64 Main St East | ? m | 18 fl | Approved - Page 12

adam · #**221** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 2:46 AM**

The hotel is now taller with over 100 units already spoken for. But of course what would a Stinson thread be like without classic British-Columbia-Ted doom and gloom scenarios?

BCTed · #**222** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 3:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam

The hotel is now taller with over 100 units already spoken for. But of course what would a Stinson thread be like without classic British-Columbia-Ted doom and gloom scenarios?

The hotel is still non-existent. No doom and gloom, just status quo.

crhayes · #**223** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 3:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCTed

The hotel is still non-existent. No doom and gloom, just status quo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millstone

Yeah that Sapphire tower is really something.

Are you serious? You don't just announce something an then BOOM, one month later it's the grand opening. If you were putting your money on the line would you want something just slapped together? Would you want to build something and then just have it sit vacant?

You people need to cut the negativity. Hamilton is obviously not an easy place to build at the moment, hence why nothing is happening here. First of all, development costs are very high; second of all, property taxes are high. Third, Hamilton still has a stigma, whether you believe it or not. Fourth, our downtown is still in rough shape (although it is SLOWLY turning around).

Do you think Stinson any developer is just going to waltz into Hamilton, throw down $20 million on a whim and have a project start the next week? I don't think so. And even if they did, do you think people are just going to flock here and start buying condos on a whim?

Many projects are years in the making; they take years to plan out let alone years to find investment. This was proposed how many MONTHS ago?

And yeah, Stinson didn't have success with the Connaught, but it wasn't a done deal. It was a proposition and he wanted to see what kind of interest it garnered. Stinson is doing The Hamilton Grand right; he's getting public interest and making sure that he has sufficient investment before going ahead with the project. How else would you suggest he do it?

Finally someone with a vision wants to invest in Hamilton and all a few of you can do is talk s**t about him and bring nothing but pessimism to this forum.

Millstone · #**224** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 5:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crhayes

Finally someone with a vision wants to invest in Hamilton and all a few of you can do is talk s**t about him and bring nothing but pessimism to this forum.

Hey, I had a glimmer of hope for Stinson at the start of the Connaught project. But all along, BCTed would be the one lone detractor that saw through the BS (ie. there's no capital) and you'd all pile on. Well guess what, he was right on that, and there's not much different about Hamilton Grand.

Harry seems to be in the business of making sales offices on street corners. I'd really like to see this and other projects like it built (despite the naysayers) but now I too question every proposal he brings up.

matt602 · #**225** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 10:09 AM**

I'm still being carefully optimistic, I'm certainly not willing to jump with joy as I did for the Connaught project. I can't get around the fact that Stinson can't seem to stay solid on any one project. They keep morphing and changing and the numbers don't seem very solid. I'd rather be unexpectedly surprised at this point.

I should also note that Harry's sales office on John St. looks like it's abandoned or something. There's furniture strewn everywhere and some ladders and stuff sitting around. Moving site again?

SteelTown · #**226** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 11:15 AM**

^ Yes, Harry is going to build a new sales office at the old Shell station.

BCTed · #**227** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 11:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crhayes

Are you serious? You don't just announce something an then BOOM, one month later it's the grand opening. If you were putting your money on the line would you want something just slapped together? Would you want to build something and then just have it sit vacant?

You people need to cut the negativity. Hamilton is obviously not an easy place to build at the moment, hence why nothing is happening here. First of all, development costs are very high; second of all, property taxes are high. Third, Hamilton still has a stigma, whether you believe it or not. Fourth, our downtown is still in rough shape (although it is SLOWLY turning around).

Do you think Stinson any developer is just going to waltz into Hamilton, throw down $20 million on a whim and have a project start the next week? I don't think so. And even if they did, do you think people are just going to flock here and start buying condos on a whim?

Many projects are years in the making; they take years to plan out let alone years to find investment. This was proposed how many MONTHS ago?

And yeah, Stinson didn't have success with the Connaught, but it wasn't a done deal. It was a proposition and he wanted to see what kind of interest it garnered. Stinson is doing The Hamilton Grand right; he's getting public interest and making sure that he has sufficient investment before going ahead with the project. How else would you suggest he do it?

Finally someone with a vision wants to invest in Hamilton and all a few of you can do is talk s**t about him and bring nothing but pessimism to this forum.

I do not want to see anything slapped together. Everything I see from Harry Stinson is slapped together. He came into town with a pie-in-the-sky 100 story building. That died. It then became a six story building next door to the Connaught. It then became an 11 story building. It has now become a 13 story building on an altogether different site. It may only be a block away, but that does not mean that there are not huge fundamental differences between the new proposal and the one that existed a week ago. This is essentially square one all over again.

I picked up a pamphlet from Harry Stinson's sales office when he was still hawking that 100-story nonsense. It was a set of poorly photocopied papers that were not even stapled together with any care and the pricing on them was already out of date. If he can't even bother to put care into something as simple as prospect-facing sales literature, how can I trust Mr. Stinson to put any care into the big picture? Everything is "slapped together" and is always changing on the fly.

