Royal Connaught Hotel | ? | 36 fl, 33 fl, 24 fl & 13 fl | U/C - Page 4

go_leafs_go02 · #61 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 6:21 PM**

wow!!! that building, has so much potential. I seen the picture album on flickr, and it is a gem in the rough. If you can get a 4 star hotel to take residence there, that will begin an amazing transformation of the region around that area.

Just sounds like the neighbourhood needs some work. I read in one of the articles that a strip club across the street caused a hotel company to immediately lose interest. Should the city of Hamilton cater to the hotels who can bring interest/money in to the city coffer boxes, or permit the neighbourhood to remain downtrodden with those type of businesses?

DC83 · #62 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 6:36 PM**

The neighbourhood and surrounding neighbourhoods are in a turnaround.
Internation Village especially: http://www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca/

But there's a new building for Graduate Students being built across the street (87-89 King St http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show....php?t=140390), new retail/residential in Gore Park (Foster Bldg http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=143106) , and POSSIBLY the pedestrianization of Gore Park.

There's lots happening around the Connaught, but the Strip Joint isn't the ONLY thing keeping hoteliers away!

SteelTown · #63 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 7:56 PM**

And the city can't do anything with strip club. Larry Di Ianni wanted it closed but mentioned it's up to the province to close it down. Believe there's a bylaw where there can only be like 3 or 2 strip bars in the lower city of Hamilton.

raisethehammer · #64 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:39 PM**

I said in another thread that I'm no clubber, and I'm certainly no strip-clubber, but I have to chuckle when hearing a hotelier say they got 'scared away' by a strip club.
Montreal has strip clubs on every corner...some look nice, some are total dives.
Surrounding buildings have Second Cup's, hotels, condos etc....

coalminecanary · #65 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:39 PM**

there's only one strip club there. whatever, every city has a few of those so what are ya gonna do? i think that the strip club "scaring them away" story is (a) likely an exaggeration and (b) possibly completely made up. if they want it out of there, they just have to throw a bit of cash in the right direction.

chris k · #66 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:46 PM**

I heard a rumour about a red light district here so if that happens im sure that club "scaring" away hotel chains will definitely move into this area. Either cash or some good incentives will almost for sure get that strip club to move.

It would be nice to see these joints removed as i'm sure some of the "undesirables" will follow it.

SteelTown · #67 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:51 PM**

Bratina brought up the idea of a red light district. But good luck in finding a location for the district.

the dude · #68 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:52 PM**

i'm not an expert in the area of strip clubs but i'm guessing the clientele is mostly comprised of married dudes from the burbs as opposed to rummies and street urchins. people are just too damned sensitive. rth already mentioned the montreal example. mind you, urban quebecers are a little more 'european' than we are.

matt602 · #69 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:55 PM**

Last time I was in the Connaught, we noticed that one of the chandeliers in the main foyer is gone now. I hope it was not destroyed. Those chandeliers are both original to the building, moved from the Crystal Ballroom when it was demolished. A lot of vandalism and such has happened to the building lately, so I'm worried that's what happened.

They've also been building a mini movie studio in there. There's a washroom stage built in the area where the kitchen was.

chris k · #70 Posted **Dec 29, 2007, 8:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Bratina brought up the idea of a red light district. But good luck in finding a location for the district.

Yeah i was praying that they didnt choose Hess village. I could see something like Kenilworth becoming that but i hope it doesn't happen. I guess we will just have to take it like men and be able to ignore places like these. I just hope it doesn't affect the "sensative" businesses to much.

realcity · #71 Posted **Jan 1, 2008, 6:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris k

Rennaisance by Marriot sounds pretty good but i would still prefer if we had more of a variety of hotels in Hamilton.

I still think that the Farimont would be more suited in this building but i would also like to see a Delta located downtown. I just can't see them using an older building as they usually like new projects so they can design it how they want exactly

Example: This one has a waterslide in it.

I mentioned Delta because look what they did in London

highwater · #72 Posted **Jan 1, 2008, 6:25 PM**

Hey, there's already a Hooters on Upper James. Let's put the redlight district up there!

realcity · #73 Posted **Jan 3, 2008, 3:52 PM**

LIUNA should be ashamed of themselves. I saw today at least 6 windows open to the elements. This building is going to look like the Lister in another year. They are not taking care of it. I wouldn't be surprised if 'suspicious' fires start to break out inside.

