14-18 Augusta Street | ? | 6 fl | Under Construction - Page 11

King&James · #**201** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 6:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

It's actually vastly improved from what it used to be. So awful the internet seems to be hiding images of it, I can find none after a cursory search.

It's better looking than Chateau Royale, in my opinion... they're still probably the two ugliest buildings downtown though. And of those, there are many!

I remember when that was an medical office building, and agree, was super depressing 50's architecture . Doesn't seem likely that it will get a new skin anytime soon, maybe it will be shamed into being upgraded !

TheHonestMaple · #**202** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

It's actually vastly improved from what it used to be. So awful the internet seems to be hiding images of it, I can find none after a cursory search.

It's better looking than Chateau Royale, in my opinion... they're still probably the two ugliest buildings downtown though. And of those, there are many!

The Chateau Royale honestly looked better before,

Innsertnamehere · #**203** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 7:09 PM**

oh wow, I had no idea that god-awful condo was that handsome office block in a previous life. What a shame.

Edit: another image of those buildings pre-conversion:

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...ug-5-1969.html

TheHonestMaple · #**204** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 7:18 PM**

Here's another picture that includes the ugly bathroom tile building as well.

Funny how little this view has changed.....

thomax · #**205** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 9:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

oh wow, I had no idea that god-awful condo was that handsome office block in a previous life. What a shame.

Fun fact, the original office block was designed by Stanley Roscoe, the architect of Hamilton City Hall. You can really see the similarities to City Hall in TheHonestMaple's photo above, and this one as well...

Hamilton - 1973 by Vintage Hamilton, on Facebook

Full Size:

Innsertnamehere · #**206** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 9:56 PM**

so many great nuggets in that last one! Olympia's pit, a nice mid-century school now demolished for some bland box, Landmark Place topping out, One James South getting built, a house painted bright yellow along Hunter, a brand new Stelco tower and IBM Building, etc.

StEC · #**207** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 11:00 PM**

OMG wow I had no idea Chateau Crapeau replaced a gorgeous office block!? Why oh why did it get torn down for that pile of crap that is there now?

Also that last photo is incredible, what a building boom at that time, looks like our current building boom will exceed it!

ScreamingViking · #**208** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 11:12 PM**

They kept the original structures and made two buildings into one. Totally agree, it's a shame. Those used to be called -- if I'm remembering correctly -- the Maclean Hunter and Undermount buildings.

I believe Roscoe designed 25 Main W. too. That vertical concrete backside seems to have been a signature element of his.

ScreamingViking · #**209** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 11:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Yep, that's it. In all its previous inglorious grandeur.

LikeHamilton · #**210** Posted **Dec 14, 2021, 11:57 PM**

The buildings were basically empty and making no money so they changed them. I do miss the Junction Tavern there. The outdoor patio was between the buildings and far enough away from the street to be quite and nice but close enough to let you know you where downtown when a fire truck or ambulance went by.

ScreamingViking · #**211** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 1:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

The buildings were basically empty and making no money so they changed them. I do miss the Junction Tavern there. The outdoor patio was between the buildings and far enough away from the street to be quite and nice but close enough to let you know you where downtown when a fire truck or ambulance went by.

The 1990s through 2010s were an awful period for office space in Hamilton. Things aren't exactly stellar now (at least pre-pandemic) but they're nowhere near the level of vacancy that was reached during downtown's Dark Age.

So I don't blame the owners for the conversion. Where I do place blame is on the result.

TheHonestMaple · #**212** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 2:23 AM**

As someone who didn't live in Hamilton during this time, would you be able to explain what the 'dark ages' were like. I heard it was bad. But how bad?

catcher_of_cats · #**213** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 3:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

As someone who didn't live in Hamilton during this time, would you be able to explain what the 'dark ages' were like. I heard it was bad. But how bad?

It was bad enough that a couple of generations will FOREVER view the entire lower city as a cesspit that should be bulldozed to the ground and rebuilt into a suburban paradise. Most of these people remember a downtown of vibrancy that was demolished by their parents' generations as the money fled to the suburbs.

