Transition from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy

[raisethehammer]

I have no interest in seeing our steel industry close.
The west harbour is the place where condos, shops and huge redevelopment can happen.
I think Harry Stinson was making this same point in his interview - he said we need a huge, new project that will send out a signal to everyone that Hamilton is here and open for business.
A new downtown tower would sure help in that regard. We've tried 30 years of sprawl and people still think our city sucks, so obviously sprawl doesn't work (we could have just learned from Detroit, Buffalo and L.A instead of wasting 30 years of our city's history and money).

[go_leafs_go02]

but do you think living on the west harbour, and having a picturesque view towards Lake Ontario would instantly be ruined with Stelco and Dofasco in front of it?

If i had a choice. I would be off to Burlington on the lake compared the the harbour where I wouldn't have to see that sore spot in the Hamilton cityscape.

Honestly, maybe I'm not being fair, but I think the removal of the steel mills would greatly benefit Hamilton by replacing with condos, and new urban development that recognizes a great natural resource being Burlington Bay. In the long run, that's what I believe hurts Hamilton's image the most. They are ugly, unsightly, and degrade the visual appeal of Hamilton when you drive down Burlington St.

When I drive down there. I think instantly of being in Detroit or Flint, Michigan, and last time I checked, that's not a positive image for most people.

[flar]

It's understandable that people don't want to see industry, but we'll have to live with it. That industry and the port are indispensable parts of Hamilton's economy. The Chemical Valley in Sarnia is quite the sight too.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by flar

It's understandable that people don't want to see industry, but we'll have to live with it. That industry and the port are indispensable parts of Hamilton's economy. The Chemical Valley in Sarnia is quite the sight too.

very true flar. I know industry is very important to Hamilton right now, but with the changing world, the increasing global influence in the markets, I just have a feeling that the increased competition from other countries in the steel mills will eventually make the industry in Hamilton unprofitable.

I know they are committed right now to staying Hamilton, but overall, the state of the economy, profitability reign supreme.

[the dude]

the west harbour is a fantastic area and has nothing to do with our industrial east end. once it’s developed it’ll be the hottest bit of real estate in the region.

i always find it so perplexing that people actually want to see manufacturers close their doors. bring industry to an end and everything will be perfect…except for the masses of unemployed roaming the streets. you know, i’ve never been to a canadian city that didn’t have heavy industry. is toronto not an industrial city? of course it is. ever been to montreal? ever approached the city from the east or the west for that matter? it’s ugly but that doesn’t stop people from loving the city. we need to get over our aesthetic issues with heavy industry. we should be so lucky to have it remain a part of our lives.

as far as dofasco is concerned, it already provides specialized products and services that other steel companies do not. if they don’t survive then i don’t know who will. the pressures they’ll face will be related to the cost of fuel. if it can’t be done cheaply then it won’t happen at all. US steel hamilton currently employs approximately 1,500 people. i think their doors will close sooner rather than later. i really don’t think we’ll ever see those lands cleaned and cleared, though. far too costly.

[chris k]

I actually think its harder to see the industry from west harbour (bayfront park/pier 4) then from burlington (cemetary area) as you look forward and see the greenspace instead of from burlington looking across the harbour and seeing the industry.

Unless of course its a smog day and you cant see anything

The West harbour i think is like a little cove of beaty attached to the larger harbour of hamilton where the industry lies. When I walk along the path, to me it feels like the industry is so far away.

[go_leafs_go02]

yeah, i should clarify that, I'm saying burlington, like downtown burlington, the other side of the skyway. I kinda always think of Burlington as being east of the QEW, and Aldershot being west of that.

I looked at it on the maps, and yes, it looks gorgeous when you face the west, which is bayfront park. I've taken the train from niagara along there, and the pockets of natural beauty is quite impressive, along the shoreline to Rock Gardens.

[raisethehammer]

if people think Hamilton is in financial straits now, close Dofasco and Stelco and watch out.
The tax money alone would be an incredible loss, and an amount that could never be recouped from residential condos or homes.
Not to mention all of the associated industry in the city that works with the big mills...nobody would be building or buying any condos if they were all to close their doors. We'd be dirt poor.
Vancouver, San Fran, Montreal, Halifax, Boston....all the great port cities of the world have industry and shipping right next to condos, culture and great neighbourhoods. That's my vision for Hamilton. A proper port town.
Looking out over the harbour from the few towers that already exist on John North is spectacular. I've been up in the top of the Harbour Commissioners building too and it's insane. Every Hamiltonian should go up and check out the view.
People would plunk down a TON of money to live there near a year-round waterfront.

[SteelTown]

I think within our lifetime we'll see Stelco close. The dirty black smokestack mostly seem like they come from Stelco and I believe Stelco owns majority of the land by the waterfront, one reason why they are losing money. With Dofasco everything covered in green.

Could you imagine the cost of the brownfield clean up for Stelco? Probably a billion. Obviously the province would have to help Hamilton out with the brownfield funding.

Don't forget with the Randal Reef funding and construction starting soon it'll help to block the steel mill image away from the Skyway by placing a shipping yard and a park in front of it.

