7 Queen St N + 354 King St W | 77.2 & 41.7 m | 12 & 25 fl | Under Construction

[johnnyhamont]

The application for hotel height increase to 12 storeys was approved today.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...ncor-1.6011454

Hamilton approves 12-storey hotel
Vrancor seeks to add 19 floors to six-floor apartment being built at same site

Hamilton councillors are allowing a developer to add two more storeys onto a hotel in Strathcona, despite community members saying it takes away from the spirit of the neighbourhood.

Vrancor Group is behind the builds at 354 King St. W, which includes a 10-storey hotel and six-storey apartment building. Pending council approval, that hotel will now be 12-storeys — 41.7 metres — not counting the space needed for mechanical operations.

But the company is also planning a drastic change to the apartment. It will seek approval for an additional 19 storeys, increasing the height from six to 25 storeys.

Wayne MacPhail is a member of the Strathcona Shadow Dwellers, a resident group that is fighting the expansion. He said Vrancor pulled a "bait and switch" with the dramatic changes.

[Pipedreams]

Originally Posted by johnnyhamont

Strathcona Shadow Dwellers

This NIMBY group name makes my eyes roll so far back they're going to come full circle soon.

The neighborhood has multiple tall buildings within a two block radius heading north, south and east. It's 7 blocks away from James and King; the heart of the downtown. The character is urban and these buildings are appropriate for that nature.

[TheHonestMaple]

God forbid some higher earning condo owners move into the neighbourhood and support the local small businesses.

[johnnyhamont]

Originally Posted by Pipedreams

This NIMBY group name makes my eyes roll so far back they're going to come full circle soon.

The neighborhood has multiple tall buildings within a two block radius heading north, south and east. It's 7 blocks away from James and King; the heart of the downtown. The character is urban and these buildings are appropriate for that nature.

If I recall correctly from the shadow studies, no Strathcona resident will be in shadows because of these towers for more than two hours per day.

[TheRitsman]

I will say three things:

1) The Strathcona group has a cringe name

2) I'm more displeased with the precedent that this sets with starting to build then asking for more height while under construction. Clearly this is something that works, and is not the way a city is supposed to function.

3) I hate this development. I hate the surface parking, lack of commercial, suburban grass Blvd, terrible precast stone, terrible precast in general. If you look at Platinum, it's not my favourite at all architecturally, but at least they put in minimal effort into the design. This hotel and condo complex is just about the ugliest new build Hamilton is getting. How did Vrancor go from Marquee to this??

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

I will say three things:

1) The Strathcona group has a cringe name

2) I'm more displeased with the precedent that this sets with starting to build then asking for more height while under construction. Clearly this is something that works, and is not the way a city is supposed to function.

3) I hate this development. I hate the surface parking, lack of commercial, suburban grass Blvd, terrible precast stone, terrible precast in general. If you look at Platinum, it's not my favourite at all architecturally, but at least they put in minimal effort into the design. This hotel and condo complex is just about the ugliest new build Hamilton is getting. How did Vrancor go from Marquee to this??

I mean all we have seen is some preliminary renderings.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

2) I'm more displeased with the precedent that this sets with starting to build then asking for more height while under construction. Clearly this is something that works, and is not the way a city is supposed to function.

While I have no issue with the increased height Vranich wants, I don't like the way this has been handled either. It's not the way to do business nor build a city.

[Innsertnamehere]

The problem is that Vranich is technically within his rights to do this, and will likely get approval for it at the LPAT if the city denies it. So councillors sort of have to approve it or waste staff time and money to “fight” it at the board for no reason.

This type of technique isn’t super uncommon, but not at the scale vranich has done it here. Typically it’s a handful of extra floors. It’s happening in Toronto right now for The One, which is looking to add, I think, 6 storeys right now as construction is already 6 floors up. But that’s going from a 309 metre to 338 metre building - small potatoes change compared to what Vranich is trying here.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I mean all we have seen is some preliminary renderings.

Platinum looked good in the renders and looks okay built up so far. This looked god awful in the renders, and it's not just about design, it's about site plan being bad. Surface parking and grass blvds have no place in a downtown. I know part of the Blvd issue is on the city but still. I'd bet you money this will look terrible once complete.

