Good Shepherd Square | ? | 8 fl | Under Construction

[realcity]

the trees are the only thing nice. .. too bad it will take 50 years to grow that big.

[realcity]

are our developers stuck in some kind of Soviet utilitarian 70s past? Pay an architect for once. It's like an off-the-shelf building kit.

[woreg75]

Looks as though they have started something in there, and the large trees have been saved and marked off...

[emge]

Brian McHattie's office is getting and sending out regular updates to the Strathcona neighbourhood as construction gets underway.

This week (delayed a bit)
Councilor McHattie:

As part of Good Shepherd's commitment to provide updates to you and your constituents on the construction activity at the Good Shepherd Square, please be advised as follows for the week ending August 28th:



Work Underway: the installation of caissons for support of the excavation along Pearl is almost completed. Along Pearl Street a number of mature trees were removed. These trees were part of the tree preservation plan but were removed due to safety concerns. Hand dug test pits revealed that the roots of these tress were intertwined with the gas service. There is also an issue with soil stability along Pearl requiring the extension of the caissons along the street. Without the caissons the site could not be excavated and the caissons had to be placed at the location of the trees. Good shepherd will replace the trees as part of the landscape requirements for the site.



Work next week: It is anticipated that the caisson installation will be completed. Work will also begin with the installation of the storm sewer piping along the property line of Pearl Street. Other site offices or trailers may also be installed.



Next few weeks: The installation of shoring behind the caissons will begin. Installation of services on Pearl will begin and site excavation will follow.




I trust this information will assist you and your constituents.



Peter C Lampman

Housing Development Consultant

Good Shepherd Centres

[SteelTown]

Construction starts on controversial women’s shelter

September 17, 2009
Carmela Fragomeni
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/636677

Construction has started on a highly controversial and much delayed Good Shepherd women’s shelter and affordable housing complex on King Street.

The $50 million to $60 million complex on the former Loretto Academy girls school site between Pearl and Ray streets will have a women’s services centre housing two shelters replacing the current Martha House domestic abuse shelter on Emerald Street South and Mary’s Place, an emergency shelter on East Street North for single women.

The project includes two highrises of eight storeys each, plus a three-storey building for a total of 156 affordable housing units — for seniors, the working poor, disabled and poor, and a stand alone centre with programming for them, said Good Shepherd spokesperson Alan Whittle.

The complex had been beset by controversy, legal battles and delays since 2002. Neighbouring residents argued the complex is inappropriate, and too big for the site and the surrounding neighbourhood.

The Good Shepherd, which runs services and housing for those in need, presented its plans to city council in 2002 and had the approved rezoning by August 2003.

Residents challenged the city approval at the Ontario Municipal Board, but in April 2004, the OMB sided with the city.

[crhayes]

I don't have any pictures but I have passed by this site a few times in the last month. However, it's coming along nicely and it looks like construction of exterior walls has commenced on one of the buildings on the north-west end of the site.

[emge]

I get weekly updates on the construction. Here's the latest - I can post further if people are interested in seeing it - I think it's the Strathcona Community Council that sends it out to me after they get it from McHattie? SCC used to post the updates on their site but I don't see any of the recent ones up there.

Good Shepherd Square Construction Update as at January 8, 2010

Councilor McHattie
As part of Good Shepherd's commitment to provide updates to you and your constituents on the construction activity at the Good Shepherd Square, please be advised as follows for the week ending January 8, 2010.

Work Underway: The placement of the ground floor slabs for the Women's Shelter begins again today. Large trucks will be in and out of the site all day. The road cut on Pearl Street North for services for the Women's Shelter also begins today. The road cut and the street encumbrance should be completed in one day. Sewer work on the site continues with the extension of the storm sewer through the trees at the north end. The excavation has not cut any large roots as the trench is between the drip lines of two trees. The location of this sewer is in accordance with the approved site plan. Masonry work continues on the Women's Shelter as the ground floor walls are built. Work on buildings B and C is at a standstill until the weather improves.

Work next week: Construction of the ground floor walls of the Women's Shelter will continue. There will be additional activity at the Women's Shelter as the construction on the ground floor increases in scope. Electrical, masonry, plumbing and structural crews will be active on the ground floor over the next week. Work may resume on the installation of lagging and shoring on building C to prepare for the installation of the foundation.

Next few weeks: There will be increased activity on the Women's Shelter as ground floor walls are constructed. The road cut on King Street West for the storm sewer is still delayed due to traffic concerns. It is expected that the installation will be done in the next few weeks. Site activity will continue to grow as additional trades are working.

I trust this information will assist you and your constituents.

Peter C Lampman
Housing Development Consultant
Good Shepherd Centres

[emge]

Another update:

Councilor McHattie
As part of Good Shepherd's commitment to provide updates to you and your constituents on the construction activity at the Good Shepherd Square, please be advised as follows for the week ending January 15, 2010:

Work Underway: Masonry work continues on the Women's Shelter as the ground floor walls are built. Due to the warmer weather, heated enclosures are not required and the masonry work is proceeding quickly. Work on building C is at a standstill until the weather improves.

