Downtown Update

[ScreamingViking]

To be fair, many many major cities have a blend of lower-rise buildings (6 to 8 floors or so) with some taller ones... there are the New Yorks and Hong Kongs that have numerous very tall buildings, but there are also the likes of Barcelona and Paris (and New York has its neighbourhoods of older mid-rises too). The shorter buildings are just more consistently spread around larger areas, and they're often quite old.

I think we need much more in the way of mid-rise builds in Hamilton. If you walk around Durand you'll see the taller 1960s-70s era apartment buildings, but also lots of smaller ones and 3-4 storey walk-ups, along with the older homes that still remain - it's quite an interesting mix, to me.

Where we "fail" is along major arterial roads. The central stretches of Main and King have more of those shorter old apartments, and could intensify further without adding towers. But many of the city's other arterials, particularly the sections that are newer, are very low-rise.

Quality of architecture is another challenge, but I think that's a separate conversation.

[King&James]

There is so so much opportunity for medium density infill throughout the city, just think of the entire stretch of Main West and East (from the 403 to Gage), that could have a continuous wall of 4-8 storey buildings replacing a mishmash of low density and poorly maintained existing stock. I too think that the city could use a few signature 40-50 storey buildings that the city could offer up to the development community via a competitive bid process, complete with affordable and community benefit elements. Then give them max 2 years to get shovels in the ground.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by HamiltonBoyInToronto

I wouldn't say its just "visual vanity"
a nice skyline has some striking tall buildings in the centre... something that makes the city stand out ... and our image problem at the moment is that the only thing that stands out from any important vantage point (QEW Skyway) are our smoke stacks

our buildings fade behind them and blend right into the escarpment. we could definitely use a few tall builds to bring attention to the city.

and yes... mid-rises and infill are important too...but we shouldn't fear the height. there's a reason why every major city in the world builds tall

Let's be honest- NO height is going to help that - when was the last time you noticed the landmark building from the skyway bridge? The stuff is just set too far back and the smokestacks are just TOO prominent - I don't think that is EVER going to change unless they literally demolish every single factory along the water.

And even then itd be more of a "oh look at that cluster of buildings behind the giant pollution belching industry"

And yes I admitted the fact that density should be concentrated in the center of the city - so king and james IF it is going to be built - I concede that - but I honestly don't want a 100 story building that takes up an entire block and just feels monstrous and out of place - we have a lot of old architecture and hamilton has that walkable approachable vibe when you are downtown, esp along the gore park and james st north areas - I don't want to give that up. I also don't want my entire downtown experience to be in shadow - I like the fact there is a lot of sunlight that spills into the downtown.

I AM all up for more medium density though - like that school they renovated with the cyan colored glass on top of it - that was beautiful - I would also love to see more old vs new adaptive reuse like that - what they did along king william to fill in those gaps was beautiful - and it's one of the areas I actually notice and remember because it looks so beautiful - they took like 3 buildings and made it all into ONE building with separate restaurants on the bottom - just beautifully done. just think it's sad the only time we get quality architecture is if it's either adaptive reuse of old buildings or right beside old buildings and thus pressured to maintain its character.

[HamiltonBoyInToronto]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Let's be honest- NO height is going to help that - when was the last time you noticed the landmark building from the skyway bridge? The stuff is just set too far back and the smokestacks are just TOO prominent - I don't think that is EVER going to change unless they literally demolish every single factory along the water.

And even then itd be more of a "oh look at that cluster of buildings behind the giant pollution belching industry"

And yes I admitted the fact that density should be concentrated in the center of the city - so king and james IF it is going to be built - I concede that - but I honestly don't want a 100 story building that takes up an entire block and just feels monstrous and out of place - we have a lot of old architecture and hamilton has that walkable approachable vibe when you are downtown, esp along the gore park and james st north areas - I don't want to give that up. I also don't want my entire downtown experience to be in shadow - I like the fact there is a lot of sunlight that spills into the downtown.

I AM all up for more medium density though - like that school they renovated with the cyan colored glass on top of it - that was beautiful - I would also love to see more old vs new adaptive reuse like that - what they did along king william to fill in those gaps was beautiful - and it's one of the areas I actually notice and remember because it looks so beautiful - they took like 3 buildings and made it all into ONE building with separate restaurants on the bottom - just beautifully done. just think it's sad the only time we get quality architecture is if it's either adaptive reuse of old buildings or right beside old buildings and thus pressured to maintain its character.

lets be honest... i dont think Hamilton will ever have or need a 100 story building... but it would be nice (as the only real urban dense city outside of Toronto) to have the tallest building (outside of Toronto) a 60-70 story building or two or three would be very noticeable from the skyway (even beyond all the smoke stacks)

the fact that they were about to be built off the highway in Stoney Creek just cranks my nuts !!

put them in the center of the city and bring all those people to the core where they belong - and then sit back and watch the core prosper

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by HamiltonBoyInToronto

lets be honest... i dont think Hamilton will ever have or need a 100 story building... but it would be nice (as the only real urban dense city outside of Toronto) to have the tallest building (outside of Toronto) a 60-70 story building or two or three would be very noticeable from the skyway (even beyond all the smoke stacks)

the fact that they were about to be built off the highway in Stoney Creek just cranks my nuts !!

put them in the center of the city and bring all those people to the core where they belong - and then sit back and watch the core prosper

Oh come now - doesn't anyone remember stinsons proposal for the royal connaught?

