Quote:
Originally Posted by lucasmascotto
I can't believe the city opted for urban infill for the James Vine development project. These other ideas were so much better. I don't see the point in creating more commercial space if there's still parts of the Stelco Tower and Jackson Square left empty.
http://www.hamilton.ca/CityDepartmen...VineStreet.htm
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We could do worse than Option 2, and quite often do.
The B&T consortium seems to have a lot of momentum (e.g. Queen & Peter, James & Vine), but its girders are currently rising two blocks west of where Option 1 is located. Maybe a good thing -- a medley of development would be a welcome change of pace.
As for Option 3, I wouldn't hold out much hope of another movie theatre downtown until residential density doubles or triples. The Tivoli was once a movie theatre, of course, as was southern neighbour the Downtown Theatre (originally the Grand Opera House), both operated as Famous Players houses I believe.
Chain cinemas were yanked out of the lower city a long time ago, as part of a broader trend -- the Centre Mall octoplex closed the same year the Lime Ridge multiplex was retired, shortly after SilverCity Ancaster came online and Upper James Cinemas was shuttered four years ago in celebration of the arrival of SilverCity Hamilton Mountain,
which opened the same day.
Added grain of salt? EcDev's "60,000 sq ft multiplex theatre" would considerably dwarf the 41,000 sq ft SilverCity Hamilton Mountain.
RIP:
Avon (195 Ottawa N) closed 1987
Broadway (251 King William) closed 1997
Centre Mall 8 (1145 Barton) closed 2001
Century (12 Mary ) closed 1988
Hyland (190 King E) closed 1985
Main West 2 (1605 Main) closed 1985
Odeon (156 King E) closed 1991
Playhouse (177 Sherman) closed 1985
Reo (170 Parkdale) closed 1985
Tivoli (110 James N) closed 1989
Towne (760 Barton) closed 1980
York (164 York) closed 1985
As for the Tivoli itself, it would be nice for the Spec to backburner this story until it is news. Let us know when it has flamed out or come to fruition but enough of the "any day now, for real this time, this is the year" updates-that-merely-rehash-the-history.