I don't understand it, this was an operating hotel before LIUNA decided to gut the place.

raisethehammer · #74 Posted **Jan 3, 2008, 4:35 PM**

and Lister was full and operating before it was emptied out in the 90's. St Deny's was full and operating before it was emptied out in the 90's....it's the Hamilton way.
take a full, functioning building. Kick everyone out. Let it rot. and then run to the taxpayers to help fatten your pockets or else face an ugly, rotting downtown streetscape. the sad part is, our government plays along happily. Fattening the pockets of a few absentee, speculative landlords at the expense of the rest of us. the media and a few self-proclaimed "capitalists" in town all go along for the ride as if they are running a great economy.
it's socialism, plain and simple. not for the people, but for a few rich folks.

DC83 · #75 Posted **Jan 3, 2008, 5:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by realcity

LIUNA should be ashamed of themselves. I saw today at least 6 windows open to the elements. This building is going to look like the Lister in another year. They are not taking care of it. I wouldn't be surprised if 'suspicious' fires start to break out inside.

I don't understand it, this was an operating hotel before LIUNA decided to gut the place.

Didn't get they $1million from the City's brownfield fund to remove the asbestos? I believe that was the excuse they used to gut it!?

matt602 · #76 Posted **Jan 3, 2008, 11:17 PM**

I really wouldn't be worried about a fire doing any damage in the Connaught. The place is stripped down to concrete and steel. The only part of the building that a fire could do anything is in the recently vacated offices.

raisethehammer · #77 Posted **Jan 4, 2008, 3:57 AM**

what about the balcony in the lobby...wasn't there some old wood there or was it all marble or stone? I have photos from inside that lobby from when I was in a wedding. Man, I hope they get Stinson involved and bring it back to life.

matt602 · #78 Posted **Jan 4, 2008, 5:06 AM**

It's imitation marble and some wood. Even still, the superstructure is all concrete/steel. The place was built to last, definitely. It won't rot in the same way as Lister or Mackay/Victoria did. The plaster and paint is falling off the walls, and some water damage is starting to happen in places but it's far from structurally unsound.

fastcarsfreedom · #79 Posted **Jan 4, 2008, 6:22 AM**

A seemingly endless litany of mismanagement doomed the Connaught long before LIUNA came into the picture. Lets not forget that the place was padlocked because it went from being a respectable hotel to bankrupt in a few short years. From the circus that was the Joymarmon era to the ill-fated decision to brand the place with very midscale/freeway interchange Howard Johnson brand--the place went into an almost violent tailspin.

It's sad looking back. Not only was my high school prom there--but I remember the big renovation and marketing push that the Connaught did when the Sheraton opened (1985-ish?). At that time the place was fairly extenisvely renovated--including most of the guest rooms, along with the addition of the pool/waterslide--their ads at the time read "Reputations Aren't Built Overnight--They're Built Everynight". Vinton's Bistro & Grill was, at the time, considered one of the finer restaurants downtown. It occupied the space that Fran's was in most recently--and some of Vinton's upscale luster survived even after Fran's moved in...in fact, I believe the "V" door handles survived through to the end.

I'm as sickened as anyone to see the hotel in the condition it's in--I just don't lay all the blame at the feet of LIUNA. By the appearance of the photos I've seen--the guest room floors have been gutted and I presume asbestos abatement is complete--this actually puts the hotel in pretty good stead going forward--whether it be with LIUNA or otherwise.

RTH--a question about St. Deny's--I may have my geography entirely mixed up--or perhaps my timeline is off--I thought St. Deny's had been vacant for a considerable number of years--was it initially vacated for the condo development that never came to pass? I honestly don't recall--I do know a fire shortly after made the building "unsalvagable" in short order.

raisethehammer · #80 Posted **Jan 4, 2008, 12:55 PM**

yes, St Deny's was emptied out by an owner who's name escapes me. the plan was for a condo tower. that was like 1992 or 93 I think. Similar to Lister...a functioning building emptied out because someone had grander plans, only to leave us with some of our more significant challenges downtown.