AEON Bayfront Studios - Cancelled

[ScreamingViking]

The city is planning to sell its public works building and yard at 125 Barton St. W. This is right across from the Barton-Tiffany lands the stadium was originally planned to be built upon.
https://goo.gl/maps/ji4UXNjBRKc1wNEN6


City hopes to sell sprawling Hamilton public works yard on Barton Street West

By Teviah MoroSpectator Reporter
Sat., Oct. 24, 2020

The city hopes to sell a public works yard not far from Hamilton’s evolving west harbour as part of a plan to move operations elsewhere.

This week, councillors directed staff to sell 125 Barton St. W. along with empty parcels on Burlington Street East and an old yard in Flamborough.

The goal is to use the proceeds to buy another property councillors haven’t yet disclosed amid an ongoing effort to shed underutilized public works sites.

“I think we’re trying to modernize and consolidate our public works operations,” Coun. John-Paul Danko told The Spectator.

Since amalgamation, the city’s massive public works department has counted many facilities from the former municipalities in its inventory.

“We’ve never really drawn them all together, so that’s part of what we’re trying to do,” said Danko, who’s chair of the public works committee.

The plan calls for tapping $1.46 million from a capital reserve to make the purchase and replenish it after the property sales.

Councillors discussed the real estate moves in camera during Wednesday’s general issues committee meeting. Their direction to staff needs final approval next week at council.

Once that happens, the newly acquired property will be public, Rom D’Angelo, director of energy, fleet and facilities management, said in an interview.

...

Full story here:
https://www.thespec.com/news/council...reet-west.html

[ChildishGavino]

I think this is the warehouse that houses some very valuable artefacts. The Mayor's throne, old chains of office, etc etc etc.

[BaconPoutine]

It's a fairly large site, almost 4.5 acres. Zoned for single family dwellings and duplexes. IMO a prime property for re-development.

Source: City of Hamilton Maps (Search: 125 Barton St W)

[mattgrande]

Originally Posted by ChildishGavino

I think this is the warehouse that houses some very valuable artefacts. The Mayor's throne, old chains of office, etc etc etc.

I wonder where they're going to end up. I'd love Hamilton to have a civic museum to house stuff like that, but I don't see it being a big attraction to anyone but history nerds like me

[LikeHamilton]

Originally Posted by King&James

I'm going to file this one in a field of dreams, no real details, no financing, .... What existing 150,000 warehouse is available.

This is all new build.

[King&James]

I guess I stand corrected, but for sure I thought I saw in one report they were retrofitting an existing warehouse. Hyper optimistic that anyone could build 150,000 sq ft of purpose built space and be operational in 18 months , with nothing but an announcement in hand.

[ScreamingViking]

This story mentions the retrofit while they do the longer-term work to plan the Barton-Tiffany site.
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9...thin-the-year/

But at full build-out, David said he expects 500,000 square feet of stage space at the Barton-Tiffany site alongside residential housing and live-work space for artists.

To start, Aeon plans to "retrofit" an existing factory elsewhere in Hamilton with at least 150,000 square feet of stage space to "get started as quickly as possible," ideally within the year, he said.

...

Building on the Barton-Tiffany block — which has a long industrial history — won't happen quickly. Aeon has yet to begin environmental testing or negotiate a purchase price for the city land.

Nothing will be built at the permanent site without "appropriate community consultations," added co-founder Jeff Anders, who said Aeon has already reached out to the Central Neighbourhood Association.

[King&James]

^^^ thanks ScreamingViking

[TheRitsman]

I haven't heard any updates on this. It's well beyond the date this studio was supposed to open. Anyone heard anything.

[davidcappi]

Aeon is just a wing of Forge and Foster, so I am doubtful, but if it's progressing I would suspect it's being held up with environmental assessments and negotiations with CN. They seem to be posting updates on twitter though

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by davidcappi

Aeon is just a wing of Forge and Foster, so I am doubtful, but if it's progressing I would suspect it's being held up with environmental assessments and negotiations with CN. They seem to be posting updates on twitter though

I had not followed them on Instagram because the account had gone dormant last time I saw.

[Markus83]

https://twitter.com/studio_aeon?lang=en

[ScreamingViking]

It's in business. I mainly pasted studio details below; the full story includes a few notes about commercials and other filming in the area.


Hamilton’s Bayfront film studio is up and running

Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
Thu., July 1, 2021

https://www.thespec.com/entertainmen...d-running.html


Hamilton’s new film studio has opened for business.

Aeon Studio Group has fixed up the former AVL Manufacturing plant on Queen Street North and it is now open for filming and movie making.

One of its first clients is expected to be a Hollywood blockbuster when it hits theatres — the remake of “Firestarter” starring Zac Efron, Michael Greyeyes and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (who plays Charlie, a girl with pyrokinetic powers).

...

The new studio was promised by Aeon in December, with an expected opening in February.

It’s the first step of a proposed film and TV production hub on 14-acres of city-owned land that is bounded by Queen Street, Barton Street and Tiffany Street. It was once eyed for the city’s new stadium, which went up where Ivor Wynne used to stand in the east end. The hub is anticipated to create more than a thousand new jobs.

...

Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr was excited by the new film studio in his ward. The studio is just south of the CN Stuart yard.

“It’s the biggest studio facility in Hamilton (80,000-square-feet) and it has one of only a handful of stages in the province that are 25,000 + square feet with 40 feet + ceilings,” Farr said in an email. “More studio facilities in Hamilton (are) coming.”

