Lyric Century | ? | ? | Planning

[SteelTown]

Coming soon to old theatre?
Curtain could rise soon on Lyric Century apartments

May 19, 2009
Steve Arnold
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/568150

A much-delayed downtown development project may finally be getting off the ground.

The city has issued a building permit allowing the start of construction on a plan to turn the former Century movie house on Mary Street into an apartment building of 59 units.

City Councillor Bob Bratina -- the project is in his ward -- said the building permit has been issued and deposits paid. All that remains is for work to start.

"All the indications of the start of a project are in place except the start of the project," he said.

Ron Marini, director of downtown development in the city's planning department, said the current permit allows for the back part of the former movie and vaudeville house to be demolished. The front and side facades of the building are to be maintained.

Marini said that when the wrecking ball finally connects with the rotting building it will be an important day for the city's core.

"Let's do it. Let's get going," he said. "Every project downtown is important because the reality is downtown is going to be fixed one project at a time.

"We have to get some people living in that area who have money in their pockets," he added.

The proposal calls for the shell of the old cinema to support a new structure of five storeys and 59 apartment units. The project is backed by Brampton-based developers Zoran Cocov and Dimitar (Jimmy) Gorgiev, operating through a company called Lyric Century Apartments Inc.

In a telephone interview, Gorgiev said final details of the project were expected to be worked out on the long weekend.

"We have to decide about the price and everything else, but we expect to start work very soon," he said. "We still have a few details to work out."

The project has been on the city's books since 2001 when the current owners bought the property. It has been delayed several times for lack of financing. The project has been approved for $1.7 million in support under Hamilton's Downtown Residential Loan Program. It provides five-year interest-free loans of $20 per square foot of habitable living space. As an apartment project it could also be eligible for Hamilton's Municipal Realty Tax Incentive Grant Program. It provides 10 years of rebates on property tax increases resulting from improvements to the property.

The original project called for 97 small condos, but in 2004 the owners said they were going back to the drawing board after seeing the success of projects with larger units such as the Core Lofts in the old Bell Canada building on Bay Street.

Built in 1913 as the Lyric vaudeville house the auditorium held 2,000 people and was billed as the largest theatre in the city.

The structure was remodelled in 1940 into a movie house and renamed the Century, one of Hamilton's seven largest and grandest theatres. Others on the list included the Capitol, Palace, Temple and Tivoli.

The Century is the only one still standing. It was also known as the first cinema in the area -- some say in the country -- to offer air conditioning.

A final remodelling took place in 1967, but the advent of multi-screen venues such as the multiplex at Jackson Square, doomed the large old movie palaces.

The screen went dark for the last time in 1989.

[SteelTown]

http://www.raisethehammer.org/images/lyric_century_theatre.jpg

[realcity]

I was hoping for a much more exciting development.
Power wash the unused building now and it would look better then this.
It's better then nothing...barely

[realcity]

Tell me what are they keeping from the existing building? the medallion?

where's the marquee? How cool would it be to have that marquis sign cleaned up and installed on the building.

[hmagazine]

Found this:

http://www.zoralinvestments.com/properties.html

I'm just a little concerned this project is gonna turn out like "Trinity Landing".

Really - who the heck came up with the name "Trinity Landing"? It should have been called "The Press Plant" and all sorts of original features should've been maintained.

If the Lyric is to be a success - it needs to play off its history and be something special.

[FairHamilton]

Marini said that when the wrecking ball finally connects with the rotting building it will be an important day for the city's core.

I long for the day when someone who works for the city says, "It's important to preserve our older historic buildings, so they don't deteriorate and require wrecking balls............"

[hmagazine]

Hamilton - where neglect is encouraged!

[SteelTown]

I'm sure Matt can tell you the condition inside the theatre, I believe floors have collapsed onto each other.

The front facade of the building will be preserved.

[highwater]

The front facade of the building will be preserved.

and then slathered in stucco, from the looks of the rendering.

[SteelTown]

You aren't allowed to alter the front facade if it's designed a heritage building.

[FairHamilton]

Hamilton - where neglect is encouraged!

I totally disagree. I'd say it's rewarded!

[FRM]

why all the negativity??

The original project called for 97 small condos, but in 2004 the owners said they were going back to the drawing board after seeing the success of projects with larger units such as the Core Lofts in the old Bell Canada building on Bay Street.


i like that they considered other successful jobs in the city into making their decision.

[highwater]

You aren't allowed to alter the front facade if it's designed a heritage building.

It's only been designated by the city. This does not offer as much protection as a provincial designation. They would only have to ask the city for permission to make alterations, and we all know how that would go.

[hmagazine]

Going from their website - it leaves me less than encouraged they will do a good job with the Lyric. Trust me - I want to see these projects happen. But I don't want a whole pile of ugly Trinity Landings in the core.

Hamilton has to get rid of this "We'll take anything" attitude...

[SteelTown]

It's only been designated by the city. This does not offer as much protection as a provincial designation. They would only have to ask the city for permission to make alterations, and we all know how that would go.

Bank of Montreal building is designated by the City and they wanted to place a sign on the front facade. But they weren't allowed to do so.

[highwater]

That's a pretty special building. I can't see them going out of their way to protect the Lyric. I would love to be proven wrong.

[realcity]

http://www.raisethehammer.org/images/lyric_century_theatre.jpg

seriously... if this is the rendering.... this is as good as it gets. The finished product will be worse. It's horrible.

