures by artist Elizabeth Holbrook.

The former federal office building at Main and Caroline streets is owned by developer Darko Vranich. He wants to demolish it to make way for a condo project. That effort was frozen Thursday when the city’s municipal heritage committee unanimously endorsed calling for historical designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.

The effort to get an historic designation of the 57-year-old office building came the same day Vranich and downtown councillor Jason Farr were preparing to announce Vranich had agreed to incorporate the sculptures into his new condo building.

For Councillor Brian McHattie, a member of the heritage committee, that’s not enough.

“We need something that gives us control of the process, not just a ‘trust me’ promise,” he said. “Getting it designated allows us to manage the discussion in a very organized way.”

Farr said he only learned of the designation effort Thursday morning. On Wednesday he thought he had brokered a deal to save the art work.

“Mr. Vranich made it clear to me he was willing to co-operate and incorporate this art work into his new building,” Farr said. “It just came out of left field when we were ready with a good news story.”

The designation being sought by the heritage committee would apply to the entire building. Its recommendation must be endorsed by the city planning committee and city council. The next planning committee meeting is Feb. 1.

Local artists were enraged at news the Holbrook sculptures might be lost and immediately launched an online petition seeking some kind of protection. City staff said without an historic designation there was nothing they could do to stop its demolition.

The six carvings represent scenes of nature and industry in Canada including lumbering, mining and other activities important to the development of Canada and Hamilton. They were one of Holbrook’s first major national commissions.

Vranich, president of Burlington-based Vrancor Group, bought the federal building in 2004 but it has been vacant since then. In 2008 the city took back a $4 million downtown renewal loan after Vranich failed to move on the project. In 2009 he and his company were fined after pleading guilty to breaching fire regulations by using the building to illegally store propane tanks, carpets, mattresses and wooden furniture.

In an e-mail, Vrancor chief financial officer Tyler McDiarmid said a heritage designation will be opposed because it would “challenge the economic viability of the project.

“We would be happy to work with the city and the heritage committee to try to incorporate parts of the building into the final design, however, we would have to pursue financial support from some level of government, similar to what was done with the Lister Block, to offset the incremental costs, which are frequently substantial when dealing with heritage buildings,” he wrote.

“We believe it is not possible to develop an economically viable project without demolishing the building,” he added. “We are in any event committed to preserving the Holbrook pieces and incorporating them somewhere in the final design.”

Holbrook, who was born and raised in Hamilton and died in 2009, has sculptures in over 50 public collections around the world.

[SteelTown]

I disagree with the heritage committee on this one. Incorporating the sculptures into a new building is good enough, but designating the entire building?!?! *facepalm*

[flar]

The problem here is that Vranich is going to tear down the old federal building and just leave a vacant lot sitting there. With Vranich's track record in downtown Hamilton, why would anyone believe this guy when he says he's going to build a condo?

The other problem is about 3/4 of the downtown has already been demolished and lies vacant. Seriously, stop tearing stuff down until something is built on the empty lots. It's not about the value of this particular building. There will be no urban fabric left.

[matt602]

"Yah sure, I'll save the building. Give me some public money or I'm afraid I'll have to knock it down. Economic recession, can't secure financing, etc..."

Gee, this sounds familiar.

I agree with flar as well, its not so much about the value of the building (though I do think this is really important), but rather the fact that Vranich's track record is absolute crap and theres almost zero chance that he'll even end up building anything at all on the lot after the building comes down.

[Jon Dalton]

How can anyone justify giving this criminal another demolition permit? Seriously. What's that old definition of insanity again? He has shown absolute contempt for those who live amongst his ruins, and now we're going to bend over for him once again? Unbelievable.

[bigguy1231]

Oh great, another building thats going to sit rotting for the next 30 years.


Just give him the permit and let him tear it down. It has no historical or archietectural signifigance. It's just another not very old building that the city is trying to attach some historical value to.

This is going to end up costing the city thousands if not hundreds of thousands in legal fees when Vranich decides to fight the designation.

Save the friezes if you want, but not at taxpayers expense, and let the building be torn down.

[geoff's two cents]

I'm with flar on this: The Lister block and city hall reno have been precedent-setting in demonstrating the city's willingness to stand by its built urban form as a city, not a parking lot. Now is not the time to compromise this image.

Now, if the "developer" actually had a reputation as such or if he sold it to someone who did, and condos were actually in the works, it would be an entirely different matter.

[flar]

Originally Posted by bigguy1231

Oh great, another building thats going to sit rotting for the next 30 years.


Just give him the permit and let him tear it down. It has no historical or archietectural signifigance. It's just another not very old building that the city is trying to attach some historical value to.

This is going to end up costing the city thousands if not hundreds of thousands in legal fees when Vranich decides to fight the designation.

Save the friezes if you want, but not at taxpayers expense, and let the building be torn down.

Nothing says failure more than a desolate landscape of gravel lots. Even Detroit doesn't have as many empty lots downtown as Hamilton. Don't add to it needlessly.

Anyways, Vranich said he was going to turn this building into condos about 5 or 6 years ago. Same with that old warehouse on Dundurn. And then there's that burnt out building on the corner of King/Hess. And the perfectly fine HMP building that was torn down for a supposed Hilton Hotel that never materialized.

Vranich is full of shit. He only knows how to do low risk suburban builds.

[Jon Dalton]

Vranich is full of shit. He only knows how to do low risk suburban builds.

And that is exactly what, if anything, will be built on this land. That's why I'm against demolition, heritage issues aside.

A hotel development is proposed for the north/west corner of George and Caroline Streets.

The proposed building will be facing George Street. What will people see from Main street, where thousands of cars pass every day? Any ideas?

