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

Representation

One of the tenets of representative government in a democracy, is that the people are duly represented. Hamilton benefits from a very diversified mix of citizenry. If we step away from that, you would expect that our elected officials mirror or approximate, to a reasonable extent, that make up.

Council is made up of 16 councilors (including Mayor Fred). Two are women. None appear to be members of visible minority groups. There also appears to be noone who is living with a disability (I could be wrong - disabilities are not always visible).  The makeup is noteworthy, because it does not mirror or approximate Hamilton's diversity or gender balance. Representative government works best when the government actually represents the community in which it governs.

Certainly one can achieve an understanding of issues related to different cultures and race, gender etc. by being connected to those communities/people. I’m not suggesting that we have no effective form of representation. But it is not an ideal substitute for the perspective that could be brought to bear from those with lived experience.

Of course, this is not an issue that I lay at the foot of council.  The roots of the problem are complex. Systemically, there seems to be nothing in place that ensures or promotes arriving at a better balance, other than the opportunity for anyone to run for office.

Do you think we would be better served by a council that mirrors or aproximates our citizen make-up? Would we be better off if we had, for example, an equal distribution of women on council and within the whole distribution, representation from people from a wide range of groups that live in our communities?  If you believe it  matters, what can be done to ensure a better balance?

10 Tough Questions with Glen Norton

Glen Norton is the new senior business development consultant with Hamilton's downtown renewal office. Read more about him here . For 10 Tough Questions, Glen provides some additional insight into his approach and aspirations for downtown renewal.

1. In your interview with the Hamilton Spectator, you left no doubt that you are confident and enthusiastic about downtown renewal. What willyour focus be in the first 90 days?

In addition to learning about what programs the City has to encourage development downtown, I am meeting many of the key players: the developers, City staff, BIA staff, and business owners to develop my own understanding of what the challenges have been, what has worked well (and what hasn't and why). From this orientation and meeting phase I hope to be better equipped to add value personally.

2. What is your message to small business people who are finding it challenging to operate in the core?

I do believe the business environment continues to improve downtown. I would encourage them to join and actively participate in a BIA – things do get done when people with common issues band together. I understand this Department is big on the “one stop shopping” approach to providing services, which will become more apparent at the new City Hall and is already getting some traction on-line. I would also suggest they make themselves aware of the financial incentive programs the City offers in the downtown enterprise zone and the BIA's. They can find these at www.hamiltonrenewal.ca, or call us at Downtown Renewal. Our programs are designed to create jobs and create housing, both of which provide market opportunities for our downtown businesses.

3. One of your stated goals is to address the boarded up places throughout the core. How are you planning to approach that issue?

I much prefer the 'carrot' to the 'stick' approach. In other words, we need to maintain the successes of by-laws and enforcement for vacant buildings (as seen in the recent Spectator article), and we need to balance this with incentives for revitalizing vacant buildings. Ultimately, as the business environment improves downtown it will make good financial sense to the property owners to remove the boards and develop the space for commercial, retail, or housing uses. And by the way, I don't believe there are nearly as many boarded up buildings downtown as people think.

4. Change and transformation are two different things in terms of magnitude. Are you looking at a transformation, or a change?

Tough question, in fact, I had to go look up a definition using Google: “Change is incremental at best. It is about moving the pieces in a game on the same board or field. Change is like putting on a new outfit. Transformation is fundamental and structural. It is about changing the field or the board on which we are playing. Transformation is about changing from within. Transformation requires change; change does not require transformation. “ Given those definitions, I would have to say that there needs to be some of both. The transformational part is in people's attitudes – that Hamiltonians will stop berating and belittling the downtown and will come to see it as an area worthy of respect for its history, and support for what it is becoming. The changes are incremental, and started at least five years ago. Every new store that opens, or living unit that is created, or event held in the downtown core is in itself a change that will bring about other changes. Some exciting possibilities – like the PanAm games or an NHL team – may accelerate the pace of change, but we should not forget about those labouring day by day to make the downtown a better place.


5. You mentioned that your goal is to make the need for your job redundant. What measures or indicators would you be looking for to know that you've reached that objective?

The biggest indicator of success will be that deals are happening, new businesses are opening, building owners are improving their properties – all without the assistance of any City funded programs. Other indicators will be that the commercial vacancy rate has declined, and the number of people who live, work and play downtown has increased.

6. Many have said that they don't feel safe when walking downtown Hamilton at night. To the extent that this perception is out there, how can we address this problem?

As you said Cal, it is really a perception, without a lot of reality. This issue is one that is shared by all cities of comparable size. There is a dedicated police presence in the core and increased closed circuit television cameras, showing the commitment of Hamilton Police Services. I would encourage any citizen of Hamilton to make the trip downtown, spend some time and money here. Their presence, active engagement, and their spending, are really the keys to a vibrant city core.

7. Many attempts, from well intentioned people, have been made to breath new life into our city's core. What makes you different?

I am not sure what you are referring to by the ‘many attempts’, the only one that I am aware of is the well intentioned mistake made when the old City Hall and downtown neighbourhoods were replaced by a monolithic urban mall which turned its back to the sidewalk (and this is a mistake that numerous cities across North America made in the ‘70’s). I do believe that there have been many positive contributions made by many people, from the small business owner to the largest corporations and institutions. I can only hope to keep the momentum going and to accelerate the rate of change. I can’t do this alone, and fortunately I don’t have to! There are a lot of people committed to making the downtown a better place, and I feel privileged to be working with them. If you want to know why I think I can be successful in this new job, I would tell you that I bring a very broad, multidisciplinary and collaborative approach that I have arrived at through my careers in Landscape Architecture, banking, and small business ownership. I also think my timing is good: people seem open to change right now, and are talking about what is happening, not just what might happen. This positive thinking was indicated in a recent online poll, and I hear it in conversations regularly – particularly when talking with the younger people and newer businesses.

8. What will the city's core look and feel like five years from now, if you succeed?

In five years there will be more of all the good things that are currently happening downtown: more people will be living, working and playing downtown. The downtown will be where the bright young minds graduating from McMaster and Mohawk will want to work and live, instead of moving to Toronto. The downtown will be where our citizens go when they want to enjoy the best in arts and culture, whether it be music, drama or fine arts. In five years we won’t be at the destination of what the downtown will become, but we will be well on our way.

9. What is the biggest challenge to achieving your objectives? How do you plan to tackle it?

The biggest challenge by far is going to be real and measurable change in the mindsets and perceptions of people – and I am not just talking about those “on the outside looking in” (like Torontonians), but Hamiltonians themselves. I see a real attitude of cynicism and apathy from too many people that should know better. Tackling those long-entrenched attitudes is not going to be easy, but if I have to start by changing them one person at a time, so be it. I see it like that old shampoo commercial: ”…. and she told two people, who told two people, who told two people…..” . I will be taking every opportunity I can to get the message out that we don’t need to wait for the “home runs” – single base hits are the way to win a ball game.

10. What is the biggest opportunity that the core offers, and what is the biggest barrier. How will you approach these?

I think the core offers two strengths that will lead to opportunities for economic growth: the first is easy access to everything a business could need or want; the second is character – for example: great old buildings, Gore Park and the waterfront. Part of my strategy is going to be to present these strengths to companies that do not currently operate in Hamilton (read: in downtown Toronto). When you add the very affordable housing stock throughout Hamilton to the mix, I see our downtown as a fantastic opportunity for regional offices for the national and international companies, and for head offices of the regional firms, particularly in the financial services and not-for-profit sectors.

Special thanks to Glen for his contribution to "The Hamiltonian" , for his service to the city, and for his interest in our city.



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