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AEON Bayfront Studios
Interesting idea. If this site isn't acceptable, there are hectares of vacant industrial/commercial lands in the north end that could be a viable home to studios.
Film studios eye Hamilton’s failed stadium lands for movie makeover The city says more than two would-be buyers are interested in building film studios on the Barton-Tiffany lands. by Matthew Van Dongen The Hamilton Spectator -- June 19, 2018 https://dynamicmedia.zuza.com/zz/m/o...77L107.3-0.jpg Mystery would-be buyers want to turn Hamilton's failed stadium lands into a film studio. City council infamously bought and demolished 19 homes and businesses along Barton Street West near the CN shunting yard in 2010 — forcing residents to relocate for a planned football stadium that ended up being built elsewhere. The city intends to sell the land at some point — environmental testing is underway now — and the 16-acre block is currently zoned for a mix of residential along Barton and commercial closer to the rail yard. But city economic development head Glen Norton said Monday "very strong interest" from Toronto's land-starved film industry has spurred him to ask area residents if they are interested in a made-for-TV ending to the Barton-Tiffany saga. "What they're saying is they want to do all of (the block) as film studios," said Norton, who was slated to attend a Central Neighbourhood Association meeting Monday night to gauge neighbourhood interest in the idea. "My question to them is are you interested in us having those talks? Because if not, we don't want to waste time talking about this (with potential buyers) if it is not feasible." Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr called the idea interesting and "very early stages," but worth running by residents for feedback. He emphasized the current secondary plan, including hundreds of new homes on Barton and commercial businesses closer to the rail yard, is the product of community consultation and a painful Ontario Municipal Board challenge. "A lot of folks over very many years consulted on that plan," he said. "How does a film studio on all of that land fit? … That's obviously going to be a question." ... read more |
I wonder if Guillermo del Toro is involved.
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THE FILM STUDIO SHOULD BE ON THE MOUNTAIN OR CONFEDERATION PARK.
(Sarcasm) |
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From the linked article,
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Film studio eyed for Hamilton’s Barton-Tiffany lands
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8...tiffany-lands/ The City of Hamilton's planning committee approved a recommendation for staff to "assess the alignment" of using the Barton-Tiffany lands for a film production studio. The report that came before Tuesday's meeting suggested undertaking a review of the West Harbour Secondary Plan as well as the Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study to see if creative industries — including a studio — line up with the vision for the lands. Staff will be directed to undertake a community consultation on the review and present the outcome to planning committee in the first quarter of 2019, according to the report. Ward 5 Coun. Chad Collins questioned why a film studio wouldn't follow the typical process of a developer if they were interested in the lands. "I think the most basic answer of why we would take it on is we can maximize the value of those lands," said city economic development head Glen Norton. "Given the way the industry is moving, I don't think they would be interested in buying the property on the chance they could have it rezoned," he later added. City council bought and demolished 19 homes and businesses along Barton Street West near the CN shunting yard in 2010, forcing residents to relocate for a planned football stadium that ended up being built elsewhere. The city intends to sell the land, which is currently zoned for a mix of residential on Barton and commercial closer to the rail yard, at some point. |
This is positive news!
Aeon Studio Group would like to develop Barton and Tiffany with a studio!
https://twitter.com/nicolemartintv/s...94079444078593 |
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An announcement is set for today.
