Quote:
Originally Posted by StEC
Even Barton looks less sketchy than this terrible stretch of Hamilton. Honestly level most of this strip and rebuild from scratch (including replacement low income housing within the mix).
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So many properties along King through the central part of town have been levelled, and not just recently as Metrolinx has acquired and demolished buildings on a number of them to make space for the new transit line.
King between the Delta and Wellington is such an odd mix. Some retail (including small plazas), parking lots, homes, apartments, empty wastes awaiting LRT-related new development... it's a street that doesn't have much of an urban identity aside from being damaged but full of potential. I can remember when long parts of it were more of a "high street" (at least by Hamilton's definition of one) but that was decades ago. Right now it's one of the city's most
incomplete streets.
If there was a market for varied retail, we'd see it. There isn't one.
LRT will hopefully help change all that. It will mean more people living near King with more spending power, but the likely displacement of many who currently do but won't be able to afford to stay. There was lots of talk about ensuring there is "affordable housing" as King redevelops, but I really don't have faith there will be much action on that.