Yeah my mom put up a stink about the stoney creek one, as she lives on the first floor of the bayliner lol.. the building right in front of where it was gonna be built..

also I feel like "bring the people and they will come and make everything prosper" thing may be a bit... premature. You need things for them to do - Adding more with 3/4s of gore park STILL vacant or barricaded up is not a good look, esp when nothing that would be put in there would give affordable wages to live in the very buildings the people live in. I think we need to fix that issue first.

You need to be able to live here and work here. Living in the core is the most expensive living and yet there are no jobs in the core (aside maaybe a bank or lawyers of govt office) that can pay the wages you'd need.

That and aside from strips of breweries and restaurants, there still isn't a ton to do in the core, and there are still the druggies, which will ONLY get worse as there are more people downtown to beg towards. So we have our work cut out for us. We all know how the downtown used to look with the whole thing choked full of people going every which way - but there were department stores fur shops, china shops cigar shops jewelery shops. People worked downtown AND lived downtown, often above the very places they worked. Now we have methadone clinics, cash marts empty buildings STILL looking for tenants and starbucks. We need a more vibrant downtown like we once had with things worth going to. Gore park needs a substantial transformation in purpose for all these people we are cramming into the core - it's ridiculous we don't even have a functioning core.

All this focus on audience, and none on content. I really hope once we have a bunch of these built the city will then focus on what we can fill the surrounding areas with for these people to be entertained by, because as it stands, there isn't much of anything downtown to do I can't do anywhere else.

Also while we're at it - let's bring gore park back up to its original status as a victorian park.. not.. whatever they've tried to turn it into now..



At least.. they are TRYING to fix up the buildings around gore park.. well except for the ones where chesters used to be,.. they seem content to just let that rot until it collapses.. so sad..

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Let's be honest- NO height is going to help that - when was the last time you noticed the landmark building from the skyway bridge? The stuff is just set too far back and the smokestacks are just TOO prominent - I don't think that is EVER going to change unless they literally demolish every single factory along the water.

Since the demolition of many of the old Stelco buildings the downtown is a lot more visible from the Skyway, and even along the flat portion of the QEW just south of the bridge. I have to admit to taking my eyes off the highway much too often lately. It helps that the air has become clearer more days as well.

AM Dofasco still blocks the view once you get farther into the city, and then the stuff near the QEW along Eastport Drive, but Dofasco's plants could change too as they shift away from using coke to make steel.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Since the demolition of many of the old Stelco buildings the downtown is a lot more visible from the Skyway, and even along the flat portion of the QEW just south of the bridge. I have to admit to taking my eyes off the highway much too often lately. It helps that the air has become clearer more days as well.

AM Dofasco still blocks the view once you get farther into the city, and then the stuff near the QEW along Eastport Drive, but Dofasco's plants could change too as they shift away from using coke to make steel.

Lol I snorted when you said coke..

sorry.. bad double joke

[Hawrylyshyn]

FYI the City DRP page should be updated by the end of next week with the documents/info from the November and December 2023 meetings, so we could potentially see some new proposals (or more info on older proposals).

[PaperSun]

City of Hamilton has put out a parking standards survey for the anticipated reduction to parking standards, I have filled out the survey and passing it along to this group:


https://engage.hamilton.ca/parking-standards-review

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by PaperSun

City of Hamilton has put out a parking standards survey for the anticipated reduction to parking standards, I have filled out the survey and passing it along to this group:


https://engage.hamilton.ca/parking-standards-review

Thank you!

[Hawrylyshyn]

LOL

'Unsafe' home build in North End spurs road closure, evacuation
"Ferrie Street East structure deemed 'at risk of failure' by city building inspector"...
- Hamilton Spectator

[Berklon]

It looks like they're building a home version of those big-ass snow vehicles in The Empire Strikes Back. Was this a DIY or are there contractors/builders out there who are THAT bad?

[ihateittoo]

This is wild... the windows haha...

[HamiltonBoyInToronto]

Originally Posted by ihateittoo

This is wild... the windows haha...

Looks like Tesla's new truck! lol

[ScreamingViking]

This is horrible.

Sounds like it's about someone who wanted the flip the property but put up the cheapest "new build" they could. So we all suffer because someone thought they could make a few bucks if all the failures worked in their favour. The design itself is one thing, but the execution is the issue.

[ohhimark]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

This is horrible.

Sounds like it's about someone who wanted the flip the property but put up the cheapest "new build" they could. So we all suffer because someone thought they could make a few bucks if all the failures worked in their favour. The design itself is one thing, but the execution is the issue.

The design is certainly horrible, but why did they build it from the top down? It looks like they took all the structure from the bottom and piled it on type Jenga style. I feel for the neighbors.

[ihateittoo]

for scale:

[TheRitsman]

I've written a draft letter to email to staff at reszoning@hamilton.ca before Jan 26, 2024 related to the zoning bylaws changes that are forthcoming: https://engage.hamilton.ca/reimagining-neighbourhoods with the thoughts of myself and many others in the urbanist community. My understanding is that high-rise zoning will be reviewed later. Please take a look at my letter and consider emailing it to the above email and CCing your councillor. Feel free to edit, add or remove what you please: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...t?usp=drivesdk

For my thoughts: https://twitter.com/ham_bicycleguy/s...Sm3o8pxkA&s=19

Other advocates thoughts:

https://twitter.com/antonlodder/stat...YDuZ-R76A&s=19

https://twitter.com/Brenden86271592/...p6cdNydEA&s=19

[Innsertnamehere]

https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings...umentId=393577

Taco Bell coming to Centre on Barton

[HamiltonBoyInToronto]

Core Urban just announced on Instagram that The Greystone will be home to a new grocery store !!!!
I wish these guys would buy up all of Barton street and just rinse and repeat what they've done on Augusta !!!!