As for Tulsiani Investments, I do not know anything about it other than the fact that Sunil Tulsiani was educated on real estate through a three-day course he first saw advertised on an infomercial. We may well be talking a Russ Whitney course or something similar to it --- I once went to a Russ Whitney info session on a lark and could not believe what a scam the course seemed to be. Mr. Tulsiani may well know what he is doing and he may well have been a success to this point, but his laughable infomercial pedigree does not exactly inspire confidence for me.

Based on what I know about Harry Stinson, I do not like him, I do not trust him, and I do not have any confidence in him. You can continue to go ahead and place blind faith in him. I will go ahead and continue to not do that.

BCTed · #**228** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 11:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt602

I'm still being carefully optimistic, I'm certainly not willing to jump with joy as I did for the Connaught project. I can't get around the fact that Stinson can't seem to stay solid on any one project. They keep morphing and changing and the numbers don't seem very solid. I'd rather be unexpectedly surprised at this point.

Exactly. Who would put a downpayment on something so shaky?

realcity · #**229** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 1:13 PM**

This new location has the same 13-story building that was to built at 27 John. Only slightly fatter (130 frontage) and changes to the ground floors (it now has three street frontages) and adding two more units per floor. It's the same building. It's not starting over.

Every buyer from Tulsani's PIC group resigned on their new unit.

For a project to evolve because of A. more interested buyers and B. a much better land deal and location. to me doesn't indicate anything other then good business sense.

BTW the new location isn't a block away. The two sites are separated by the London Tap house and a street. About 50 meters total.

Actually believe what you want. I'm a more optimistic person by nature. Making things happen - in life, in business, in whatever - first means you have to believe in it. You'll never start any project or venture it you don't think it'll be a success. That nature is common to all entrepreneurs.

"You're not a failure until you quit." there's my motivational speech for the week gentlemen.

BrianE · #**230** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 1:58 PM**

I'm slightly more optimistic after this anouncement. The previous location wasn't very good so this is a definite improvement.

Just about the only reason for having any faith in the project is the fact that Judy Marsales and Larry Dianni are involved. Whatever opinons you might have about either of them Judy is a seasoned business woman and Larry actualy cares about this city. Neither of them would knowingly back a project that would defraud it's investors.

adam · #**231** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 2:40 PM**

Its more attention than the downtown has seen in years and there is keen interest from many people. This is a progression from the Connaught project that was abandoned due to lack of interest. Stinson now has several people working with him and a realistic goal of building a hotel on a site that is more affordable. If you've been reading the thread you'd already know Shell Canada is paying for cleanup. Things are coming together quite nicely. But of course the board needs a resident naysayer, and BCTed is very good at his role.

Millstone · #**232** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 4:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam

Its more attention than the downtown has seen in years and there is keen interest from many people. This is a progression from the Connaught project that was abandoned due to lack of interest. Stinson now has several people working with him and a realistic goal of building a hotel on a site that is more affordable. If you've been reading the thread you'd already know Shell Canada is paying for cleanup. Things are coming together quite nicely. But of course the board needs a resident naysayer, and BCTed is very good at his role.

Doesn't Shell have to pay for the cleanup? As in, it's the law?

urban_planner · #**233** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 5:09 PM**

Anyone think to e-mail shell Canada and ask them about this.

adam · #**234** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 7:46 PM**

Who cares the reason they are doing it... its getting done, isn't it? I know it irks a couple of you on the board that things are turning around downtown..... Deal with it!!!

urban_planner · #**235** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam

Who cares the reason they are doing it... its getting done, isn't it? I know it irks a couple of you on the board that things are turning around downtown..... Deal with it!!!

I hope this wasnt' aimed towards me.

Seriously though anyone hear of any time lines.

LikeHamilton · #**236** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millstone

Doesn't Shell have to pay for the cleanup? As in, it's the law?

Shell Oil is responsible and is cleaning the site.

SteelTown · #**237** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 9:18 PM**

The Shell gas station is really old too, probably 50 or 60 years old. I saw one picture of the gas station that had that 50's retro gas station look.

matt602 · #**238** Posted **Apr 14, 2009, 10:28 PM**

A bit off topic, but theres an ex-Shell gas station on Cannon at Victoria that looks like that as well. I remember the one on John looking like that.

emge · #**239** Posted **Apr 15, 2009, 3:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroblaster

Osgiliath would be owned by Darko Vranich. Set to be rebuilt and turned into a hotel sometime in the Second Age.

Hey Ryan, wanna play some dungeons and dragons?

Darn, Vranichs rolled a 1 on initiative again. They should so switch their dice.
*scurries further back into the basement.

Vaguely speaking of numbers though

I kind of like how the new concept for the Grand is exactly 13 floors. Kind of a middle finger to the 'no 13th floor' superstition.

Millstone · #**240** Posted **Apr 15, 2009, 4:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adam

Who cares the reason they are doing it... its getting done, isn't it? I know it irks a couple of you on the board that things are turning around downtown..... Deal with it!!!

lol, someone's PMSing. And no, so far I see nothing getting done. Why can't you just answer the question? What do you have to hide?