Downtown Update

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by hamilton23

The current owners let it go for years. It's been depressing to watch because it's in such a prime location and if they made it more visually appealing, they have so many residents across the street and in the neighborhood that would visit the businesses that lease the spaces in the building. The only business that was somewhat popular in this space for years was CoMotion. Serve didn't have success and I can't speak on Black Rabbit.

I hope to god that they do extensive work on the exterior. The building deserves it and it has so much potential!

I couldn't agree with you more. My dream is still to have the bottom floor be entertainment space and the staircase to the top floor to once again lead to a hallway going over the back alley and to a freshly rebuilt 3600 seat theatre

Whenever I watch videos like this I just get a painful feeling of loss:

• Video Link

[hamilton23]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

I couldn't agree with you more. My dream is still to have the bottom floor be entertainment space and the staircase to the top floor to once again lead to a hallway going over the back alley and to a freshly rebuilt 3600 seat theatre

Whenever I watch videos like this I just get a painful feeling of loss:

• Video Link

Let's hope that a developer with deep pockets or enough in their pocket, comes along and buys this strip and does something worthwhile with it.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by hamilton23

Let's hope that a developer with deep pockets or enough in their pocket, comes along and buys this strip and does something worthwhile with it.

I concur. Being a part of that building made me really love the interior of it. Hamilton is like a blank slate with so much potential for rebuilding, or restoring. We just need someone who is a millionaire who loves this city and knows enough about its history to do something about it.

If I ever become rich you and I can work together to make it happen haha..

[Chronamut]

setbacks for pier 8 development it seems.. hard to understand what the issues are - looks like they are trying to cram too many people into the area and it violates their own density plans..

https://www.thepublicrecord.ca/2019/04/l...our-west-neighbours-and-herman-turkstra/

[durandy]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

setbacks for pier 8 development it seems.. hard to understand what the issues are - looks like they are trying to cram too many people into the area and it violates their own density plans..

https://www.thepublicrecord.ca/2019/04/l...our-west-neighbours-and-herman-turkstra/

This is the worst. Herman Turkstra did a lot of good for the city in the 70s when he helped prevent further demolition in Durand. Now he's hobbling what is the by far the most exciting project ever to be built in Hamilton. Now we may see this project cut in half, and who knows then if the developer will want to continue with it as a luxury development. And for what? The North End isn't exactly a quiet serene village whose character will be destroyed. There's nothing there, and I bet the businesses that are there would love to have this development.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by durandy

This is the worst. Herman Turkstra did a lot of good for the city in the 70s when he helped prevent further demolition in Durand. Now he's hobbling what is the by far the most exciting project ever to be built in Hamilton. Now we may see this project cut in half, and who knows then if the developer will want to continue with it as a luxury development. And for what? The North End isn't exactly a quiet serene village whose character will be destroyed. There's nothing there, and I bet the businesses that are there would love to have this development.

Yeah I know.. it's rather discouraging.. his argument is that there were only supposed to be 1000 people in the pier 8 + pier 7 area , and now there are 1700 proposed in pier 8 alone..

[hamilton23]

Originally Posted by durandy

This is the worst. Herman Turkstra did a lot of good for the city in the 70s when he helped prevent further demolition in Durand. Now he's hobbling what is the by far the most exciting project ever to be built in Hamilton. Now we may see this project cut in half, and who knows then if the developer will want to continue with it as a luxury development. And for what? The North End isn't exactly a quiet serene village whose character will be destroyed. There's nothing there, and I bet the businesses that are there would love to have this development.

I know the developer and I would be surprised if they would move forward if given roadblocks like this.

[Chronamut]

Dear god I never realized just how many parking lots were all in one place downtown till I started to walk down king william st and realized half of it is bare... if they want king william to be the classy boutique strip they want it to be they really just have to.. build more.. it's like someone raked their claws in a diagonal motion across the city. Also the police station monolith really puts a damper on that walk..

They should just have one giant parking garage skyscraper - 30 stories - the outer ring of it being offices.

[movingtohamilton]

Land is cheap in Hamilton. Cheap. The $20million for the Main and Caroline vacant lot is chump change, but a bellweather of improving value. If and when Hamilton ever experiences a sustained demand for downtown developments, those lots you mapped will disappear one by one.

Every single vacant lot in the ground zero of Toronto (Queens Quay/Queen/University/Jarvis) is gone or will be gone shortly. I can't think of any new development there with above-ground parking. We get the blight of 20/22 George parking podium. Yay.

