64 Main St East | ? m | 18 fl | Approved

[realcity]

i once ate in the restaurant called the Undermount. Maclean-Hunter and the Undermount I believe were two combined buildings. They were magnificent. The Undermount I think was a popular niteclub in the 70s 80s. I had lunch there, just before it all went vacant. It was a huge 100+ table space surrounded by floor to ceiling glass on 3-sides, situated on the bottom floor between Macleans and Undermount. But the ground floor was well above street level. Call it the joining podium. I need someone to post pics of it.

I remember eating in there for lunch (possibly 1994ish)for two and there might have been 4 other people in the entire place. I mean it was clean, bright, well above the street noise of James and had the garden entrances of the Macleans just outside. How could something like that have died? Hamilton just astounds me sometimes?. The best view of the IBM building and St John's. A great patio. Im sorry Flar you never experienced it, but then again, it's better you didn't bc it's a huge Hamilton loss.

Furthermore, I can't believe Maclean-Hunter had such an office space presence in Hamilton, occupying an entire building that was in the shadow of IBM's regional head office.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by realcity

i once ate in the restaurant called the Undermount. Maclean-Hunter and the Undermount I believe were two combined buildings. They were magnificent. The Undermount I think was a popular niteclub in the 70s 80s. I had lunch there, just before it all went vacant. It was a huge 100+ table space surrounded by floor to ceiling glass on 3-sides, situated on the bottom floor between Macleans and Undermount. But the ground floor was well above street level. Call it the joining podium. I need someone to post pics of it.

I remember eating in there for lunch (possibly 1994ish)for two and there might have been 4 other people in the entire place. I mean it was clean, bright, well above the street noise of James and had the garden entrances of the Macleans just outside. How could something like that have died? Hamilton just astounds me sometimes?. The best view of the IBM building and St John's. A great patio. Im sorry Flar you never experienced it, but then again, it's better you didn't bc it's a huge Hamilton loss.

Furthermore, I can't believe Maclean-Hunter had such an office space presence in Hamilton, occupying an entire building that was in the shadow of IBM's regional head office.

Had a couple of similar Undermount experiences – the tail-off I imagine was due to the 82/87/91-95 recessionary attrition that transformed the core business community. Still can't bring myself to visit the fallen Undermount on Young across from the Medical Arts.

[drpgq]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

Had a couple of similar Undermount experiences – the tail-off I imagine was due to the 82/87/91-95 recessionary attrition that transformed the core business community. Still can't bring myself to visit the fallen Undermount on Young across from the Medical Arts.

It's not bad for lunch. The fishbowl they built for the city's old tiered smoking policy is amusing.

[urban_planner]

So how about the Hamilton Grand, Hope to see some action on site!

[realcity]

I hope so too.

These hotel/residences seem to be gaining traction, it's difficult to try and keep up with the amount of proposals in Toronto that are a similar format to the Grand.

Drop "Hamilton" from the brand. Just call it "The Grand"

[mattgrande]

So is anyone considering buying a unit? It seems interesting, and a good way to start investing in real estate (since they handle the leases), but I'm worried that it will sit vacant like so many other Hamilton buildings...

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by mattgrande

So is anyone considering buying a unit? It seems interesting, and a good way to start investing in real estate (since they handle the leases), but I'm worried that it will sit vacant like so many other Hamilton buildings...

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself with the assumption that this will get built.

Let's assume that it does get built --- why does it seem like a good investment if you are worried that the building will sit vacant?

[mattgrande]

Originally Posted by BCTed

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself with the assumption that this will get built.

Let's assume that it does get built --- why does it seem like a good investment if you are worried that the building will sit vacant?

I suppose what I was asking is if anyone else shares my fears, or if I'm overly paranoid. Do others feel that this is in the right place at the right time, or the foolish endeavor of a man with more money than sense?

There are a lot of new condo developments happening in Hamilton, so I assume there's some sort of demand for them, but I think this community would know better than I would.

[flar]

Since hardly any private money has been invested in Downtown Hamilton for decades, it's obvious that investing there is a risk. If you don't have much money, you probably shouldn't risk it. Hamilton needs people with money to step up and take a chance.

[bluevue]

I agree with an earlier comment on the name: It should be "The Grand" without 'Hamilton'....if you are listening Harry.

[realcity]

I don;t know if buy low, sell high applies. I think wrt to this project it can't get much lower. I remember when the Pigott was converted and the units went for insanely cheap, and doubled in price in a few years. I was nearly close to making a purchase back then and wished it did. The same thing could happen with this project.

[SteelTown]

"And his Hamilton Grand apartment/hotel at Main and John is moving head, if downsized from 15 storeys to 10. Stinson says the setback squabble with the city is resolved and he expects to see construction fencing going up next week."

http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/503471--stinson-questions-city-s-3-4-million-plan

[realcity]

10 floors now

[urban_planner]

He wasn't kidding about fecing going up this week. Crews have been there this morning putting up the trypical plywood around the perimeter.

[crhayes]

Originally Posted by urban_planner

He wasn't kidding about fecing going up this week. Crews have been there this morning putting up the trypical plywood around the perimeter.

Awesome, I hope construction starts really soon!

[SteelTown]

[Dwils01]

I will go by the site this weekend and see whats happening and maybe get a few picutres.

Also, I have a picutre of a building under construction at Scenic Drive and Sanatorium Road near the Chedoke Hospital and Columbia College. What thread do I post that one in?

[matt602]

You won't get much in the way of pictures. They've covered the site completely with wooden hoarding. Kinda impossible to tell if anything is happening in there until it rises above the ground.

[Jon Dalton]

I like the look of the building now at 10 floors. It also looks better with a flat roof. Mid rise developments will be much better for our city overall, considering the amount of infill we need in our vacant and underused properties.

If the market will only swallow a certain number of residential units in the near future, these are better distributed closer to the ground and over a larger area. If in the next 10 years we see several blocks filled in with low rise, mixed use infill, this will do much more to restore a good business enviornment downtown than the same number of units in a few towers.

Stinson should get this done at 10 stories and move on. If he can sell 10 more, put them across the street in the other vacant lot behind the Connaught. Both properties will have a greater return if there is no vacant lot across the street.

[arch100]

@ 10 floors, The Hamilton Grand is starting look quite a bit like the Lister Block - just a few storys taller and without the beautiful terra cotta detailing. I wonder if it will at least be brick...or a giant stucco box?