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A wake up call for the City of Hamilton last night after a small fire broke out at the Cannon knitting mills. The damage was minor, but the whole building could have been lost and developers have just filed a new proposal for the site.

Flames broke out at around 9:30pm Monday night. The fire department arrived quickly, broke down the door and doused the flames. “It was a very small area effected it was a very small fire, it burned a hole through the 3rd floor about one metre by one metre.”

There was no structural damage so it will not affect plans for a major renovation. In 2011 the building was purchased by the Hamilton Realty Capital Corporation but the group is still trying to secure anchor tenants. Until then no significant investiment will be made.

There was some interest in putting in a coffee shop, convenience store or creative offices but no one has signed on the dotted line. A couple of months ago the group put in a proposal for family affordable housing units. The building was built in 1856. It’s been a number of things over the years including a knitting mill and a dye factory and it’s been slotted for hertiage desgnation in 2017.

Police arson investigators are still looking into the cause of the blaze.