Hamilton The Connolly | 106.07m | 30s | Hue Developments | McCallum Sather

Remains an eyesore as of this morning — but now with a property standards order:

IMG_3270.jpeg

IMG_3271.jpeg

IMG_3273.jpeg

IMG_3274.jpeg
 
The city should have powerful tools at their disposal for situations like this. This property sits vacant and unkempt for a certain amount of years (in this case I think we are long past whatever that date is we come up with) the city can legally expropriate the property do what needs to be done to bring it up to "standards" send the bill to the previous owner and sell it for cheap to someone ready to build housing!
 
The city should have powerful tools at their disposal for situations like this. This property sits vacant and unkempt for a certain amount of years (in this case I think we are long past whatever that date is we come up with) the city can legally expropriate the property do what needs to be done to bring it up to "standards" send the bill to the previous owner and sell it for cheap to someone ready to build housing!
They can't expropriate but they can send their own crews in to clean it up and bill it to the landowner if the landowner fails to comply - including placing a lien on the property. If the owner fails to pay the city can eventually claim the property.. but that usually takes years and years. For an example - the City of Toronto seized Captain John's boat restaurant in Toronto in 2013 due to unpaid back-taxes, for example.

I assume the owner has missed the December 3 deadline on the notice to clean up the property - they will likely eventually comply, but it often takes a while of the city escalating the matter before landowners deal with it.

Hamilton has had a woefully undersized by-law enforcement office for a while as well, which makes enforcing things like property maintenance standards challenging as staff are spread too thin.
 
Seems like some work going on here. There is at least one person on Site doing things w a machine.

Not sure if this is nothing or something. Extremely good news if the latter.View attachment 566116
I know the Ward 2 office has been working to get the site cleaned up if they're not going to build anything. So could just be that. Hopefully more.
 
The most recent Heritage Committee meeting had some details on this. Sales for the condo were mentioned and are planned for Spring or Fall 2025.
 
The most recent Heritage Committee meeting had some details on this. Sales for the condo were mentioned and are planned for Spring or Fall 2025.
report here:


On March 8, 2024, Cultural Heritage Planning staff met on site with Building staff and representatives from the ownership group, including their consultant engineers, Tacoma Engineering, and heritage consultants, mcCallumSather, to discuss the condition of the subject property and the designated remnant church structure. On March 28, 2024, Cultural Heritage Planning staff received a formal request to extend Heritage Permit HP2023-017 for 98 James Street South (attached as Appendix “B” to Report PED24105) before its March 31, 2024 expiry date. As outlined in the Heritage Permit extension request letter, the ownership group have experienced several setbacks delaying the redevelopment of the site, including elevated interest rates and delays due to supply chain disruption, labour shortages and cost escalation.

The monitoring reports prepared by Tacoma Engineers Inc. confirm that the structure is sound and not experiencing significant cracking or separation. The reports do note that the longer the building sits vacant, the more costly the restoration work will become, but that the structure is still sound. The Documentation and Salvage Report prepared by mcCallumSather and dated March 27, 2024, concludes that most of the salvaged items were found to be in fair condition and recommends measures to prevent further damage and deterioration until restoration and reuse is feasible, including:• Moving the pile of salvaged stone to the interior of the church to prevent further deterioration and damage;• Moving the window behind the stone pile to the storage room inside the church;• Monitoring the salvaged items on a regular basis to protect them from deterioration/vandalism;• Investigating site security, particularly from James Street, and improved upon to prevent unauthorized individuals to take refuge in the church;• Removal of the overgrown vegetation at the rear of the church to allow for easy access to the authorized visitors;• Providing improved access to the storage room from the building interior; and,• Re-labelling the salvaged inventory of materials on site.

In the extension request letter, the applicant has indicated their commitment to the following remedial scopes of work to continue to show progress on satisfying the conditions of Heritage Permit approval and ensuring the retained historic structure is conserved until redevelopment and restoration work can proceed, including:
  • Improved security and housekeeping / appearance of the site – immediately;
  • Clean-up and tidying of the site completed by August 31, 2024;
  • Commence stabilization/restoration works on the existing structure by fall 2024;
  • Sales Launch Fall or Spring 2025 (depending on market conditions);
  • Continued monthly monitoring for movement of the existing structure with Tacoma Engineering; and,
  • Further study on heritage elements to be incorporated into the build in consultation with McCallum Sather Architects, including protection/storage of valued items
 

Back
Top