98 James St S | 112.5 m | 34 fl | Planning

[lucasmascotto]

City approves Connolly tower - with parking for only half the units
By: Samantha Craggs
(CBC Hamilton: Tuesday, January 13, 2015)

Is Hamilton ready for a condo project where fewer than half of the residents have parking spots?

The builders behind the proposed 30-storey condo tower at the former James Baptist Church are banking on yes.

The Connolly project was approved for a maximum of 259 condo units, two floors of commercial space and an underground 122-space lot that uses a car stacker. The city's planning committee unanimously approved a zoning change to allow it on Tuesday. But whether that's enough parking was a key point of debate.

"What we have here is a different change in mindset," said Luis Correia, director of development and planning with Stanton Renaissance after the decision. But he feels like Hamilton is ready for it.

Transportation planner Stewart Elkman, working for Stanton Renaissance, told the committee that 98 James St. S has a walkability score of 98 per cent, and is close enough to transit and amenities that people won't need a car.

Not everyone was so sure. Yonntan Rozenszajn, a director with the Durand Neighbourhood Association, said the project is "a good in-fill opportunity. It’s a good way to intensify downtown."

But Hamilton is still car dependent, he said, and you can't compare it to Toronto or Manhattan.

"It’s contrary to the current experience we have with other developments downtown, namely New Horizon and City Square," he said.

"We can reduce it somehow and that’s fine," he said. "But I believe 50 per cent is a little too ambitious. We cannot simply ignore the economic reality that people will bring their cars and they’ll want to park them downtown."

"Frankly, we don’t have experience in Hamilton with such a dramatic reduction in parking."

The Connolly uses part of James Street Baptist Church, a former historic church. Stanton Renaissance demolished two-thirds of the church last year to some controversy, saying it was structurally unsound.

The church facade remains on James South, with the back portion demolished.

There isn't much available parking on the streets around the development — with permits or otherwise, Coun. Jason Farr said. And nearby parking lots have "waiting lists galore."

"There really are no options anywhere around," Farr said. "The whole circumference, the whole diameter within 400 to 500 metres, there are no other options. That about sums it up."

City planner Edward John said Connolly residents may only use their cars on weekends, so they won't mind parking 500 metres away.

Council will vote to ratify the decision next Wednesday. Tuesday’s decision approves a special exception to the area's zoning to allow the 30-storey tower.

Stanton Renaissance hopes to launch its public sales in the next two months, Correia said. It hopes to sell 75 per cent of its condos before it starts construction. The company hopes to have shovels in the ground in the fall.

[thistleclub]

Stacked parking coming to Hamilton?
(Hamilton Spectator, Meredith MacLeod, Feb 9 2015)


It may not be a sky garage where cars are whisked up high-tech freight elevators to be parked inside luxury condos, but for Hamilton it will still be a first: A stacked parking system that will file cars into slots underneath a condo development approved to go ahead on James Street South.

The Connolly, a 30-storey, 259-unit tower that will be attached to what remains of the former James Street Baptist church, doesn't have enough room to accommodate 122 vehicles underground in a traditional parking garage. So the developer is proposing a parking system becoming more common in Toronto and a fixture in many other cities.

The system being strongly considered for The Connolly stacks cars in three layers, requiring just over a storey of height. The plans call for four levels of stacks for a total of 122 parking spaces.

The planned system would be semi-automated, meaning an operator would both drive cars into and out of the stackers.

Stacked parking is ideal for the constraints of the property, said developer Louie Santaguida. He said the tight footprint is further shrunk by the retention of the heritage-protected façade and tower of the former church.

"We can't go under the foundation of the retained portion. With the shoring and the underpinning that would be necessary, we can't build parking underneath it."

The Connolly is taking the rare step — in Hamilton at least — of selling its units separately from parking spots. That's common in Toronto, where buying a parking spot can cost as much as $50,000. No prices have been set yet for the Hamilton project.

Santaguida says his development will encourage sustainable transportation options, including providing subsidized transit passes to residents, secure bike storage and car-share services.

Read it in full here.

[ScreamingViking]

That is really cool, and really practical.

