Downtown Update - Page 252

Markus83 · #**5021** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 1:42 PM**

Taken this morning looking West onto a new sky and a new day.

Have a good day guys!

Markus83 · #**5022** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 3:23 PM**

"Remember what makes Hamilton special"
via: The Hamilton Spectator - November 19, 2021

https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2021/11/19/remember-what-makes-hamilton-special.html

upload photo

Just something for our records, if nothing else .

Hawrylyshyn · #**5023** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 3:27 PM**

Saw a commercial for the Grey Cup yesterday and it featured a nice shot of the city -- I screenshotted it below for you.

Innsertnamehere · #**5024** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 3:39 PM**

Ehhh the province will probably overrule the city on the urban boundary so don’t get your hopes up.

bigguy1231 · #**5025** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 4:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Ehhh the province will probably overrule the city on the urban boundary so don’t get your hopes up.

Hopefully they do. This was just absolute stupidity. Making the city more unaffordable and less desirable isn't going to help this city. We had 40 years of stagnation because of stupid decisions like this back in the 70's and we haven't learned from that. The reason all of our suburbs grew and thrived was because the city of Hamilton was hostile to development. Now it will happen again.

Hawrylyshyn · #**5026** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigguy1231

Hopefully they do. This was just absolute stupidity. Making the city more unaffordable and less desirable isn't going to help this city. We had 40 years of stagnation because of stupid decisions like this back in the 70's and we haven't learned from that. The reason all of our suburbs grew and thrived was because the city of Hamilton was hostile to development. Now it will happen again.

Stupid to say no to sprawl?? Building on farm land and green space, increasing car dependence, building expensive single-family homes that are out of the price range of most young people, increasing our environmental impact.... is better how?

ScreamingViking · #**5027** Posted **Nov 20, 2021, 4:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigguy1231

Hopefully they do. This was just absolute stupidity. Making the city more unaffordable and less desirable isn't going to help this city. We had 40 years of stagnation because of stupid decisions like this back in the 70's and we haven't learned from that. The reason all of our suburbs grew and thrived was because the city of Hamilton was hostile to development. Now it will happen again.

How was Hamilton hostile to development? Seems to me it was quite friendly to the same kind of suburban growth that was happening in Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas, and Waterdown... much of that growth between Fennell and Rymal happened back then.

There was questionable governance. But the stagnation may have had just a little to do with a restructuring city economy. Shrinkage and outright loss of big industry, and tens of thousands of jobs were lost along with it.

And each municipality had its own local planning and zoning, but it was all coordinated at the upper tier (Hamilton-Wentworth) once the region was created in 1974. This was no different from Halton, Peel, Durham, etc. The planning philosophies of the day gave us the suburbs we have, and the lack of recognition of the importance of intensification and infill (and its financial benefits) on properties in older central cities was also a factor in their stagnation.

NewHammer · #**5028** Posted **Nov 21, 2021, 1:57 AM**

In light of the project at 75 James, and the increasing amount of infill happening, does anyone have any info about the lot(s) between the Pigott Building and CIBC? I believe its broken into two lots (28 and 32), but I have no idea who owns them. Seems like prime real estate, and I'm curious how long it will be before they sell and/or get developed.

Innsertnamehere · #**5029** Posted **Nov 21, 2021, 2:10 AM**

It always surprised me that the one lot there is left completely fallow, not even operated as a parking lot. Who’s sitting on that property paying taxes on it and making absolutely 0 holding income on it? It’s very odd, especially since it would do good business as a surface lot at the very least given it’s prime location.

NewHammer · #**5030** Posted **Nov 21, 2021, 3:04 AM**

Exactly. To not even have any kind of place holder generating SOME revenue seems odd. I'm guessing until both lots are owned by the same entity its not going to be developed, both parcels are a little too small for a new condo or office tower by themselves.

TheHonestMaple · #**5031** Posted **Nov 21, 2021, 3:13 AM**

There was a previous building on 32 James South. It occupied that one half. Demolished sometime in the early 2000s. Can't find any pics online for some reason.

