[SteelTown]

LIUNA meeting Lister conditions

October 16, 2008
The Hamilton Spectator

A deal to save the Lister Block is still on track after LIUNA officials met a series of conditions yesterday with the City of Hamilton.

The deal, which would see city employees occupy a refurbished Lister Block by 2012, has a number of deadlines for the developer to meet certain conditions.

Yesterday's deadline required a heritage conservation strategy and planning applications, among other things. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said all requirements appear to have been met except for a computer-modelled energy study.

LIUNA, the labour organization that owns the building, was granted an extension for the study because of difficulties in finding someone to do the work, Eisenberger said.

He added that he is confident the deal will go through. "They are spending an awful lot of money on these studies and they wouldn't do that if they didn't plan to follow through ... I think everything is moving along as it should."

A spokesperson for LIUNA could not be reached for comment.