Gore Park Development: The Next Big Thing in Hamilton

In the midst of all these extravagant proposals in Toronto, such as the Mirvish/Gehry development and Oxford’s $3 billion Oxford Place concept, downtown Hamilton is experiencing its own renaissance.

Developer Dave Blanchard announced that he has a plan for a $120-million mixed-used development, called Gore Park, which would occupy the entire block bordered by Gore Park, Main Street East, James Street, and Hughson Street. The preliminary plans call for a two-storey grocery store at ground level, retail space, an office block, a parking garage, and a condo tower that will be pushing 30 storeys, if not taller.

This may seem like small change compared to the recent developments in Toronto, but if Dave Blanchard has his way, the Gore Park development will be the biggest project downtown Hamilton has seen since Jackson Square, which was built about 40 years ago.

There are existing tenants at this block, and they have all been issued “lease termination notices,” explaining that they are expected to vacate by May 31, 2014. Apparently, demolition is scheduled to begin June 1st (a year is not specified, but we assume it’s the day after all the tenants are supposed to be out … hopefully).

The only issue that Blanchard should encounter throughout the design process is that the buildings along the promenade, in between Gore Park and the site, are on the “historical interest” list – meaning that they are not officially heritage buildings, but they are either up for consideration or loved by locals.

Blanchard already owns the entire block; he’s been purchasing the sites slowly between 1997 and 2005, so it’s not a matter of not having permission to demolish the historical buildings, it’s whether or not Hamilton’s heritage committee will try to encourage the preservation of the facades. According to Blanchard, the buildings would be worthy of preserving if they were architecturally sound and unaltered, but they have been poorly maintained over the years, and they do not resemble their original state.

So, deciding whether or not the historical facades are maintained seems to be the only thing that will slow down Hamilton’s next big development.

How do you feel about a project like this being planned for the heart of downtown Hamilton? A silly idea? Or is it about time?

Photo credit to the Hamilton Spectator