AEON Bayfront Studios

[ScreamingViking]

From today's Spec. Same photos TheRitsman posted were in the story.


Hamilton’s west harbour film hub is growing — but not on the city’s failed stadium lands

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...-film-hub.html

Matthew Van Dongen
The Hamilton Spectator
Thu., Oct. 21, 2021

The would-be builders of a Hamilton film hub have now set up shop in three buildings in the west harbour — but any work to develop the city’s failed stadium lands is still at least two years away.

Aeon Studio Group agreed in principle back in 2019 to buy 14-acres of city-owned land — a Barton-Tiffany block infamously bulldozed for a stadium built elsewhere — and turn it into a film production and live-work hub.

More than two years later, the city still owns the barren block and the renamed Aeon Bayfront Studios group is operating out of nearby buildings, instead.

That didn’t sit well with some councillors Wednesday who questioned if the group was meeting its commitments under a two-year-old memorandum of understanding.

“The studio was what they sold us on,” said Coun. Brad Clark, who noted a staff update on the project appears to show a focus on first developing residential and commercial buildings on the city lands. “They’re not hitting any of the targets to get that studio open on Barton-Tiffany ... Why are we not prioritizing what the original vision was?”

Mayor Fred Eisenberger, by contrast, gave the group credit for an “absolutely brilliant” decision to buy and quickly start film production in the former AVL Manufacturing building on Queen Street North last year, arguing it was a tangible commitment to the film hub vision. He noted the city itself has struggled to start development on anther former industrial site nearby, Pier 8. “It’s taken us 20 years,” he said.

Aeon co-founder Jeff Anders told councillors Wednesday the group has made “significant progress” on the project despite pandemic delays and a longer-than-expected environmental study of the city lands. He also announced the group will seek public feedback on a newly released conceptual plan for the Barton-Tiffany lands showing production space, residential and commercial units and a public plaza.

Those environmental studies suggest the grand vision won’t happen fast, however. “The site is loud, it is wet, it is contaminated,” Anders said.

He estimated the group will earn approvals to build on the “least challenging” parts of the block within two years, likely starting with commercial and targeted residential buildings on the corner of Barton and Queen streets. Construction approval on tougher spots could still be five years away.

...


Aeon is now supposed to conduct public consultation this month and deliver a master plan and business case to the city for consideration next February.

It’s not clear when Aeon will purchase the Barton-Tiffany lands from the city, which hopes to recoup around $13 million spent buying land in the area over more than a decade.


full story here

[ScreamingViking]

That story also noted that the studio has purchased buildings on Harriet Street and Bay Street N.

It must be 29 Harriet, the reno that's detailed in that thread. It's the only large building on that very short street, and the news story associated with it noted F&F was "hoping to populate the building with creative and film industry businesses"

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

In Barton-Tiffany news:

https://twitter.com/JoeyColeman/stat...V3WTnBkRw&s=19


Joey Coleman: "Wow, just wow. Clr @JasonFarrHamOnt is suggesting that the Barton-Tiffany lands have not been attractive to developers. A GO Station with all-day service is beside it! It is waterfront! Walking from a downtown.
It may be the most attractive land west of Toronto."

Aeon Studio Group recently posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQ1nzrF...dium=copy_link

Followed to their site: https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/studio-district

"The Studio District would be an economic cluster with studios for the production of film, television, gaming, animation and music. It would feature artist live-work spaces, office space for creative industry companies, industry event spaces including a theatre, and learning and training spaces to build the local workforce."

This isn't a very busy thread, so I'm just going to pull them up so other people see.

[craftbeerdad]

Cool idea in theory creating a hub, supporting the film industry that's growing rapidly in Hamilton and translating it into an even larger vision across the arts. Would really be complimentary to the area.

Imagine this plus moving the train yard (park, or whatever), that would really make a good imprint on young adults across Canada for choosing a city like Hamilton after graduation with all the other amenities, areas & growth (lrt, city centre, arena, etc).

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by craftbeerdad

Cool idea in theory creating a hub, supporting the film industry that's growing rapidly in Hamilton and translating it into an even larger vision across the arts. Would really be complimentary to the area.

Imagine this plus moving the train yard (park, or whatever), that would really make a good imprint on young adults across Canada for choosing a city like Hamilton after graduation with all the other amenities, areas & growth (lrt, city centre, arena, etc).

WHile I'm not happy with the city yet again doing sketchy shit, and the long timeframe of this project, I'm excited by it. This is literally 50 metres from my house, so I really want to see some of it done before I likely need to upsize for the future family we plan on having.

[davidcappi]

the preliminary designs shown in the renders is by BDP Quadrangle.

[Beedok]

I wonder if the large parking lots of Bayfront Park could see some development too.

[TheHonestMaple]

Looks great! I just doubt it will get built within the next 20 years, if ever.

[ScreamingViking]

I think something will get built. I don't think it will end up matching that vision -- more studio, less "district"

Though maybe it could lead to some new retail or restaurants on Bay or Barton, maybe Queen or even as far as James.

