The City of Hamilton will fight the two high rise Television City condo towers proposed at the site of CHCH-TV. Council’s planning committee voting Tuesday to oppose the project at the Ontario Municipal board. There have been concerns from the city and the residents that the towers won’t fit with the rest of the historic Durand neighbourhood because they are too tall and modern but developer Brad Lamb says he plans to continue working together to come up with a compromise.
“I don’t think that it’s going to be perfect for us or perfect for the council or perfect for the ratepayers but there will be a compromise. If we don’t find a compromise we will go to the OMB and I feel extremely confident that we will win at the OMB.” Brad Lamb.
Lamb has already filed an appeal to the Ontario Municipal board.
The plan includes about 618 residential units, almost 400 parking spots plus ground floor commercial spaces and the existing Pinehurst mansion possibly being converted into a restaurant with patio seating in the parking lot. The community has argued that new buildings shouldn’t be taller than the escarpment and that Television city would change the Hamilton skyline. The city planning director saying the two towers would have to be only 21-22 storeys to not exceed it.
“In terms of how we would see this site developing when you read the report you look at the guidelines you look at what we are trying to achieve in the character of the neighbourhood, it would actually lend itself to one tower on the site being in that 21-22 storeys in height.” Steve Robichaud, city planning director.
“No it’s a 2 tower site it absolutely is a 2 tower site. I take issue with it being a small site, it’s over an acre. In any city in Canada one acre downtown is a gigantic development site.” Lamb.
Lamb owns 4 properties in Hamilton and was looking at another site today. He says the first tower is sold out and will start selling tower 2 when the issues are resolved. He is hoping to start construction next spring.