The last thing we need here is a garage skyscraper. I assume you're kidding.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Land is cheap in Hamilton. Cheap. The $20million for the Main and Caroline vacant lot is chump change, but a bellweather of improving value. If and when Hamilton ever experiences a sustained demand for downtown developments, those lots you mapped will disappear one by one.

Every single vacant lot in the ground zero of Toronto (Queens Quay/Queen/University/Jarvis) is gone or will be gone shortly. I can't think of any new development there with above-ground parking. We get the blight of 20/22 George parking podium. Yay.

The last thing we need here is a garage skyscraper. I assume you're kidding.

I don't think you read what I said fully - a skyscraper with the parking in the middle of it - kinda like the acclamation condos - you wouldn't see it. The truth of the matter is if you take up all the parking lots people are still going to need to park. The citys mentality of "oh everyone will take public transportation everywhere" is bullshit - so unfortunately you still need parking.

It's not all about aesthetic - it's about functionality and practicality - its what separates a planner from someone with opinions.

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

I don't think you read what I said fully - a skyscraper with the parking in the middle of it - kinda like the acclamation condos - you wouldn't see it. The truth of the matter is if you take up all the parking lots people are still going to need to park. The citys mentality of "oh everyone will take public transportation everywhere" is bullshit - so unfortunately you still need parking.

It's not all about aesthetic - it's about functionality and practicality - its what separates a planner from someone with opinions.

As far as I know, you're not a planner, but you sure have opinions! Do you have examples of any giant parking garage skyscrapers with outer rings of offices being built anywhere? Love to see them.

Re your comment on transit: Guess what. Doug Ford's plan for tailgaters cannot and never will work in Canada's largest city. There are NO parking lots anywhere near the sports venues. People take TTC or GO trains. Those who drive pay an absolute fortune for parking...underground.

[TheRitsman]

Parking all in one place is bad for a few reasons:

1) everyone has to drive to a single location, meaning roads to that will be clogged and congested

2) People driving don't want to park, then walk 20 minutes. That's the entire point of driving. Each condo or office should have public parking built into it. Either 71 Rebecca, KiWi or Liuna at Hughson should have been forced to add multiple floors of parking. I'm not a huge fan of cars, but until we get a highly educated grouping downtown or transit, people will want to drive downtown Hamilton.

Until w shave regional transit (in 50 years), people from Brantford, London, and Niagara will need to drive downtown.

[hamilton23]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

Parking all in one place is bad for a few reasons:

1) everyone has to drive to a single location, meaning roads to that will be clogged and congested

2) People driving don't want to park, then walk 20 minutes. That's the entire point of driving. Each condo or office should have public parking built into it. Either 71 Rebecca, KiWi or Liuna at Hughson should have been forced to add multiple floors of parking. I'm not a huge fan of cars, but until we get a highly educated grouping downtown or transit, people will want to drive downtown Hamilton.

Until w shave regional transit (in 50 years), people from Brantford, London, and Niagara will need to drive downtown.

Yeah, having one massive parking structure downtown isn't really something that makes a ton of sense at the moment. I can possibly see this being more of a need in 10-15 years, depending on how a lot of these proposed/approved/planned/future developments go.... At the moment, there are enough parking lots that aren't going anywhere for the foreseeable future and there is usually public parking in high rises or office buildings throughout the city.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

As far as I know, you're not a planner, but you sure have opinions! Do you have examples of any giant parking garage skyscrapers with outer rings of offices being built anywhere? Love to see them.

Re your comment on transit: Guess what. Doug Ford's plan for tailgaters cannot and never will work in Canada's largest city. There are NO parking lots anywhere near the sports venues. People take TTC or GO trains. Those who drive pay an absolute fortune for parking...underground.

I do actually have planning background, and architectural background - I've worked with the city, with both bob and joe - it's why my comments aren't just opinions but are based in actual experience.

As for the parking garage question - here you go:

https://www.wired.com/2016/11/time-think-living-old-parking-garages/

Toronto is a different story - it's built for mass transit - it has subways that fork throughout the city and ttc and go service - people generally don't drive here - but hamilton is sprawled out and is designed in a way that you have to drive. For example if you live down by the water there are no buses that go down there - you have to drive. Our go service largely just goes outside of the city - the only service we have atm to get around are cabs and buses.

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

I do actually have planning background, and architectural background - I've worked with the city, with both bob and joe - it's why my comments aren't just opinions but are based in actual experience.

Bob and Joe? Who are they, and why would you ever refer to people by their first name?
Are you working as a planner now?