[SteelTown]

You can watch Aeon present their "Studio District" via zoom Feb 8th, or 9th, 10th, 12th.

https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/events

https://aeon.planlocal.ca/vpic/bayfr...io-district/6/

[ScreamingViking]

Aeon has bought one of the parcels the city purchased in 2020. Looks like the city netted around $400K from the deal, depending on the rounding of the numbers in the stories (bought for $3.5 million, sold for $3.9M)

Concept plan site, complementary to what SteelTown posted last week: https://www.aeonstudiogroup.com/studio-district


Would-be film production hub starts buying Hamilton’s vacant west harbour lands
Aeon Studio Group announced plans in 2019 to transform the city’s failed stadium lands into a film hub, but taxpayers still own most of the land more than two years later

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...y-streets.html

Matthew Van Dongen
The Hamilton Spectator
Tue., Feb. 8, 2022

The would-be builders of Hamilton’s Hollywood North have bought the first of what the city hopes will be many of the taxpayer-owned properties in the west harbour block once earmarked for a football stadium.

Now Aeon Studio Group is asking residents this week to “share your ideas” of what belongs in the eventual mega-development of a planned film production hub and live-work condos worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Aeon agreed in principle back in 2019 to buy 14 acres of city-owned land originally bulldozed a decade ago for a failed west harbour stadium dream. Council later bought another neighbouring two-acre parcel on behalf of the studio — bringing the taxpayer tab for vacant land in the area close to $13 million.

But Aeon partners recently bought back the latter parcel at 242 Queen St. N from the city for $3.9 million, land records show. The remaining vacant lands bordered by the CN rail yard, Queen, Tiffany and Barton streets remain city-owned.

“We have purchased the first parcel from the city,” confirmed Aeon’s Jeff Anders in an interview Monday.

The former Stelco property is expected to become part of a strip of condos or other creative live-work units along Barton Street West, with commercial and film production buildings setting up shop closer to the noisy rail yard.

The film group has posted maps and “concept plans” for the studio district on its website that show low-rise film production buildings, mid-to-highrise condos and a “public plaza” within the creative hub. Any buildings taller than eight storeys will likely require future zoning changes.

But nothing will be set in stone until Aeon’s finishes public consultation, said Anders.

...

full story here


Here's a map of the land parcels from the Nov 2020 story showing which one was recently acquired by the studio:

[TheRitsman]

A picture from tonight's PIC hosted by Aeon Studio Group. Maureen Wilson was in attendance, and there were lots of great questions. They have not yet planned the phasing, but it would likely be the commercial side first, then residential since that would be the faster way to go about doing it. They hope to have studios operating in 3 years from now. They also mentioned in discussions with Metrolinx they heard that 30 minute service should be coming sooner than later (but I don't know if that is just the planned expansion or a sooner expansion than originally planned)

[Innsertnamehere]

30 minute service to West Harbour from what I understand is coming very, very soon. As in the next 12 months.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

30 minute service to West Harbour from what I understand is coming very, very soon. As in the next 12 months.

Id love to hear something concrete. I'd also love to know the ridership numbers. My understanding is that it is much better than anticipated.

[Beedok]

Oooh. Nice to see this getting serious. It seems like a very good project.

[ScreamingViking]

Great. This block has sat empty for far too long.

In the end, not putting the stadium here may turn out to have been a better decision all around.

[craftbeerdad]

Who would have guessed that outcome? Land goes up in value, city makes more money (takes tax payers off the hook) and we get a really valuable development over time.

Last ridership numbers are quite outdated (November 2020), so hard to tell the impact of the hourly train, but it seems like it's working out well based on rudimentary research and usage.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by craftbeerdad

Who would have guessed that outcome? Land goes up in value, city makes more money (takes tax payers off the hook) and we get a really valuable development over time.

Last ridership numbers are quite outdated (November 2020), so hard to tell the impact of the hourly train, but it seems like it's working out well based on rudimentary research and usage.

There's a bit of sketchiness going on here as always with the city. Firstly Aeon doesn't even own all the land yet, and the land they do own was sold pretty cheaply with no requirements to build anything in a secret deal with the city.

With the train, there was a great article and graphic about the preliminary numbers at West Harbour right after hourly service was introduced. I'll see if I can find it back.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

There's a bit of sketchiness going on here as always with the city. Firstly Aeon doesn't even own all the land yet, and the land they do own was sold pretty cheaply with no requirements to build anything in a secret deal with the city.

That's one way to look at it.

Another is the city gained 11% or so on a property it bought less than 2 years ago. The remainder will probably net a far higher return (I don't know what they bought it for when the stadium was proposed to go there, but couldn't have been much... this 2013 RTH story notes $8 million in 2009 which seems to fit the "close to $13 million" total noted in the Tuesday article; parcels 2 and 4 on the map must have been almost $1.5M valued together if the dollar values for the rest are correct)

If Aeon had not purchased the former AVL plant on the west side of Queen/Stuart I'd be suspicious. They could still turn around and decide to flip this recent buy, or future ones, but given the continued strong activity in film in the area I do feel they're in it for the long game.

[ScreamingViking]

They had an open house. Did anyone attend?


Lights, Camera, Action: Proposed Hamilton studio district on display
Public gets a look at what could be at Bayfront Studios

By John Rennison
Sun., Feb. 13, 2022

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...n-display.html

The principals behind Bayfront Studios held an open-house Saturday to allow community comment on their plans for a proposed 25-acre Bayfront Studio District.

The district at Stuart, Queen and Barton Streets, would be a space to live, work and play in the west harbour.

Saturday’s open-house by Aeon Studio Group allowed small peek behind the curtain of movie making magic at the 80,000 square foot Bayfront Studio on it’s 7.5 acre property. The studio has seen movie production, music videos made and television production, including a set for Good Sam still set up during the tour.

...


Some photos from the story:

This must be the interior of the current studio building:


Chatting about the future plans:


Background virtual reality screens:


Actors' trailer interior: