City of Hamilton General Discussion Thread

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Fruitloops

Our idiot employees ( council and staff) are at it again.

They are backing so called backyard suites.

There is one going in several doors down from a relatives home on the mountain. Clstfk doesnt begin to describe this nonsense. I feel for the folks on either side. Essentially an oversized garage, built as a home, in the backyard.

Completely destroys the character of the neighbourhood.

One thing for certain, I doubt we see these backyard suites next to our employees homes.

It's a province-wide mandate to permit them from the PC's - nothing to do with council.

Every single municipality by law must permit up to 3 separate units on every single parcel of land.

Trust me - if anything, Council and staff are trying to block it. The CoA has turned down variances because of it and get slapped on the wrist at the OLT for it.

Also - I think backyard suites are an excellent idea in general and a great way to create more affordable housing stock that sits somewhere between a large detached house and a tiny apartment in the sky downtown.

In fact - enforcing *more* rules and regulations on private property owners on what they can and cannot do with their property seems to generally go against the conservative ethos that you generally seem to espouse. Not sure why you are upset about this.

[Fruitloops]

We aint Vancouver. Lets see what you have done to solve the prob, show your little home, bsmt apt. etc.

IF you pay taxes you must love the arms of govt diwn your pocket tickling your brains

[TheRitsman]

This is peak NIMBYism.

Shitting on my houseless neighbours, suggesting they be cleared out like vermin, arguing for gigantic skyscrapers beside my house, all so your wealthy neighbourhood can keep it's "character" often used as a dog whistle to mean, keep the poors and minorities out, is gross, despicable and outright dumb.

Your neighbourhood should allow sixplexes as of right, without the ability for you or any of your neighbours to appeal anything about it.

[Corktowner]

Originally Posted by Fruitloops

We aint Vancouver. Lets see what you have done to solve the prob, show your little home, bsmt apt. etc.

IF you pay taxes you must love the arms of govt diwn your pocket tickling your brains

What does any of this even mean?!?!?! And how is any of it a response to the sensible clarifications and explanations that others posted?

Also, I'm really confused about how an arm that's in our pockets is tickling our brains. Could you maybe diagram that for us?

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Fruitloops

We aint Vancouver. Lets see what you have done to solve the prob, show your little home, bsmt apt. etc.

IF you pay taxes you must love the arms of govt diwn your pocket tickling your brains

"We ain't [insert place that is doing something I don't understand or like]" is just a fabulously healthy outlook.

As a new Hamilton homeowner, I welcome laneway houses and the increased tax revenue, additional housing, and enrichment to neighbourhood character they represent.

And what, specifically, is different enough about Vancouver to make laneway houses work there, but not here? Snark aside, I'm really asking. I'm new here. Please educate me about why lanes homes like these wouldn't work here.


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[TheHonestMaple]

This thread is hilarious. Apparently not wanting your kids to play in parks littered with used needles is hateful and equivalent to treating drug addicts like "vermin"

[SteelTown]

Y'all need a timeout!

[ScreamingViking]

Forge and Foster on a selling spree.
Here's a map showing the locations and prices for some


For sale: Most of Hamilton’s ‘prestige’ business park on Frid Street
Forge and Foster is putting 12 buildings in the West Hamilton Innovation District on the market all at once, alongside several other notable buildings throughout the city

https://www.thespec.com/business/rea...-listings.html

Matthew Van Dongen
The Hamilton Spectator
Thu., June 22, 2023

Real estate investment firm Forge and Foster is selling tens of millions of dollars worth of notable Hamilton buildings — including most of its holdings in the high-profile West Hamilton Innovation District.

The firm headed by serial entrepreneur Joe Accardi, known for both downtown revitalization and controversial food industry failures, partnered with investors to buy $83 million in land in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That included $24 million in the first months of 2020 on multiple properties in ‘the Annex’ — a strategic employment area near McMaster Innovation Park and beside the former Spectator building that the city hopes will become Hamilton’s “prestige research” employment hub.

Accardi told The Spec in late 2021 his firm was “doubling down” in the area — which at that point also included the Forge and Foster headquarters — because the firm was focused on investing in the “knowledge economy.”