They'll probably take the City grant $ remove the asbestos then say "oops we ran out of money" *sound familiar.. ahem ... Connaught*. Then put the building back on the market as a building suitable for development "Asbestos and environmental clean-up costs free". We'll all pay for the clean up to pump the value of the building for the owners.

These guys will pull a Trinity, Connaught and York/Hess scam. It won't happen and I'll be glad it doesn't

[LikeHamilton]

I'm sure Matt can tell you the condition inside the theatre, I believe floors have collapsed onto each other.

The front facade of the building will be preserved.

I have been in the building and there is not much left of it. There is a lot holes in it and it leak like there is no roof. It has been on the fire departments vacant building death watch list.

[matt602]

I have been in the building and there is not much left of it. There is a lot holes in it and it leak like there is no roof. It has been on the fire departments vacant building death watch list.

This is correct. The various office floors at the front and back of the building feature wood that has rotted right through. There's a lot of holes and at this point, I wouldn't walk through either of those areas at all. It's not safe. The auditorium itself is alright for the most part. A few holes in it's ceiling that let water in but the walls, stage, etc are not too bad. The original roof of the theatre collapsed at least 5 years ago. Most of it sits on what was the original balcony (over the roof of the modern auditorium).

Restoration of the facade is about all we can expect for this building. It's simply much too far gone. According to some people on cinematreasures.org who worked there in the last few years, it had already been going to shit well before it closed. Famous Players didn't keep the place in very good condition, since a large parts of the original building (offices, balcony, backstage) were not in use any more. They just kinda let those areas crumble around the auditorium shell.

The most amazing thing about the interior is the giant backstage area. It goes up the entire tallness of the building, featuring wooden catwalks and staircases, all the way up to a roof hatch. It's a very scary ascent. There is also some graffiti on the brick walls dating back to the 1920's/30's.

[thistleclub]

Found this:
Really - who the heck came up with the name "Trinity Landing"? It should have been called "The Press Plant" and all sorts of original features should've been maintained.

Maybe "Trinity Landing" was a religious thing -- as in, it'll be finished when the father, son and holy ghost appear. Possibly a hint of the geographic origins of the numbered corporation (if it's Trinity Road) or the number of equity partners. Or maybe an unimaginative reference to the fact that the stairwell in a four-storey building (pre-cheese-wedge roof addition) might have three landings.

I'm surprised there was much left behind when the Spec moved its operation to Frid -- figured they probably would've sold any equipment they didn't plan on moving, or shifted it to another Southam holding. I was figured that all there was to stay true to was the faded mural on the western facade. Still they could've had some old-timey fun the name. Given the limited t use of the mid-70s era, Duotone might've been good, sounds kind of new-retro (Halftone is probably more accurate but has a negative connotation). Litho would be more mid-century modern. Intaglio if you wanted something really old school-sounding. ;)

(Spec-related... I thought this (http://www.regrettheerror.com/newspapers/gluten-for-punishment) was funny.)

RIP Lyric. They're not even making a supersized CityPlaces, by the looks of it.

[IronWarrior]

I remember going to the Century as a kid back in the early 80's, as a last resort if the Odeon across the street was too packed and we could'nt get in...all the lastest big movies at the time played at the Odeon it was modern and I can remember it being very loud!! had the best sound system e.t.c. for the time I guess..lol I dont think Famous Players gave two shits about the Century near the end do to the fact that they had a plan to Open up for biz in Jackson Square, guess they did'nt want to spend the money in upkeep of the building...

[matt602]

I'm really gonna miss this.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k201/sugarton/UE/lyric-rays.jpg

Any news on this project anyway? It's been awhile now.

[realcity]

great pic

[SteelTown]

Looks like the City is going to demolish the Century Theatre building tomorrow. Two floors collapsed today and the block is closed off to traffic. Plus there's a large visible crack on the side exterior of the building.

[matt602]

Looks like the City is going to demolish the Century Theatre building tomorrow. Two floors collapsed today and the block is closed off to traffic. Plus there's a large visible crack on the side exterior of the building.

:(

I don't know what to say. I think we all saw this coming. Being inside the building many times within the last 5 years myself, I saw first hand that the building's days were numbered.

[LikeHamilton]

A report on CHCH tonight said the city is still evaluating the building and the earliest it will come down is tomorrow. The person on the news was talking about them checking the historical aspects of the building.

[matt602]

I'd be shocked if they were able to save any part of the building at this point. The only sturdy part is the modern renovated auditorium (unless the building fell into it)

[highwater]

So sad. Chalk another one up to demolition by neglect.

[SteelTown]

Another downtown heritage building unsafe
Century Theatre structurally unstable, in jeopardy

January 08, 2010
Nicole O'Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/701118

The facade of the heritage- designated Century Theatre is in jeopardy after the city issued an order that it is unsafe and blocked access to the historic downtown building yesterday afternoon.

City of Hamilton public works staff began closing Mary Street and its sidewalks from King Street East to the northeast edge of the property around 4 p.m. as the building's owner, Zoran Cocov, of Lyric Century Apartments, looked on. The neighbouring parking lot will also be closed.

The order calls for immediate action because the building's inside on the upper floors are structurally unstable, said city spokesperson Debbie Spence.