Hamilton and #HamOnt’s film industry is ready for its close up! Today, Aeon Studio Group announced their plan to build an international film and studio hub right here on the Barton-Tiffany lands! This will bring hundreds of high-paying jobs into #HamOnt’s film industry. https://twitter.com/fredeisenberger |
Film and television production studio planned for the city of Hamilton
by The Canadian Press Posted Jun 18, 2019 11:20 am EDT https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/06/...y-of-hamilton/ HAMILTON — A production studio is planned for Hamilton, Ont., that could turn the city into an international hub for film, television and digital media production. Aeon Studio Group, a film and television studios developer, announced Tuesday that the Hamilton Studio District will include modern sound stages, production offices and facilities. The studio, expected to be built in central Hamilton, will allow for post-production, animation, visual effects, game development, music and more. ASG said it plans to build about 46,500 square metres of stage space in Hamilton, with 14,000 square metres expected to be built and operational in a year. The studio says the facility will also be a centre for local talent and will enrich the creative industry community. The space will also include two residential towers and an open public area. “Hamilton is the perfect place for a production hub in the west-end Greater Toronto and Hamilton area because of its proximity to diverse filming locations, thriving arts and culture workforce, limited traffic congestion, supply of industrial buildings ripe for conversion into lower cost studio space, and because productions that film there qualify for additional provincial tax credits,” ASG partner Mike Bruce said at a news conference Tuesday. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said the studio will create jobs and transform the city. “It will see the rejuvenation of a brown field located in the heart of our city, and see this area transformed into a beautiful, campus-like environment, fully accessible to the community and conveniently located next to the West Harbour GO station and near our future LRT,” he said. Hamilton’s economic development director Glen Norton said the studio is in line with the city’s priorities of investing in jobs and the creative industries. “We look forward to finalizing this purchase agreement and start the development process as soon as possible,” he said. |
I was worried the area was going to be a sea of commercial buildings and warehouse type structures, but:
"the space will also include two residential towers and an open public area". |
From CBC
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Is that the North end? Because if so I'm sure Turkstra will oppose it.
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All things come to those who wait...
Thank God for Ritalin or I never would have made it this far! |
Let's get some concept renders soon Aeon. :cheers:
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I'm going to file this one in a field of dreams, no real details, no financing, .... What existing 150,000 warehouse is available.
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Isn't this complex between Wellington and Victoria empty? Is there anything along the QEW in Stoney Creek that might be a candidate? Another possibility could be The Spec's building, since they're about to stop the presses. Pretty big space there, including offices. Perhaps they'll offer it up for sale sooner rather than later? |
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I guess I stand corrected, but for sure I thought I saw in one report they were retrofitting an existing warehouse. Hyper optimistic that anyone could build 150,000 sq ft of purpose built space and be operational in 18 months , with nothing but an announcement in hand.
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This story mentions the retrofit while they do the longer-term work to plan the Barton-Tiffany site.
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9...thin-the-year/ Quote:
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^^^ thanks ScreamingViking
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The city is planning to sell its public works building and yard at 125 Barton St. W. This is right across from the Barton-Tiffany lands the stadium was originally planned to be built upon.
https://goo.gl/maps/ji4UXNjBRKc1wNEN6 City hopes to sell sprawling Hamilton public works yard on Barton Street West By Teviah MoroSpectator Reporter Sat., Oct. 24, 2020 The city hopes to sell a public works yard not far from Hamilton’s evolving west harbour as part of a plan to move operations elsewhere. This week, councillors directed staff to sell 125 Barton St. W. along with empty parcels on Burlington Street East and an old yard in Flamborough. The goal is to use the proceeds to buy another property councillors haven’t yet disclosed amid an ongoing effort to shed underutilized public works sites. “I think we’re trying to modernize and consolidate our public works operations,” Coun. John-Paul Danko told The Spectator. Since amalgamation, the city’s massive public works department has counted many facilities from the former municipalities in its inventory. “We’ve never really drawn them all together, so that’s part of what we’re trying to do,” said Danko, who’s chair of the public works committee. The plan calls for tapping $1.46 million from a capital reserve to make the purchase and replenish it after the property sales. Councillors discussed the real estate moves in camera during Wednesday’s general issues committee meeting. Their direction to staff needs final approval next week at council. Once that happens, the newly acquired property will be public, Rom D’Angelo, director of energy, fleet and facilities management, said in an interview. ... Full story here: https://www.thespec.com/news/council...reet-west.html |
I think this is the warehouse that houses some very valuable artefacts. The Mayor's throne, old chains of office, etc etc etc.
