Rumour Mill

[matt602]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Looks like a good lineup of live music at Cat & Fiddle. But can't the owners sneak in one, just one decent beer?! The tap list is the usual shite.

I agree, it's not that great at all. I made the mistake of having cider there once and it was a very bad experience. Still looking for a place with good cider, actually.

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Looks like a good lineup of live music at Cat & Fiddle. But can't the owners sneak in one, just one decent beer?! The tap list is the usual shite.

They added Mill Street recently, which is something I guess.

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by drpgq

They added Mill Street recently, which is something I guess.

Good to know.

I do understand if there is reluctance or refusal to change up the tap list. If a bar sells X amount of beer week in and week out from Y number of taps, why mess with it. There is also a very entrenched incentive system which is lucrative for the bar and the macrobreweries. Some bars have long term contracts which keep out the small-volume breweries.

[Pearlstreet]

Che in Hess Village has their own tapped house brew, which sells for less. It must be difficult to break through without a large investment. It seemed to go well with the college crowd of course.

[Pearlstreet]

It seems someone decided to do some soil testing at the corner of Wellington and King Streets. Something to fill the void here would be nice, it has great potential. The sign still says 'for Lease' however.

I took this while walking around Christmas shopping today. Jackson Square and the core had many shoppers milling about. Lots of displays and festive feel I have not seen here before.

[matt602]

I've noticed that too. The downtown is really getting a lot more streetlife than it used to have, and the majority isn't the usual suspects any more. It's very easy to see that downtown has turned a corner.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

I'm not a 100% sure but I think Denninger's owns that corner lot. It's been vacant for a verrry long time.

And I hate that arch. It's gotta go, IMHO.

[SteelTown]

Yes, Denningers own the land.

[markbarbera]

I noticed recently when driving along Main that the Mirage nightclub at Walnut has closed (formerly Modern India Buffet, formerly Don Cherry's Grapevine). I saw a construction company's sign on the exterior. Anyone know what's happening to the site? The property owner was planning a hotel for the spot once upon a time but I don't know if that is still in play.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Formerly X-seafood buffet restaurant, too but that's going way back.

I loved Don Cherry's Grapevine as a kid. I'm sure it was totally moronic but as a ten-year-old it was right up my alley. Saw a taping once with Rick Vaive. Amazing.

Great building though. Whatever happens, hope it gets repurposed and not razed.

[palace1]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

I noticed recently when driving along Main that the Mirage nightclub at Walnut has closed (formerly Modern India Buffet, formerly Don Cherry's Grapevine). I saw a construction company's sign on the exterior. Anyone know what's happening to the site? The property owner was planning a hotel for the spot once upon a time but I don't know if that is still in play.

Here's a link to the 2009 article about a "$30-million, 160-room highrise hotel with underground parking"
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...hotel-downtown

I just checked the city building permit inquiry and the plans have been downgraded slightly... it says 157 Main W will be a Dollarama.

Permit Type Status
12-123267-00 Stores Alteration Review
Description
Alterations to the 1-storey commercial building to create "Dollarama".

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by palace1

I just checked the city building permit inquiry and the plans have been downgraded slightly... it says 157 Main W will be a Dollarama.

Excellent. Another wonderful example of Hamilton's determined rush toward mediocrity. We just can't have enough dollar stores here. Presumably the one in Jackson Square is just too hard to get to.

[coalminecanary]

Get ready for more dollar stores and money marts if we get a casino, and a total evacuation of any contributing businesses & residents from the core. This place is becoming more of a disaster by the day.

[markbarbera]

Is there a city in Ontario that actually saw this happen? I have been to downtown Brantford after their casino opened and I saw lots of new shops and restaurants but I don't recall seeing any new Money Marts or dollar stores. Same with the casino in downtown Windsor. A vibrant dining and entertainment district exists next to their casino complex, but no Money Marts or dollar stores that I recall.

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

...Same with the casino in downtown Windsor. A vibrant dining and entertainment district exists next to their casino complex, but no Money Marts or dollar stores that I recall.

I hope you're right. But in Hamilton there is so little vision and forward thinking at the municipal level. A vibrant dining and entertainment district surrounding a downtown casino will emerge through determination of the entrepreneurs and massive private sector spending.

The tendency here is to do so little, repeatedly.

I did not link dollar stores to a casino, but rather do we need more of them (and Money Marts for that matter)?

[palace1]

The MoneyMart in Brantford is in an interesting historic building with topless women on the terracotta facade (a nice historical link to today's casino showgirls imho).

Here's the streetview: http://goo.gl/maps/NyOsN

Brantford also expropriated and demolished 41 buildings near the casino last year. Another great example of the power of casino profits!

Any new shops or revitalisation in Brantford's downtown are more likely due to Wilfrid Laurier setting up a campus with 2700 students in the historic Carnegie library and other buildings; also Nipissing University and Mohawk College have programs in Brantford.
Apparently Brantford used casino money in some way for this, but certainly the money could have been borrowed or raised other ways.

Niagara Falls has two casinos and millions of tourists but the downtown is very depressed and empty with a big stone abandoned railway station and vacant stores.

OLG should cease giving local bribes/payments and spread the profit evenly to all communities in Ontario. The direct employment created by the facility and any economic spinoff should be the only factors when deciding whether or not to accept the trojan gifthorse of a casino.

[Pearlstreet]

A dollar store just opened a few days ago at the corner of King and Victoria Ave. I really hope this rumour isn't true.

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by palace1

The MoneyMart in Brantford is in an interesting historic building with topless women on the terracotta facade (a nice historical link to today's casino showgirls imho).

Here's the streetview: http://goo.gl/maps/NyOsN

Brantford also expropriated and demolished 41 buildings near the casino last year. Another great example of the power of casino profits!

Any new shops or revitalisation in Brantford's downtown are more likely due to Wilfrid Laurier setting up a campus with 2700 students in the historic Carnegie library and other buildings; also Nipissing University and Mohawk College have programs in Brantford.
Apparently Brantford used casino money in some way for this, but certainly the money could have been borrowed or raised other ways.

Niagara Falls has two casinos and millions of tourists but the downtown is very depressed and empty with a big stone abandoned railway station and vacant stores.

OLG should cease giving local bribes/payments and spread the profit evenly to all communities in Ontario. The direct employment created by the facility and any economic spinoff should be the only factors when deciding whether or not to accept the trojan gifthorse of a casino.

Feel free to correct me but I believe that Money Mart predates the casino.

Money for the Brantford satellite campuses did come from the Brantford casino. I suppose one could say it could have come from somewhere else but other financial sources certainly were not forthcoming. Nonetheless, Brantford's' mayor was set against the casino when it was proposed and quite readily admits he was wrong now that he has seen the positive impact it has had on Brantford's downtown revitalization.

A new Laurier Athletics Centre and YMCA are being built in the area where those buildings were torn down in Brantford.

Downtown Niagara Falls has always suffered. The tourist are drawn to he falls and all the surrounding attractions. That city has never tried to draw some of that business downtown. Perhaps one of those Niagara Falls casinos should have been located downtown...

[realcity]

Downtown Niagara Falls has gone through a lot of improvements in the past few years. A major developer purchased almost all the downtown properties and fixed them up and attracted a variety of retail and food and beverage.

The train station is NOT vacant it is well used part of the VIA system and in the spring, and summer features regular GO transit.

http://www.niagarafallsdowntown.com/

[realcity]

Hillybilly Heaven is opening a downtown location. Not sure where.