Cars were towed off the street and neighbours were warned of the problem, though they were not told to evacuate. Police patrolled the area on foot to ward off any pedestrians.

Spence said the owner must have an engineer with heritage knowledge on site today to determine the immediate next steps. The area will remain closed until action is taken.

Lyric Century Apartments, which has owned the property for almost 10 years, obtained a heritage permit for the historic building's facade in 2007 and a demolition permit to tear down the rear of the building in March 2009, she said.

Plans were in the works to build a 59-unit condominium building, Cocov said.

The plan was to preserve the facade and first bay of side walls to stand as the condo entrance, he said. But the instability may mean the facade is too dangerous to save.

"Health and safety has to be the main concern right now," Cocov said.

In a Spectator article in September, Cocov said the preservation of the heritage feature was proving very expensive.

It is unclear when construction might have begun, as no site design had been submitted to the city, Spence said.

The city was alerted to the problem through an engineering company that had examined the site to provide the owners with a quote for its services, she said.

The state of the theatre, which is on the city's list of vacant buildings, caused many complaints from residents, Spence said. The last property standards complaint was on June 5, claiming the building was open to trespassers.

The historic building was the biggest of its kind in Hamilton when it opened 1913. With 2,000 seats it was a prime location on the vaudeville circuit and later showed movies.

It closed 20 years ago. Its last movie was Lethal Weapon 2.

Ward 2 Councillor Bob Bratina remembers seeing movies there. He said he is very sad to see how far a building with such value and presence has deteriorated.

"I had high hopes to reinstate it as a music theatre," he said.

Bratina said the city should have been able to preserve the building.

"It shows we still have a long way to go on our property standards," he said.

Bratina initiated the bylaw for proactive inspections. He said he plans to review it for holes, including what he called a lack of roof inspections.

"We continually have buildings falling down before our eyes."

[SteelTown]

Century poised to fall
One last engineering report could save the day, but not likely

January 09, 2010
Nicole O'Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/701888

Barring a last-minute miracle, the entire Century Theatre will come down as early as Monday, the city's chief building official says.

John Spolnik, who is also director of building services for the city, said he spoke with the engineer hired by the historic buildings' owner after the engineer's inspection yesterday.

To save the facade, which was the owners' development plan, would require an extensive design and stabilization process, he said. This would take too much time -- time the city does not have because of safety concerns.

The city ordered owner Zoran Cocov, of Lyric Century Apartments, to have an engineer with heritage background inspect the site immediately, following an independent engineering report that led the city to deem the property unsafe on Thursday.

Spolnik said he won't officially order the building be torn down until the new engineer's report is on his desk Monday.

But he said from what he's been told, he can't foresee any reason to change his mind.

The entire front section of the roof is collapsed from the facade to almost 40 feet back, he said.

Like dominos, the fifth, fourth, third and second floors are collapsed.

There is no lateral support for the building, Spolnik said. Stability will only deteriorate with snow and winds.

The first the city heard of the roof being collapsed was Thursday, he said.

However, Cocov said the roof was partially collapsed when Cocov and his business partner purchased the building nearly 10 years ago. Since then there has been more deterioration.

"It's difficult to predict what's going to happen," he said. In hindsight, there are things we could have done better, he added.

He requested the heritage designation in 2000 and it was approved in 2001. It was later amended to protect only the facade.

If the city orders the building demolished, Cocov said the planned 59-unit condominium will mimic the building's architecture.

Certain elements will be saved, including the original sign.

Hamilton Fringe Festival president Brian Morton called the events "classic demolition by neglect."

When the theatre opened in 1913 and was still called the Lyric, it saw all the big acts, including the Marx Brothers, he said. The stage was blocked with bricks and re-opened for cinema in the 1930s.

It closed 20 years ago and has sat empty since.

Hamilton once had the most theatres per capita in the country, Morton said. It will be a shame to see another one bite the dust.

[Oracle of Hamilton]

The bigger scandal is the strategy of neglect led by the downtown renewal division that will result in demolition. For years they have publicly celebrated in all their reports the imminent development of condo units but never lifted their finger to protect the building and initiate construction, while tying up loan funds and denying other developers money to build. What has been the cost in staff time and opportunities lost for this neglect? Council should be asking this question.

[thistleclub]

Says something about local architectural heritage muscle that the Spec's pro-Century voice in that article is the Hamilton Fringe Festival president. Would be curious to see how many appeals for bylaw enforcement were made regarding this property over the last 20 years from the ACO and orgs like it.

Our disappearing heritage (http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/702679)
Critics say city must work harder to save old buildings
January 11, 2010
Dana Brown

The Century Theatre is slated for demolition as early as today.

The Mary Street structure, built in 1913 as a vaudeville house, is the latest on a growing list of historic buildings in Hamilton that have either collapsed, fallen to a wrecking ball or are languishing in neglect.

What can be done? The issue is pitting heritage lovers against developers, city bureaucrats and councillors.

The historic Century Theatre has been on a Hamilton heritage committee watch list for two years because of concerns around inaction on the project.

And downtown councillor Bob Bratina wants the city to conduct a blitz on all suspect buildings in the core to bring a clear picture back to council about their current condition.

As well, he'll be asking city staff why buildings such as the Century are not being inspected.

The Century could come down as early as today after the city deemed the building unsafe last Thursday.

The front section of the roof on the Mary Street structure and inside floors have collapsed.

