Downtown Update

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

I suspect a lot of them are seeing their landlords bought out for redevelopment, given the huge land rush happening in the downtown. Hamilton Urban Core and Mission Services are both like that, and HUPEG is nudging Salvation Army to find a new place as well.

That one in particular is a terrible development site as it's right next to the rail corridor though so it's not quite as easy to explain.

A quick scan of their website shows a senior executive team of 10 people! A president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and six directors! Why would a tiny not for profit like this one require a senior executive team that large. Most mid sized companies don't even have that many people on the board of directors. It's a common theme i've noticed with not for profit charities like this.

Also on their website is a large amount of advertising for donations. How much of these donations actually make it to the people who need care? I suspect a very small fraction, most go to paying these people's salaries.

I suspect this organization is financially no longer viable and is being forced to close.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

A quick scan of their website shows a senior executive team of 10 people! A president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and six directors! Why would a tiny not for profit like this one require a senior executive team that large. Most mid sized companies don't even have that many people on the board of directors. It's a common theme i've noticed with not for profit charities like this.

Also on their website is a large amount of advertising for donations. How much of these donations actually make it to the people who need care? I suspect a very small fraction, most go to paying these people's salaries.

I suspect this organization is financially no longer viable and is being forced to close.

Sounds like a front scam..

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Sounds like a front scam..

Dig into a lot of charities and social service organizations and that's pretty much what you'll find. Bloated salaries funded by donations, with very little money actually going to what they claim.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Dig into a lot of charities and social service organizations and that's pretty much what you'll find. Bloated salaries funded by donations, with very little money actually going to what they claim.

That's why I don't donate to charities.

[LikeHamilton]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

That's why I don't donate to charities.

It is OK to donate to charities, just do your homework first.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

It is OK to donate to charities, just do your homework first.

Absolutely. I donate to food banks, and United Way, but I do a lot of research first and review their documents related to admin costs and actual impacts.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

A quick scan of their website shows a senior executive team of 10 people! A president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and six directors! Why would a tiny not for profit like this one require a senior executive team that large. Most mid sized companies don't even have that many people on the board of directors. It's a common theme i've noticed with not for profit charities like this.

Also on their website is a large amount of advertising for donations. How much of these donations actually make it to the people who need care? I suspect a very small fraction, most go to paying these people's salaries.

Unless you can find salaries for the leaders, be careful about assuming what their "senior execs" make... in many cases the titles are grand, but the people who have them are not earning anywhere near as much $grand as they would with a similar role in a private sector company.

The legit charities should be up front about the proportion of their costs that are administrative vs. what goes to the help they provide.

[Chronamut]

apparently someone set a building downtown on fire last night - saw a video of just flames erupting out of the entranceway - not sure if it was arson or not.. firetruck apparently got there a minute after the video was taken - curious to know the condition of the building, hopefully it doesn't need to be torn down..



the building wasn't in bad condition to start - we can't afford to lose any more of this style of building - also looks fully occupied and lived in..



Also one of the few buildings with curved stone lintels on the corner. The stone lintels themselves appear to be in EXCELLENT condition on this building though.

[ScreamingViking]

^ that one was renovated fairly recently, wasn't it?

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

^ that one was renovated fairly recently, wasn't it?

No the one BESIDE it was.



directly to the right of it - and man looks like that whole side is crumbling..



Looks really nice the work they have done -but this little strip is pretty vulnerable since it's all so old..

[ScreamingViking]

My mistake.

Hopefully this was accidental and not set on purpose for "insurance" reasons.

[Crapht]

Yeah that one is a keeper for sure. It looks like it’s in pretty good shape It would be a shame to lose it. King street is a beautiful stretch in some places as it’s dotted with some real gems. The top of this one says “St Clare”. I love that rounded corner.

[urban_planner]

Honestly I don't think this cause much damage, my guess is that it was limited to that entrance way. No additional units from HFD were dispatched beyond the initial ones. Usually anything serious would atleast seen another truck or two added.

[jammer139]

Charity Intelligence is a good website to get you started on researching charities in Canada. They use a rating system based on Stars to identify the best ones.



https://www.charityintelligence.ca/index.php


what they use to make their ratings
https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-profiles

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by urban_planner

Honestly I don't think this cause much damage, my guess is that it was limited to that entrance way. No additional units from HFD were dispatched beyond the initial ones. Usually anything serious would at least seen another truck or two added.

That's good - that entrance was kinda dilapidated due to age anyways. Still, it always makes one feel nervous that any century+ old building can just be razed to the ground that way.. we are not thrilled when any building that old that still looks, the way it was supposed to, gets destroyed. We don't have too many of these left and the ones that are tend to be close to the core.

[LikeHamilton]

apparently someone set a building downtown on fire last night - saw a video of just flames erupting out of the entranceway - not sure if it was arson or not.. firetruck apparently got there a minute after the video was taken - curious to know the condition of the building, hopefully it doesn't need to be torn down..



Central Hamilton blaze leaves behind $150,000 in damage

Crews were called to the fire just after 3 a.m. on Feb. 25

By Fallon Hewitt Spectator Reporter, Feb. 26, 2023

The cause of an early morning fire in a central Hamilton low-rise building Saturday has not yet been determined.

The Hamilton Fire Department told The Spectator that just after 3 a.m. on Feb. 25, crews were called to a structure fire at 451 King Street East, just west of East Avenue North.

When crews arrived at the scene, they found flames showing from the front of a three-storey mixed-use commercial and residential building.

The blaze was quickly extinguished. No one was found inside of the building during their search.

Photos from the scene show the exterior of the building charred by the blaze and the entrance way covered by a sheet of plywood. Inside, the walls of the vestibule are blackened and burnt.

Several windows of the building were also shattered.

The fire department estimated damage from the blaze at $150,000. The cause is unknown.

The Office of the Fire Marshal will not be investigating, according to the fire department.

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. [email protected]

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2023/02/26/fire-king-street-hamilton.html

[Chronamut]

thanks for the update!

[TheRitsman]

Interesting FC:

104 Robert St - To develop a 5 storey multiple dwelling consisting of 44 residential units, amenity space, and associated parking.

I'm really glad to both see this property begin to be redeveloped but also see middling density proposed in established neighbourhoods. This could be precedent setting for the city if approved.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

Interesting FC:

104 Robert St - To develop a 5 storey multiple dwelling consisting of 44 residential units, amenity space, and associated parking.

I'm really glad to both see this property begin to be redeveloped but also see middling density proposed in established neighbourhoods. This could be precedent setting for the city if approved.

there is already several examples of mid-density redevelopment of former industrial properties in primarily residential areas:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.2551848,-...nbdNzHHzvSZoAyj6Wk-cQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[ScreamingViking]

But it makes way too much sense!

I live in a small 3-floor building now, which only has something like 15 units. Aside from a few singles, there seem to be mostly couples renting here (despite the apartments being mostly 1-bedroom)

It sits on a property that would probably fit 3 SFHs, maybe 4 if they were narrow. There are not many kids in this neighbourhood, and those I've seen are older, so I suspect many of the houses in the area only have 2-3 residents unless they contain rental units.

This building probably has a couple of dozen tenants. If built today, it would likely be 5-6 floors tall instead of 3.

That's quite a difference in population density.