A year-and-a-half later, the firm has hired Colliers Canada to sell 21 acres of the Annex block as a package deal, including 12 buildings on eight different properties representing 337,000-square-feet of space. The Forge and Foster main offices have also since relocated to Harriet Street.

At least nine other notable Hamilton buildings linked to Forge and Foster have also recently hit the market, based on publicly available online real estate listings.

Accardi was not available for a requested interview this week, but said via email the company is selling some properties that have “ended their term (of investment).” He did not say whether it was unusual to put so many properties on the market at the same time.

The company is in the business of buying and selling real estate, often spending a number of years hiking rental revenue and property value for a given project before a sale that — ideally — yields a return for investors.

Accardi did not directly address questions about whether spiking interest rates or other post-pandemic challenges in commercial real estate contributed to the decision to sell some properties. A June Remax report noted Hamilton commercial office space is experiencing a “significant impact” as a result of work-from-home trends.

The Forge and Foster founder noted, however, that the company is still buying — including a new Frid Street property and the latest of several Ontario trailer parks destined to become cottage or tiny home resorts.

The city is watching with “keen interest” to see what happens next in the Frid Street hub for biotech and “prestige research,” said economic development head Norm Schleehahn. The Frid-Chatham block and McMaster Innovation Park combined make up the city’s strategic West Hamilton Innovation District.

“It really is the key area in the city for that type of business,” said Schleehahn, who noted council added “special policy area” zoning years ago in a bid to preserve the potential of the historically industrial neighbourhood.

Schleehahn said he did not know why so much of the area is suddenly up for grabs, but “it’s a great investment opportunity for someone.” Most of the existing buildings for sale already have tenants, ranging from drone makers to biotech startups to ‘live-work-play’ businesses like recreational soccer and rock-climbing.

The planned $3.4-billion LRT should also boost the strategic value of the business park, he noted, because the project includes an extension of Frid Street that will directly link the Annex to McMaster Innovation Park.

The Spectator reached out to see if MIP has interest in the Annex lands, but did not receive a reponse this week.
...

More here

[King&James]

Interesting strategy by F&F, that would seemingly create a pile of cash, less of course the taxes owing on the gains (assuming gains). But not sure why, hopefully bigger and better things rather than selling to stop bleeding.

[TheRitsman]

I'm wondering if their partners told them they've got to get some money together for the movie studio plans.

[SteelTown]

Gee, I wonder if McMaster is interested, they've created yet another VP job that focuses on real estate

https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/worthm...-partnerships/

[Innsertnamehere]

Maybe they should actually develop the existing innovation park lands they own first..

[ScreamingViking]

One benefit of McMaster purchasing the buildings in the "innovation district" is buildings!

They can at least be rented out until MIP has a different purpose for them. There are existing tenants anyway.

[PaperSun]

https://www.chch.com/mayor-andrea-ho...ly-next-month/

Is this a vacation or a City of Hamilton funded trip to Italy?

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by PaperSun

https://www.chch.com/mayor-andrea-ho...ly-next-month/

Is this a vacation or a City of Hamilton funded trip to Italy?

Sounds like both - a vacation funded by taxpayers.
How does establishing a twinning with other cities there help Hamilton?

Money would be better spent going to other cities that are similar, but are ahead of us in certain aspects (ie. LTR, downtown renewal, etc.) so we can get a better idea of how to do things properly and learn from their mistakes. Probably better to send the right people as well who know more about this stuff.

[The Gore]

Interesting video
https://youtu.be/yBwpfkUYg44

[matt602]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Sounds like both - a vacation funded by taxpayers.
How does establishing a twinning with other cities there help Hamilton?

What do we even trade with them anyway? Roma pizza? Tim Hortons coffee?

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by The Gore

Interesting video
https://youtu.be/yBwpfkUYg44

lol hamilton is 7th..

I swear the same guy who narrated the badass honey badger narrated this video lol..

[SFUVancouver]

I noticed that excavation has begun for the Design District. It looks like they've got a secant drill onsite for the shoring piles. Dump trucks are flying out of there (and dumping a lot of loose dirt on the street).

[urban_planner]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

I noticed that excavation has begun for the Design District. It looks like they've got a secant drill onsite for the shoring piles. Dump trucks are flying out of there (and dumping a lot of loose dirt on the street).

We have a thread for this development.