Work next week: Construction of the ground floor walls of the Women's Shelter will continue. There will be additional activity at the Women's Shelter as the construction on the ground floor increases in scope. Electrical, masonry, plumbing and structural crews will be active on the ground floor over the next week. The installation of the water proofing on building B will likely commence.

Next few weeks: There will be increased activity on the Women's Shelter as ground floor walls are constructed. The road cut on King Street West for the storm sewer is still delayed, however the warmer weather may permit the work to proceed. Site activity will continue to grow as additional trades are working. Work on the foundation for building B will begin soon.

I trust this information will assist you and your constituents.

Peter C Lampman
Housing Development Consultant
Good Shepherd Centres

[markbarbera]

Now that construction is well underway, perhaps the status of this project can be changed from 'Approved' to 'Construction'.

[SteelTown]

Opps thanks for the note, updated it to Under Construction.

Now we just need some photos of the construction.

[emge]

I can get some pictures this weekend.

Also:

Strathcona

Good Shepherd has advised that the Good Shepherd Square website is now up and working. See http://www.goodshepherdsquare.ca/.

Regular updates on construction activities are posted under the "Construction Updates" link. An overview of the project, including images is found under the "Project Information" link. There is also a "Contact Us" section as well as a phone number (289-426-5611).

Since the latest information will be posted on this website, we will not be sending out project updates from our office for now.

Dale

[schmadrian]

Does anyone know of any good resources for photos of the previous buildings?

[schmadrian]

...is that it seems common for Hamilton for a patch of land to sit fallow for ridiculously long periods of time. This one sat for the better part of four decades.

No wonder the neighbourhood wasn't happy with any changes to the status quo; we're talking almost two generations' worth of nothingness there in that block.

Hamilton never ceases to bewilder.

(My curiosity has been sufficiently piqued to want to research what the reaction was when the buildings were demolished. Of course, there was so much of this going on circa '71 that probably nobody blinked.)

[urban_planner]

There is a Tower Crane up here now. Its visible from various areas from the brow and other spots.

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by schmadrian

...is that it seems common for Hamilton for a patch of land to sit fallow for ridiculously long periods of time. This one sat for the better part of four decades.

The former Loretto Academy has not been vacant since the school's closure in 1971. The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board used it as a Learning Materials Centre for about 20 years after the school's closure. The building itself was demolished some time in the mid 90's, if memory serves (1993? - can anyone confirm/deny?). Nevertheless, the land did sit vacant for an inordinate period of time, but it wasn't really the city's doing in this particular case. Construction had been held up since at least 2004 by an OMB appeal by local NIMBY's.

[palace1]

There are some pictures here:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_...HA2000/Lei.pdf

This article says "Nothing remains of the buildings that once were the Loretto school, academy and house – the buildings were torn down in 1971."

[bigguy1231]

I grew up in that neighbourhood and I do believe they tore those buildings down almost immediately after the school closed. There were many repair isuues with the building that the diosease did not want to pay to have repaired. They opened the original St Mary's high school just after that down the road beside the Christ the King church in the old Christ the King school.

[markbarbera]

I will try to dig up more info, but I do know from my own personal experience that the HWRCDSB housed their LMC at the former Loretto site for some time. I spent a day there myself while in high school (1981 or 1982) and I remember the building quite clearly. It was a 2-storey brick building and looked Georgian in style (at least the main door was). It was set back at the north end of the property and had a driveway entrance off of Pearl. I remember the parking area in front of the building was gravel and there was a large green space between the lot and King Street. I guess it could be possible that some of the complex was taken down immediately after closure (perhaps the gravel lot was on the foundation of a former building?), but I do know that the property certainly was not entirely vacant from 1971 on.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

I will try to dig up more info, but I do know from my own personal experience that the HWRCDSB housed their LMC at the former Loretto site for some time. I spent a day there myself while in high school (1981 or 1982) and I remember the building quite clearly. It was a 2-storey brick building and looked Georgian in style (at least the main door was). It was set back at the north end of the property and had a driveway entrance off of Pearl. I remember the parking area in front of the building was gravel and there was a large green space between the lot and King Street. I guess it could be possible that some of the complex was taken down immediately after closure (perhaps the gravel lot was on the foundation of a former building?), but I do know that the property certainly was not entirely vacant from 1971 on.

I don't doubt that you are right. If it was at the back of the site it would be largely out of sight from King St. The main building which was quite large and very nice looking the way I remember it, was pulled down almost immediately after the school closed. I remember playing on the site during the demolition as a kid. Construction sites weren't as secure in those days as they are now.

[Dwils01]

Originally Posted by realcity

they have as much design as the Monopoly Hotels

I have to agree with your there. I passed by the sign outside the construction site today and there doesn't seem to be the much thought put into the design of these buildings, almost looks like a building that you would see in 1970's Europe. In a way, it will blend in with all the other buildings that were built in the 1970's in Hamilton. Even if the buildings don't look nice, It's great to see that this city is making progress on developing the vacant land. On another note, the buildings seem to be getting a little bigger every time I pass by them, and the crane can be seen when your driving down the 403 from the escarpment. Keep up the good work guys, and thanks for informing me about the new developments in Hamilton.