[exomesplice]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The problem is that Vranich is technically within his rights to do this, and will likely get approval for it at the LPAT if the city denies it. So councillors sort of have to approve it or waste staff time and money to “fight” it at the board for no reason.

This type of technique isn’t super uncommon, but not at the scale vranich has done it here. Typically it’s a handful of extra floors. It’s happening in Toronto right now for The One, which is looking to add, I think, 6 storeys right now as construction is already 6 floors up. But that’s going from a 309 metre to 338 metre building - small potatoes change compared to what Vranich is trying here.

Yes, this makes my blood boil. Propose something smaller so its approved easier and without fuss, but then turn around and build what they really wanted. Does anyone really believe a foundation designed for a 6 storey building can easily accommodate another 19 stories at the last minute? It may be technically within his rights to do this, but that does not make it right.

Also some of the councillors who voted earlier this week received money from Vranich for their election campaign. Isnt this considered a conflict of interest????

Was he also able to bypass the minimum parking bylaws etc. without needing a minor variance for the larger tower by doing this too?

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by exomesplice

Yes, this makes my blood boil. Propose something smaller so its approved easier and without fuss, but then turn around and build what they really wanted. Does anyone really believe a foundation designed for a 6 storey building can easily accommodate another 19 stories at the last minute? It may be technically within his rights to do this, but that does not make it right.

Also some of the councillors who voted earlier this week received money from Vranich for their election campaign. Isnt this considered a conflict of interest????

Was he also able to bypass the minimum parking bylaws etc. without needing a minor variance for the larger tower by doing this too?

They are allowed to change their minds. It's not like they are building it first and then asking for forgiveness. They are actually asking for permission. If they had asked for 25 floors originally it more than likely would have been approved at that height. There is a 25 floor building being built on the other side of that same intersection. I don't see what the problem is.

[exomesplice]

Originally Posted by bigguy1231

They are allowed to change their minds. It's not like they are building it first and then asking for forgiveness. They are actually asking for permission. If they had asked for 25 floors originally it more than likely would have been approved at that height. There is a 25 floor building being built on the other side of that same intersection. I don't see what the problem is.

From an engineering perspective it seems that this was probably the original plan rather than a mid-construction change of heart. That's what Danko, former civil engineer, thinks.. Which brings the question about why they didnt ask for 25 floors originally?

The article makes it seem that the additional 19 stories, as an amendment, does not have to go through the typical approval process with the city designers and planners. Are there things he got to bypass by doing it this way? If so, its icky and sneaky. THATS the bait and switch that makes me angry.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by exomesplice

From an engineering perspective it seems that this was probably the original plan rather than a mid-construction change of heart. That's what Danko, former civil engineer, thinks.. Which brings the question about why they didnt ask for 25 floors originally?

The article makes it seem that the additional 19 stories, as an amendment, does not have to go through the typical approval process with the city designers and planners. Are there things he got to bypass by doing it this way? If so, its icky and sneaky. THATS the bait and switch that makes me angry.

If you go back in this thread the original proposal for the site was a 22-24 floor residential building as well as the hotel.

They applied for the increase in the number of floors as they were building the foundation so it wouldn't be surprising that if they built the foundation thinking that the approval for a higher building would be given. If the city says no it will go to LPAT and Vranich will win. So it's going to get built either way.

[Innsertnamehere]

The hotel height increase has officially been approved at council in a 9-6 vote. Very contentious vote for a development approval.

Hopefully Vrancor can get his crane back up soon and finish the building now.

Wonder how long until the 25 storey building goes in front of council. That one has a much tougher ride ahead of it.

[TheRitsman]

Looks like the crane is going back up

[craftbeerdad]

Is that not the crane from 154 Main E just moved there?

[anactualalien]

For me the worst thing about this development is that it combined with the Scottish Rite really cuts off the rest of King for pedestrians wandering west (not that there's much to see there yet).

[Innsertnamehere]

site plan application was filed here:

" 2-storey, 28 residential unit addition with 28 additional underground paring spaces to the approved hotel"

So is this to take the 2 upper floors of the hotel just approved and build them as residential units? What? Why? They would have to be very small units to fit on that floorplate too. Or is it an addition on the north end of the hotel closer to Market Street or something?

[Hawrylyshyn]

Probably for that row of townhouses already being built

[Innsertnamehere]

Yea, that makes sense. Thanks.