Homewood Suites | ? | 15 fl | Under Construction - Page 3

SteelTown · #41 Posted: **Nov 10, 2007, 7:03 PM**

Since the Hotel is clearly fatter now shouldn't it be holding more rooms? Orginial plan calls for 130 rooms and still with this bigger hotel it's still 130 rooms. Perhaps office space or bigger rooms now?

raisethehammer · #42 Posted: **Nov 10, 2007, 7:57 PM**

i wonder if it'll be an "L" shape...the current HMP building was.

matt602 · #43 Posted: **Nov 11, 2007, 5:53 AM**

That's a fair estimate. I don't think Darko owns the parking lot there, so he'd have to build around it.

fastcarsfreedom · #44 Posted: **Nov 11, 2007, 6:25 PM**

And I see they've corrected the logo from the mainstream Hilton 'H' to the Homewood Suites duck.

the dude · #45 Posted: **Nov 14, 2007, 9:39 PM**

raisethehammer · #46 Posted: **Nov 17, 2007, 5:44 PM**

97 years of history. Gone.
a few scattered bricks are all that remains.
Oh Hamilton how I loathe to love thee.

the dude · #47 Posted: **Nov 23, 2007, 9:22 PM**

the rear section of the gov't building is in the process of being demo'd. i
wondered what they were going to do with it.

LikeHamilton · #48 Posted: **Nov 23, 2007, 9:38 PM**

They are supposed to be putting in a parking garage with grounds floor commercial.

raisethehammer · #49 Posted: **Nov 23, 2007, 10:27 PM**

i don't think that's there is it?? i thought the parking garage was on the next block west - Hess/Caroline/George/Main.

SteelTown · #50 Posted: **Nov 23, 2007, 10:33 PM**

^ Where do you think the new residence of the condo (old federal building) will park?

raisethehammer · #51 Posted: **Nov 23, 2007, 11:19 PM**

I assumed in the new structure.
so, there's going to be 2 new parking garages built back there with commercial space on George?

SteelTown · #52 Posted: **Nov 24, 2007, 12:31 AM**

Forget the guys name but yea him and Darko worked together on the plan for George St.

raisethehammer · #53 Posted: **Nov 24, 2007, 3:17 AM**

wow...so if they do this properly, Hess Village literally could be expanded right down George (at least on the south side) to Bay St.

One thing that bugs me is how we're still losing these valuable properties that could be high density. There were plans for a 20 storey condo at Main/Hess where the parking garage/shoppers/LCBO is going. There were also plans for an 18 storey condo at Hess/King where the concert hall is going...now, I'm pumped that it's a concert hall so that one I don't mind. But we need to add higher density residential in these empty lots downtown. At least the parking on King William will have a few floors of condos above it.

the dude · #54 Posted: **Jan 31, 2008, 9:49 PM**

i've noticed cars being parked on the hmp site...makes me very nervous.

matt602 · #55 Posted: **Feb 1, 2008, 1:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the dude

i've noticed cars being parked on the hmp site...makes me very nervous.

Yes, it became a parking lot nearly immediately after the last part of the building came down.

the dude · #56 Posted: **Feb 1, 2008, 2:40 AM**

isn't that illegal? oh ya, it would require effort to enforce that by-law.

Jon Dalton · #57 Posted: **Feb 1, 2008, 1:19 PM**

I heard the core area is protected against new parking lots, but what constitutes the core? Bay to Catharine? I wouldn't be surprised if this lot falls just outside the protected area. Maybe, since the rest of the lot is already parking, the HMP site gets an exemption? Either way it's sick. The city needs to jack the taxes on these lots.

DC83 · #58 Posted: **Feb 1, 2008, 2:05 PM**

^^ I'm pretty sure the "core" is bordered by: Wellington-Queen & King-Main? Or is it Barton-Main?

the dude · #59 Posted: **Feb 1, 2008, 2:46 PM**

ya, it's all about taxation. if downtown properties were taxed appropriately, a parking lot wouldn't be affordable. something of value would have to be built in order to make any serious money. the city needs to be creative and implement a system of land value taxation. for the hmp site, the value of the land would stay the same [high] regardless of what stands on it.

HAMRetrofit · #60 Posted: **Feb 1, 2008, 3:07 PM**

^ This is a point that I have been making forever. If the bums that own the lots can't pay taxes on the increased rates the city can scoop the properties up and sell them to developers with real plans or operate them as municipal lots making money until an interested developer comes along. Downtown's problems really stem from a lack of intervention on the city's behalf. It is hard to say if the origins of this are rooted in laziness, ignorance, or incompetence. Likely all of the above.