Corktown Plaza Redevelopment | 91m | 27 & 14 fl | Cancelled

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by LRTfan

one of the great things about living in Hamilton as design/development junkies is the plethora of gold being pumped out constantly in Toronto these days. It's awesome to visit regularly and see the amazing new architecture and design standards. Being a realist, I have no expectation that Hamilton will shake off the small-town 1970's mindset in my lifetime, so TO gives me my big city fix.

However, for a Hamilton connection to the latest, greatest announcement in TO, this new tower proposal on Yonge involves the firm behind the Corktown Plaza redevelopment here.

https://twitter.com/mikejcw/status/1015357517529075712


Nice to see some seriously legit builders/developers like these folks and Lamb Dev poking around in Hamilton.

That new TO proposal....WOW

sigh.. I wish people would build more buildings here that weren't square.. it's nice to see innovative design..

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

sigh.. I wish people would build more buildings here that weren't square.. it's nice to see innovative design..

Harry's tried to propose some. Is that worth anything?

I agree though. Even the ones we have are not very spectacular... the Olympia, the Commerce Place towers. Currently, Vranich seems to be our only hope, depending how his new one on George St. turns out.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Harry's tried to propose some. Is that worth anything?

I agree though. Even the ones we have are not very spectacular... the Olympia, the Commerce Place towers. Currently, Vranich seems to be our only hope, depending how his new one on George St. turns out.

It's worth about as much as his reputation lol..

It just seems like a lot of these proposals aren't very.. inventive..

[StEC]

I live in The Olympia... I can not wait for this proposal to get built! Corktown is generally a great and safe area but that plaza hosts quite a bit of riff raff especially late at night and we're pretty under-serviced by retail in this area so I'm really hoping that podium will house a decent grocery store even if it's a mini or express version of a supermarket and some other great retail and restaurants.

EDIT: Also with the massive Metro City Condo project on the corner of John & Charlton my little sleepy corner of the city is about to get very busy & exciting!

[lachlanholmes]

Get your emails ready and brace yourself for the NIMBYs...

[lachlanholmes]

DRP says too tall and too dense...

[Hawrylyshyn]

Pathetic.

[lachlanholmes]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Pathetic.

I agree.

I'm currently writing up a statement in response to this. We are in an extreme housing shortage and a developer comes along with the most well-rounded and professional project we've seen in years and the city still finds major issues.

Unacceptable and disheartening.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Is this project even going above the escarpment?

Regardless of the fact that it’s a dumb rule/regulation..

[lachlanholmes]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Is this project even going above the escarpment?

Regardless of the fact that it’s a dumb rule/regulation..

One tower is 1 storey above the escarpment and the other is 4 storeys above the escarpment.

Also, in closer reading of the DRP report, they suggest a 3.5-5.0 FSI (floor space area) which would effectively allow either a 5 storey midrise covering the entire site, or one 34 storey tower on just 1/7th of the site.

[LRTfan]

the DRP says everything is too tall and too dense. Who cares.

There's NO such thing as 'too dense' in the heart of an urban downtown. 100 stories wouldn't be too dense. It's a city.

[thmx]

Info: gspgroup.ca/active-projects/corktown-plaza


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[LRTfan]

So good....it's a shame our city is run by folks more suited to Tillsonburg... this is an awesome project. Every city in the country would absolutely welcome and love this project in their downtown. But stagnant old Hamilton is stagnant for a reason

[NortheastWind]

The report summary reads as follows "the panel commends the design team on a comprehensive submission package, it is clear that a lot of thought and effort went into the proposal. As the development will be precedent setting, it is important that it adequately transitions to its surroundings and fits into the fabric of the existing community. The panel notes that opening up the development with more intentional mid-block connections, expanding and programming the public spaces at the ground level, enhancing the streetscape, and refining the building mass to align with the City of Hamilton’s Tall Building Guidelines will help to reduce the shadow impacts and create a more livable and vibrant community"

[drpgq]

There's already some pretty large apartment building on Forest nearby. This is way better use of space than the existing craptastic strip mall. Plus it is really close to the GO station. And the tax revenue from it will be great versus the services it will consume.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by drpgq

There's already some pretty large apartment building on Forest nearby. This is way better use of space than the existing craptastic strip mall. Plus it is really close to the GO station. And the tax revenue from it will be great versus the services it will consume.

This development would likely generate $1 million+ tax revenue per year. How a city as cash starved as Hamilton would turn this down, I have no idea. My hope is that this development gets quickly shortened by 3 storeys each, then approved. It can't happen soon enough. With this massive joke of an LRT debate going on this election, business and residents are going to feel a bit more unsure about locating in Hamilton.

[hamilton23]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

This development would likely generate $1 million+ tax revenue per year. How a city as cash starved as Hamilton would turn this down, I have no idea. My hope is that this development gets quickly shortened by 3 storeys each, then approved. It can't happen soon enough. With this massive joke of an LRT debate going on this election, business and residents are going to feel a bit more unsure about locating in Hamilton.

Every city has a set of rules when it comes to building. You can either submit a proposal outside of said rules, get rejected and replan and re-submit a proposal, or you can just follow the rules the city has in place, to begin with, and your project would very likely get approved.

They can still keep the same aesthetic of the renderings at a lower height.

[LRTfan]

Originally Posted by hamilton23

Every city has a set of rules when it comes to building. You can either submit a proposal outside of said rules, get rejected and replan and re-submit a proposal, or you can just follow the rules the city has in place, to begin with, and your project would very likely get approved.

They can still keep the same aesthetic of the renderings at a lower height.

Hamilton just threw a huge new 'rule' at developers out of thin air just to appease the NIMBYs in Durand. I fully support cities having rules to demand great design, and I fully support developers pushing back on NIMBY rules with zero basis or need.

[lachlanholmes]

Originally Posted by LRTfan

Hamilton just threw a huge new 'rule' at developers out of thin air just to appease the NIMBYs in Durand. I fully support cities having rules to demand great design, and I fully support developers pushing back on NIMBY rules with zero basis or need.

If the DRP existed to promote good design they'd have said the mechanical penthouse should be raised/reworked to cover the elevator mechanical box. They're no more than an extra NIMBY step in the planning process right now.

[drpgq]

I notice the pizza place has closed down. I wonder if this is the start of businesses closing down in the plaza or just a one off unsuccessful business.