Hamilton Waterfront

[thistleclub]

Pitched as a Hamilton concept earlier this year, Captain John's is in the news again.

[SteelTown]

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3893633-waterfront-trail-walkers-playing-angry-birds-for-real/

HAHA love that article. Evil bird will peck you!

[movingtohamilton]

I think the bird is offended by the guy not wearing a shirt. Cover up, for cryin' out loud. It's embarrassing.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

I think the bird is offended by the guy not wearing a shirt. Cover up, for cryin' out loud. It's embarrassing.

I'm with the bird, too. It's not my place to say anything to people about what they choose to wear, but I'm glad that the bird is sticking up for us and doing its part to maintain civility in Hamilton!

[SteelTown]

Festival of Lights proposed for waterfront

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4147059-festival-of-lights-proposed-for-waterfront/

Move over, Simcoe and Niagara Falls.

The Hamilton Waterfront Trust wants the city to have a new stream of winter tourism dollars — similar to what pours into both of those communities each winter when visitors arrive to view their popular and long-standing Christmas light shows.

The trust has had a few light displays up over the years, part of an initiative sparked by former project manager Chris Firth-Eagland. They consisted of items related to the waterfront, such as the Harbour Queen, the Waterfront Trolley and a fish.

But now, with $70,000 worth of seed money from the city, it wants to expand the light show at Pier 8 to between 30 and 50 displays. The lights would twinkle at the waterfront between the last week of November and mid-February.

They even have a name for it — the Waterfront Festival of Lights — and there's talk of one day having 200 light displays between Bayfront Park and Pier 8.

The trust has 11 displays ready to go, some with the assistance of students in a technical class at Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School. It would like to partner with other high schools to build the frames.

Councillor Jason Farr, a member of the trust, points out that there's already a synergy on the waterfront around winter activities.

"The waterfront is undoubtedly a great place to be in the summertime, but the winter has exceptional attendance at our ice rink on nice crisp days," he said Tuesday after the board of trustees approved the idea.

"I think we have proven that, even in our attendance at our properties like Williams (Williams Fresh Café) in the winter. It's not seasonal in this area, and we certainly do everything we can to increase the traffic all year round."

Werner Plessl, executive director of the trust, said in years past the smaller light displays were well received by visitors "and we feel they would enjoy more of them."

He imagines the new displays would feature Santa Claus and skaters, but also some Hamilton touches like a city skyline.

The granddaddy of winter light shows in the Hamilton area is the Simcoe Christmas Panorama of Lights, which has been around for more than five decades. It has 50 religious and nursery-rhyme displays.

The Niagara Winter Festival of Lights started in 1982 and features a six-kilometre route that takes in more than 3 million sparkling lights. Burlington also has light displays at Spencer Smith Park.

The trust is seeking display sponsorships and the fee would run between $300 and $1,000.

[thistleclub]

They even have a name for it — the Waterfront Festival of Lights — and there's talk of one day having 200 light displays between Bayfront Park and Pier 8.... Burlington also has light displays at Spencer Smith Park.

They even have a name for it — the Lakeside Festival of Lights.

[SteelTown]

It will cost $39M to ready waterfront for development

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/n...ady-waterfront-for-development-1.2506624

Hamilton will have to invest almost $40 million in waterfront infrastructure to seed the next stage of bayfront investment.

But the investment would have aa lucrative payback to taxpayers, according to a new report.

Hamilton taxpayers will have to cough up $39.17 million to ready the west harbour for development, $13.3 million of which is for Piers 5 through 8. But once that happens, the development will generate $7.5 million per year in tax dollars on Pier 8 alone, said Chris Phillips, senior adviser for planning and economic development.

'It truly is an investment in the true sense of investment.'- Chris Phillips, senior adviser for planning and economic development

The money would be used for sewers, watermains, roads, sidewalks, street lighting and other measures to ready the harbour front for development.

He also expects 13,000 square metres of commercial and institutional space.

“It truly is an investment in the true sense of investment,” Phillips said. “If you up front $13.3 million today or over the course of the next four years, that will lead to revenue generation.”

Phillips anticipates spreading the net cost of nearly $40 million between now and 2018.

The dream of further developing Hamilton’s waterfront became reality last year. The city owns the waterfront lands, but has been leasing them to the Hamilton Port Authority. Last year, the authority agreed to terminate the lease.

On Feb. 19, councillors will vote to officially terminate that lease.

