Downtown Update - Page 92

Dr Awesomesauce · #**1821** Posted **Mar 29, 2013, 9:02 AM**

More great news for James N.

Like you said, prying those three buildings away from the owner would have a big impact on that stretch of James. It's a real dead zone at the moment. Add something at the corner, redevelop the Tiv - kaboom!

SteelTown · #**1822** Posted **Mar 29, 2013, 9:23 PM**

Hope 10 James gets a major sand blast. The facade is so dirty.

Pigeon · #**1823** Posted **Mar 29, 2013, 10:02 PM**

.

thistleclub · #**1824** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 12:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

In other development news the developers behind Hotel Hamilton are renovating another two units on James, beside History and Heritage, and are seeking other opportunities in the area.

Glen Norton?

Dr Awesomesauce · #**1825** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 1:52 AM**

Haha, yeah. Aren't some of the players behind Hotel Hamilton the same one's involved with the Tiv, etc.? I love it.

Actually I'm not terribly concerned about this incestuous shell game of numbered companies and spouses of City staff, etc. As long as something good comes of it I'm prepared to look the other way.

Dr Awesomesauce · #**1826** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 2:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

@hamiltonecdev: 10 James Street North (beside Sirloin Cellar) now sold. New tenants for the ground floor and upper floors soon says property owner. #HamOnt

Any more details on this? There's an article on yourhamiltonbiz but I'm not willing to pay for it to find out. Perhaps somebody on the forum could fill in the blanks.

thistleclub · #**1827** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 12:38 PM**

An excerpt:

Local property owner manager has big plans for James North Building
(YourHamiltonBiz.com, Joseph Engelhardt, March 28 2013)

A local property manager is looking for inspiration for his newest project.

On Wednesday, Joe Accardi, owner of APM Property Management, closed a deal to buy 10 James Street North, which sits just north of King on the east side of the street.

“It’s an inspiring place,” he said. “The plans are to think big and inspire the community. I don’t know what that means in terms of specifics.”

The building currently houses a cheque cashing store and until recently a nail salon, but Accardi says he has bigger plans for the building.

“We’re putting it up for lease soon, so we’re going to see what kind of things we’re doing,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out what the best thing is for the area over there.”

The story is basically that he bought the building, intends to do something awesome with it, and may be eligible for some loans.

Joe Accardi is chair of YEP Hamilton (a Chamber initiative for young entrepreneurs & professionals), owner of Red Brick Rentals, owner/manager of Platform 302 (a resuscitation of a concept/property previously introduced/managed by Jeremy Freiburger), and partner in James North’s Green Smoothie Bar alongside the sister of Melissa Height, Chair of Hamilton Hive (a Chamber initiative for young professionals & entrepreneurs). Hive founding chair and EcDev Marketing Coordinator Michael Marini tweets as @hamiltonecdev.

Hopefully things click. It's a handsome building and it'd be nice to see it treated with respect.

Dr Awesomesauce · #**1828** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 2:51 PM**

Underneath a hundred years of filth is a pretty nice building: clean it up; add a new cornice; something decent on the ground floor and Bob's your uncle.

Thanks for that.

SteelTown · #**1829** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 3:06 PM**

Yep she needs major power wash or sandblasting.

Underneath all that black dirt it looks like it's red bricks, probably would turn out similar to what happened at Main and Queen.

matt602 · #**1830** Posted **Mar 30, 2013, 5:43 PM**

I wish both this and the Sirloin Cellar building had gotten purchased. I heard a rumor that the upper floors of the Sirloin cellar building haven't been used for 30-40 years and there's still the original gas lighting from the late 1800's in place (though obviously not in use in the last 80 years). They're both beautiful buildings that could be put to a much better use. I hope the owner intends to renovate the residential units on the upper floors.

thistleclub · #**1831** Posted **Mar 31, 2013, 1:40 AM**

In an ideal world, I'd love to see 10 and 8 James North fitted with historically accurate replica cornices. The shearing off of period detail in favour of aluminum siding decades ago was and remains a vulgarity.

Dr Awesomesauce · #**1832** Posted **Mar 31, 2013, 3:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thistleclub

In an ideal world, I'd love to see 10 and 8 James North fitted with historically accurate replica cornices. The shearing off of period detail in favour of aluminum siding decades ago was and remains a vulgarity.

Yeah, how somebody could do that is beyond me - it really is criminal.

Equally criminal is what the owners of the building at King and James have done, or not done as the case may be - it's an absolute embarrassment to the city. Those three buildings running east along King date to the 1830s and 40s. The building at the corner is said to have been built by MacNab himself. It's a mere shadow of its former self but it does have some heritage value.

I've heard the City is starting to get tough with the owners (out-of-towners no doubt). We shall see.

LikeHamilton · #**1833** Posted **Mar 31, 2013, 4:27 AM**

I have been on all of the floors of the Sirloin Cellar building and no one has done anything with it in over 50 years. It could one day qualify for a demolition by neglect building. Something most people don't know is that the building connects to the Mills China/Subway building on King Street. If you go to Google earth you can see that they are connected. You can walk from James to King Street inside the buildings.