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It's a fairly large site, almost 4.5 acres. Zoned for single family dwellings and duplexes. IMO a prime property for re-development.
Source: City of Hamilton Maps (Search: 125 Barton St W) |
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That’s been the attitude for like 50 years, before the centennial Dundurn was the civic museum, amongst it’s dozen other uses after the MacNabs and before the modern Museum.
I would absolutely patron that museum. It’s a dream of mine to see one someday :rolleyes: |
This is the location:
map street view Hollywood in Hamilton: Massive movie studio planned for West Harbour will open first building in February https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...-february.html By Matthew Van Dongen The Hamilton Spectator Wed., Dec. 2, 2020 https://images.thestar.com/g82ZVKAc9...ary/studio.jpg Hamilton’s long-promised west harbour film studio will begin making movie magic in February — to start, inside one of the city’s oldest manufacturing sites. AEON Studio Group trumpeted plans back in June 2019 to build a 14-acre film and TV production hub paired with a “live-work” development atop city-owned lands that were controversially bulldozed for a failed stadium plan a decade ago. The COVID pandemic slowed environmental studies on the properties bounded by Queen, Tiffany and Barton streets and the land remains in taxpayer hands. In fact, the city even bought another area parcel for $3.5 million at the height of the first pandemic lockdown in April. But the film consortium announced Wednesday that the “first decisive step” toward the Hollywood North dream — now called AEON Bayfront Studios — will open for business Feb. 1 across the street from its planned mixed-use development, in the current home of AVL Manufacturing at 243 Queen St. N. That 80,000-square-foot facility most recently churned out modified shipping containers for use as mobile COVID medical triage units. AVL head Vince DiCristofaro told The Spectator he is relocating his Queen Street operations and 100 workers to another factory on Sherman Avenue. “We’re staying in Hamilton and more employment is moving in here, so it’s a real win-win for the city,” said DiCristofaro, who plans to sell the property to AEON and its local real estate partner, Forge and Foster. The 7.5-acre property has had a factory on it since Great Western Railway rerolled worn out rails there in 1861. Now, it will be making movies. The size of both the building and property will immediately rank it “among the best studios” in the region, said AEON partner Mike Bruce in a statement Wednesday. It has 50-foot-tall ceilings, room for a 27,000-square-foot main stage, 40,000 square feet of additional production space and a paint shop. ... At full build-out, the film hub is supposed to add 1,000-plus new jobs, but it was not immediately clear Wednesday how many people will be employed to start at 243 Queen St. N. ... Full story here |
CBC's version of the story has a few extra details about the development plans at the piers.
(I tried to change the name of the thread to reflect the "Studio District" moniker... can a moderator please do that? Thanks!) Major film studio in Hamilton's west harbour will open its doors in February https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...udio-1.5825145 Samantha Craggs CBC News Posted Dec 02, 2020 A major film studio planned for Hamilton's west harbour will open its doors in February. Aeon Bayfront Studios, built by Aeon Studio Group, will be the centrepiece of Hamilton's new so-called "studio district," and will include a massive main stage, 6,500 square feet of furnished office space, and a large back lot. The city, which has hosted productions such as Robocop and The Umbrella Academy, has touted film and TV as an area for potential economic growth. This studio is built on the Barton-Tiffany lands, space that's been largely underused since the city bought it for an unrealized stadium project more than 10 years ago. The Aeon project means "high-value, high-paying jobs for people in the film industry right here in Hamilton," Mayor Fred Eisenberger said in a media release. Hamilton, he said, plays a "key role in building Ontario's film and screen industry." "Hamilton is Canada's third-largest film cluster and is home to over 9,000 people who work in the film industry, and over 900 film businesses." Debbie Spence, the city's creative industries business development consultant, says film is an area where Hamilton can see "consistent and accelerated growth." Overall, $59 million was spent in Hamilton on film productions in 2019, Spence said earlier this year. About $20 million of that was from the second season of The Umbrella Academy, and included restaurant meals and crew parting gifts. New figures show more than 100 productions filmed in Hamilton this year, even during COVID-19. The Aeon studio at 243 Queen St. N. is 80,000 square feet on three hectares (7.5 acres) of land, the company says. AVL Manufacturing operates there right now, but is moving to a new location. It will be "among the best studios in Ontario by virtue of its size, ceiling height, clear span, on-site amenities and proximity to transportation and ancillary production services," the company says. The city and Aeon are promoting the studio district as a "live-work-play" hub that includes offices, retail and condo units. The studio is one of a few projects in the works in the west harbour. Hamilton is also in the midst of redeveloping Piers 6, 7 and 8 to include 1,645 condo units, retail and institutional space, and a boardwalk. Fifteen per cent of the condo units will be "family sized," which is two or more bedrooms. Waterfront Shores Corporation is developing the area. The city and the company are in the midst of "constructive negotiations," staff told a city council subcommittee on Wednesday. The city expect to sign a development agreement in January. The boardwalk area known as Copps Park should be open in July, staff said. The city will also have to decide whether to build a public artisan market and open-air buildings on Piers 6 and 7. |
^Nice!