Phillips presented the plans at a general issues committee meeting on Wednesday.

There are some outstanding issues. Sun-Canadian and Imperial Oil both have pipelines going through the waterfront area. The city needs to terminate those agreements, Phillips said.

One lease expired at the end of 2013, he said. The other expires in September 2014. If the city wants the oil companies to relocate the pipelines, the companies have to do it, and foot the bill.

Two companies are responsible for three pipelines running through the area, Phillips said. One of them currently has oil flowing through it.

The city will develop a broader real estate strategy for the area and do environmental assessments for Piers 5 through 8. It will also study transportation in the area.

With 1,600 new residences and large retail development planned, Coun. Lloyd Ferguson of Ancaster worried about traffic there too.

“If you get 200,000 square feet of commercial space, that’s a lot of shoppers,” he said.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^We should be so lucky, Lloyd.

Any ideas about what the pier should look like? This photo thread of Hamburg illustrates the scale and style of architecture I'd like to see down there (I'm referring to their newer stuff, particularly along the waterfront). There's just no end to the possibilities.

[Beedok]

I'd like to see the waterfront connected downtown properly.

[matt602]

I don't remember the last time a lower city councilor cited traffic concerns when one of those townhouse subdivisions in Elfrida, Ancaster or the East mountain goes up, yet Lloyd just can't resist opening his yap when it comes to intensification in or near the downtown core. Not your constituents, mind your own business.

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by matt602

I don't remember the last time a lower city councilor cited traffic concerns when one of those townhouse subdivisions in Elfrida, Ancaster or the East mountain goes up, yet Lloyd just can't resist opening his yap when it comes to intensification in or near the downtown core. Not your constituents, mind your own business.

But it is Ancaster's concern. It may be our neighbourhood, but the yacht club belongs to everyone.

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by matt602

I don't remember the last time a lower city councilor cited traffic concerns when one of those townhouse subdivisions in Elfrida, Ancaster or the East mountain goes up, yet Lloyd just can't resist opening his yap when it comes to intensification in or near the downtown core. Not your constituents, mind your own business.

Someone's gotta ask the question. Why not him? It is time the city was treated like a city and not 15 little fiefdoms where only the ward councillor is deemed entitled to an opinion.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

But it is Ancaster's concern. It may be our neighbourhood, but the yacht club belongs to everyone.

Well played.

In the Spec's article, Bratina was the voice of caution.

This is something worth investing in. The city needs to take a balanced approach to development, and cannot ignore an opportunity like this.

[thistleclub]

City ‘on cusp' of a world-class waterfront development
(Hamilton Spectator, Matthew Van Dongen, Jan 23 2014)

Hamilton expects to spend $13 million to hurry up a radical Pier 8 redevelopment that promises to transform barren, contaminated industrial land into condos, businesses and public trails.

City councillors endorsed a plan Wednesday to overhaul the failing water and sewage system under Piers 5 through 8 and do proactive environmental soil testing in an accelerated effort to make the area "development ready" within four years.

Overall, the city is looking at spending nearly $40 million on servicing, sidewalks, breakwater and marina improvements as part of a grand rejuvenation plan for the west harbour waterfront.

But the time to push ahead on Pier 8 is now, said city manager Chris Murray.
"We're not talking anymore about development in a decade or two decades," he told councillors at a Wednesday general issues committee meeting. "We're now on the cusp of having a world-class waterfront development … for this community."

The upfront spending is expected to attract nearly $500 million in private investment that could add 1,600 units in condos and townhouses on the pier lands, which already include Sarcoa restaurant, Williams café and a public skating rink.

"It's just such a game-changer," said Councillor Chad Collins, who made the motion in 2012 to fast-track a servicing study for the area.

"We've been seeing incremental changes on the waterfront for a decade — but when we get these services in the ground, the changes you'll see will be dramatic. Really, what we're doing is planning for thousands of new residents, an entirely new neighbourhood."


Read it in full here.

[Beedok]

1 600 new units in that size of area is a pretty big shift. Done right it would be awesome.

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[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Thanks for posting those.

I feel quite confident the City won't bugger this up. When all is said and done, it's going to be the envy of many cities, I'm sure.

[interr0bangr]

This waterfront plan sounds incredible. Really hope it comes into fruition sooner rather than later.

[CaptainKirk]

I dunno.

I think I'd like to see more open space down there that what's shown in those illustrations

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^What do you mean by 'open space'?