Originally Posted by Chronamut

...but hamilton is sprawled out and is designed in a way that you have to drive...

You have such disdain for the city. You also wrote this: The citys mentality of "oh everyone will take public transportation everywhere" is bullshit

I'm really sorry that this exchange is causing me to take a personal tone. I'm just at a loss to find any professional perspective in what you write about.

[king10]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

As far as I know, you're not a planner, but you sure have opinions! Do you have examples of any giant parking garage skyscrapers with outer rings of offices being built anywhere? Love to see them.

Re your comment on transit: Guess what. Doug Ford's plan for tailgaters cannot and never will work in Canada's largest city. There are NO parking lots anywhere near the sports venues. People take TTC or GO trains. Those who drive pay an absolute fortune for parking...underground.

It would work for the Argos and TFC at BMO as there is tons of parking on EX grounds. Agreed it wouldn't work at Rogers Centre or ACC.

Would work in Hamilton North of Barton where you have some large industrial lots.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Bob and Joe? Who are they, and why would you ever refer to people by their first name?
Are you working as a planner now?

that's simply how we referred to them - and no I don't work as a planner now. Doesn't make my input any less valuable or valid.


You have such disdain for the city. You also wrote this: The citys mentality of "oh everyone will take public transportation everywhere" is bullshit

I'm really sorry that this exchange is causing me to take a personal tone. I'm just at a loss to find any professional perspective in what you write about.

Well it is bullshit - because the people who claim this don't actually take public transportation themselves - so they expect us to do something that they themselves won't subject themselves to doing, as is the case with most politicians. This is a forum about skyscrapers - I can talk in laymans terms here - I am not talking in front of business associates - it's called the internet, and the internet isn't serious business. Lighten up a bit dude, and realize this is just a place where people post stuff, not where people psychoanalyze each other.

And I don't have a distain for the city - it should be quite obvious that I love it greatly considering how much I know about the city historically. I have a distain for some of the directions the city is trying to take it, or.. not take it, just like everyone else here.

I have lived here all my life - judging by your username you haven't. You can think whatever you want about any of us but we are all here simply stating out OPINIONS on what the city planners are doing based on our backgrounds, as is our right. You are a user here just like anyone else - don't become like david cappi and start to personally attack people please - we don't do it to you.

[movingtohamilton]

"I have lived here all my life - judging by your username you haven't. "

There we go. Finally. Us vs them (the outsiders, the strangers to our city, etc etc.). The typical bs that I saw when I grew up in a small city and hated it then. Hate it now.

I'm not personally attacking anyone. As you said....lighten up dude. But there are serious issues that get discussed here. People need to be careful when say that they are a professional in order to support their viewpoint.

[hamilton23]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

"I have lived here all my life - judging by your username you haven't. "

There we go. Finally. Us vs them (the outsiders, the strangers to our city, etc etc.). The typical bs that I saw when I grew up in a small city and hated it then. Hate it now.

I'm not personally attacking anyone. As you said....lighten up dude. But there are serious issues that get discussed here. People need to be careful when say that they are a professional in order to support their viewpoint.

Why doesn't everyone take a step back and realize that this is just a forum about development within Hamilton? This isn't a city council meeting, this isn't a board meeting for a multi-million dollar development within the city. This is a place where people can share news and their opinions on different developments within the city of Hamilton.

We are all free to share our differing or same viewpoints on different developments and topics.

I never understood why some posters get so defensive on here. If you have a differing opinion than someone else, you can share it, but why be rude or condescending about it? There's a way to have a civil discourse on a topic. I don't understand why people get at each other's throats on here.

There are lots of interesting conversations being had on here. Why don't we all stick to those? instead of beating up on each other? Not to sound preachy, but I would rather read constructive discussions than obnoxious back and forths amongst posters. I enjoy reading about new developments on here and peoples opinions about them. I think people who wanna argue should take it to the DM's.

[hamilton23]

Does anyone have any intel about Fish and Chip and Hamburger on King William?

Fish and Chip closed down months before Hamburger, but both "temporarily closed" under similar circumstances. Both apparently closed for renovations, but this was several months ago? I know the Ottawa St. Hamburger is still open, but I'm wondering if the rental rates on King William got too expensive? I don't and have never seen any work being done in either place.

I'm asking because I enjoyed both places and they both seemed very popular?

I was also told that Two Black Sheep would open on King William? I was told this a few days prior to Two Black sheeps closure on John.

I'm wondering if they would be taking over either of these spaces.