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I haven't heard any updates on this. It's well beyond the date this studio was supposed to open. Anyone heard anything.
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Aeon is just a wing of Forge and Foster, so I am doubtful, but if it's progressing I would suspect it's being held up with environmental assessments and negotiations with CN. They seem to be posting updates on twitter though
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It's in business. I mainly pasted studio details below; the full story includes a few notes about commercials and other filming in the area.
Hamilton’s Bayfront film studio is up and running Daniel Nolan The Hamilton Spectator Thu., July 1, 2021 https://www.thespec.com/entertainmen...d-running.html Hamilton’s new film studio has opened for business. Aeon Studio Group has fixed up the former AVL Manufacturing plant on Queen Street North and it is now open for filming and movie making. One of its first clients is expected to be a Hollywood blockbuster when it hits theatres — the remake of “Firestarter” starring Zac Efron, Michael Greyeyes and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (who plays Charlie, a girl with pyrokinetic powers). ... The new studio was promised by Aeon in December, with an expected opening in February. It’s the first step of a proposed film and TV production hub on 14-acres of city-owned land that is bounded by Queen Street, Barton Street and Tiffany Street. It was once eyed for the city’s new stadium, which went up where Ivor Wynne used to stand in the east end. The hub is anticipated to create more than a thousand new jobs. ... Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr was excited by the new film studio in his ward. The studio is just south of the CN Stuart yard. “It’s the biggest studio facility in Hamilton (80,000-square-feet) and it has one of only a handful of stages in the province that are 25,000 + square feet with 40 feet + ceilings,” Farr said in an email. “More studio facilities in Hamilton (are) coming.” Kim Adrovez, senior project manager at the Hamilton Film Office, says the city has a number of industrial warehouse studio spaces as well as standing sets. “Some examples include Hamilton Film Studios, Skylight Studios, Aeon Bayfront Studios and Evil Empire Studios,” she said. There is also The Cotton Factory and Digital Canaries Film Studios, which is based on Gage Avenue North but offers half a dozen locations around the city to filmmakers such as two former schools and an locale on Hillyard Street. ... The city says there are over 900 Hamilton-based film businesses, employing about 9,000 people. ... full story here |
In Barton-Tiffany news:
https://twitter.com/JoeyColeman/stat...V3WTnBkRw&s=19 Joey Coleman: "Wow, just wow. Clr @JasonFarrHamOnt is suggesting that the Barton-Tiffany lands have not been attractive to developers. A GO Station with all-day service is beside it! It is waterfront! Walking from a downtown. It may be the most attractive land west of Toronto." Aeon Studio Group recently posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQ1nzrF...dium=copy_link Followed to their site: https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/studio-district "The Studio District would be an economic cluster with studios for the production of film, television, gaming, animation and music. It would feature artist live-work spaces, office space for creative industry companies, industry event spaces including a theatre, and learning and training spaces to build the local workforce." https://i.imgur.com/8sRxgeeh.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/fLRctZVh.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/YbiO6Xsh.jpeg |
The Farr Side, only his version is not funny.
