734-756 King Street East | 43.26m | 15s | Proposed

[catcher_of_cats]

Ugh

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by catcher_of_cats

Ugh

My thoughts exactly - took the word right out of my mouth.

[matt602]

Even for a Vrancor thats embarrassing. Wow.

[Beedok]

That… that render doesn’t look finished?
So, hopefully it’s not the final design?

[Innsertnamehere]

Honestly, for Vranich, it's not that bad. The towers are obviously Stubbs Precast bleh-ville, but if DPAI can deliver on the ground floor detailing as shown, it won't be too bad.

Just wish there was some retail here.

[johnnyhamont]

Mods, this new thread can be merged with this old one:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...hlight=sanford

[TheHonestMaple]

Stubbs precast should be illegal. Does that company have no shame?

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Honestly, for Vranich, it's not that bad. The towers are obviously Stubbs Precast bleh-ville, but if DPAI can deliver on the ground floor detailing as shown, it won't be too bad.

Just wish there was some retail here.

I do like the inclusion of q community space and affordable housing here. I can't recall the history on why this includes an affordable component.

Lack of retail is confusing, because the ground floor gives a feeling of retail space, like the outside was planned first. That brick work is complicated actually and it's unfortunate that it will be mixed with precast construction. I'd even prefer a panel covering the concrete instead. McMaster's graduate residence shows that panels can be quite beautiful.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

I do like the inclusion of q community space and affordable housing here. I can't recall the history on why this includes an affordable component.

Lack of retail is confusing, because the ground floor gives a feeling of retail space, like the outside was planned first. That brick work is complicated actually and it's unfortunate that it will be mixed with precast construction. I'd even prefer a panel covering the concrete instead. McMaster's graduate residence shows that panels can be quite beautiful.

He wants a "legacy"

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I believe he mentioned wanting to go taller, in that article about his $millions.

Maybe he figures showing something squat and ugly will help his aspirations of grandeur.


https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...o-vranich.html

"On that note — legacy — Vranich will build his first affordable-housing complex in the east end near King Street East and Sanford Avenue North.

“Hamilton is in a serious housing crisis,” said Vranich. “I want to do my share, do my duty.”

The issue yet to be settled with the city is how many storeys he can build at the site.

Vranich wants to go high to house more residents and keep costs down: take it from six storeys and 140 to 150 units, to 10 to 12 storeys and 250 units."

[ScreamingViking]

Ha. I forgot all about that article. So his first million was hardest... the strippers had to really work it so he could earn that!

There won't be much outcry from local NIMBYs about affordable housing in this neighbourhood. And if the buildings do turn out to be half 2- and 3-bedroom units, that's great too.

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

He wants a "legacy"



"On that note — legacy — Vranich will build his first affordable-housing complex in the east end near King Street East and Sanford Avenue North.

“Hamilton is in a serious housing crisis,” said Vranich. “I want to do my share, do my duty.”

The issue yet to be settled with the city is how many storeys he can build at the site.

Vranich wants to go high to house more residents and keep costs down: take it from six storeys and 140 to 150 units, to 10 to 12 storeys and 250 units."

[LikeHamilton]

Taking awhile ago to a rep from Vancor and he said that they were going to up the amount of unit zoned for the property to reduce the unit cost so as to make it affordable housing. They were going to try and double the number of units from what was already zoned for this property. Prefab does make it cheaper and quicker to build. Overall, it’s nicer than some older affordable housing buildings in the city. I like its privately built opposed to government built. It is his money!

As to the lack of retail, retail is close to dead. Almost everyone orders online.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

Taking awhile ago to a rep from Vancor and he said that they were going to up the amount of unit zoned for the property to reduce the unit cost so as to make it affordable housing. They were going to try and double the number of units from what was already zoned for this property. Prefab does make it cheaper and quicker to build. Overall, it’s nicer than some older affordable housing buildings in the city. I like its privately built opposed to government built. It is his money!

As to the lack of retail, retail is close to dead. Almost everyone orders online.

I mean, even if retail was dead (it's not) there is still a need for dentists, doctors, cafes, bars. People ain't ordering new teeth off Amazon.

[TheEmprah]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

I mean, even if retail was dead (it's not) there is still a need for dentists, doctors, cafes, bars. People ain't ordering new teeth off Amazon.

People ain't ordering new teeth off Amazon........................................yet............

[johnnyhamont]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

I mean, even if retail was dead (it's not) there is still a need for dentists, doctors, cafes, bars. People ain't ordering new teeth off Amazon.

This intersection in particular, broadly speaking, is probably the densest area of Ward 3 and has incredibly little retail. There needs to be some in Vranich's project here for sure.

[Innsertnamehere]

It's basically the lowest income area of Hamilton. There is no retail because all the retail spaces in the area sit vacant due to lack of demand, there just aren't enough people living around there with disposable incomes to support retail.

A lot of the retail in this area that already exists looks like this:





That's not a sign of a healthy retail market. There are some retailers who make it work, but generally the vacancy level in the area is already completely terrible.

[TheRitsman]

A big reason the retail around here sits empty though is often because the landlord has given up trying, or because any lessor would need to put $100,000-$250,000 in capital to fix the unit before it was usable. Any new retail is likely to be rented assuming it's not priced ridiculously. Just look at James St and other areas like Barton St. Renovated units have a business fail, and are quickly picked up by a new lease. Vacant units remain vacant. My partner worked for the Barton Village BIA and many landlords wouldn't rent ever again because they either gave up 20 years ago, or they had one bad tenant in the 80s, or they want insane rent for an otherwise collapsing building.

[SteelTown]

King/Sanford St | ? | 8 fl | Proposed -> 734-756 King Street East | 43.26m | 15s | Proposed

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

A big reason the retail around here sits empty though is often because the landlord has given up trying, or because any lessor would need to put $100,000-$250,000 in capital to fix the unit before it was usable. Any new retail is likely to be rented assuming it's not priced ridiculously. Just look at James St and other areas like Barton St. Renovated units have a business fail, and are quickly picked up by a new lease. Vacant units remain vacant. My partner worked for the Barton Village BIA and many landlords wouldn't rent ever again because they either gave up 20 years ago, or they had one bad tenant in the 80s, or they want insane rent for an otherwise collapsing building.

New construction retail space tends to be even more expensive to deliver than renovated retail space - which is my point - if existing retail space doesn't make sense financially to bring up to modern standards as rents won't support it, why would new build space?

"priced ridiculously" is the problem. Businesses don't have a client base to support rents high enough to pay the rent on quality spaces, so the units sit vacant or have high turnover as tenants try to make it work and figure out the hard way that the market isn't there.

If there was significant demand for retail space, tenants would be able to pay rents which justified renovations. They can't, so it doesn't. Capitalism - woohoo.

The retail situation has slowly been improving in the east end over the last few years though, there have been a lot of dilapidated units renovated and brought up to standard to bring in new tenants. I imagine the trend will slowly continue, but in the interim there is no shortage of old storefronts to renovate before new construction space is needed.

A few blocks east of here, for example:

2015:



2023:



I do think the development should be required to build space here to be clear as a "futureproofing" effort, but as it stands right now, I see why Vranich isn't proposing it.

[downtown_eddie_brown]

I like this part of King. Parts of the stretch between Gage and Sherman actually have a healthy vibe, owing to the road's curve doing some traffic calming More walking wallets along there could only help.

[StEC]

Even Barton looks less sketchy than this terrible stretch of Hamilton. Honestly level most of this strip and rebuild from scratch (including replacement low income housing within the mix).