Gore Park - Page 27

realcity · #**521** Posted **Jun 27, 2012, 8:53 PM**

no spray pads. no boardwalk. all i see i a pic from the 70s. Someone repost a pic from the original plans. For some reason I feel like I should not get my expectations too high.

SteelTown · #**522** Posted **Jun 27, 2012, 10:03 PM**

They are working on the pilot project first, the parking revenue helped.

Council, including Mayor Bratina, delayed funding for the full Gore Park master plan until after the Pan Am Games.

Dr Awesomesauce · #**523** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 7:18 AM**

^Delayed...City Council's middle name.

Looks like they've painted the interlocking bricks. I wouldn't have thought of that. It looks good.

Beedok · #**524** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 10:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

They are working on the pilot project first, the parking revenue helped.

Council, including Mayor Bratina, delayed funding for the full Gore Park master plan until after the Pan Am Games.

What? That makes no sense. Wouldn't you want your core improvement plan finished before you get a bunch of tourists, not left slightly started until after they leave?

flar · #**525** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 11:01 AM**

There won't be any tourists anyways, because there aren't enough hotels. They'll be staying in Toronto and the western GTA, and they'll be warned to steer clear of downtown Hamilton. Sorry to be pessimistic, but that's the truth about the PanAm Games.

SteelTown · #**526** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 11:52 AM**

There's two hotels under construction at the moment.

During the World Road Cycling championship there wasn't a single hotel or motel room available.

mattgrande · #**527** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 12:57 PM**

The problem is the hotels are downtown and the stadium's in the East End... Shuttle busses, or tonnes of cars?

CaptainKirk · #**528** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 1:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgrande

The problem is the hotels are downtown and the stadium's in the East End

Ugh!

Don't remind me.

What a bad choice.

SteelTown · #**529** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 1:36 PM**

Apparently they are thinking of setting up a temporary GO Train stop at around Gage Avenue.

Berklon · #**530** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 1:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgrande

The problem is the hotels are downtown and the stadium's in the East End... Shuttle busses, or tonnes of cars?

This is what you get when the city doesn't think about synergy with these projects. So much momentum gets lost as each project is planned in it's own bubble.

CaptainKirk · #**531** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 3:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Apparently they are thinking of setting up a temporary GO Train stop at around Gage Avenue.

IIRC that was on a wishlist when the current IWS was finally chosen, but GO said no.

I don't think that's changed, has it?

Quote:

"We did not consider Gage Avenue since we were focused on the James North Station and Confederation Station (Centennial Parkway). James North Station was selected to interface with the City of Hamilton's proposed LRT route on James North. This would connect the Hamilton Mountain, Hamilton GO Centre and the James North Station. The Confederation Station at Centennial Parkway would interface with the QEW and the traffic along Centennial Parkway.
A station located at Gage Ave. would be between these two stations and is too close to be justified from an operational perspective.
The establishment of permanent GO Station sites within Hamilton must be planned to accommodate commuter demands for the long term and not just for short term events. A station at Gage would still be a long walk from Ivor Wynne Stadium (about 600m) and the area available for station construction is limited." - Ian McConachie; Media Relations & Issues Specialist: Metrolinx - GO Transit

mattgrande · #**532** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

This is what you get when the city doesn't think about synergy with these projects. So much momentum gets lost as each project is planned in it's own bubble.

Well, the City thought about it... That's why the City chose the West Harbour, right near the Go station, and within walking distance of the downtown hotels... Then the Cats effed everything up.

CaptainKirk · #**533** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 5:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgrande

Well, the City thought about it... That's why the City chose the West Harbour, right near the Go station, and within walking distance of the downtown hotels... Then the Cats effed everything up.

And the 403 and most bus routes.

markbarbera · #**534** Posted **Jun 28, 2012, 9:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattgrande

Well, the City thought about it... That's why the City chose the West Harbour, right near the Go station, and within walking distance of the downtown hotels... Then the Cats effed everything up.

So much energy is made to villify the Ticats in the whole stadium debacle (and it really doesn't take that much energy so everything else is overkill), but let's not forget that the cycling and track and field sports associations wanted nothing to do with that site either. If all the events meant to be housed at the site didn't want anything to do with Barton and Tiffany (Pan Am and post-Pan Am), there wasn't much sense in keeping it there. Unless of course the citizens of Hamilton felt like acquiring another white elephant for its collection.

It's a shame Confederation Park was excluded arbitrarily from proper consideration - securing that as the Pan Am site would have seen all the events planned for Hamilton stay in Hamilton.

There's really not much point in mulling over what is in the past, we have what we have now and all energy and focus should be on how to get the most out of what we have to work with. We'll get a taste of what's in store when the stadium precinct plans are revealed on September 24th. Perhaps hotel development in the precinct is part of the plan. Personally, I am pretty excited about the precinct plans as this is the first time in the history of IWS that there is a focussed drive to create an actual sports and entertainment precinct in the area surrounding the stadium.

Regardless, there's tons of HSR service connecting the precinct to the core as it stands today (five of the most frequently run routes touch the precinct including the B-Line) and it's just a five-minute cab ride/drive from Gore Park to the Pan Am site. With the stadium within 4km of downtown Hamilton, it can hardly be described as isolated (although it is difficult to overcome the inherent snobbery some Hamiltonians feel towards all things east of James).