2008 Wish List!

[SteelTown]

It's that time of the year boys and girls......it's time for......2008 WISH LIST! YAY!

So okay basically the rule is you have to make 10 wishes that you would like to see happen in 2008 for the City of Hamilton, that includes the suburbs too! You don't have to make 10 wishes. This time next year I'll go over all of your wishes, like a true fairy that I am (hahaha) and see if your wishes were granted or not. So go ahead think about your wishes and most importantly have fun!

[SteelTown]

Let's review the 2007 wish list. It's been a brutal year for wishes to come true. Hopefully 2008 will be a better year for our wishes to come true!

Originally Posted by HammerTown

1.Lister Block Deal is signs and construction begins X
2.We see the Condo/Hotel Development begin at Bay and Main
3.We continue to see Flights added at YHM maybe some flights to the U.S. X
4.See the City continue to look at and invest in the waterfalls in Hamilton. (something Im suprised nobody on here ever talks about) X
5.See more condo developments hopefully something very modern looking
6.Some exciting developments down by the waterfront X
7.Mac Innovation park construction start
8.Maybe some development on the mountain that goes up instead of out.

4 out of 8 wishes came true.....not bad! Though wish #5 is iffy depends on what you think is modern looking.

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

1. Victoria Hall/Foster-McKay buildings revitalized with street level retail - upper lofts
2. Lister revitalized - no demolition. Again, streetfront uses. X
3. Connaught project nearing completion with announcements and work beginning on the first of 2 condo towers beside it. X
4. buses and cars moved off the Gore so we can develop a vibrant, pedestrian piazza in the Gore. X
5. new 5 storey city-housing building built.
6. more patios/eateries and neat shops lease available space in old Woolworths building and Zig Zag Zebra building. X
7. convince Treble Hall owners to revitalize into mixed use building. X
8. see strip club revitalized into a mixed use project. X
9. convince Yale and the city to move quickly on revitalizing King West and Jackson Sq - new streetscaping by both parties and a strong effort to attract top anchor tenants to Jackson Sq. X
10. see redevelopment of the old Spectator billboard into a welcoming, modern street media board. Instead of an old sign of decay, it will be a sign of downtown turning the corner. X

2 out of 10 wishes came true....ouch!

Originally Posted by DC83

1. Lister Block constsruction begins, Phase 2 details annouced. X
2. Downtown BIA decides to keep (Gore Park) King Street pedestrian-only; closed to vehicles. X
3."Big-Name" retail annouces return to downtown; City Centre creates Street-Front Retail along James in-lieu of Lister Development. X
4. New Mix-Use Grocery Store annouced for core (Grocery Store on bottom, condos on top) X
5. VIA Annouces Downtown Station across from Liuna Station. X
6. City jumps on BRT/LRT Bandwagon; and with Liberals back in office come spring, major funding annouced for Hamilton's new BRT/LRT System.
7. HMP/Federal Bldg construction Begins - Hotel becomes one of the 1st architectural masterpieces downtown and X
8. Main/Caroline/George Sts development annouced, plans reveiled - making Hess Village an International Tourist Hotspot (The Kingdom Nightclub announces it's move from Burlington to The NEW Hess (1st dream) X
9. Corktown Neighbourhood takes-off as the next "Must-Live" Neighbourhood in Hamilton. X
10. North-End AND Beach Blvd Waterfront plans annouced including condo towers, retail and plazas. X
11. New Signature Tower announced for Main / Bay lot -- to be tallest in the city (OK OK, this is another dream!) X
12. MORE GREENSPACE DOWNTOWN!!!! X

1.5 out of 12 wishes came true....ouchies!

Originally Posted by Steeltown

1. The abandon building at the corner of King and Wellington (next to the downtown gate) announced a redevelopment plan, such an eyesore at the moment X
2. VIA Rail announces plans to locate a station in the downtown X
3. More residential units announced for the downtown core
4. Finally work beings to convert the old federal building into residential, getting fed up seeing years pass by with nothing happening X
5. Flyglobespan a smashing success
6. CANMET building starts construction at the McMaster Innovation Park
7. BRT system gets full financial support from the federal and provincial government
8. City approves funding to build an incline railway X
9. Jackson Square announced a redevelopment plan to coincide with the redevelopment of Farmer’s Market and Central Library. X
10. Tivoli theatre gets the proper funding to go ahead with redevelopment of the theatre X
11. Lister Block redevelopment plan approved with construction beginning in the spring X
12. A new NHL team called the Hamilton Penguins announced X
13. My mom’s pastry shop becomes a reality, fresh cupcakes anyone? X

4 out of 13 wishes came true...pfft!

