Crystal Ball

[bornagainbiking]

What will Hamilton look like in 5 years?
The East end is evolving into it own. With the New Centre Mall, East Gate and the New Walmart complex at Centennial & QEW. Seems like a shift eastward.
Then we have the development of the Centennial & Rymal Road area. With a self contained resource that addresses the new subdivisions and Binbrook. Word is a new Costco too.
The Downtown is being occupied by more residents and along comes more restaurants, a grocery store and hopefully sooner a full time daily GO link to Toronto.
In the downtown with the addition of more modern hotels and close proximity to Copps and the new medical complex, we could see more business related travel. So we will have the daytime business, but what about night time?
What do you see as the pieces are added to this giant jigsaw puzzle we call home?

[Dr Awesomesauce]

I'm not sure I completely understand the task but here's one lame idea that I put above all others:

- Complete streets
==> dedicated transit and bikes lanes
==> two-way traffic
==> more street trees, planters, etc.

I don't expect either a) the east-west streets to go two-way or b) LRT to happen in my lifetime but there's no reason why complete streets can't be achieved in some small measure.

If you're asking how the city will have changed in five years, then I'd say very little. For real change, we'd have to look ten to twenty years down the road.

[drpgq]

I'm curious to see what ends up happening with all the new activity downtown. You have Darko's massive developments in what were a sea of parking lots pretty much right downtown. Jackson's improving with the grocery store going in and with that happening could move towards a healthy state. Treble Hall is being fixed up and there's a possibility that Connaught could happen. If Connaught happens, even if it's just the existing part and not the other towers, Stinson's project at Main and John chances would increase from zero now to at least better than zero. Increased activity downtown could lead to a knock on effects in neighbourhoods right beside downtown like Beasley that go from amongst the lowest incomes to more middling.

With regards to Binbrook. Meh. Sprawl's going to happen and from my experience that's where people go that want a new house but don't have a lot of money. More chain stores and not a lot of influence on the rest of Hamilton.

[SteelTown]

5 years from now?

* The redevelopment that's occurring along James St North will spill out to Barton St and right up to General Hospital.
* Tons more residential development along the West Harbour land, especially near LIUNA station.
* Brand name retail will return to the Core
* Stelco tower will finally have no vacancy

Now what will bring all the pieces of the puzzles together? Well that has to be our streets. We need to bring in calming measures, more cycling lanes and bigger sidewalks.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

5 years from now?

* The redevelopment that's occurring along James St North will spill out to Barton St and right up to General Hospital.
* Tons more residential development along the West Harbour land, especially near LIUNA station.
* Brand name retail will return to the Core
* Stelco tower will finally have no vacancy

Now what will bring all the pieces of the puzzles together? Well that has to be our streets. We need to bring in calming measures, more cycling lanes and bigger sidewalks.

The only thing I don't see happening in your list is the Barton street redevelopment. I don't think we'll see that for another 10-15 years. The hospital has changed the look of things around Ferguson but the jail will probably still be there for at least another 20 years, as will the beer store. Not exactly the best destinations, even for an art scene. Very tough sell. At most I'd expect a few stores between Hughson and James to get sold and cleaned up, especially the one right on the corner of James and Barton. Really old, nice building with lots of space for a streetfront retail operation and some apartments above.

I think the most likely thing out of your list is residential around the West Harbour, especially thanks to the Witton Lofts. Specifically I'd expect that corner lot across from This Ain't Hollywood to get developed, if it isn't tied into the GO station thing (I believe only the land on the other side of the ex-beer store is part of the GO deal). There's also the lot at Burlington Street and James. I could see a smallish 6-8 story condo going in there.

If the Connaught thing actually happens within the timeline they put forward, I think King East is going to explode over the next 10 years. The International Village is already slowly starting to improve and a huge project like that would be a catalyst, along with the artist studios/lofts across from it on King.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Yeah, I'm not sure Barton between James and the General is a good candidate for spillover because a) it doesn't have a continuous streetwall/ the road's too wide in places and b) the jail (as already mentioned).

In terms of artist spillover, we'll likely see more moving to Ottawa or perhaps Barton east of the General. And who knows, maybe we'll see artists setting up shop on Kenilworth or Parkdale or Concession even.

In five years, James North itself may start to transition from hipster hangout to something a little more upscale and trendy. Like others, I think we'll see a lot more action on James between the CN station and the waterfront as well.

And then there's Pier 8...we shall see.