41 Wilson Street | 103, 101 and 100 m | 3 x 30 fl | Under Construction

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Not every build has to be a masterclass, beautiful, unique piece of architecture.

Overall the city can improve, but nit-picking and complaining about every single proposal gets a little stale. It's a solid proposal from a developer that does pretty high quality work.

I don't nitpick them all - if it's a solid one I got nothing but praise. Just saying the podium could have used some work is all.

And boring from me is a step up from god awful lol - it is good infill.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Excited to hear that construction of this project is potentially imminent. @Chronamut, agreed that it's not a terribly exciting design. It's the 'body heat' it will add to the area that is its biggest plus in my books, plus momentum to foster further redevelopment in the area. And the design is far from bad; it's just pretty normal at this point in time. It has the potential to turn out quite well or sub-par depending on the materials and avoidance of last-minute value engineering.

I agree. I don't actually care that much about the aesthetic of these developments. I'm much more interested in the increase in people that will be walking around downtown. This city needs more of that than beautiful expensive designs. Once the people start coming and the city builds its own momentum, the rest will follow.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I agree. I don't actually care that much about the aesthetic of these developments. I'm much more interested in the increase in people that will be walking around downtown. This city needs more of that than beautiful expensive designs. Once the people start coming and the city builds its own momentum, the rest will follow.

Hopefully that brings a restructuring of the core to cater to this influx of people - people with actual money wanting to spend it somewhere, I just fear us becoming a bedroom community - we got so much infrastructure we CAN use - need to bring some big names downtown - both in places to work that pay enough to allow people to afford to live downtown, and entertainment to prevent all those people from.. getting up to no good.

I am curious as to what you guys think should go in the core for people to do once all these people have moved in. There will be at least what.. like 3000 more people in the downtown at least just with the adjacent developments going up? Personally I feel places to work that pay enough is critical - or everyone is just going to commute out. Gone are the days where you live above your business downtown I feel.

We could use a new bowling alley - I know there was one in the city center, but I think it was underutilized at the time. Maybe hamilton could have its own aquarium one day too. Have some nice things people come from far and wide to experience. Or maybe at the end of james we could have a dock style amusement park like some places in the states do, with shops and a big ferris wheel

Or maybe even the much contested casino once we have people with money to burn. We could even bring back aquafest - I have fond memories of aquafest as a kid.

[TheHonestMaple]

I totally agree! Bars and restaurants only take a city so far.

Personally I want to see the big accounting and financial services move BACK into the downtown. I think I read somewhere that KPMG (may have been another similar firm) actually were planning on opening an office downtown, but ultimately chose not to after touring the downtown. They weren't impressed with the general state of the place and didn't think it would reflect their brand well. I hope that changes in the next 5.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I totally agree! Bars and restaurants only take a city so far.

Personally I want to see the big accounting and financial services move BACK into the downtown. I think I read somewhere that KPMG (may have been another similar firm) actually were planning on opening an office downtown, but ultimately chose not to after touring the downtown. They weren't impressed with the general state of the place and didn't think it would reflect their brand well. I hope that changes in the next 5.

YES - we need that stuff back downtown in the core - the core needs to rebecome the business sector again, with places for people to shop on their lunch breaks.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I totally agree! Bars and restaurants only take a city so far.

Personally I want to see the big accounting and financial services move BACK into the downtown. I think I read somewhere that KPMG (may have been another similar firm) actually were planning on opening an office downtown, but ultimately chose not to after touring the downtown. They weren't impressed with the general state of the place and didn't think it would reflect their brand well. I hope that changes in the next 5.

KPMG does have an office listed in Commerce Place:

https://home.kpmg/ca/en/home/about/o...amilton-4.html

No idea how large it is or how long it's been there, though.

[StEC]

Judging by the last render I think this is a solid looking design and could be quite striking if they use quality materials. I just wish the heights were staggered a bit for visual interest.

[Berklon]

Ernst & Young used to have a Hamilton office in the Stelco Tower. I think they closed that office in 1999 or 2000.

