Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn
Designs may not be great, but there will be an improvement in the feel of the street - more people to go to and support businesses, new street level retail. Those factors alone mean these developments will make the area better as the bland churches, strip malls, and abandoned lots they're proposed for contribute nothing positive
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LOL new street level retail? Have you LOOKED around? Half the street level "retail" still remains empty - there's no businesses to GO in these places.. and if the place is slummy noone's gonna wanna be on the first floor..
gonna take more than just knocking down churches and building ikea buildings to turn things around.. I'm sick of the "well the architectures not great but at least it'll improve things" argument. I hear it so many times.. are our standards that low that we'll simply accept added density in our city even if it means a sea of mediocrity? As we bulldoze everything noteworthy - this happened in cities in the 80s, it shouldn't be happening now.
Not that I am saying maintain every church, that's unrealistic, but at least replace it with something that looks MEANINGFUL. This is literally box massing with windows punched in.. architecturally, we deserve better.
Only design element it's got going for it is that brick ribbing on the right side on the first floor.. and I know.. my grumbling probably gets tiring to listen to, but it's just the way I feel. I give things credit when they are due it, but it's very rare. Hamilton is like that black sheep child that occasionally makes you proud but for the most part is a disappointment.
Hell look at what they built across from the scottish rite building - and they demolished a nuns convent/orphanage for that.