Officials are waiting for an engineer's report the city ordered the building's owner, Zoran Cocov, to have conducted. That report is expected today.

Art French, chairperson of the Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee, said the Century was not put on the watchlist due to structural concerns, but because of concerns that nothing was being done on the project.

But Matt Jelly, a local artist who started a Facebook group on the Century after hearing it would come down, says the ball was dropped when it came to saving the theatre.

"I think more so the issue for me is what led to a situation where the building can't be restored," he said.

"And it's a fundamental breakdown of our bylaw enforcement in Hamilton."

By last night, more than 400 people had joined the Facebook group, with many sharing memories of the site.

The faltering structure is the latest in a series of area buildings with serious structural problems.

In 2008, the Balfour building at King William and James streets was brought down after its facade began to buckle.

And in 2004, part of the Tivoli Theatre caved in, forcing the demolition of the third floor.

At the Century -- formerly known as the Lyric -- the original plan was to save the facade, which is covered under a heritage designation.

Dave Kuruc, owner of James Street North business Mixed Media, said he and others believe "enough's enough."

"I think it's kind of ridiculous -- it seems to be this is a recurring thing and it really has to stop if we want downtown to become a different kind of place," he said.

Kuruc, who at one time organized a protest demanding the city enforce its property standards bylaw, characterized nearly all of city council as being missing in action on the issue.

Kurac said there needs to be a vision for downtown, a focus on fixing up several key buildings and a push for buy-in from smaller investors, rather than looking at mega-projects for the core.

"People waiting and speculating on property is not the right way to promote your city and that's what's happening in the downtown core," Kuruc said.

"Everyone's waiting for someone to do something else before they do anything."

In the wake of the Balfour collapse, the city implemented a new inspection system that included quarterly inspections of about 75 buildings known to be vacant.

Inspections got under way last June, and by late August more than a dozen orders were issued against neglected buildings.

"I thought we had addressed this with the proactive bylaw," Bratina said. The Century "tells me we haven't." He said he doesn't get a sense from many members of council the crumbling buildings are "a priority issue."

Bratina blames neglect by both the city and those who own the Century for what has happened and asked the city's legal department if charges could be laid.

He said he was told that since no orders were issued against the property, there is no failure to comply.

Bratina said the matter is one of public safety.

"I believe some building owners feel that we're not tough on this."

But committee chairperson French says it's not all bad news.

He noted several older buildings in the city, such as Victoria Hall, have been preserved, but people often only hear about those that are falling apart.

dbrown@thespec.com

905-526-4629


The Good

FOSTER BUILDING

The King Street national heritage building made up of Victoria Hall and the MacKay building was vacant for 30 years before a Toronto developer cleaned it up. The city granted $307,000 from the downtown loan program to convert the former retail building facing Gore Park into residential and commercial units.

LONDON TAPHOUSE

The 159-year-old stone building at the corner of Main and John got a close-to $4 million facelift to become a restaurant/bar. The building, by renowned architect William Thomas, is considered a landmark building in the downtown. It has been a grocery, winery, veterans hall and several restaurants before sitting empty for a number of years.

LISTER

The long-derelict landmark on James Street has been the most-talked about building in Hamilton. After a long series of disappointments, the Lister is being redeveloped in a $25-million project to turn it into retail and office space.

The bad

BALFOUR

The Lister neighbour crumbled to the ground in April 2008. The collapse made Heritage Canada Foundation's worst loss list for the year.

ROYAL CONNAUGHT

The venerable downtown hotel continues to sit empty after a recent bid to convert it into mixed income housing failed to get government funding. Hopes have risen and fallen over the King Street landmark, which many say holds the key to turning around the fortunes of Hamilton's downtown.

The hopeful

TIVOLI

Fundraising is under way to bring the former theatre back to life for ballet. The lobby and facade of the James Street North theatre collapsed in 2004 but the theatre portion remains. The Toonies for Tivoli campaign is part of a $15 million capital campaign of the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble to restore the building built as a carriage factory in the 1870s.

AUCHMAR

The historic Mountain estate has fallen into disrepair. The city, which owns the property, has applied for $4.8 million to fix it up. The plan is for Auchmar to be restored as a curatorial centre that will house more than a million artifacts and host city events.

[highwater]

Says something about local architectural heritage muscle that the Spec's pro-Century voice in that article is the Hamilton Fringe Festival president. Would be curious to see how many appeals for bylaw enforcement were made regarding this property over the last 20 years from the ACO and orgs like it.

I could be wrong of course, but I've never seen any real advocacy from the local branch of the ACO. Beyond organizing walks and talks, I'm really not sure what they do. Education is commendable, and part of the puzzle, but we obviously need more organized and vocal advocacy. I don't think it'll come from the ACO.

[thistleclub]

My assumption was based on statements like these (http://www.arconserv.ca/about/): "Through advocacy and direct action the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) has been involved in preserving Ontario's architectural and environmental heritage since 1933."

Agreed that events like Doors Open are great, but if that's your "direct action" strategy I can't help but wonder if our old buildings are as well defended by the Haunted Hamilton team.

[highwater]

That is definitely the mandate of the ACO at the provincial level, but I was referring specifically to the Hamilton branch. I have yet to see any local advocacy from them. And last year's Doors Open in Hamilton was very disappointing.