[SteelTown]

Here's my 2008 wish list.....I made 13 wishes you can make more than 10 if you want.

1. Harry Stinson announces a new high rise development, hopefully a new tallest! (I doubt I’m not the only one making this wish haha)
2. Lister Block finally gets redeveloped, this wish has to come true one day!!
3. Royal Connaught gets the go ahead to start the redevelopment.
4. Plans are made to go with LRT or tram, trolley, etc for the East/West rapid transit corridor line.
5. Government approve with funding of Metrolinx’s plan to build or have a GO terminal at Liuna station with a VIA rail stop at James St North.
6. More retail developments in the downtown core hopefully have retail at the old Woolworths building.
7. Retail/restaurant/cafe developments at the waterfront.
8. School Board decides to stay at the downtown in partnership with McMaster University.
9. Mohawk College officially comes out with plans to relocate its Music and Arts department to the downtown, Phase 2 of the Lister Block development.
10. Tivoli theatre gets the proper funding to go ahead with redevelopment of the theatre.
11. That damn halfway house closes down or gets relocated, jeez only been wishing for this for 4 years now.
12. The old federal building finally starts the redevelopment along with the construction of the new Hilton Hotel.
13. Plans are made to have 220 Dundurn St building redeveloped either by demolishing or renovating it.

[DC83]

heeeeeeeeeeeeere we go again!!!

My wish list is prolly pretty similar to everyone else's. But what the heck:

1) Harry Stinson announces new High Rise @ The Connaught a-la 1KW
2) Lister plan announced/approved b4 March's Provincial Funding deadline
3) LRT chosen for E/W Corridor & gets approval by GTTA for Provincial Funding
4) Hess Village expansion plans announced & construction begins (incl. Main/Caroline lot as well as the potential House of Blues Concert Hall)
5) Big-Name Retailers announced for Downtown (and by big, I don't mean Starbucks)
6) Centre Mall development is NOT a dissapointment
7) HWDSB & Mac partner up, keeping existing School Board bldg & building new on the lot behind it
8) Waterfront Plan chosen, development begins
9) Bob Young & Co get funding for new Waterfront Stadium
10) All Transit re-routed to Hunter St/GO Stn making way for Pedestrianization of Gore Park

***crosses fingers***

[raisethehammer]

ok...I'm going to do 2 lists (hope that's ok). One that is for projects that actually have a chance of happening and the other will be my wish list.

First list:

- A temporary home is found for Farmers Market for whenever they get around to renovating
- 2008 Christmas display downtown has lights that actually work on all the streets (every one of those blue/white star things on Main St didn't work this year)
- They do Phase 1 of Victoria Park plan - trees and perimeter pathway
- Rail Trail is re-opened
- AGH sign gets fixed
- Some new cafes/restaurants on King/James/Locke/John/King William
- some plans are finalized for the waterfront (construction beginning in less than a decade would be a minor miracle)
- another restaurant is announced for the west harbour
- new HSR routes and service enhancements for existing routes.
- no fare increase for HSR in 2008.

The WishList:

- new tallest from Stinson
- Stinson invloved in Connaught/Lister with ability to bring residential into both
- Hess Village development - Main/Caroline and Concert Hall
- Hilton Hotel at HMP start construction
- Treble Hall bought by city and redeveloped
- Tivoli redevelopment moves ahead
- VIA/GO Station announced for James North and increased GO service to city.
- LRT decided for east/west route
- new retail downtown
- extensive HSR improvement plan developed to enhance service/new RT routes announced etc....

Let's see if I can hit more than 2 out of 10 this year!!! lol

[raisethehammer]

on the bright side, at least my number 1 wish came true from last years wish list!! - Foster building.

[DC83]

^^ good stuff, rth!
I think we should have an entire HSR Wish List in the transit section too! I could prolly like at LEAST a dozen wishes re: it! haha

[chris k]

My list:

1-Stinson moves to Hamilton and is to stay here for good
2-Lister and Connaught projects get started
3-Good movement on the Hilton
4-24/7 trains from TH&B to Union
5-Something is done to actually limit sprawl
6-More people living downtwon aka more pedestrian activity all over the center
7-Most abandoned buildings either filled up or renovated
8-HSR creates a plan and follows it to increase ridership
9-Airport gets improvements aka modernization and not a little steel hanger
10-City saves all "employment lands" and does not cover that with big box retail.
11-City realizes parking lots are not what make a downtown attractive and discover underground parking.