Edit: For some reason there is very few photos of it online. Found one.

Crapht · #**5032** Posted **Nov 21, 2021, 5:19 AM**

I have been secretly dreaming that Commerce Court would build a new sparkling tower there and demo the existing towers. That space where the towers are now would become part of the new expanded Gore Park. Fantasy.

TheHonestMaple · #**5033** Posted **Nov 21, 2021, 5:24 AM**

I've been cruising around the McMaster aerial map from 1999. It's actually remarkable how little development has happened between 1999 and 2021. The city is basically unchanged. Crazy when you compare it to Toronto, which is completely unrecognizable from 1999.

The next 5 years should change that though.

interr0bangr · #**5034** Posted **Nov 22, 2021, 4:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftbeerdad

Looks like something's going in on the corner of John & KW across from Lulu's. Or maybe the Greek Palace is getting a facelift?

There's a restaurant going in here, looked pretty close to finished when I poked my head in a few weeks back. It takes up both storefronts...bar w/ seating on the right, kitchen on the left. Pizza ovens are in there (the big metal kind, not the "imported from italy" dome kind) so I assume it'll have pizza on the menu.

Chronamut · #**5035** Posted **Nov 24, 2021, 3:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

It always surprised me that the one lot there is left completely fallow, not even operated as a parking lot. Who’s sitting on that property paying taxes on it and making absolutely 0 holding income on it? It’s very odd, especially since it would do good business as a surface lot at the very least given it’s prime location.

it's because they can't - they made a rule that buildings can no longer be torn down just to be converted into parking lots - I believe the person is asking 2 million who is sitting on that property last I checked, maybe more now - they know it's primo real estate and are just waiting for the right buyer it seems..

Innsertnamehere · #**5036** Posted **Nov 24, 2021, 4:41 PM**

https://www.hamilton.ca/government-infor...s-historic-2-billion-in-building-permits

Quote:

City reaches historic $2 billion in building permits for 2021

he City of Hamilton has surpassed $2 billion worth of construction, making 2021 the first time the city has ever reached the $2 billion-dollar mark in construction value in one year. This milestone represents building projects in the residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Quick facts

The $2-billion mark was reached on Monday, November 22, 2021, after staff issued new residential construction permits in Glanbrook.
Total construction value up to and including October 2021 is comprised of 59% residential, 39% industrial/commercial/institutional, and 2% miscellaneous.
Residential has increased 53.3% over the previous 3-year average for a total of $1,143,411,173.
Industrial, commercial, institutional has increased by 86% over the previous 3-year average for a total of $746,840,407.
2021 marks the first time the city reached the $1 billion-dollar mark in the first half of the year (June 2021).
The city has reached the $1 billion milestone eleven out of the past twelve years.
The building industry supports Hamilton’s economic growth, provides employment opportunities, new housing, and places for businesses to thrive.

ScreamingViking · #**5037** Posted **Nov 25, 2021, 8:56 PM**

Hopefully $2B is the new normal for a while... and it likely will be. It's especially great to see the industrial/commercial/institutional permit value rising at a higher rate than residential. It would be nice to see them at about the same value.

Wigs · #**5038** Posted **Nov 25, 2021, 11:29 PM**

congrats Hamilton! $2B in development is certainly impressive

Beedok · #**5039** Posted **Nov 26, 2021, 12:40 PM**

It’s good to see employment focused construction increasing so significantly. Hope to see that continue, so the city can fight off all those claims of ‘just being a Toronto suburb now’.

Innsertnamehere · #**5040** Posted **Nov 26, 2021, 1:50 PM**

the extreme shortage of industrial space in the GTA and Hamilton's abundance of affordable commercial space near the airport is really going to pay off in the next few years methinks for the city.. Tenants are looking further afield than historically for space as there simply isn't any space in Toronto / Peel, and Hamilton is ready for them.