Harry and The Hamiltonian

When I asked Harry Stinson to be a guest on 10 Tough Questions, he immediately accepted. It was a bad week for both Harry and I to orchestrate this. Harry was immersed in some business transactions and I was out of the country.

So, while I provided Harry with the usual quantity of questions, we agreed to use the questions as a reference point, rather than to answer each (given the constraints on our time).  Below, you will find the initial list of questions which provided a reference point for Harry's response, followed by his response.  Enjoy 10 Tough Questions- "Stinson style".


The questions:

1. You’ve been received with some mixed reaction in Hamilton. Some see you as a entrepreneur with just what it takes to bring some bold ideas to fruition. Others are leery and question motives, techniques and ability to deliver. What is it about Harry Stinson that triggers these extreme points of view?
2. If you could change one thing about the investment climate in Hamilton, what would that be and why?
3. Setting up investment deals obviously entails being persuasive, winning and sustaining the confidence of prospective investors and delivering on a return on investment. What is the most challenging part of that cycle and how do you approach that challenge.
4. You’ve had entrepreneurial experience in Toronto and other places. How is Hamilton different from an investor’s perspective? Are those differences good or bad?
5. What lesson have you learned the hard way, during the course of your entrepreneurial ventures and how has that changed you?
6. How receptive have you found city council to be to your ideas and observations, and do you think we are setting the right tone to encourage new investment? To the extent we’re not, what would you suggest be done differently?
7. Reflecting upon you initial ideas for the Royal Connaught Hotel, and in recognition of the present thinking which would see the building used, in part, for affordable housing, what do you think the best course of action would be now?
8. Is Harry Stinson misunderstood? If so, how so?
9. Stinson School and your approach to transforming it into living units, sounds very promising. Assuming its success, what other opportunity (ies) might that spawn in the surrounding neighborhood. Do you see the Stinson School project as a catalyst for additional positive spin-offs, or do you see it as a more contained success?
10. Whenever a new idea is proposed, there are always “believers” , “non believers” and those who wait and see. You’ve proposed some bold ideas for Hamilton. How do you respond to the skeptics?
11. If there is one thing that Hamiltonians don’t know about you, and that you think would be useful for them to know, what would that be?


Harry's response
 
I am not going to apologize for “trying”. Yes, it troubles me to hear the skeptics and naysayers, but the only way to resolve the situation is not through an e-mail debate but by delivering some buildings. That takes a lot of energy and time.
 
The City of Hamilton is floundering specifically because too many people have given up trying to get things done. Instead, those who have the financial capacity to change the downtown – and there are many people in Hamilton with the personal money and resources to do so – are remaining passive rather than endure the public embarrassment of a “failure” or lose any of their family money. Significantly, much of the private money in Hamilton is multi-generational and the tough old guys who truly understand the concept of entrepreneurialism are gone, or retired.

 It is far easier to sit on a Committee or Task Force or go to “Summits” (featuring speakers from out of town) or organize more bloody golf tournaments…. then give each other pretentious awards for all they have done for the community. (Of course, a big banquet is required for this process, attended by the usual suspects giving the same self-righteous speeches).

The Connaught example is a classic. Everyone knows that converting such a prominent civic landmark into public housing sends out exactly the wrong message as to the future of downtown Hamilton. However, it is being justified on the basis that “it’s better than nothing”.

Even the poor folks and older folks whom I talk to on the street think it’s a stupid idea to convert the Connaught into public housing.

In many respects it is precisely the poorer folks and the older people who remember what downtown Hamilton used to be like…. and who are crying out for local leadership to revitalize downtown. These people understand first hand that such a revitalization will in turn create an environment where they could find a decent job, or enjoy their retirement in a neighbourhood similar to Toronto’s St Lawrence market or Queen West.

