Rumour Mill

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

From Core Urban twitter, maybe they could renovate a building for The Spec

https://twitter.com/CoreUrban/status...38479187922944

Developers. God love 'em.

My hunch is that a photogenic space in a rent-intensive building will be a hard sell. The Spec is now essentially a content farm, and Torstar/Metroland is prioritizing cost efficiencies.

According to a related post on the local subreddit:

They've announced they will likely lease a single floor in the building from the new owners until they can locate a suitable space. The building housed much more than just spectator employees in recent years as metroland consolidated numerous operations from across Southern Ontario into Frid Street. This has been a 15 year long process of concerted cost-cutting, quite apart from the publicized buyouts and layoffs.

It's anyone's guess how many will remain after the intervening rounds of quarterly report-inspired staff scaling.

[LikeHamilton]

From what I heard, Torstar will be closing other offices and consolidating them in Hamilton.

[thistleclub]

Originally Posted by LikeHamilton

From what I heard, Torstar will be closing other offices and consolidating them in Hamilton.

That would be consistent with their own history and wider industry trends. It may also mean practical concessions toward a generic location that best serves all onsite orgs.

Ancaster News, Dundas Star News, Hamilton Mountain News, and Stoney Creek News are all based out of an office on Arvin Road in Stoney Creek. Flamborough Review & Burlington Post, Oakville Beaver, Milton Canadian Champion, and InsideHalton.com are all operated out of an office on Guelph Line in Burlington. Those all seem like likely candidates for amalgamation. In their physical forms, they exist as flyer delivery devices and little more.

One unknown is the amount of dedicated parking they would be looking for. 44 Frid has hyper-abundant parking for staff, and an amalgamated operation covering other regional communities would probably not decrease that demand.

[NortheastWind]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

From Core Urban twitter, maybe they could renovate a building for The Spec

https://twitter.com/CoreUrban/status...38479187922944

I like the reply to Core Urban from @905Rob and their response:

From @905Rob: "Perhaps in a really cool reno space overlooking Gore Park."
From @CoreUrban: "We know just the place..."

[realcity]

When I worked there in the late 90s and Y2K it was 4 floors of 500 employees, most under 35 it was energetic and the management was the best. Pat Collins was publisher and Kirk LaPointe was Editor in chief. Probably the best the Spec has been in a long while. I remember Kirk's plan was to have a morning and evening paper. I worked during Southam, Sun and Torstar. Torstar did a lot to save it from Sunmedia. I saw the whole transisition as an employee in the advertising and marketing departments. When I left I was on the first floor in circulation. Those were good times, this is sad for me to see. I used to love working night shift production for the presses. I was prepress and corrected any problems the plates might have. Sad to see it go. It's going to be tough to fill it. It's a very large space and it was always great along the 403 to see the sign.

[realcity]

Why isn't Core Urban trying to house a new Brock campus downtown?

[LikeHamilton]

Originally Posted by realcity

Why isn't Core Urban trying to house a new Brock campus downtown?

There is a lot going on in this city that is being kept very quiet. You just have to be patient!

[johnnyhamont]

They should move into the building Gowlings will soon be vacating

[realcity]

I hope Mercanti doesn't touch Hamilton Place. They can blow up the Convention Centre and make it bigger and better in Eaton Centre and expand the AGH. I'm a member of AGH and sad I don't see their 30,000 permanent art pieces exhibited bc they need new exhibits for attraction while the permanent collection is top shelf stuff to see again and again, There are pieces that I haven't seen since the 80s.

[LikeHamilton]

Apparently former City Director of Economic Development, Glen Norton has landed at McMaster Innovation Park as a consultant for development. He has an office in the Atrium building.

[atnor]

https://www.thepublicrecord.ca/2020/...ng-for-pier-8/

This may warrant its own thread.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by atnor

https://www.thepublicrecord.ca/2020/...ng-for-pier-8/

This may warrant its own thread.

