Lister Block | ? | 6 fl | Renovation

[DC83]

^^ are you kidding me? I almost crapped myself, then I realized I was looking at the Pittsburgh example!

Wasn't one of the main reasons business don't like to do business around here b/c of drug users and homeless people? Well by the looks of that 'parkette', it seems like a perfect place for a junky to spend the night.

Where are the lights? Where is the public art? Where's that warm, inviting feeling?

Way to drive more people away from (what was) a fantastic street, LIUNA! You're destroying this City one street-at-a-time!

[FairHamilton]

Still better than a weed filled vacant lot, or a streetwall of painted plywood.

[markbarbera]

It is exactly what we have come to expect from LIUNA of late.

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

Still better than a weed filled vacant lot, or a streetwall of painted plywood.

Hamilton will have no problem changing it's image with comments like this.
This one actually might NOT be better than an empty lot.
And it's definitely not better than the beautiful building that was there.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

Still better than a weed filled vacant lot, or a streetwall of painted plywood.

I disagree. With a weed filled lot, we'd still have hope. This wretched banality has sucked up our hope along with the streetlife. We'll never get anywhere in this town if we keep saying "Oh well, at least this stunning mediocrity is better than a vacant lot". It's also a tiresome rhetorical response to anyone who dares to criticize. Rather like the "at least Saddam is gone" line of defense for the Iraq debacle.

[omro]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

Here is the little parket next to Rardons.

Oh, so this is really in Hamilton?

I thought it was a joke because of the comment in another thread about not being able to lie flat on benches lol

[raisethehammer]

Omro - it really is in Hamilton (I'm ashamed to say), and yes, it really IS a joke.

[omro]

So is it even an area where people might want to sit down?

[raisethehammer]

perhaps, if it was done properly like that square in Pittsburgh.
I walked by the other day and thought it looked worse in person than in a photo.
There's blank walls on both sides.

[omro]

is it temporary or permanent?
it definitely looks like it was done on the cheap

if it's a high traffic area, they should have rented the space out to a coffee/snack stall or something and had them adopt the space and cultivate it.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by omro

is it temporary or permanent?
it definitely looks like it was done on the cheap

if it's a high traffic area, they should have rented the space out to a coffee/snack stall or something and had them adopt the space and cultivate it.

Temporary, until the property owner (LIUNA) develops something. The stall wouldn't be able to get a license from the city.

Reardons is next door and has a food cart out front, and now a place to sit outside next door. They also sell some deli sandwiches and beverages.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

perhaps, if it was done properly like that square in Pittsburgh.
I walked by the other day and thought it looked worse in person than in a photo.
There's blank walls on both sides.

The walls are owned by the adjacent property owners, not LIUNA.

[FairHamilton]

I'll file all the wanting a weed filled lot, over minimalist improvement, for a future date when you start complaining about a weed filled lot somewhere. Thistleclub property anyone............

Don't like it what was done on King William, then arrange a guerilla gardening group.

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
http://www.publicspace.ca/gardeners.htm
http://wggc.resist.ca/

If you can get something together now you can plant bulbs, and you'll have all winter to plan next summer's plantings.

There's my challenge, will anyone pick it up?

[omro]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

Temporary, until the property owner (LIUNA) develops something. The stall wouldn't be able to get a license from the city.

Reardons is next door and has a food cart out front, and now a place to sit outside next door. They also sell some deli sandwiches and beverages.

Maybe something should have been done in partnership with Reardons so that the parkette was an attractive way to increase their custom.

At least it's temporary. There's nothing wrong with it beyond it's underwhelming appearance.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by omro

Maybe something should have been done in partnership with Reardons so that the parkette was an attractive way to increase their custom.

At least it's temporary. There's nothing wrong with it beyond it's underwhelming appearance.

I don't think Reardons would realize enough return to justify any investment in someone else's property.

The unfortunate part of temporary is that it's open ended..........

[omro]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

I don't think Reardons would realize enough return to justify any investment in someone else's property.

The unfortunate part of temporary is that it's open ended..........

Oh well, maybe it'll get built on

surprised it's not a car park anyway

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

I'll file all the wanting a weed filled lot, over minimalist improvement, for a future date when you start complaining about a weed filled lot somewhere. Thistleclub property anyone............

Don't like it what was done on King William, then arrange a guerilla gardening group.

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
http://www.publicspace.ca/gardeners.htm
http://wggc.resist.ca/

If you can get something together now you can plant bulbs, and you'll have all winter to plan next summer's plantings.

There's my challenge, will anyone pick it up?

I'm with ya! Let's do it.
It would be easy too considering LIUNA owns the property. They've never stopped anyone from entering their buildings to start fires or set up tent for a few nights.
surely, they wouldn't notice, or mind, us sprucing this place up for the spring.
I like that idea, as I really don't believe this will be temporary (as in anything less then 5-10 years).

[Jon Dalton]

Totally useless. It's them trying to save face and yes it is worse than an empty lot. An empty lot draws attention to the fact that a building is what belongs there. Garbage like this is too accepted and it will cease to be an issue in peoples' minds.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

I'll file all the wanting a weed filled lot, over minimalist improvement, for a future date when you start complaining about a weed filled lot somewhere. Thistleclub property anyone............

Don't like it what was done on King William, then arrange a guerilla gardening group.

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
http://www.publicspace.ca/gardeners.htm
http://wggc.resist.ca/

If you can get something together now you can plant bulbs, and you'll have all winter to plan next summer's plantings.

There's my challenge, will anyone pick it up?

Guerrilla gardening is the first thing that occurred to me when I saw this wretched thing. Unfortunately I am insanely busy tending my own extensive native plant garden, doing guerrilla gardening in my local park, and tending to the garden at my kids' school, in addition to other community involvements. I don't believe I forfeited the right to call out bad stewardship when I see it just because I'm too busy to tend to every badly designed public space.

However. Something about this pitiful space calls out to me. So even though I am already up to my eyeballs in volunteer activities, here's my challenge to you. You pay for the plant materials and locate a convenient water source and I'll do the rest.

I am deadly serious.

[raisethehammer]

I'm dead serious too....I'll come and help you out highwater. You sound like you've had a lot of experience with this. I'll gladly lend a helping hand.