[matt602]

A billboard and a giant stucco wall.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by flar

Nothing says failure more than a desolate landscape of gravel lots. Even Detroit doesn't have as many empty lots downtown as Hamilton. Don't add to it needlessly.

Anyways, Vranich said he was going to turn this building into condos about 5 or 6 years ago. Same with that old warehouse on Dundurn. And then there's that burnt out building on the corner of King/Hess. And the perfectly fine HMP building that was torn down for a supposed Hilton Hotel that never materialized.

Vranich is full of shit. He only knows how to do low risk suburban builds.

You could also say that nothing says failure more than boarded up buildings. I would argue that one is as bad as the other, but given the choice of the two I would take the vacant lot.

As far as Vranich and his plans or promises it's not for us to determine how he spends his money. We can bitch and complain all we want and that is our right as citizens of this city. But when it comes right down to it he is the one who will determine how his money is spent. Being concerned citizens we should all know how difficult it is to get financing for any developement in this city during good times. Just imagine how difficult it is now. I am not making excuses for him but we do have to be realistic. This city isn't exactly a magnet for investment from the private sector. Like Vranich or not at least he has an idea of what he would like to do. There isn't anyone else willing to go even that far in this city.

By the way I was quite impressed with your photo expose of downtown Detroit. Despite what some people here may think I really do love old archietecture. But to me old is pre war. Some of those buildings in Detroit were just beautiful. It's too bad alot of them are sitting empty. I used to spend alot of time there when I was younger. I had relatives who lived just off Michigan Ave. near the old Olympia arena.

[SteelTown]

Developer says heritage sculptures are safe

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...tures-are-safe

Developer Darko Vranich says he’s prepared to save six sculptures on the front of the old federal building.

And if he doesn’t, the city has unearthed an agreement Vranich signed in 2004 that requires him to save the sculptures and other key heritage elements.

In a letter to downtown Councillor Jason Farr presented to the city’s planning committee this week, Vranich says he has “retained a heritage architect and an appraiser to assist in the removal and preservation of the art works.”

Vranich also said he’ll foot the bill for removing and storing the art.

However, Councillor Brian McHattie, a member of the municipal heritage committee, says he wants more protection for the carvings.

“I think that the letter or ‘trust-me’ approach from Mr. Vranich – nothing personal — is not good enough,” he said. “It’s great to see more downtown development and I’m really keen on that, but we also need to pay attention to the heritage features downtown.”

McHattie is now pressuring the federal government to enforce a covenant Vranich signed when he bought the building from the feds in 2004. In the document, which was uncovered by Terry Whitehead and presented at the planning committee meeting on Tuesday, Vranich promised to “conserve, protect and maintain” the heritage features of the building.

The city can’t enforce the covenant, but it can pressure the highest level of government to do so, McHattie says. He has already been in contact with the federal public works department.

“The federal government appears ready to step in and defend their covenant. That will be a stronger response than anything council is doing,” he said.

Tyler McDiarmid, chief financial officer of Vranich’s company, Vrancor, said they are aware of the covenant. He affirmed that Vranich is committed to preserving the reliefs.

“The main point remains that Vranich is committed to saving Holbrook’s works,” he said.

The future of the bas relief sculptures by Hamilton artist Elizabeth Holbrook has been causing contention among arts and heritage advocates since Vranich filed a demolition permit for the former federal government building at Main and Caroline streets. He plans to build a 140-unit, 20-storey condo on the site.

In late January, the municipal heritage committee tried to block the demolition by endorsing an 11th-hour proposal to designate the building under the Ontario Heritage Act.

On Tuesday, the planning committee rejected the request, arguing it sent the wrong message to the development community since Vranich had already agreed to protect the artwork.

“The concern I had that it was an 11th hour request,” said Tim McCabe, general manager of economic development and planning. “They could be so far down the road – they could have bank financing, construction plans – then all of the sudden, they’re into a different set of problems and costs.”

Larry Friday, the city’s manager of taxation, said property taxes on the vacant building were $73,000 in 2010. If Vranich developed the 140-unit condo, he would be paying roughly $323,000 each year. He would also be paying about $84,000 per year for a parking lot on the site.

[padthai]

This is good news. I'm glad to the planning committee moving things along.

While Vranich can be shady, I think we've covered our bases with making sure he preserves the historical elements. To be honest though, I'm more concerned about getting that eyesore (particularly when viewed from the north side) torn down. Is anyone familiar with timelines for these types of projects? When can we expect to see it come down?

[flar]

As far as timelines go, I'm positive he can get the demolition underway a lot quicker than he can put something up in its place.

[coalminecanary]

I would lie to see some evidence of him ever actually building something. I think he renovated the building which houses his own office. What else?

Compare that to the square footage of empty floorplates he is sitting on coupled with the acreage of empty lots that he created

We need to put a moratorium on issuing any more demolition permits to vrancor. if he doesn't like paying taxes on his vacant buildings he's welcome to list them on the open market.

edit to add: from his webpage, I see zero new construction ever done in hamilton.
http://www.vrancor.com/development.php

[markbarbera]

I don't know if Vrancor has actually done construction of a new building in Hamilton. I do know they did the conversion of the old Post Office garages on Market Street to the Staybridge Suites. I may be mistaken but I believe the renovated townhouses at the corner of Queen and Main are Vrancor as well. Vrancor is also doing the current renovations at the recently acquired Hamilton Sheridan Hotel.

I think the condos at Caroline and Main would be the first construction project involving a brand new building in Hamilton, but I could be wrong. Does anyone know of other Vrancor developments in Hamilton not yet mentioned?