[TheHonestMaple]

This article from the CBC supports what I said above, wish I could remember the company.

The upper levels of the building are vacant. Last week, a large international company toured the property and ruled out locating there because it saw the loiterers, she said.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

This article from the CBC supports what I said above, wish I could remember the company.

I wonder what happened to that "pilot"... from 2014!

More people on the street will help. The pandemic did not. I've never felt "unsafe" downtown though I've come across my share of dudes with attitude, but I can see how the image is a turnoff. Especially for people smaller than me, or who haven't been acclimatized to Hamilton. (edit: to be honest, I'm more turned off by the bible-thumper spouting religious aphorisms outside the James/King entrance to Jackson Square, to a limited audience... there's a right to free speech, but amplified such that you can hear it blocks away? Eff off.)

Fact is, every medium to large size city has this issue. Smaller ones too.

This particular development is a "first" in an area that has been neglected far too long. I wish it had more variety in its design too, and I've probably posted a disparaging comment or two about it and its ilk in the past, but I think it is a great start in a part of town that has not had starts of this kind.

I'd buy a unit were I in the market.

[King&James]

I know we are off track here a bit for this thread, but maybe convincing some local players to commit to driving downtown presence, like Gowlings, Mac, Mohawk, to bring a mix of professional, academic, research and development, along with youth and heightened incubators to make daytime population more sticky.

[TheHonestMaple]

Oh there can be no doubt that the huge influx in residents in the next few years will at the very least "dilute" the issue. And the relocation of some services to other more appropriate areas will help. I do believe we will see some larger offices open in the next few years. When returning to the office is fully back, and more frequent GO service makes it a viable destination to commute TO.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

and more frequent GO service makes it a viable destination to commute TO.

This is my hope. Easier commutes to the Big Smoke are great, but people commuting INTO Hamilton would be an amazing shot in the arm for the city.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Oh there can be no doubt that the huge influx in residents in the next few years will at the very least "dilute" the issue. And the relocation of some services to other more appropriate areas will help. I do believe we will see some larger offices open in the next few years. When returning to the office is fully back, and more frequent GO service makes it a viable destination to commute TO.

The unspoken truth many of us were thinking. We need to de-crackwhore the downtown.. more.

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

(to be honest, I'm more turned off by the bible-thumper spouting religious aphorisms outside the James/King entrance to Jackson Square, to a limited audience... there's a right to free speech, but amplified such that you can hear it blocks away? Eff off.)

But Jesus loves you.. if you do everything da baibile saiz...

[Fruitloops]

Downtown is the freakiest of freak shows...its time our elected officials park their personal agendas and clean this sh*t up.

Spend an hour or two between John and Bay and enjoy the Theatre of the Street.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Fruitloops

Downtown is the freakiest of freak shows...its time our elected officials park their personal agendas and clean this sh*t up.

Spend an hour or two between John and Bay and enjoy the Theatre of the Street.

Couldn't agree more - however it's not as freaky as it was in the 90s I can assure you of that..

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by Fruitloops

Downtown is the freakiest of freak shows...its time our elected officials park their personal agendas and clean this sh*t up.

Spend an hour or two between John and Bay and enjoy the Theatre of the Street.

Sadly the new council is generally in favour of supporting that behaviour.

I personally think that the private security, board of directors and owners will do a lot more to clean up the area than council ever will. When your personal dollars are on the line, you don't much tolerate that type of riff raff right at your doorstep.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Sadly the new council is generally in favour of supporting that behaviour.

I personally think that the private security, board of directors and owners will do a lot more to clean up the area than council ever will. When your personal dollars are on the line, you don't much tolerate that type of riff raff right at your doorstep.

Time for vigilante volunteer groups to patrol the street - neighbourhood watch

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Time for vigilante volunteer groups to patrol the street - neighbourhood watch

Worst idea of 2023 so far

[Davis137]

If they look like the proposal when done, then they will certainly be a nice addition to the cityscape...