[chris k]

Again reffering to Vancouver, i think that we should model the waterfront after a Gastown kind of look. Instead of hiding our industrial past, why not embrace it like they do? I beleive they did a fantastic job of restoring the area. I don't think it would be difficult to do that around here.

To see more about gastown go to their website-http://www.gastown.org/

Its also nicely connected with downtown by multiple modes of transportation, always a plus.

[raisethehammer]

I agree completely.
Gastown. Boston's North End. Old Montreal. Meatpacking District in NYC. These are the types of areas we should model our westharbour redevelopment after.
Not Toronto's goofy wall of glass.

[go_leafs_go02]

wow. I've never been to Vancouver, but I like the concept of Gas town..looks to be a much much smaller area than say where the steel mills are, and also, basically smack dab downtown as well.

for the aforementioned Randal Reef project. Any details on what that will involve?

[SteelTown]

There's a separate thread for the Randle Reef, $90 million.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=140844


^ That's the concept

[chris k]

Gastown is not a large area but i think we could incorporate that style into the eastern border to the steel mills and give it more character. The steel mills are not even talking of closing yet, we should just incorporate this transition into our current plan to better tie the area and as i previously said, embrace our past.

[SteelTown]

The future's in Hamilton
Innovation minister says research is transforming city

January 16, 2008
Wade Hemsworth
The Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton's research and technology are transforming the city and have already become international marketing tools for the province, says Ontario's minister responsible for innovation.

John Wilkinson spent Monday and yesterday in Hamilton as part of a provincial innovation tour to acquaint himself with his new portfolio.

Between visits to McMaster University and Mohawk College yesterday, Wilkinson said the city's post-secondary institutions are driving Hamilton's economic recovery and its future.

"What you see here is McMaster and Mohawk seeing their appropriate role of being the generators of wealth in the new Hamilton and regional economy," he said. "They're not ivory towers anymore. They're embedded in our community and they understand their role and my job is to encourage that."

Seated in front of poster-sized renderings of McMaster's plans for its Innovation Park, Wilkinson emphasized that in many ways, the future is already here.

While construction proceeds on the $90-million David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute behind Hamilton General Hospital, the minister said, Dr. Salim Yusuf is bringing accolades to Hamilton through his groundbreaking research with the Population Health Research Institute that will find its new home in the tower.

Across town, he said, McMaster scientists and engineers are pushing other frontiers.

During his university tour, Wilkinson was particularly impressed by medical and scientific research at the nuclear reactor, advanced research in auto manufacturing, and the university's new ultra-high resolution electron microscope. "It's the finest one in the world and it will be years before anybody can catch up with Mac," he said.

Wilkinson said research and innovation can do for Hamilton what Shakespeare did for Wilkinson's hometown of Stratford, Ont. That community reinvented itself, and its theatres now bring some 600,000 visitors every year, he said.

"My message to the people in this region is that you have some tremendous things going on here, and that is going to transform your economy."

Part of Wilkinson's job is to attract talent and investment to Ontario, and he said he uses examples such as McMaster's medical school to sell the province abroad. "One of the finest medical schools in the country and in North America is right here at McMaster," he said.

"It really doesn't matter whether the minister of research and innovation says that. What counts is whether or not it's true ... It is a fact and therefore it's important that I communicate it."

[SteelTown]

Hamilton home prices soar 77% since 1997

HAMILTON (AM00 CHML) - Hamilton home prices didn't quite keep up with the national average over the past decade, but according to ReMax, they still jumped a whopping 77 percent.

It says home prices in the city went from an average of 151-thousand dollars in 1997 to almost 269-thousand last year.

ReMax researchers say job growth in the rapidly expanding education and healthcare sectors in Hamilton has offset the impact of losses in the steel industry.

It's report says the city's blue-collar status is slowly changing as the workforce shifts to more white-collar professionals.

And it's suggesting the city is facing economic prosperity with billions of dollars earmarked for capital expenditures.

By the way, the national average for home prices jumped 99 percent over the past decade.

[rapid_business]

/\ Edmonton was 203%...not to compare, just to let you know

EDIT: And about 150% of that was from 2004-2007

[realcity]

real estate didn't keep pace with the rest of country..... ie Hamilton is lagging behind. This is not something to woohoo about Remax.

I've always said there's a reason why Hamilton homes are cheap, relatively speaking.... you get what you pay for.

[SteelTown]

If you think Hamilton is lagging behind then I suggest you look at the rest of Ontario, Toronto is at 78%, London at 54%, KW 78%, Kingston 79% and Ottawa did the best at 92%.

[raisethehammer]

a piece in today's Spec discussed the fact that Mercedes left Upper James and BMW is not happy there.
A couple of points:

1. folks in debt up to their eyeballs trying to afford McMansions aren't buying overpriced cars.
2. people in Hamilton who consider themselves to be in the 'luxury' retail market always seem to go over to the GTA for their purchases, even if they can find them here. I know this has been the case with mens clothing and now with expensive cars.
We have to be the most self-depreciating, insecure city in the country. Somehow these bozos with money feel more 'important' if they can say they bought their Benz in Oakville instead of Hamilton.
Pretty sad when car dealerships are leaving upper James...maybe realcity was right - the future slums.....