Most of these can easily be done and should be done if Hamilton really wants to move forward.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by DC83

^^ good stuff, rth!
I think we should have an entire HSR Wish List in the transit section too! I could prolly like at LEAST a dozen wishes re: it! haha

Yea sure sure you can do that! HSR wish list! I dunno if I could make 10 HSR wishes though. Maybe 5.

[go_leafs_go02]

In no particular order..from a guy who doesn't know Hamilton all that well.

1) Approval of a new waterfront stadium for the ti-cats
2) Parking bylaw banning overnight parking for snow removal
3) Enhancements and more promotion of waterfalls.
4) Bus pass for Mohawk Students like me (i hate paying 71..er 79 bucks a month)
5) Hunter St. CP rail tunnel widened
6) All day Go-train station service to Hunter St. Station
7) Connection from TH & B railway back to CN line for connections to Niagara region (preserving the Hunter St. Station)
8) Addition of VIA services to the Hunter St. Station
9) Redevelopment of Jackson Square & Centre Mall
10) Renovation of Copps (adding luxury suites, new seats..the blue looks great)

[chris k]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

In no particular order..from a guy who doesn't know Hamilton all that well.
10) Renovation of Copps (adding luxury suites, new seats..the blue looks great)

I agree that the blue looks great but the seats feel so much cheaper when you sit in them and move a bit and the whole row shakes.
It looks high class but in reality, its just a cheap fix in replace of the older sturdier chairs.
I'm still undecided on which are more comfortable though as i think the older ones may have been a bit wider.

[raisethehammer]

geez...i haven't been there in a while. I didn't know they had blue seats at Copps...that sucks. I loved the yellow/orange! Oh well.

RE: HSR wishlist...I could do about 50 items on that list....most of which will never happen in this city.

[SteelTown]

^ Be realistic! and it's only for a year so you can't cram in 50 wishes for a year. Give me a sec and I'll make the thread.

[go_leafs_go02]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

geez...i haven't been there in a while. I didn't know they had blue seats at Copps...that sucks. I loved the yellow/orange! Oh well.

RE: HSR wishlist...I could do about 50 items on that list....most of which will never happen in this city.

yeah, they replaced like maybe 1000 of the seats there, just the seats that were on top of portable/movable risers were replaced.

the rest of the seats are still there.

I hate the orange/yellow/purple look, so gaudy and ugly, and the empty seats stick out like a sore thumb.

[raisethehammer]

I liked the flair...every city does blue or brown or some boring colour. Oh well....get an NHL team then I'll be there all the time!! I'm less than a 10 minute walk...boy, I can only imagine living a 10 minute walk from an NHL team!

[DC83]

^^ The different colour seats were created to make the stadium look full when it was/is almost full.
If you have a bunch of blue seats, you'd notice all the same colours...
If you have a variety of colours, you wont notice the empty seats all that much. It just so happens the colour scheme was chosen in the era where orange, brown & yellow were super hot colours *shudders*.
But this doesn't work that well when there are 14000 empty seats! hahaha

[SteelTown]

So how did your wish list turn out?

Start thinking of your 2009 wish list.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Here's my 2008 wish list.....I made 13 wishes you can make more than 10 if you want.

1. Harry Stinson announces a new high rise development, hopefully a new tallest! (I doubt I’m not the only one making this wish haha)
2. Lister Block finally gets redeveloped, this wish has to come true one day!! X
3. Royal Connaught gets the go ahead to start the redevelopment. X
4. Plans are made to go with LRT or tram, trolley, etc for the East/West rapid transit corridor line.
5. Government approve with funding of Metrolinx’s plan to build or have a GO terminal at Liuna station with a VIA rail stop at James St North.
6. More retail developments in the downtown core hopefully have retail at the old Woolworths building. X
7. Retail/restaurant/cafe developments at the waterfront.
8. School Board decides to stay at the downtown in partnership with McMaster University. and X
9. Mohawk College officially comes out with plans to relocate its Music and Arts department to the downtown, Phase 2 of the Lister Block development. X
10. Tivoli theatre gets the proper funding to go ahead with redevelopment of the theatre. X
11. That damn halfway house closes down or gets relocated, jeez only been wishing for this for 4 years now. X
12. The old federal building finally starts the redevelopment along with the construction of the new Hilton Hotel. X
13. Plans are made to have 220 Dundurn St building redeveloped either by demolishing or renovating it. X

4 1/2 out of 13 haha. 2008 wasn't really a great year for Hamilton in my opinion, too many disappointments. The only real bright spot was Metrolinx and LRT.