Waterfront Shores |?| Approved

[johnnyhamont]

Starting a new thread to clean up/ organize our various conversations.

I noticed much of the conversation over at Hamilton Waterfront was about Waterfront Shores, though interspersed with a wide range of other things like sewage infrastructure, the surrounding Copps Park etc.

We also already have separate threads for the Copps Park here:
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...highlight=pier
And for the 45-storey proposal here:
https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...highlight=pier

I figure it's worth dedicating a thread to the 1500-unit residential development happening at the Piers there. Mods may or may not wish to move a pile of posts from the Hamilton Waterfront thread over here.

Otherwise, the quick photo summary is that the site used to look like this:


currently looks like this:


and will look something like this:


Those just joining or new to this project can get background info at these places:
https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest...-8-development
https://waterfrontshorescondos.ca/

[johnnyhamont]

Now that we're here, does anyone have intel about which buildings/ blocks will start sales/ construction first?

[StEC]

I have no knowledge to share but just wanted to say that's a great idea starting this thread for the specific low/midrise builds. The other thread was certainly messy encompassing too many discussions.

[TheRitsman]

My understanding is that the section furthest from the water was phase 1. I'll see if I can find the old documents back with the phasing structure. Found them. Keep in mind, that these are the old suggested planning structure by the city, and it planned for the park to be completed in phase 3, which was obviously changed.

[ScreamingViking]

Phased this way the city avoids having a big wasteland between the first phase and existing development to the south. And did they do all the servicing, or is some going to be phased as well?

For the builders, I wonder if a south to north progression would be more profitable. Waterfront units would likely be more expensive in any case, but this way the supply gets progressively more limited from Phase 1 to 3 (caveat being whatever the market looks like in the future, but Hamilton should still see enough demand to keep it on a rise once we're past the current uncertainty)

Things may indeed have changed, especially if that plan was done before the selection of the winning bidder.

[King&James]

Typically developers "sell the worst first" so a North south orientation from the far east phasing (ie stage 1), makes sense to me.

[johnnyhamont]

From another thread:

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I noticed some sort of sales billboard went up. Not sure how long it's been there though, I don't go down to the west harbour too often. I should have snapped a pic.

[ScreamingViking]

Sales for the tower to begin later this year, with construction planned in 2024.

I hope this focus on the 45-storey condo won't mean the rest of the development stalls. I'd prefer to see the 6- to 9-floor blocks go in first, but this underground parking issue would need to be resolved before that happens.

And what are the odds the developer tries to go taller on the rest of the pier? Or sell to one that would? Building the tower first may enhance the case for others on this land, which is precisely what many people fear will happen to our waterfront.


Sales for condo tower on Hamilton’s Pier 8 will open by end of year: developer
Long-planned waterfront units will be marketed in new showroom as consortium and city agree to Discovery Centre lease

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...velopment.html

Sebastian Bron
The Hamilton Spectator
Thu., April 13, 2023



Development of a splashy 1,500-home harbourfront neighbourhood on Pier 8 is making headway.

Waterfront Shores recently signed a lease with the city to use a portion of the Discovery Centre as a showroom and sales centre for its long-awaited, 45-storey condo project, according to a report bound for the west harbour subcommittee Friday.

The lease marks an important step forward in the consortium’s plans to redevelop the city-owned former industrial pier into 1,500 condo apartments and townhouses, said Joe Valela, president of consortium partner Tercot Communities.

Valela said building permits to modify the leased space into a showroom featuring vignettes of condo designs will be filed in the next few months. Its completion and opening will see sales begin later this year, he added, with construction planned for 2024.

“We now have all the pieces that we need and we’re very pleased with where we are,” Valela said over a call.

Meanwhile, according to the subcommittee reports, the city is currently in discussions with the consortium to explore the feasibility of a public parking component within its residential development.

One such measure would be to consolidate underground parking between development blocks, in turn providing “a better functional design of the neighbourhood and provide an opportunity to incorporate public parking into the underground structure,” the report states.

A layout for potential parking improvements at the Pier 8 development will be considered by the general issues committee April 19.

The subcommittee reports also included several other updates to the city’s $140-million plan to transform the west harbour into a vibrant commercial and mixed-use village.

Construction of Gateway Park, for example, will begin this summer and finish by the end of 2023. The triangular-shaped space stretches northward from Discovery Drive to the new Haida Avenue, complementing already completed projects like the Pier 7 board and boat slips.

...

Pasted the rest of the article here: https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...&postcount=826

[johnnyhamont]

Another update from today.