[LikeHamilton]

from The Globe and Mail

On Site: The Connolly builds a new history for downtown Hamilton

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...ticle23225802/

[thmx]

Source

[realcity]

Why are the anti high-rise lefties hoping this will fail? A proposed condo in Mimico is cancelled and CBC fans are hoping this will happen to the Connolly.

[Jon Dalton]

I don't know who wants this to fail. If it does, it will be a fight to prevent the rest of the church being torn down. They never should have been granted the permit to demolish 80% of the church.

[woreg75]

I feel this church was doomed anyway, and I am remaining optimistic for Stanton Renaissance to carry out their plans, and pretty sure that there is an interest in this town even if it fills up with people not from this city.. I am embarrassed that there are people in Hamilton that would stick a simple note to the Tivoli sign telling people from Toronto to go home.. How bloody silly!
I moved here from Toronto 8 years ago, and I openly welcome any positive change for this city.. My story is a bit differnt however, as I was born and raised here. After leaving Cathedral Boys I ran away from this city like many others to go to school in Toronto, but really I was running away from the same mentality that was on the simple note stuck to a sign at a future development on James north this past week..

If not now, Hamilton is going to grow at some point.

I think many in this city should want the best for their community, but stop being affraid of change.. I know we are all used to Hamilton being stuck in the 70's with a vast sea of asphalt around the core. However something different is happening as of late.
Amazingly there is an interest in this city from within and some outside developers who see the potential that this city has to offer even if its cynical residents don't believe this true.
I read in another forum or a tweet that has been placed in my memory regarding James street north, that it cannot handle the Tivoli development as the sewers were only meant for what is there now..
I chuckled when I read that.. This lady needs to get google earth and look at that area with a birds eye view and see that all those parking lots once had many buildings sitting on those at one time.. Im sure the city infrastructure was able to handle all those toilets before, and those roads that service many parking lots had much more traffic at one time.
The days of Victor Copps are gone, and we live in this mess today that actually has a chance to change and bring some pride to this city. We deserve so much more then what we have now, and if others see this and are flowing in with their money, then lets embrace this change.

I feel very optimistic with The Connolly, and again that church needed much repair, enough so it's own congregation was jumping ship. Mixing old and new is a nice concept and I welcome them and their plans. I hope many more towers go up and fill every last parking lot in the downtown core with no retrictions of hight and people; properly and healthily placed of course.

Hamilton could have it all if only we could just get over accepting the status quo..

[bigguy1231]

I don't think the general feeling in this city is anti development. It's just a small group who seem to be punching above their weight and getting media coverage. If you ask the average Hamiltonian whether or not they want to see development in the downtown they would answer yes enthusiastically. Hamiltonians want the downtown to prosper and grow.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by realcity

Why are the anti high-rise lefties hoping this will fail? A proposed condo in Mimico is cancelled and CBC fans are hoping this will happen to the Connolly.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with realcity, his whole modus operandi is to stir up sh*t. These aspersions cast on the CBC and 'Lefties' are merely taste of what's to come.

Enjoy!

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by realcity

A proposed condo in Mimico is cancelled and CBC fans are hoping this will happen to the Connolly.

What's cancelled?

[realcity]

A 20-ish storey condo was to be built over the Mimico station, the project was cancelled due to an uncooperative GO, this apparently is the same developer of the Connolly. CBC lined up the dots and published a piece that this could happen to the Connolly. The CBC stirred up the shit, I didn't.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by realcity

A 20-ish storey condo was to be built over the Mimico station, the project was cancelled due to an uncooperative GO, this apparently is the same developer of the Connolly. CBC lined up the dots and published a piece that this could happen to the Connolly. The CBC stirred up the shit, I didn't.

Where is the news it has been cancelled? Are you talking about Stanton Renaissance's On the Go Mimico building just to the north of the train station? If so, this CBC story from April 10 outlines some of the issues and how Metrolinx terminated its agreement to work with the developer, but says nothing about the project itself being cancelled. I go by this site every day on the train and it has looked like they're still working on the foundation.

[matt602]

Yeah its definitely not canceled. Metrolinx walked away from it and CBC dug up some dirt on various companies that Santaguida has owned/does own. That's about it, really.

