I was basing it on the RTH post in which he said that it was already too late by the time Hamilton made its case.

I think it is more likely higher than the same. I believe it would actually be a longer drive to reach downtown Hamilton rather than Brant and Plains for people from either Niagara or Oakville!

Urban locations are designed to service nearby populations who don't have to travel as far, making alternative transportation more viable. Suburban locations with quick,easy highway access are designed to attract people from much greater distances. When you make it easy for people to drive, more people will drive longer distances, it's as simple as that. Happy shopping.

So are you suggesting that a downtown Hamilton location would have basically drawn only people who live in downtown Hamilton and very close to it? Would that have worked?

can we stop discussing MEC. It's worse then Buffalo's Bass Pro.

What happened to Shopppers Drugmart trying to locate downtown?

I heard Darko wanted them to occupy the ground floor of his federal building, if he got a good retail tenant then the condos would be built.

This may be the first time that I have ever agreed with you. I do not understand all of the mourning for something that was never even under consideration. And while a shop like that is a nice thing to have, it is still relatively small potatoes --- certainly not something that deserves this much attention, at least in my mind.

At least all of the back-and-forth Bass Pro stuff in Buffalo was real --- the company was always hoping to come to Buffalo. It turns out that a store will indeed be constructed. And it will be 150,000 to 200,000 square feet, close to ten times the size of the MEC store.

If this was any other store their location would be a simple business decision. But MEC, until now, was a departure from the norm. It was one company with an environmental mandate that went beyond smooth PR and had tangible effects on their building construction and their growth strategy. For alot of us MEC represented hope for reinvestment in Hamilton's core, as this investment would make sound business and environmental sense.

Don't forget it wasn't just one store that would be gained. A main floor tenant for the Federal Building is required for the condo conversion to go forward there. All those tenants in the upper floors plus the foot traffic for MEC would raise the value of the surrounding vacant land and possibly lead to redevelopment.

big sign up on King West today - Shoppers is moving into the old Harveys at Dundurn. It seems kind of small though. I presume that the old Shoppers will be annexed by Fortinos.

speaking of which, full scale construction is taking place at Darko's collapsed property in Hess. It goes quite a ways back too, maybe another big club??

Shanghai Tea Merchant opened in JS today. I popped in and the place looks pretty sweet. Lots of gift ideas and a nice selection of loose leaf tea. The owner informed me that they would start selling tea and coffee to go next week.

This, along with Deco's Deli, seems to have invigorated this small section of JS. Both places were really busy today at around 1pm. Good to see.

Is this a joke? Please tell me you're serious.

Are you suggesting that MEC's decision to move into Burlington greatly reduced the chances of a major redevelopment in downtown Hamilton? My goodness, that is a stretch.

yup, lots of trucks, some sort of big drilling machine. the whole property is fenced off with the construction company sign on the fences.

Did I say that? For christs sake I said it would have POSSIBLY led to redevelopment if it had happened. I'm starting to believe you really are an instigator like others have suggested.

And that possibility is a wild stretch, is it not?

Without the MEC, the POSSIBILITY of redevelopment is greatly reduced according to you, is it not? I am not trying to be like RTH and place words into your mouth.

Your suggestion:
____________________________________________________________
"Don't forget it wasn't just one store that would be gained."

Store that was never actually considered by MEC -> condo conversion -> potential for further development.
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So then, does this not hold true?

No store -> no condo conversion -> no potential for further development

Nothing was actually lost here --- I do not understand the lament for something that was never going to be, and I really do not understand the lament for all of the spin-offs it may have triggered.

If a single store can actually be that powerful a catalyst, then surely there are others beyond MEC out there that can move in. MEC is not the be-all and end-all.

Let's give MEC a rest.

Shanghai Tea Merchant is awesome!! One of my fave new stores downtown.
I'd love to see Denningers build a new store overlooking the market where the salad bar and vietnamese resto currently are just inside JS doors from the market.
JS was downright bustling today.

thanks be to santa and the crap weather.

agreed on shanghai tea, btw. and open at at 9 sharp, too, if not before. they're not missing a beat.

I don't know if anyone has checked it out, but another JS gem is Core Sports and Fitness, in the same corridor as Deco. Nice selection of active wear with a very friendly staff. And one of the few shops that doesn't shut their doors in the face of shoppers at 5:30 on a weekday afternoon.

The shopkeepers in JS need to keep longer hours as a general rule. I can't tell you the number of times I have wandered past darkened storefronts in the early evening or on a Sunday, practically holding out a fistful of cash, hoping for a shopkeeper to take it from me.