Former musician bringing a little bit of Brooklyn to Corktown
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...yn-to-corktown
The native Hamiltonian was the bass player in Sven Gali, a Juno-nominated metal band whose debut album went gold.
He won an East Coast Music Award for a video he directed for Great Big Sea.
And now, he’s adding townhouse developer to his list of achievements.
His mentor is George Ross, the executive vice-president of the Trump Organization and Donald Trump’s adviser on The Apprentice television show.
Maher’s company is turning a variety store in the heart of Corktown into an eight-unit townhouse complex. Maher says the development at the corner of Young and Walnut streets will bring New York brownstone-style townhouses to Hamilton.
“I got all my ideas from travelling and Central Park and being in New York,” Maher said. “It’s going to be the first of anything like this in the Hamilton marketplace.”
Maher has already secured financing for the project and has sold five of the eight units. The three-storey, 1,400-square-foot townhouses have three bedrooms and three bathrooms each and start at $289,000 to $309,000.
Maher credits much of his success to Ross, his mentor. The pair met after being seated at the same table at a networking dinner in Toronto and hit it off. Ross is guiding Maher in his new line of work.
“I have the same adviser as Donald Trump, believe it or not — and I’m from Hamilton,” Maher says with a laugh. “George took a liking to me and believed in what I could do.”
Maher’s project is one of several high-profile housing developments in the works in central Hamilton. A $20-million, three-building condo has been proposed at the site of the Hamilton Cab headquarters on Charlton Avenue East, at the foot of the escarpment.
Developer Harry Stinson is also planning two condos: the Hamilton Grand building on the corner of John and Main, and the Stinson School lofts.
Stinson said the lofts are about 75 per cent sold — 55 of 75 units — and should be ready to move in by February.
The Hamilton Grand project calls for a $20-million, six-storey, 150-unit long-term stay hotel.