From a structural design perspective- this isn't real land - its infill land - trying to build something that big on this location - I just don't see it happening.. you'd risk it sinking.. esp with the concerns that were originally had for the increase in traffic on this road originally alone.

Then again they did build the factories close to infill land - so who knows what new technology might be used. I just don't think this fits this beautiful pier 8 community they designed though where everything is uniform height - this just feels like it's high for the sake of being high, and would also set a precedent to build similar heights all along the waterfront, which is already flirted with in stoney creek and winona area, which would cause a toronto issue where the waterfront is blocked by giant buildings.. don't like this personally.

[NortheastWind]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

From a structural design perspective- this isn't real land - its infill land - trying to build something that big on this location - I just don't see it happening.. you'd risk it sinking.. esp with the concerns that were originally had for the increase in traffic on this road originally alone.

Then again they did build the factories close to infill land - so who knows what new technology might be used. I just don't think this fits this beautiful pier 8 community they designed though where everything is uniform height - this just feels like it's high for the sake of being high, and would also set a precedent to build similar heights all along the waterfront, which is already flirted with in stoney creek and winona area, which would cause a toronto issue where the waterfront is blocked by giant buildings.. don't like this personally.

Everything south of Front Street in Toronto is fill. Front Street was formally Toronto's waterfront. Large buildings are built on caissons that go down to bedrock to prevent it from sinking, including the CN Tower. The same would be true for this proposed building.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

From a structural design perspective- this isn't real land - its infill land - trying to build something that big on this location - I just don't see it happening.. you'd risk it sinking.. esp with the concerns that were originally had for the increase in traffic on this road originally alone.

Then again they did build the factories close to infill land - so who knows what new technology might be used. I just don't think this fits this beautiful pier 8 community they designed though where everything is uniform height - this just feels like it's high for the sake of being high, and would also set a precedent to build similar heights all along the waterfront, which is already flirted with in stoney creek and winona area, which would cause a toronto issue where the waterfront is blocked by giant buildings.. don't like this personally.

Everything North of Nikola Tesla Blvd is built on fill, including all of Stelco and most of Arcelor. It is not a big deal to build on fill. Bedrock is about 80ft down all they need to do is pound in pilings to build on.

[Chronamut]

Don't know what ever happened about this proposal.. it was 2 years ago:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...ndos-1.4624666

[TheRitsman]

I've heard a rumour that 115 George Street that used to be "Viva Nightclub" has a planned demo and redevelopment planned by whomever owns it.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUXUu6uTMckQkAan8

[lachlanholmes]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

I've heard a rumour that 115 George Street that used to be "Viva Nightclub" has a planned demo and redevelopment planned by whomever owns it.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUXUu6uTMckQkAan8

It’s a bit further along than a rumour. Application was submitted a couple weeks ago and includes property on the corner of Main and Queen.

23 storeys (presumably height of escarpment in this area since 235 Main West is the same, grrr) that steps down to 18 storeys further north.

Apologies for crappy screenshots, but here’s the application info:

[Innsertnamehere]

The applications just keep coming! It’s honestly crazy how many active development applications there are in the core. The city seems poised for a massive construction boom it hasn’t seen since the 1960’s..

[TheRitsman]

We all know I'm not always a fan of tall buildings, but this location especially hurts. It's among the George Street pedestrian corridor and I fear it being quite imposing upon the George Street and Hess area. I'd appreciate a more midrise development there at most, with tall along Main or what I was really hoping for which was for the property to be repaired and reused.

I really love that patio they have there, and hope it is maintained in some capacity. George and Hess is really set to become a patio corridor and it should get developments that compliment that.

[HamiltonBoyInToronto]

Patios and pedestrian corridors need population density to be successful... If done correctly 23 floors is not a negative it's a positive... A nice 2-3 story podium with retail and condos stepped back ... Hess would flourish in a better direction ... Think distillery district