[realcity]

Yes that's the project... Mimico on the GO. OK good to hear it's still on.

It was a tweet that spun it into a potential Connolly mess up.

"This doesn't bode particularly well for @TheConnolly_ at James Baptist http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toront...bles-1.3026915 … #HamOnt"

[realcity]

I hope there is a crane up at Connolly and Tivoli for the PanAm Games.... good advertising.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by matt602

Yeah its definitely not canceled.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

From what I've heard, all this is old news. Again, from what I've heard, the companies that defaulted were owed monies by U.S. firms that were wiped out by the 2009 "crash" and that they have nothing to do with him personally, nor with his condo developments.

All hearsay.

Also, AFAIK, the MIMICO condo is about 80% sold out, has received construction financing (which is not easy) and is currently under construction.

I'm sure we'll all keep an eye on its progress.

[CaptainKirk]

From Twitter

 Stanton Renaissance retweeted

MyDirectMortgage.com @direct_mortgage · 5h 5 hours ago

#Metrolinx was never a partner on this project, as lenders we would know. @Stanton_Ren @CBCToronto #settherecordstraight #onthegomimico

Stanton Renaissance @Stanton_Ren · 5h 5 hours ago

CBC got it wrong. @onthegomimico WILL have direct access to #MimicoGO with a common walkway from the adjacent property #settherecordstraight

MyDirectMortgage.com ‏@direct_mortgage · 5h5 hours ago
@CBCToronto Very misleading, very confusing, full of false information. @OnTheGoMimico @Stanton_Ren

And....

Stanton Renaissance responds to recent coverage by the CBC – April 11th, 2015


We have received some questions related to the recent CBC article and broadcast and wish to set the record straight regarding our project development. We would like to reassure our owners, potential owners and stakeholders that the On The GO Mimico project is in excellent financial condition, with 75% of the units sold to date. We are also proud to report that construction, of the On The Go Mimico condominium project is on track to meet construction deadlines.

Stanton Renaissance will continue to be committed to developing projects that revive and enhance local neighborhoods and communities. On The Go Mimico is the first high-rise condominium in Ontario to use an integrated GeoExchange and Cogeneration system. This system provides economical and environmentally responsible “hybrid” heating, cooling and hydro generation. This leading edge condominium is also the first to receive the “Holmes Approved Condo” certification. As a community conscious company, we also conserved and preserved as well as refurbished the historical train station and once the On The Go Mimico project is completed, we plan to donate the station back to the community for public use.

We take exception to many inaccuracies in the CBC report and wish to provide the following clarification and corrections:

1. Metrolinx was never a development partner. Metrolinx succeeded GO Transit in this project as a potential user for shared parking between the sites. GO Transit (then subsequently Metrolinx) was party to a conditional, non-binding memorandum of understanding. Metrolinx elected to pursue its own development strategy as to parking and expansion of Mimico, which was publicly announced by the Province of Ontario in October 2012. At that time, the On The Go Mimico development was granted permission to become larger in accordance with the OMB ruling.

2. On The Go Mimico will have direct access to the GO Train station from the condominium development as the properties are immediately adjacent. On The Go Mimico will build a sidewalk, as will Metrolinx, which will meet at our property lines to allow for transit users to access our retail space and the Go Train. Parking and density have never been an issue from a planning perspective.

We are happy to discuss our projects, plans and progress and always strive to be open and transparent with the news media. As we have a proven track record of communication with CBC, we expected clear, well-researched facts and are disappointed in how our national broadcaster compiled and presented this story.

We do appreciate that their Reporters gave us the opportunity to contribute to the story (which we did), and that they included images of the On The Go Mimico site actively under development. We appreciate that CBC reinforced the message that this project is under construction and moving forward as planned.

Should you have any questions about this project, please contact us directly.

Regards,

Louie Santaguida
Stanton Renaissance

http://www.stantonrenaissance.com/st...-coverage-cbc/

[King&James]

Announced 60% sold - that should be enough to get started...

http://www.theconnolly.ca/labour-day-exclusive/

[CaptainKirk]

I thought 70% was the threshold to cross to start building.

Not sure though.