Downtown Update

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by crhayes

Hmm, well I live in the suburbs and I am currently a broke student, so as much as I would like to start checking out restaurants downtown I can't for now.

Anyone want to pick up the tab? lol

LOL...I hear ya. Been there, done that.
Lots of freebies at fast food joints back then. ugh, I can't believe what I used to eat! haha

[emge]

Originally Posted by crhayes

Hmm, well I live in the suburbs and I am currently a broke student, so as much as I would like to start checking out restaurants downtown I can't for now.

Anyone want to pick up the tab? lol

I hear ya.. I visit a lot of places just for a coffee, or coffee and dessert... its a nice way to get to know new places without spending a fortune.

(I love the Bad Dog Cafe, and I just took my father-in-law for a burger there a few weeks ago. Coming from the world of Boston Pizza and Wendy's, he felt a little out of place... but it was a good enough burger to change his mind!)

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by emge

oming from the world of Boston Pizza and Wendy's, he felt a little out of place... but it was a good enough burger to change his mind!)

Lisa is extremely proud of her burgers.

[raisethehammer]

I didn't know they sell burgers there. Lol.

[emge]

I found out last night that

-- the G.P. Grumpy's building at King/Locke has been bought - the apartments above are going to be renovated, not sure what the downstairs will be turned into. (Something like this would be neat, but I'm just dreaming here.)

-- the King West BIA took a look (again, i think - was this explored a couple years ago too?) at the possibility of expanding farther on King West - several businesses from between Queen and Dundurn attended their meeting last week to give their input and support for that and figure out what might be possible.

[raisethehammer]

hopefully good news about GP Grumpys.
The BIA expanding would be great too.

Frig me...the west coast has so much more cooler coffeehouses than here it's disgusting.
Spot Coffee on Elmwood in Buffalo is the closest thing in this part of the world. I wish the Hammer would get one downtown.
GP Grumpys would be ideal with the eclectic population in the area.

[crhayes]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

hopefully good news about GP Grumpys.
The BIA expanding would be great too.

Frig me...the west coast has so much more cooler coffeehouses than here it's disgusting.
Spot Coffee on Elmwood in Buffalo is the closest thing in this part of the world. I wish the Hammer would get one downtown.
GP Grumpys would be ideal with the eclectic population in the area.

I think expanding the BIA to Dundurn would be great....I always considered that stretch as part of the downtown (it sure feels like it). Plus if they convert King to two-way it will be right off the highway - good plan to have money dumped into that section to spruce it up

[Hammer Town]

Hamilton buys strip club

November 24, 2008
Nicole MacIntyre, The Hamilton Spectator
City buys strip club
By Nicole MacIntyre
The city says it is the proud new owner of a downtown strip joint.
CityHousing penned a deal last week to buy Maxim’s with a long-term plan of converting the Gore Park club into public housing.
“This is a strategic move,” said Councillor Brian McHattie, president of CityHousing Hamilton.
He said the purchase serves a dual purpose of adding housing to the core, while also helping to clean up the downtown’s image. The property is beside the Gore Building, a new subsidized apartment built by the city. In a release, the city said the deal will close next month.
That’s news to Dan Charnicovsky, Maxim’s registered owner, who says he also owns the King Street building. Though the property is for sale, the Windsor man says there’s no deal on the table.
“I haven’t sold it to anyone. I don’t know what’s going on,” he said tonight.
Chris Murray, the city’s director of housing, said he can’t discuss confidential details of the deal, but said the city plans to shut down the strip club. “That business is done.”
The city hopes to find a new tenant to cover operating expenses. Eventually, Murray said, there’s plans for housing, including an option for subsidized units for artists.
Murray declined to reveal the purchase price, saying it was “reasonable.”
Earlier this year, council approved $1 million for CityHousing to buy a property in the core.
The strip club, formerly known as Chez M and Bannisters, is a “sad remnant of the downtown’s past era of decline,” said Councillor Bob Bratina.
Maxim’s owner has not applied to transfer the strip club’s licence to another location.
A new strip club could not open downtown or within 500 metres of a residential neighbourhood.
The closure will leave only one operating strip joint in Hamilton.

This is some good news.

[emge]

that's incredible news! ! ("that's a whole new level of good" as the one reading over my shoulder said).

[FRM]

Great news! Hopefully that XXX cinema also gets bought soon. Anyone know what's the status of The Gore building? has it been filled yet?

How many more of these subsidized buildings will the city build around downtown? It would be nice to have some high end apartment building (the size of the Gore Building) built in downtown too.

[crhayes]

Well, as long as it is true that the city will be acquiring it...then it is great news! Too bad it wasn't the Hamilton Newsstand that was bought though; I think it's even nastier.

Either way it's good for Gore!

[BrianE]

Is the City required to build public housing with every new property they acquire?

Can they make this one a straight up apartment building with monthly rents geared to market rates?

It would be nice to have some more residents with disposable income in the downtown.

[block43]

Originally Posted by BrianE

Is the City required to build public housing with every new property they acquire?

Can they make this one a straight up apartment building with monthly rents geared to market rates?

It would be nice to have some more residents with disposable income in the downtown.

Agreed!

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by crhayes

Well, as long as it is true that the city will be acquiring it...then it is great news! Too bad it wasn't the Hamilton Newsstand that was bought though; I think it's even nastier.

Either way it's good for Gore!

The city has been thumscrewing the owners of Hamilton Newstand of late. Its days are numbered. The bingo shop has to go too. I always envisioned it as a great spot for a Winners location, or even as the new location for the downtown Canadian Tire at Victoria and Main.

[Jon Dalton]

I hope you're right about Delta Bingo, I effing hate that place. It would be a great location for a full size grocery store. Crappy Tire wouldn't work because they need to have an auto shop.

[crhayes]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

The city has been thumscrewing the owners of Hamilton Newstand of late. Its days are numbered. The bingo shop has to go too. I always envisioned it as a great spot for a Winners location, or even as the new location for the downtown Canadian Tire at Victoria and Main.

I agree about it having to go. The only thing is, during the day it actually gets pretty busy (owner may be reluctant to give up the property).

I always thought it would be a good spot for a nice Restaurant/Lounge/Nightclub (but a high end classy kinda one).

A winners like the one on Younge (or College....can't remember lol) in downtown T.O. would be good....it has a nice style.

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

I hope you're right about Delta Bingo, I effing hate that place. It would be a great location for a full size grocery store. Crappy Tire wouldn't work because they need to have an auto shop.

plus the new crappy tires need to have 40 foot ceilings with blinding lights.

A grocery or Winners type place would be awesome there.

[adam]

Great! Now that the city owns the strip bar, Lloyd Ferguson can get free lapdances!

[LikeHamilton]

Latest on the strip club owner saying he knows nothing!

McHattie insists that it's not surprising that the building's registered owner is quoted as being unaware of the purchase, which is to be finalized next month.

He adds that the city has been dealing directly with a mortgagee under a power of sale situation (900 CHML News)

[raisethehammer]

Originally Posted by adam

Great! Now that the city owns the strip bar, Lloyd Ferguson can get free lapdances!

haha... I won't say what I want to say because it involves a strange combo of heavy machinery and farm animals. Lol.