Aside from MIP and the airport, and barring some massive future redevelopment of vacant industrial lands northeast of downtown, this idea is probably the biggest potential economic win for the entire city. |
From today's Spec. Same photos TheRitsman posted were in the story.
Hamilton’s west harbour film hub is growing — but not on the city’s failed stadium lands https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...-film-hub.html Matthew Van Dongen The Hamilton Spectator Thu., Oct. 21, 2021 The would-be builders of a Hamilton film hub have now set up shop in three buildings in the west harbour — but any work to develop the city’s failed stadium lands is still at least two years away. Aeon Studio Group agreed in principle back in 2019 to buy 14-acres of city-owned land — a Barton-Tiffany block infamously bulldozed for a stadium built elsewhere — and turn it into a film production and live-work hub. More than two years later, the city still owns the barren block and the renamed Aeon Bayfront Studios group is operating out of nearby buildings, instead. That didn’t sit well with some councillors Wednesday who questioned if the group was meeting its commitments under a two-year-old memorandum of understanding. “The studio was what they sold us on,” said Coun. Brad Clark, who noted a staff update on the project appears to show a focus on first developing residential and commercial buildings on the city lands. “They’re not hitting any of the targets to get that studio open on Barton-Tiffany ... Why are we not prioritizing what the original vision was?” Mayor Fred Eisenberger, by contrast, gave the group credit for an “absolutely brilliant” decision to buy and quickly start film production in the former AVL Manufacturing building on Queen Street North last year, arguing it was a tangible commitment to the film hub vision. He noted the city itself has struggled to start development on anther former industrial site nearby, Pier 8. “It’s taken us 20 years,” he said. Aeon co-founder Jeff Anders told councillors Wednesday the group has made “significant progress” on the project despite pandemic delays and a longer-than-expected environmental study of the city lands. He also announced the group will seek public feedback on a newly released conceptual plan for the Barton-Tiffany lands showing production space, residential and commercial units and a public plaza. Those environmental studies suggest the grand vision won’t happen fast, however. “The site is loud, it is wet, it is contaminated,” Anders said. He estimated the group will earn approvals to build on the “least challenging” parts of the block within two years, likely starting with commercial and targeted residential buildings on the corner of Barton and Queen streets. Construction approval on tougher spots could still be five years away. ... Aeon is now supposed to conduct public consultation this month and deliver a master plan and business case to the city for consideration next February. It’s not clear when Aeon will purchase the Barton-Tiffany lands from the city, which hopes to recoup around $13 million spent buying land in the area over more than a decade. full story here |
That story also noted that the studio has purchased buildings on Harriet Street and Bay Street N.
It must be 29 Harriet, the reno that's detailed in that thread. It's the only large building on that very short street, and the news story associated with it noted F&F was "hoping to populate the building with creative and film industry businesses" |
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Cool idea in theory creating a hub, supporting the film industry that's growing rapidly in Hamilton and translating it into an even larger vision across the arts. Would really be complimentary to the area.
Imagine this plus moving the train yard (park, or whatever), that would really make a good imprint on young adults across Canada for choosing a city like Hamilton after graduation with all the other amenities, areas & growth (lrt, city centre, arena, etc). |
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the preliminary designs shown in the renders is by BDP Quadrangle.
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I wonder if the large parking lots of Bayfront Park could see some development too.
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Looks great! I just doubt it will get built within the next 20 years, if ever.
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I think something will get built. I don't think it will end up matching that vision -- more studio, less "district"
Though maybe it could lead to some new retail or restaurants on Bay or Barton, maybe Queen or even as far as James. |
You can watch Aeon present their "Studio District" via zoom Feb 8th, or 9th, 10th, 12th.
https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/events https://aeon.planlocal.ca/vpic/bayfr...io-district/6/ |
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