Downtown Update

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Good news!

First Ontario Credit Union is moving to the vacant storefront at 1 James St South.

http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/...__PED11050.pdf

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...akes-no-1-spot

"First Ontario had to gut the space to build a fresh, modern bank, with a “homey” look featuring lots of glass and wood, Schurman said. The branch will open for business May 2, but the grand opening will be postponed until June, when it will be held in conjunction with the Open Streets Hamilton event on Sunday, June 12."

[DC1983]

from me

[matt602]

Very nice that they chose one of the old houses in Hess. Should do great.

[realcity]

used to be Rossi Piedimonte Advertising

[mattgrande]

And now I work in the same building as Rossi Piedimonte Advertising, just off Harvester near Burloak.

[palace1]

Originally Posted by matt602

To name other originals, how about Denningers? It looks pretty old to me. The LCBO? Some of the banks? The movie theater is also an original, even though it switched brands a few years ago.

I never would have thought this thread would have got me nostalgic about Jackson Square!

The LCBO moved from the CHAM/Swiss Chalet building on York about 10 years ago.
I remember when Denninger's opened, the 'aisle' it's located in didn't exist before that and created a new shortcut over to the old Gourmet Food Fair.
It probably just looks old because it's wedged in with low ceilings.
That reminds me of eating up on the second level where the windows on to the market were.

Mark's and Spencer's used to sell groceries and clothing at the two-floor space on King with it's own entrance where TanJay is now and then later it was where Payless is.
The 'IT Store' with the 'naughty' novelties and greeting cards in the back where only adults were supposed to see them. I think it was on the aisle that was removed to put in the new food area... Le Chateau was on that aisle too and wrapped around both sides of the parking garage escalator.

Every once in a while I notice the doors and sign of Brook's Restaurant beside the closed hallway to Copps Coliseum but I have no recollection of that restaurant being there. There was a Sbarro somewhere too.
And Birk's was at the front by their clock where Urban Planet is now.

The exit doors by the Family Fitness still said Merrick Street until recently.

It would be nice now that Yves Rocher is gone if they could restore the round skylight there.

The banks are somewhat different, the Royal Bank moved from their demolished building on James South but their bank machines by the Sheraton were always there (I assume there must have been a Stelco Credit Union/ Avestel in the Stelco Tower before?), the Bank of Montreal left for Main & Bay but the old escalators and beautiful second floor 'pavilion' are still there. TD used to be Canada Trust and the Desjardins bank in Standard Life used to be a Province of Ontario Savings Office so those two could be considered original.

Roots seems new to me unless they moved from another spot in the mall I'm forgetting? The PharmaPlus used to be Boots I think, but I can't remember if it was in the same spot, it's been enlarged and the back entrance is newer for sure.

Grand and Toy, Toby's (with their basement washrooms!), Famous Players/Empire were already mentioned as long-term tenants. Laura Secord used to have two streetfront locations on King St. and may be an original mall tenant. United Cigar Stores would be old as well.
I think Druxy's has been in the Standard Life Centre since Phase IV opened in 1983 (the Oak Cafe there is old as well, I think it had a glassed in smoking area when it was on the 2nd floor by the indoor skating rink).

(It's on the tip of my tongue, the restaurant by the fountain was originally called? maybe Banana something?)

Being Hamilton it's surprising that Tim Horton's was not a tenant until recently although Second Cup used to be in the Food Court.

Also I've been meaning to look it up, does anyone know who the Robert Thomson Building's namesake was?

[realcity]

Wow. thanks for that. I remember when Club Monaco was where you said Birks was. remember when all four floors of the Eaton Center was full of quality retail. Danier, Collegiate Sports, Harry Rosen and a super cool Eatons, that I still remember Christmas shopping in.

I remember Brook's when it was open, but never dined there. Sadly nothing has replaced it. I look in the window now and then and it still is the same it was. Would be a good 80s movie shoot location.

I remember Sbarro. It was in the section that was closed and then reopened to make room for the temp market. It had a great glass enclosed seating area. and good Italian food. I also remember the interior walkway from JS to Copps, that's a shame that doesn't exist now.

The former BMo concourse is still sadly empty and has to be one of the best pieces of real estate in the city. Sometimes this city is so baffling.

I also remember Pete n Marty's. I think I just turned drinking age and celebrated the last new years eve event there before it closed. Too bad, from I remember that club/bar was a classic 80s movie scene, think of the movie Bright Lights, Big City, Keifer and J. Fox. or Cocktail with Tom Cruise.





Anyway I think JS is climbing back. It is the only regional mall that offers, retail, services, cinemas, sit down restaurants and connected to a hotel, office towers and a coliseum.


Anyone for a memory walk down LimeRidge when it was a good mall? that offered more than as many crammed-in A-chain retailers and not much more. Remember the old LR foodcourt, with the open to above second floor and cinemas and arcade, Dominions with their rollers for your grocery pickup outside for your waiting car. and actual lockers to rent for your winter jackets.... man how LR sucks now.