[SteelTown]

City issues order to demolish Century Theatre
Owner says timeline too tight to save facade

January 11, 2010
Nicole O’Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/703022

The city’s chief building official has issued an order requiring the owners of the Century Theatre to demolish every part of the historic building.

The order came late this afternoon, following John Spolnik’s examination of an engineering report funded by the building’s owner.

Under the name Lyric Century Apartments Inc., Zoran Cocov will have to mobilize a demolition crew immediately. Work is expected to begin as early as Tuesday.

Because of the building’s stability issues, it will likely take weeks to demolish, said Spolnik, who is also director of building services for the city.

He recommends crews work from the north end of the building and use “cherry picking equipment” to pull the building apart piece by piece.

Cocov had hoped to save the facade of the building, which was deemed heritage, for his pending 59-unit condominium development at the Mary Street site.

But the engineering report found that stabilizing the facade would take more time than the city is allowing.

Many Hamiltonians, including Councillor Bob Bratina, members of the arts community and downtown property owners have accused the city of being lax on property standards and have accused Cocov of “demolition by neglect.”

But Cocov says there is more to the story.

From the outside it may look like nothing has happened since he purchased the building 10 years ago, he said.

But Cocov contends that he has been working to secure funding, multiple permits and to keep up with changing regulations.

[SteelTown]

And she's a goner

[flar]

Just ridiculous. In Ottawa there are buildings where all that's left is the facade being held up by steel beams. They're saving it for when the property is redeveloped because they know you just can't replicate historic buildings. You'd think somebody in Hamilton might be able to execute something like that at least. But no, it has to be demolished immediately.

[11thIndian]

How many times is this going to be allowed to happen?

If we're going to destroy our past, maybe we'll be a city of the future? No. Wait... this is Hamilton.

Hamilton keeps soft pedaling developers hoping they'll develop, and no one does. Time to use property standards like a stick, not a fluffy pillow.

[highwater]

Heartbreaking.

[drpgq]

So is it down yet? I walked by around 2:30 and it was still up.

[flar]

The building may be in terrible condition, but I doubt it will come down that easily. For all we know, it could stand for another 20 years. Good luck finding an engineer who would not recommend demolition. No inspector in their right mind would want to be held responsible if it did actually fall down and kill somebody.

[SteelTown]

The end of the Century
Immediate demolition ordered

January 12, 2010
Nicole O'Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/703323

The historic Century Theatre officially has no future.

The city's chief building official issued an order late yesterday afternoon requiring the owners to demolish the historic building.

Under the company Lyric Century Apartments Inc., owner Zoran Cocov must mobilize a demolition crew immediately, said John Spolnik, director of city building services.

Work is expected to begin as early as today.

Because the building is unstable, it will likely take weeks to demolish, Spolnik said. He recommends crews work from the north end of the building and use "cherry-picking equipment" to pull it apart piece by piece.

Cocov had hoped to save the facade of the building, which had a heritage designation, for his pending 59-unit condominium development at the Mary Street site.

But an engineering report presented to the city yesterday found that stabilizing the facade would take more time than the city is allowing. The report was required by the city after it issued an order last week that the building wasn't safe.

If there are any historical elements identified by the city, including the sign, Cocov said crews will be instructed to save them during the pending demolition.

Since word got out that the building was in jeopardy, many Hamiltonians -- including Councillor Bob Bratina, members of the arts community and downtown property owners -- have accused the city and Cocov of "demolition by neglect."

But Cocov says there is more to the story, noting the building had already been vacant for 10 years when he purchased it.

From the outside, it may look as if nothing has happened since the building was purchased, he said. But Cocov contends he has been working to secure funding and multiple permits and to keep up with changing bylaws.

He pointed specifically to a 2005 bylaw re-zoning the downtown that included a requirement to have one parking space per condo unit.

"It's not as simple as people think," he said, citing his years of effort and money spent.

Lyric Century Apartments Inc. purchased the building in an auction for $148,000 in the summer of 2000. The previous owners, John Cameron and John Johnstone, purchased it for $500,000 in 1990. Cocov also purchased a neighbouring alleyway in 2005 for $22,500.

Cocov works as a sales representative for iPro Realty in Mississauga and says he has worked on about a dozen development projects.

He said his forte is sustainability, including redeveloping old buildings, but the Century Theatre was his first heritage property.

Other ongoing projects include Zoral Investments with properties in Simcoe and Cambridge, Harmony Green Condos in Oshawa, and Toronto-based Cross-Link Bridge Corp.

Cocov contends the Mary Street condo project can only move forward with the city's downtown loans program incentives. The project was previously approved for some funding to be issued upon 60 per cent completion, but the approval has lapsed.

Incentives are necessary because it costs as much to build in Hamilton as in Toronto, but the rewards aren't as lucrative because condos sell for a lot less here, Cocov said.

During a council meeting yesterday, Councillor Chad Collins asked whether loan recipients who don't keep up their property standards are penalized.

Staff said they aren't, prompting Collins to request a report on whether the city should "reward people who have let their properties deteriorate."

Mayor Fred Eisenberger requested a report on the state of the city's demolition-by-neglect bylaw.

[thistleclub]

Lyric Century Apartments Inc. purchased the building in an auction for $148,000 in the summer of 2000. The previous owners, John Cameron and John Johnstone, purchased it for $500,000 in 1990. Cocov also purchased a neighbouring alleyway in 2005 for $22,500.