ScreamingViking · #**214** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 7:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

As someone who didn't live in Hamilton during this time, would you be able to explain what the 'dark ages' were like. I heard it was bad. But how bad?

Retail closures, restaurant scene hanging by tendrils of melted cheese, payday loan outlets opening in droves, and corporate residents pulling the chute to relocate to suburban office parks in Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, etc.

It was a slow freeze from about the mid-1980s to mid-90s, with more things on the streets dying at first, but once Jackson Square started losing businesses and the Eaton/City Centre became like a mausoleum, things were at their worst. Office vacancy rates were north of 20% at one point, maybe even 25%+

Innsertnamehere · #**215** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 2:01 PM**

The amazing thing is that downtown office vacancy drops have largely been because of smaller local businesses - all the large corporations pulled out of downtown 25 years ago and none of them have yet to really come back. Which I don't really understand, space in the 100 king west for example is relatively affordable and is just awesome office space.

I'm guessing it's because of parking issues for staff who mostly drive from other parts of the 905, but still. I truly believe 30 minute service to Hamilton Centre GO would be able to transform the Downtown Office Market for that reason (though West Harbour is great, it's just a little too far from downtown).

Historic Google streetview is good if you want to explore Hamilton of 2007 or 2009 to sort of see how it was.

I'm a relatively recent Hamilton transplant however my limited visits to the City in the 2000's and early-mid 2010's are burned in my brain in how different the city was to today.

TheHonestMaple · #**216** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 2:45 PM**

I've tried to find images of the downtown in the late 1990s or early 2000s and can't really find anything. Which year would you say was the absolute low point?

Streetview from 2007 doesn't look great, but not that bad either.

Beedok · #**217** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 2:48 PM**

West Harbour getting higher rail traffic is part of why I think some of the land in Bayfront Park would be smart to develop. Shift the parking lot up and bury them/make a parkade to keep the green space roughly the same, taking inspiration from what Ottawa did around Landsdowne, but throw in more office space and maybe a hotel?

Innsertnamehere · #**218** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 3:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I've tried to find images of the downtown in the late 1990s or early 2000s and can't really find anything. Which year would you say was the absolute low point?

Streetview from 2007 doesn't look great, but not that bad either.

I mean most storefronts looked sort of like this in 2007.. Hardly what is seen today.

What can't really be seen in the images is the types of people downtown as well, back then it was basically only very very low income people and people with various mental health and drug abuse issues on the streets. Any higher-income folks beelined from their cars to their offices and back. Which is why the retail downtown was mostly cheque cashing places and very low-margin retailers catering to low-income communities.

TheRitsman · #**219** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 3:13 PM**

Traveling down James St N or King William on street view from 2007 or 2009 is a trip. It's so interesting to see James in such bad shape compared to how it looks today, and especially the coveted King William. The parking lot at James N and Vine being filled is great.

I can't wait for James and Wilson/York to be completely altered too, with City Centre being redeveloped, Tivoli being hopefully sold to a developer that actually cares, and the Central Point plaza being redeveloped likely into a nice mid-rise without a payday loans. That plaza, the Plaza and Cannon and James, and the plaza at James and Colbourne are the development sites I'm most excited about in the entire downtown.

TheHonestMaple · #**220** Posted **Dec 15, 2021, 3:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

Traveling down James St N or King William on street view from 2007 or 2009 is a trip. It's so interesting to see James in such bad shape compared to how it looks today, and especially the coveted King William. The parking lot at James N and Vine being filled is great.

I can't wait for James and Wilson/York to be completely altered too, with City Centre being redeveloped, Tivoli being hopefully sold to a developer that actually cares, and the Central Point plaza being redeveloped likely into a nice mid-rise without a payday loans. That plaza, the Plaza and Cannon and James, and the plaza at James and Colbourne are the development sites I'm most excited about in the entire downtown.

Are there actually development plans for the plazas at James & Cannon, James & Colbourne and James & Wilson?