William Thomas Residence | ? | 21 fl | Complete

[HamiltonPlanning]

build it sooner than later

[davidcappi]

From the Urban Design Report:

The project is a 20 storey tower set back above a 4 storey mid-block podium on James Street and a 1
storey podium on Rebecca Street.. The James Street Frontage is the recreation of the William Thomas
Building and addresses the public realm with the historic continuation of the streetscape scale as it
was since the construction of the Lister Block in the 1920’s. The 4 storey heritage podium addresses
the street with retail storefront at grade and residential common areas on the upper 3 floors.

The heritage façade reuses the limestone from the original structure where possible, replacing missing
details with newly carved limestone features. At grade, modern features emphasizing transparency
will be incorporated into the heritage façade. This is a strategy used at the Lister Block with some
success.

The main entrance for the residential is on Rebecca Street. There will be an entrance plaza from
Rebecca Street which is intended to be an animated entrance plaza with design and art elements that
screen a parking ramp and the backs of commercial properties on James Street that are not part of
the development.

Grade level materiality and design is intended to provide for transparency and openness, whether it is
along James Street with invigorated new retail storefronts, or along Rebecca Street where the street
level resident entrance will recede from the side walk but treated in a fashion that in itself will become
an attractive urban feature. Glass will be utilized as will traditional limestone, metal and brick.
The tower materiality will not compete with the limestone heritage base on James Street, but instead
recede and be more ephemeral. Still some elements of the base materiality would be carried up into
the tower in order to create a dialogue between the old and the new.

On Rebecca Street the podium above grade will be treated with an expressive skin to enliven the
streetscape and create an inviting urban address.
The tower itself is greatly influenced by it’s mid-block situation. Massing will be modulated to the
extent possible and the continuation of façade materiality will conceal roof top penthouses, instead
creating a composition integral to the buildings architecture.

[SteelTown]

What about the gap along King William? Doesn't seem like this project will fill in the gap.

[davidcappi]

What about the gap along King William? Doesn't seem like this project will fill in the gap.

Nope. I don't know who owns that particular lot.

[SteelTown]

LIUNA owns it as well.

[HamiltonPlanning]

Now is this going to be just for McMaster students? I think it would be perfect for Mohawk as well considering how close bus routes are to that location going up to the college!

[davidcappi]

Now is this going to be just for McMaster students? I think it would be perfect for Mohawk as well considering how close bus routes are to that location going up to the college!

As far as I know, this will be open to students from both Mac and Mohawk.

[lucasmascotto]

So when is construction starting?

[NortheastWind]

I love the idea of making it for student. Students will breathe so much life into the area.

[davidcappi]

There are also loads of retailers that will only open stores in close proximity to post secondary students, so this bodes well for Jackson.

[coalminecanary]

There is an illegal parking lot on this site right now. With signs as well as yellow lines painted on the gravel.

[matt602]

Isn't that a City of Hamilton logo at the bottom of the second sign? Are they breaking their own by-law or something?

Aside from the by-law infraction this doesn't bode well for the project either, it kinda proves that they don't intend to start construction any time soon if they're drawing parking spaces.

[NortheastWind]

I went onto Google street view from May and there was a sign advertising the development and there was a website. That website no longer exists. Hmmm. Is this going to happen or did LIUNA just find a new revenue source from parking?

[davidcappi]

[coalminecanary]

Maybe the city is exempt from its own bylaw? Ouroboros?
• Video Link

[markbarbera]

Since this is going by a new name and is now student lodging and no longer a condo development, perhaps this thread should be renamed accordingly.

[davidcappi]

New Rendering with adjusted massing. Obviously not a final render with textures, but still a progression. I like it a lot more than the old shape. It feels more New York inspired with the setbacks, whereas the old rendering felt like a GTA knock off. The new massing has character.




Old rendering for reference.

[thomax]

It looks like it got a height increase to 21 floors too

[matt602]

It's a skinny one but I like it. Build it already

[thomax]

It did get a height increase to 21 storeys. There is a public meeting next week...


William Thomas Building Public Meeting Notice by ActivismHamOnt, on Twitter