[DC1983]

Downtown Bike Hounds have moved from their JamesNorth/Cannon St storefront to this new one on John between King & King William (beside My Thai)
Don't worry, the original store beside the MixedMedia arts supplies store has been snatched up by a new store, Relish (will try n get pics soon)


source: Me

[mattgrande]

palace1 mentioned Toby's basement washrooms, and it got me wondering how much of that mall has a basement? Do all the retail stores have a separate one?

Speaking of Lime Ridge, remember the arcade and movie theatre that was there?

[SteelTown]

Remember Toonie Tuesday at LimeRidge Cinema? Massive line up along the stairs.

[DC1983]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Remember Toonie Tuesday at LimeRidge Cinema? Massive line up along the stairs.

Last movie I saw there was Bring it On! lol And yes, it cost $2 to see it HAHAHA

I miss that cinema (esp those terriblty awesome stairs) and the arcade, but the 'new' foodcourt was done really well!

[mattgrande]

My last movie there was also $2. It was Meet The Parents.

[Gurnett71]

Originally Posted by mattgrande

Speaking of Lime Ridge, remember the arcade and movie theatre that was there?

Wasn't the arcade named "Jellybeans" or something?? Can remember playing Defender (among many others) there!

[Gurnett71]

Originally Posted by palace1

That reminds me of eating up on the second level where the windows on to the market were.

I remember the second level food court...Harveys, Mike's Sub's, some Chinese food place among others. Maybe I am imagining this, but didn't one side of the food court have windows that overlooked the market that was in the Eaton's parkade at the time??

haven't taken a look for a long time, but are the tables just outside those second level windows on the plaza level of JS still there??

Originally Posted by palace1

Roots seems new to me unless they moved from another spot in the mall I'm forgetting?

I can't recall Roots ever moving from that spot just down from the theatres...unless they moved quite recently...

[DC1983]

Cannon, just east of JamesNorth

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by Gurnett71

I remember the second level food court...Harveys, Mike's Sub's, some Chinese food place among others.

I'm cramping my brain trying to remember clearly, but wasn't it an A&W in the upstairs food court back when JS first opened, and when it disappeared (late 80's early 90's) Harvey's opened up a location on the lower level (which I think was previously a Culture's and mostly recently Viet/Thai style fast food).

I think you're right about Roots always being at the corner of the hall heading north down toward the library/market/upper level food court. The same aisle had Aldo (I seem to remember Bombay Co and Benetton in that asile too - was once considered the high end hallway back in the day)

[Gurnett71]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

I'm cramping my brain trying to remember clearly, but wasn't it an A&W in the upstairs food court back when JS first opened, and when it disappeared (late 80's early 90's) Harvey's opened up a location on the lower level (which I think was previously a Culture's and mostly recently Viet/Thai style fast food).

I think you're right about Roots always being at the corner of the hall heading north down toward the library/market/upper level food court. The same aisle had Aldo (I seem to remember Bombay Co and Benetton in that asile too - was once considered the high end hallway back in the day)

Wasn't Benetton over near the entrance to Stelco Tower, the northwest corner of that aisle? Beside Coles? Would be opposite of where Tim's is now...

[realcity]

JS
I remember Benetton, but not Bombay. I worked at the cinemas when it was being renovated into its larger format. I also did shifts in the Tivoli when Famous Players was showing movies there. I think the last time that theatre was used. I remember ushering for Stallone's "Locked Up". It Had to be around 500-750 seats and the leg room was huge, had a balcony too. The biggest grand opening at the new JS cinemas was Batman, the one with Nicholson. The 500 seat #1 theatre was full for months. I remember the A&W, it might've bee the only one in Hamilton, it was the first place I ever ate A&W, to me it was always a decision between that Chinese place and A&W. It was a bit scary for a mountain kid with all the punk and skinhead gangs hanging out.

LRM
Yes it was called Jellybeans before the arcade moved to near the washrooms. Jellybeans was the original arcade and had a retro 50s style restaurant inside. It wasn't Harvey's it was a Burger place though, and they had a sit-down restaurant under the same name somewhere else in the Mall, can't remember the name? Great burgers though, for like $2.50, a quick serve style like Harveys, if anyone can remember the name, gold star. Two gold stars if you can remember the restaurant that replaced Jellybeans, it was like a cave inside, the booths were cave-like.?
Twonie Tuesdays were awesome at LR, I also remember the lineups going up the stairs.. and there was an elevator at the top in case you didn't want to risk you life walking down those.

[realcity]

love the look of the new Downtown Bike Hounds. All the best, i think he'll do more business with that store front.

[Paul29]

I drove through Hamilton on my way back to the 403 from doing a job at Limeridge Mall. I miss the old food court and funny, I was near the old movie theatre and thought back to those toonie Tuesdays.

But 2 days working at LRM, and I didn't drive past Gore Park. Each day I went past the GO station to Bay and it totally slipped my mind the buses weren't there anymore. I'll have to make sure I drive by the next time I'm in Hamilton.
I used to work at Kresges and I usually make a point to drive by there.