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...velopment.html

Both recent Spec articles reference tendering starting for the triangular park. Does anyone have plans to the design for that park that they can link to?

Billion-dollar west Hamilton harbour development moves forward
Project expected to give city multimillion-dollar tax-revenue boost once it’s complete in years to come
By Teviah Moro | Spectator Reporter
Tue., April 18, 2023

Hamilton’s redeveloped west harbour is still years away from completion but promises to spur millions in new tax revenue when it’s all done.

“This land has never generated a dime of municipal taxes in its entire history,” Chris Phillips, the city’s point person on the waterfront project, told councillors during a recent project overview.

But the finished product — 1,645 condo apartments and townhouses and 70,000 square feet of commercial space — is expected to generate $8 to 9 million in tax revenue a year, Phillips said.

Keep in mind, however, that the private consortium’s sizeable harbourside community is expected to be built in phases over 15 to 20 years.

“It just takes time to construct, to finance. It’s a billion-dollar project when it’s all said and done,” Phillips told The Spectator.

As the project moves forward, the nine city-owned development blocks — now outlined with a network of local roads — are to be sold to Waterfront Shores at “fair market value.”

The consortium plans to start with two blocks at the far eastern side of Pier 8, with sales expected to start this year, Phillips noted.

The proposed 45-storey, 429-unit tower, however, still awaits a staff report with recommendations to council in the fall.

But in mid-June, the city plans to host a public session on the highrise pitch, an arrangement that sprung from a settlement of a neighbourhoods group’s provincial tribunal appeal over the development plan.

The blueprint for private development takes shape as the city continues to revamp the public realm, realizing a decades-long ambition to transform the industrial waterfront.

So far, the $140-million capital plan for Piers 6, 7 and 8 has included shoreline rehabilitation, a breakwater, stretches of boardwalk in a renewed marina, the Copps Pier Park waterside promenade, a mini-beach and playground.

Here are some other key elements of the overall project.

The city has inked a five-year lease with the consortium to use a part of the Discovery Centre as a temporary development showroom. Staff plan to report back to council on a potential longer-term use of the public building.
A retractable bridge designed to connect pedestrians between spans of boardwalk and allow the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club sailing school passage through a roughly 10-metre wide channel at Pier 7 is planned.
Public consultation and a design competition — akin to the process that selected the Copps Pier Park concept — is to lead to two new public buildings at Piers 6 and 7. Construction is expected in 2025. Staff plan to report back on project details in May.
Plans for a triangular Pier 8 “gateway park” is going through tendering with the goal of welcoming visitors by the end of the year.
Work on a public plaza at the foot of James Street North with a viewing platform at Guise Street is underway.
An east-west “greenway” that spans the Pier 8 development is to serve as a stormwater-management tool and a public pedestrian thoroughfare. The developer is to build the city-funded right-of-way in phases that match the community’s construction. Public consultation on the initiative is to start in coming weeks and months.
Meanwhile, a plan for long-term parking is also in the mix, with spots at Pier 6 and 7 giving way to the reworked public spaces.
As the construction rolls out, the city aims to continue drawing visitors to the waterfront through a series of initiatives, including public art, food trucks and special events.

[TheHonestMaple]

It is embarrassing how slow this project is progressing. Completion is 20 years away. 2043? WTF lmao. There's literally no reason construction couldn't start this year on this whole thing. The demand is there. The only thing in the way is big government city bureaucrats. Laughable.

[PaperSun]

Hamilton just attracts all the novice developers, we need some real developers to come in and get these projects going.

[King&James]

Agree, , one can only hope that the first wave of buyers is very enthusiastic and the consortium releases future phases in rapid succession.Going to be very nice when complete , however I think the biigest opportunity lies a kilometre so so to the west with the redevelopment of the shunting yards (or perhaps build over them - ala Hudson Yards) . One could imagine that CN could really extract value out of those lands.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by PaperSun

Hamilton just attracts all the novice developers, we need some real developers to come in and get these projects going.

These guys aren’t super novice - Cityzen has built a half-dozen projects in Toronto including the L tower and Pier 27. They aren’t Tridel or Daniels either though or something.

[TheRitsman]

https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest...el=tw-29490009

Community Consultation Event
Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023
Time: Drop in anytime from 6 to 8:30 pm. There will be a short presentation at 7 pm
Location: Discovery Centre, 77 Harbourside Way (Formerly 57 Discovery Drive)

You will have the opportunity to view displays about various West Harbour projects, the Greenway rezoning application process, and the Greenway design project. You can visit these at your own pace and ask questions of City staff and consultants.

[Chronamut]

Any news on the progress of this one?