14-18 Augusta Street | ? | 6 fl | Under Construction

[craftbeerdad]

snapped yesterday

[matt602]

thats crazy progress for just a week.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Yay! Love these guys...and the Medical Arts building.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

Yay! Love these guys...and the Medical Arts building.

Would love to see that building get renovated and cleaned up some day. The interior is gorgeous, makes you feel like you've stepped inside 1930's New York. Similar style to the inside of the Empire State Building.

[lachlanholmes]

Originally Posted by Dr Awesomesauce

Yay! Love these guys...and the Medical Arts building.

They actually recently (last 4 months or so) fixed up the sign on top and got the lights turned on and working again. This picture doesn't do it justice because it was still brightish outside but they're very striking at night.

[craftbeerdad]

That's great news the sign works again. Can't wait to go for a nice warm summer walk and see it lighting up James. I love that building and the entrance on Young is quite exquisite in details.

[davidcappi]

Believe it or not Medical Arts is actually a bright yellow brick - it's just very dirty right now.

[Innsertnamehere]

Ooooh. I would love to see it cleaned then.

I wonder if a company like Allied REIT would ever consider looking at buying properties in Hamilton? They have a few properties in Kitchener, and do nothing but excellent things to heritage properties.

[davidcappi]

I am not sure office rents in Hamilton are high enough to demand the kind of restoration/repositioning work Allied does. From what I can tell even Core Urban has a tough time leasing their spaces. Hardly any of their properties are fully tenanted

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by davidcappi

I am not sure office rents in Hamilton are high enough to demand the kind of restoration/repositioning work Allied does. From what I can tell even Core Urban has a tough time leasing their spaces. Hardly any of their properties are fully tenanted

Hamilton badly needs an anchor company. A full sized office like Google, Rim, IBM, CIBC, or something with thousands of employees for smaller businesses to pull from. The city should really be trying to fill the towers of Jackson Square with companies. They also need to beef up transit to those spots or increase parking nearby. I work in an office building downtown, and walk to work, but many coworkers can't find parking, can't find monthly, and many pay daily at like $200-$250/month.

If you suggest LRT though, they'll talk about how much longer their commute will be. They don't think to take the damn thing downtown. There also should have been a Bay stop included.

Core Urban is obviously making money though, otherwise they wouldn't keep going despite having only partially tenanted buildings. I also heard that Olympia had a tenant pull out that was supposed to locate there.

[davidcappi]

Core Urban is obviously making money though, otherwise they wouldn't keep going despite having only partially tenanted buildings. I also heard that Olympia had a tenant pull out that was supposed to locate there.

Core Urban is technically three people, Steve being the face of the company. They have... other funding sources which allow them to build/acquire property (see the Sauve family and their numerous tim hortons franchises)

[eatboots]

Originally Posted by craftbeerdad

That's great news the sign works again. Can't wait to go for a nice warm summer walk and see it lighting up James. I love that building and the entrance on Young is quite exquisite in details.

At the very least they should make the Pharmasave and Medical Arts Clinic change their signs. They make the building look bad, the Optician can stay though.

[Bubba9000]

The city should really be trying to fill the towers of Jackson Square with companies.

I'm a bit leery of city efforts to lure companies to locate here. It always seems to cost us when they do (Maple Leaf, Canada Bread, and others).

The city can and should make Hamilton a better place to live, especially in and around the downtown. Calm traffic, wider sidewalks, better transit, more trees, public washrooms, end parking minimums, cleaner well serviced more accessible parks and green space, to name a few obvious ones. Street side businesses would survive and thrive where now they cannot. These changes would lead to a better fiscal position for the city, with a side effect of increased livability. At some point large employers are attracted because of talent and vitality. All the city should do is clean up it's own house and get out of the way.

Merely "attracting employers" isn't possible. There needs to be something to attract them to.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by davidcappi

Believe it or not Medical Arts is actually a bright yellow brick - it's just very dirty right now.

Wow! 90 years of grime!

[davidcappi]

Yup so is westdale high - yellow/buff brick just super dirty

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Bubba9000

I'm a bit leery of city efforts to lure companies to locate here. It always seems to cost us when they do (Maple Leaf, Canada Bread, and others).

The city can and should make Hamilton a better place to live, especially in and around the downtown. Calm traffic, wider sidewalks, better transit, more trees, public washrooms, end parking minimums, cleaner well serviced more accessible parks and green space, to name a few obvious ones. Street side businesses would survive and thrive where now they cannot. These changes would lead to a better fiscal position for the city, with a side effect of increased livability. At some point large employers are attracted because of talent and vitality. All the city should do is clean up it's own house and get out of the way.

Merely "attracting employers" isn't possible. There needs to be something to attract them to.

I don't disagree, but it's a bit of a game of chicken and egg. You need employers to attract talented people, but you need talented people to attract employers. I agree with the things you think will improve the downtown and attract employers and people organically.

I think cities can attract employers, but Hamilton is so shite at it.


With regard to the yellow brick that is dirty, I kind of like the dirtier look. I know many prefer perfectly pristine brick, but I've always loved the soot covered red and yellow brick. Gives it texture you can't get artificially.

[onetimetoomany]

Originally Posted by Bubba9000

I'm a bit leery of city efforts to lure companies to locate here. It always seems to cost us when they do (Maple Leaf, Canada Bread, and others).

The city can and should make Hamilton a better place to live, especially in and around the downtown. Calm traffic, wider sidewalks, better transit, more trees, public washrooms, end parking minimums, cleaner well serviced more accessible parks and green space, to name a few obvious ones. Street side businesses would survive and thrive where now they cannot. These changes would lead to a better fiscal position for the city, with a side effect of increased livability. At some point large employers are attracted because of talent and vitality. All the city should do is clean up it's own house and get out of the way.

Merely "attracting employers" isn't possible. There needs to be something to attract them to.

Well put and I completely agree. The city should focus on revitalizing the core and once the demographic is grown and shifts slightly businesses will follow.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by onetimetoomany

Well put and I completely agree. The city should focus on revitalizing the core and once the demographic is grown and shifts slightly businesses will follow.

I agree, it's not the city's responsibility to attract businesses directly. The best thing the city can do is improve the look and feel of the city, approve developments, and the rest will follow.

[TheRitsman]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNSPA6un...d=ri0440mzy4vi

[TheHonestMaple]

Nice!