Do those rock-bottom numbers give heritage fans pause, or make them think of how downtown history might have been different if an artist's collective bought and restored a building like this (or the Lister, for that matter)? Or if Delta Bingo czar John Johnstone had held onto the property?

[oldcoote]

It doesn't serve Bratina well to start complaining now. Must be an election year.

This building (like many other crumbling ones) is in his riding. He needs to be aware of these things, yet he chooses to blame city staff. Bob, I know you're reading this. You need to be more proactive in situations like these.

It's your job. If you're not up to it, step aside and let someone else do it.

I'm just so tired of the collective incompetence of our elected councilors.

[SteelTown]

Roof brought the curtain down
Razing delayed until next week

January 13, 2010
Nicole O'Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/703952

It appears the fate of the soon to be demolished Century Theatre hinged on its crumbling roof.

It began to collapse around 2000, according to past and present owners. In the years since, the roof has further deteriorated, exposing the floors below.

Yet the city was not officially notified until last Thursday, the city's chief building official John Spolnik said last week.

This, despite the fact the building's facade was designated heritage and the developer was in line to receive more than $1.8 million from the Hamilton Downtown Residential Loan Program.

Staff visit properties for the downtown incentive programs, which only pays out at 60 per cent building completion, said city spokesperson Debbie Spence. Property standards data is also obtained for zoning verification.

However, last week Councillor Bob Bratina said the property standards bylaw for proactive inspections seems to have holes when it comes to roof inspections.

The city learned of the crumbling roof and floors in an independent engineer's report submitted to the city last week, Spolnik said. This led to the demolition order.

Owner Zoran Cocov said yesterday he is working out a contract with a demolition crew. Because of Ministry of Labour approval, work is now expected to begin next week.

Cocov and his business partner purchased the building in 2000 for a condo development project and created Lyric Century Apartments Inc. He planned to save the facade, but safety concerns killed that dream.

Cocov said the roof was partially collapsed when he took ownership of the building. He thought the roof's condition was common knowledge among city staff.

"I think everyone was aware," Cocov said.

The building was previously owned by John Cameron and John Johnstone.

"It was very, very rough," Johnstone said of the state of the building when they bought it in 1990.

But he said the roof began to collapse shortly after Cocov took over ownership of the building in 2000.

The Johnstone and Cameron plan was to develop apartments, but it proved too costly because of the state of the building.

Despite selling for $148,000, when the building was purchased for $500,000 in 1990, Johnstone said he was thrilled when the property was taken off his hands.

The Hamilton Municipal Heritage Committee had no knowledge of the collapsed roof, said its chairperson Art French.

However, usually only the outside of a building is inspected, along with documents outlining the building's history.

It is unclear whether knowledge of the collapsed roof would have affected heritage designation, French said.

It is clear from websites and a Facebook group devoted to the Century Theatre that some community members were aware of the collapsed roof. Photographs from people inside the property are displayed and people have posted comments that they knew for at least five years.

Former Century Theatre employee Rich Parkinson, who is one of the more than 850 members of the Facebook group, questioned why nobody contacted the city.

He started working at the theatre in 1986, when he was 19, and was one of about 10 employees left when the theatre closed in 1989.

Despite the building's grand history, Parkinson said it had already greatly declined when it closed.

He still remembers almost every detail of the theatre's layout. When the Lyric Theatre, circa 1913, was transformed into the Century Theatre to show films in the 1940s, the front of the stage was bricked up and covered with the movie screen.

But the brick wall did not reach the height of the ceiling, Parkinson said, adding that he and others would walk along its top.

They could see the Lyric stage, where the Marx Brothers once performed. He would climb up some rickety stairs to where lights and backdrops were controlled. Carved on the wall were workers' names and dates from the 1920s.

When the theatre closed he grabbed some old Lyric Theatre tickets and metal marquee letters. He now wishes he grabbed more, especially because the theatre is where he met his wife, Angela.

Mary Gushie also met her spouse while working at the Century, as an usherette and popcorn girl in 1950.

She remembers seeing Mike Gushie, the new assistant manager, for the first time in the lobby.

They got married when he was 21 and she was just shy of her 16th birthday. They were married for 57 years when Mike died in 2008.

"I loved to work there," Gushie said.

[markbarbera]

I don't think it's fair to try to portray Bratina as a come-by-lately advocate for improving the abandoned building situation in Hamilton. He has been a critic of those who demolish by neglect since the start of his tenure at city hall, election year or not. It probably would be helpful if more on council shared his interest in reversing Hamilton's tendency to allow buildings to be neglected to the point of collapse.

As far as the old Lyric goes specifically, it is sad to see it come to this. The warnings have been posted here by matt602 for years. The building was destined to be demolished long before this collapse. It is a shame that the original plan to save the facade for the new condo building looks to be no longer possible.

[drpgq]

What are the odds a new condo development will actually go here? I'm thinking the building will be demolished and then be an empty lot for years.

[matt602]

What are the odds a new condo development will actually go here? I'm thinking the building will be demolished and then be an empty lot for years.

This is almost certain. An empty lot isn't much easier to develop than an abandoned building when taking into account the current economical situation and the location. If the developer hasn't secured any kind of financing in 10 years, he's not going to magically make it happen once the building gets knocked over.