If “being resigned” to public housing at the Connaught is the level of thinking and ‘action’ that is acceptable … in comparison to offering a vision and then actually making a serious effort to see it happen, (even if it does not work out)……then I certainly have no apologies for at least trying. The Connaught Tower vision captured attention nationally in a positive way, and I certainly didn’t spend any Balsillie bucks in the process.

 I really don’t think Hamiltonians in general are looking for leadership based on “why try……,‘cuz it might not work”.

 My sense is that most people appreciated the imaginative attempt and the effort.

Can I “deliver”?

I have done so several times before, but it was never easy, nor fast, nor a slam-dunk. It takes many years and much trial and error and many setbacks to transform a non-precedent development vision into a reality. The Candy Factory Lofts in Toronto was a perfect example. The industry and the experts and the bankers all laughed at me when I started trying to develop loft apartments on Queen West……. Then they copied it. Mayor Barbara Hall changed the whole zoning approach to downtown Toronto. And all the mainstream developers started building lofts. Look at Queen West now!

The same lengthy effort was required with 1 King West; it took 10 years. At the beginning, “industry experts” ridiculed the idea that there was any market for residential apartments in the financial district, and that NOBODY would ever pay $400 a square foot for such product. Now, it’s the norm, and $400/sq.ft. is considered low. When you think about it, the vast majority of the buildings developed in Toronto in the last decade have been residential towers, and they are the key to the dynamic of downtown Toronto.

 There was also skepticism and derision when I introduced geothermal heating at High Park Lofts 8 years ago. Geo-what?

It is significant that when Tridel (Canada’s largest condo builder) needed a solution for their derelict retail mall under Village by the Grange, the Del Zotto brothers called me personally to come up with a live-work loft vision, which I designed and successfully sold out for them at above-market prices.
The same scenario occurred at the Graphic Arts Building on Richmond, the Knitting Mill on Queen East, the Victorian Tower…..…

Damn right I can deliver….. but nobody offers me the easy stuff.

The experts and bankers told me I was naïve to open a non-smoking restaurant in 1971 (the Groaning Board) because “60% of the population smokes”.

Well, I figured that if I were to open the only restaurant in Toronto which catered to the population that did NOT like smoking, then 40% was not a bad market share.

I hear from - and about – people who say they were ‘big supporters’ but now have “lost faith”.

Huh? In what useful way were they supporters?

Did they buy a suite? Did they invest any money?” Did they offer to personally help?

I certainly don’t recall much in the way of tangible assistance or support from these folks. They can sit around Tim Hortons and ‘save the world’ and they can write all the hour-consuming blogs they wish but I am going to keep persisting with redevelopment in Hamilton.

I am not here to be part of any club or association or to be “one of the gang”. I came because I really see an opportunity here and I love restoring old buildings. It is also no secret that I am starting all over again personally after a very painful partnership meltdown in Toronto in which I basically lost everything.

I came to Hamilton only 18 months ago with no resources, nor any connections, nor any big backers. In the circumstances, I am surprised that so much has been accomplished. I have no apologies for the Connaught vision and I really wish that I could have funded it. Actually I came close but then the wheels fell off the financial world.

I will try to answer the questions in detail later but in the meantime I am focused on actual work (far too much “talk” around here….)

Sorry if this sounds like a rant……. I am a passionate guy

Edit:  Harry has added the following:

The present Connaught controversy really puts into focus that Hamilton desperately NEEDS to be encouraging - not discouraging - the 'dreamers'. Instead of saying "I told you so", the message should be "keep trying".


The entire and only justification for recommending the Connaught public housing grant - which I strongly believe is a very bad urban planning decision - is that "it's better than nothing and we don't want the building to sit there and rot anymore". What pathetic leadership.

Good for Bob Bratina and his strenuous opposition to the concept; I hope the other councilors - and the mayor - have a change of heart (and stop listening to bad "legal advice").

Harry characterizes his response as a "rant". What do you think? Is Harry simply recounting the brutal facts? What do you think of his observations and assertions?

Special thanks to Harry and his interest in Hamilton. To read more about Harry and his accomplishments, click here