Kim Adrovez, senior project manager at the Hamilton Film Office, says the city has a number of industrial warehouse studio spaces as well as standing sets.

“Some examples include Hamilton Film Studios, Skylight Studios, Aeon Bayfront Studios and Evil Empire Studios,” she said.

There is also The Cotton Factory and Digital Canaries Film Studios, which is based on Gage Avenue North but offers half a dozen locations around the city to filmmakers such as two former schools and an locale on Hillyard Street.

...

The city says there are over 900 Hamilton-based film businesses, employing about 9,000 people.

...

full story here

[TheRitsman]

In Barton-Tiffany news:

https://twitter.com/JoeyColeman/stat...V3WTnBkRw&s=19


Joey Coleman: "Wow, just wow. Clr @JasonFarrHamOnt is suggesting that the Barton-Tiffany lands have not been attractive to developers. A GO Station with all-day service is beside it! It is waterfront! Walking from a downtown.
It may be the most attractive land west of Toronto."

Aeon Studio Group recently posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQ1nzrF...dium=copy_link

Followed to their site: https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/studio-district

"The Studio District would be an economic cluster with studios for the production of film, television, gaming, animation and music. It would feature artist live-work spaces, office space for creative industry companies, industry event spaces including a theatre, and learning and training spaces to build the local workforce."

[ScreamingViking]

The Farr Side, only his version is not funny.

Aside from MIP and the airport, and barring some massive future redevelopment of vacant industrial lands northeast of downtown, this idea is probably the biggest potential economic win for the entire city.

[ScreamingViking]

From today's Spec. Same photos TheRitsman posted were in the story.


Hamilton’s west harbour film hub is growing — but not on the city’s failed stadium lands

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...-film-hub.html

Matthew Van Dongen
The Hamilton Spectator
Thu., Oct. 21, 2021

The would-be builders of a Hamilton film hub have now set up shop in three buildings in the west harbour — but any work to develop the city’s failed stadium lands is still at least two years away.

Aeon Studio Group agreed in principle back in 2019 to buy 14-acres of city-owned land — a Barton-Tiffany block infamously bulldozed for a stadium built elsewhere — and turn it into a film production and live-work hub.

More than two years later, the city still owns the barren block and the renamed Aeon Bayfront Studios group is operating out of nearby buildings, instead.

That didn’t sit well with some councillors Wednesday who questioned if the group was meeting its commitments under a two-year-old memorandum of understanding.

“The studio was what they sold us on,” said Coun. Brad Clark, who noted a staff update on the project appears to show a focus on first developing residential and commercial buildings on the city lands. “They’re not hitting any of the targets to get that studio open on Barton-Tiffany ... Why are we not prioritizing what the original vision was?”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger, by contrast, gave the group credit for an “absolutely brilliant” decision to buy and quickly start film production in the former AVL Manufacturing building on Queen Street North last year, arguing it was a tangible commitment to the film hub vision. He noted the city itself has struggled to start development on anther former industrial site nearby, Pier 8. “It’s taken us 20 years,” he said.

Aeon co-founder Jeff Anders told councillors Wednesday the group has made “significant progress” on the project despite pandemic delays and a longer-than-expected environmental study of the city lands. He also announced the group will seek public feedback on a newly released conceptual plan for the Barton-Tiffany lands showing production space, residential and commercial units and a public plaza.

Those environmental studies suggest the grand vision won’t happen fast, however. “The site is loud, it is wet, it is contaminated,” Anders said.

He estimated the group will earn approvals to build on the “least challenging” parts of the block within two years, likely starting with commercial and targeted residential buildings on the corner of Barton and Queen streets. Construction approval on tougher spots could still be five years away.

...


Aeon is now supposed to conduct public consultation this month and deliver a master plan and business case to the city for consideration next February.

It’s not clear when Aeon will purchase the Barton-Tiffany lands from the city, which hopes to recoup around $13 million spent buying land in the area over more than a decade.


full story here

[ScreamingViking]

That story also noted that the studio has purchased buildings on Harriet Street and Bay Street N.

It must be 29 Harriet, the reno that's detailed in that thread. It's the only large building on that very short street, and the news story associated with it noted F&F was "hoping to populate the building with creative and film industry businesses"

[craftbeerdad]

Cool idea in theory creating a hub, supporting the film industry that's growing rapidly in Hamilton and translating it into an even larger vision across the arts. Would really be complimentary to the area.

Imagine this plus moving the train yard (park, or whatever), that would really make a good imprint on young adults across Canada for choosing a city like Hamilton after graduation with all the other amenities, areas & growth (lrt, city centre, arena, etc).

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

In Barton-Tiffany news:

https://twitter.com/JoeyColeman/stat...V3WTnBkRw&s=19


Joey Coleman: "Wow, just wow. Clr @JasonFarrHamOnt is suggesting that the Barton-Tiffany lands have not been attractive to developers. A GO Station with all-day service is beside it! It is waterfront! Walking from a downtown.
It may be the most attractive land west of Toronto."

Aeon Studio Group recently posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQ1nzrF...dium=copy_link

Followed to their site: https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/studio-district

"The Studio District would be an economic cluster with studios for the production of film, television, gaming, animation and music. It would feature artist live-work spaces, office space for creative industry companies, industry event spaces including a theatre, and learning and training spaces to build the local workforce."

This isn't a very busy thread, so I'm just going to pull them up so other people see.

[davidcappi]

the preliminary designs shown in the renders is by BDP Quadrangle.