[realcity]

and Cocov will make money by turning into a parking lot

[11thIndian]

I thought they couldn't do that anymore. Didn't the guy who tore down HMP just get fined and have his lot barricaded? Sure... it took a year, but still...

[realcity]

HMP was torn down with the promise of building a hotel.

Cocov;s building fell down. I bet money it will be an operating parking lot.

[thistleclub]

http://thespec.com/Opinions/LettertotheEditor/article/704681

January 14, 2010

Re: 'Our fading gems' (Jan. 11)

Like most Hamiltonians, I was disappointed to see the front-page photo of the doomed Century Theatre.

However I was even more upset to read in the cutline: "heritage lovers against developers."

This is an unfair and misleading statement. There are indeed developers and property owners in Hamilton who do care about old buildings. Liuna Station is quite magnificent, David Blanchard has restored several downtown landmarks, and in my case, so far, the Stinson School Lofts.

Throughout the city, the restoration efforts of many individuals and businesses remind us of the city's rather grand architectural heritage.

Having said that, the Century Theatre's demise sends an important message. We are indeed losing important buildings through neglected maintenance, and this should not be tolerated.

In the city of Chicago -- in a country that worships personal rights and tolerates gun-toting -- the mayor has the arbitrary right to seize and restore derelict properties. It is not simply an aesthetic issue; unused properties = minimal property taxes (often unpaid) = higher taxes for the rest of us, as well as reinforcing the sad image of downtown Hamilton.

Instead of wasting time and energy in yet another futile exercise of simplistic finger-pointing, let's collectively agree to set high standards for property ownership and, going forward, respect and enforce them.

- Harry Stinson

[oldcoote]

http://thespec.com/Opinions/LettertotheEditor/article/704681

January 14, 2010

Re: 'Our fading gems' (Jan. 11)

Like most Hamiltonians, I was disappointed to see the front-page photo of the doomed Century Theatre.

However I was even more upset to read in the cutline: "heritage lovers against developers."

This is an unfair and misleading statement. There are indeed developers and property owners in Hamilton who do care about old buildings. Liuna Station is quite magnificent, David Blanchard has restored several downtown landmarks, and in my case, so far, the Stinson School Lofts.

Throughout the city, the restoration efforts of many individuals and businesses remind us of the city's rather grand architectural heritage.

Having said that, the Century Theatre's demise sends an important message. We are indeed losing important buildings through neglected maintenance, and this should not be tolerated.

In the city of Chicago -- in a country that worships personal rights and tolerates gun-toting -- the mayor has the arbitrary right to seize and restore derelict properties. It is not simply an aesthetic issue; unused properties = minimal property taxes (often unpaid) = higher taxes for the rest of us, as well as reinforcing the sad image of downtown Hamilton.

Instead of wasting time and energy in yet another futile exercise of simplistic finger-pointing, let's collectively agree to set high standards for property ownership and, going forward, respect and enforce them.

- Harry Stinson

nice Harry ... nice :tup:

[highwater]

nice Harry ... nice :tup:

He's a classy guy. Would like to meet him some day. :)

[ihateittoo]

Matt Jelly is starting up the "By-law Crawl" In response to this all.

http://stillepost.ca/boards/index.php?topic=133289.0

[holymoly]

Matt Jelly is starting up the "By-law Crawl" In response to this all.

http://stillepost.ca/boards/index.php?topic=133289.0
Wow. It's reading stuff like this that really makes me wish I was living in Hamilton -- because there are passionate citizens with good ideas, willing to do things to make change happen.

[ihateittoo]

Cable 14! Panel on Bylaws and Lyric:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=429103515303&ref=nf

[emge]

i saw about half of that on Cable 14 yesterday... it was a pretty good one. i think i'll be by-law crawling :)

[highwater]

i think i'll be by-law crawling :)

moi aussi.

[omro]

My opinion of the by-law crawl is that it's a great idea, but too little too late. I'll happily join in and help prevent further losses. However, as I've said before, this should have all happened a year ago. As was pointed out to me last night, people knew of the state of the theatre, people from this forum infact have been in it and posted photos. Which I can remember from before I moved here. Nothing was done.

[SteelTown]

‘Exploratory’ demo work set to start on Century Theatre

January 15, 2010
Nicole O’Reilly
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/705835

The crew hired to bring down the historic Century Theatre will start exploratory demolition work this weekend, says the city.

“They have to get a handle on what they’re up against,” said city spokesperson Debbie Spence.

Actual demolition will likely begin at the Mary Street property on Monday, she added.

It will be piecemeal, Spence said. Crews will work manually, removing bricks by hand.

[LikeHamilton]

It has begun!

:(

[emge]

I wonder if any of the signs/etc. could be saved if people wanted to take them. Might be an interesting piece of Hamilton to save.

[SteelTown]

The owner will keep the signs. Apparently the owner wants to build a replica and re-install the signs back up.

[highwater]

The owner will keep the signs. Apparently the owner wants to build a replica and re-install the signs back up.

You should start a 'Believe it When I See it' thread for 'projects' like this.

[realcity]

The owner will keep the signs. Apparently the owner wants to build a replica and re-install the signs back up.


Does he need another 10 years ?

[SteelTown]

Who knows, all I know is that he's keeping the signs.

[matt602]

Yah. Lets see if LIUNA still has those window details from the Balfour. Last I saw them they were sitting in a pile of junk behind the Thomas building.

