Downtown Update - Page 119

CaptainKirk · #**2361** Posted **Jan 17, 2014, 1:54 PM**

Tweet.

Quote:

Hamilton EcDev ‏@hamiltonecdev 3m
Just found out a new bakery coming to King William Street in Downtown #hamont. #renewal

matt602 · #**2362** Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 3:19 PM**

Good news about the bakery on King William.

I passed the new La Luna Express on Barton yesterday and it looks like its either very near completion or has already opened. The signage looks pretty top notch. I'm sure they'll do well there. Great addition to Barton Street.

CaptainKirk · #**2363** Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 4:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt602

Good news about the bakery on King William.

I passed the new La Luna Express on Barton yesterday and it looks like its either very near completion or has already opened. The signage looks pretty top notch. I'm sure they'll do well there. Great addition to Barton Street.

I've got a good feeling about Barton St.

Not sure how long it's been, but i recently noticed a few art galleries spilling over on Barton east of James.

There's Jet Hall, and now Harry Stinson wants to convert Gibson school to condos

urban_planner · #**2364** Posted **Jan 18, 2014, 11:07 PM**

There is also a restaurant in the works for 541 Barton.

interr0bangr · #**2365** Posted **Jan 21, 2014, 9:29 PM**

I just bought a house close to Victoria/Barton and will be moving in around mid March. My fiance and I are considering opening some sort of establishment on Barton assuming the numbers work...we love the potential of the area.

movingtohamilton · #**2366** Posted **Jan 21, 2014, 9:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by interr0bangr

I just bought a house close to Victoria/Barton and will be moving in around mid March. My fiance and I are considering opening some sort of establishment on Barton assuming the numbers work...we love the potential of the area.

Welcome!

Can you give us a little hint of what you're thinking about opening?

interr0bangr · #**2367** Posted **Jan 21, 2014, 10:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Welcome!

Can you give us a little hint of what you're thinking about opening?

I used to own a small gallery/shop in Toronto (http://www.blogto.com/gallery/industtrees) so something along those lines combined with a cafe as my best friend has been a world class barista for the last 15 years and has been toying with the idea of opening up his own space. I dunno, don't get your hopes up yet as we haven't even moved in yet but we'll see!

Pearlstreet · #**2368** Posted **Jan 22, 2014, 7:53 AM**

delete

Pearlstreet · #**2369** Posted **Jan 22, 2014, 7:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by interr0bangr

I used to own a small gallery/shop in Toronto (http://www.blogto.com/gallery/industtrees) so something along those lines combined with a cafe as my best friend has been a world class barista for the last 15 years and has been toying with the idea of opening up his own space. I dunno, don't get your hopes up yet as we haven't even moved in yet but we'll see!

Welcome to the neighbourhood neighbour! I look forward to being a nearby customer.

lucasmascotto · #**2370** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 1:37 AM**

City taking over old courthouse, Mac must find new downtown space
The Hamilton Spectator
By: Matthew Van Dongen

Hamilton residents will soon have to go back to the future to fight their traffic tickets.

The city will spend $32 million over the next few years to renovate the 55-year-old former Wentworth County courthouse to accommodate provincial offences offices and courtrooms.

The pricey rebuild of 50 Main St. E., now used by McMaster University, is necessary because the city is being kicked out of the space-starved John Sopinka Courthouse by August 2017.

"This probably couldn't come at a worse time from a budgeting perspective," said Councillor Chad Collins, who had previously pushed the city to sell the ornate, maintenance-heavy Main Street building.

"We can stomp our feet about it all we like, but ultimately what I'm hearing is this is the cheapest option."

City staff recommended using annual ticket and fine revenue from the Provincial Offences Act (POA) court, more than $7 million, to offset the cost of renovating the old courthouse, which may also house city legal and risk management staff.

The financing plan will increase the city's tax-supported debt level to almost $400 million and ultimately add about $4 to the average householder's annual bill.

The move will have a domino effect on McMaster, which has been using the building as its continuing education centre. That facility has about 200 staff and serves 4,000 students a year.

Spokesperson Gord Arbeau said McMaster had hoped to buy the old courthouse building. The university still hopes to stay in the downtown, he added, but getting out on the city's "aggressive" 2015 deadline will be a challenge.

The renovations of 50 Main St. E. should help pump up ticket and fine revenues and cut down on a backlog of POA

davidcappi · #**2371** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 2:24 AM**

Interesting. I wonder where they'll end up. If it weren't such an awful situation, budget wise, they'd be smart to occupy the lot beside their new health campus on Main and Bay.

ScreamingViking · #**2372** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 2:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidcappi

Interesting. I wonder where they'll end up. If it weren't such an awful situation, budget wise, they'd be smart to occupy the lot beside their new health campus on Main and Bay.

45 King St. E?

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=209242

SteelTown · #**2373** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 2:53 AM**

They'll likely move back to the main campus given the short notice.

Seems like they are looking kicking out the tenants on the first and second floor. Mac has a lot of staff on the 3rd to 5th floor.

davidcappi · #**2374** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 2:37 PM**

Quote:

45 King St. E?

The location is awesome, but I'm not sure if that space would be practical to accommodate any sort of educational facility as it stands. They'd either need to do extensive renovations, or build new.

oldcoote · #**2375** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 2:55 PM**

Wonder what their square footage needs are?

I also expect they would demand ... wait for it .... parking. Sounds like a great candidate for a new build on Jackson St.

Paging Mr Blanchard.

NortheastWind · #**2376** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidcappi

Interesting. I wonder where they'll end up. If it weren't such an awful situation, budget wise, they'd be smart to occupy the lot beside their new health campus on Main and Bay.

Is there not a lot of space in Stelco Tower? A student campus there would create a lot of business for Jackson Square and it is perfectly located across from the McNab bus terminal.

thistleclub · #**2377** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 4:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NortheastWind

Is there not a lot of space in Stelco Tower?

152,000+ sq ft vacant over the top 9 floors of 100 King West as well as 47,000+ sq ft vacant over 3 floors at 1 James North.

Jon Dalton · #**2378** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 6:38 PM**

Mac tends to own their buildings, unless they can lease them for really really cheap. Didn't they pay the city $1/year for the courthouse?

mattgrande · #**2379** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 7:11 PM**

When it says $14.00/Sq.Ft... Is that monthly or annually? It seems like way too much for monthly, but not enough for annually (but I know nothing about commercial real estate).

SteelTown · #**2380** Posted **Jan 23, 2014, 7:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

Mac tends to own their buildings, unless they can lease them for really really cheap. Didn't they pay the city $1/year for the courthouse?

Yes. It was a sweet deal. This is why I'm betting they'll go back to main campus. Slowly they've been offering almost all of the classes online now too, so the need for class space has shrunk. I think there ultimate goal is to offer all classes online.