[Jon Dalton]

I wonder if any of the signs/etc. could be saved if people wanted to take them. Might be an interesting piece of Hamilton to save.

Check Mr. Used in about 6 months.

[SteelTown]

Sums it up pretty good....

http://media.hamiltonspectator.topscms.com/images/3e/c8/d2388c7148f3a80c3bd5edfa8d74.jpeg

[emge]

Hah - i just talked to that guy on the bus this morning, then saw that picture ten minutes later.

This Century thing is a shame.

[Millstone]

is this gone yet?

[matt602]

is this gone yet?

Almost. Bit longer, I reckon.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4297471959_4831997d5c_o.jpg

[adam]

I know 100 yr old homes are double brick construction, but is that outer wall 4 brick widths thick? Was that standard for theatre construction back then? That's an awful lot of old brick stock...

[SteelTown]

The end of the Century

January 27, 2010
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/712528

The old Century Theatre building on Mary Street is almost completely torn down.

The demolition of the historic theatre started last week, and crews brought down the main building around the stage area yesterday.

http://media.hamiltonspectator.topscms.com/images/b1/5a/a633e7cd483ead38256d68b4580f.jpeg

[emge]

i've been stopping by at 9 p.m. ish the last few night to look at it.. amazing how fast it comes down. this morning they were tearing down the final corner....

[matt602]

is this gone yet?

Yes. It is, as of this evening.

[SteelTown]

Curtain to rise on new Lyric Theatre

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/582081--curtain-to-rise-on-new-lyric-theatre

Hamilton’s historic Lyric Theatre is about to be reborn.

In name, anyway.

A year after the vaudeville-era building was torn down, the Lyric Theatre name is being resurrected through the purchase of another venerable city performance venue, the Westside Concert Theatre.

On Friday, local theatre producers Rick MacKenzie and Patrick Brennan bought the 300-seat building, which started life a movie hall in the 1930s, from fellow Hamilton arts stalwarts Colin Lapsley and Loren Lieberman, executive director of the Festival of Friends.

MacKenzie said he wants the King Street West theatre to honour the mandate of its nearly century-old namesake, also known as the Century, on Mary Street.

“We want to anchor what we do in the spirit of vaudeville,” he said, referring to the variety show performances popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

MacKenzie envisions at least one night a week reserved for variety shows featuring emerging local performers who want to tread the boards. Larger music, theatre and dance productions will likely fill the new Lyric Theatre’s weekend bill.

“We want to showcase all of the great talent we have right here in Hamilton,” he said. “We want our emerging artists meeting up with master artists.”

MacKenzie declined to say what he paid for the aging former movie hall, but estimated he and his partner will probably spend a total of $600,000 on the building, including major renovations.

There is plenty to fix.

“The building needs some tender loving care, no question,” he said, pointing out the leaky roof alone will likely cost $100,000 to repair.

The original exterior of the two-storey building is partially covered and mostly painted black, a look MacKenzie would like to change. “It’s looking pretty tired at the moment,” he said. “We’d like to make it friendly and appealing.”

Parking could also be a challenge.

The building has no lot of its own, but MacKenzie hopes to reach an understanding with local business owners interested in catering to theatre customers.

He also noted King Street is well-served by public transit and will be in a “fantastic position” should the much-debated LRT line become a reality.

One thing MacKenzie isn’t worried about is red tape.

Former owners Lapsley and Lieberman battled the city over the zoning of the Westside, which didn’t allow for a bar licence even though the building had started out as a theatre.

The zoning was eventually amended, but only after months of lost shows.

Lieberman declined to comment on the history of the theatre or his reasons for selling, calling the move a “simple real estate transaction.”

The new owners may eventually seek a bar licence that allows them to serve a full-capacity crowd of 300 people, MacKenzie said.

Right now, the 8,400-square-foot facility’s licence only allows alcohol to be served when the 180-seat “cabaret configuration” is in use.

[SteelTown]

Lyric Century Apartments | ? | 5 fl | Approved -> Lyric Century | ? | ? | Planning

[CaptainKirk]

Lyric Century Apartments | ? | 5 fl | Approved -> Lyric Century | ? | ? | Planning


Where?

On the site of the old Lyric (Century) theatre on Mary street?

Is this related in any way to the renaming of Westside Concert Theatre to the Lyric, or just co-incidental?

[SteelTown]

There's no Westside Concert so I just merged the Lyric Century to this thread.

The Lyric is gone so better make good use of this thread.

[interr0bangr]

Things seem to be happening around the Lyric these days.

Facebook says renos should be done by May, anyone know what the latest plans are?

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/12687962_1258650737494752_1878802665394966894_n.jpg?oh=083cb80928314a6ea3dae9259ce0b3b2&oe=5765ABF1https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/12715549_1258650817494744_8248580089384384460_n.jpg?oh=8f756e9ad2b78bf1afac4903b5000732&oe=5724A21D

[CaptainKirk]

Huh? http://www.lyrichamilton.com/

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Banzaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[interr0bangr]

https://www.facebook.com/LyricTheatreHamilton
https://twitter.com/lyrichamilton

[davidcappi]

Huh? http://www.lyrichamilton.com/


^Banzaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii



#dead

[matt602]

When I saw that this thread had been updated, I thought that it meant something was finally gonna be built where the (actual) Lyric theatre was...