Monday, January 11, 2010

Demolition by Failed Leadership



It seems like another Hamilton iconic building is set to be torn down. The apparent next casualty is The Century Theatre, see Spec Stories here and here.

While I appreciate the tough talk by some city councillors in the wake of the revelation that the Century's days are up, it is undeniable that this is a last minute conversation that would have best been had many years ago when there would have been time to address the issue. There are no heroes in this, politically or otherwise.

Demolition by neglect is a concept that seems to prevail in Hamilton. Add to that the notion of allowing property owners to fall into gross arrears on their taxes and one arrives at the concept of demolition by a failure in leadership.

I recall a councillor once telling me that owners who fall into arrears on buildings contribute to a situation where owners will pay harsh penalties which gives way to the city eventually taking over the building. That councilor seemed to think this was a good return, and I wonder how many other councilors are of the same mind set. My response to that is that if you are aspiring to be in the repo business of neglected properties, tax arrears wise or otherwise,  you have demonstrated a failure in leadership.
Literally, parts of our city are crumbling down before us and the pre election rhetoric of -this should be done, or that should have been done..or, I was surprised to learn that.., just does not cut it. This is yet another example of our leadership being asleep at the switch. The owners of these buildings share the blame as well, but they don't make the rules.

The last time I recall demolition by neglect being discussed by this council in any meaningful way, the issue was deferred for further consultation. Maybe we need a new round of consultation to gauge how citizens feel as buildings cave in around them. Save the political rhetoric folks. It's shameful.

10 comments:

  1. Why stop at the old Lyric (Century)? Continue the farce and take everything down and get it over with. Build a huge roof over the entire down town and call it the world's largest outdoor/indoor mall.

    Hamilton, a slow death by political ineptitude. The owners of these situation buildings know how to get their money's worth. If the owner tried to sell the old Lyric, the selling price would probably not equal the amount of money in property back taxes that may have been saved up over the years.
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  2. Michelle HruschkaJan 11, 2010 10:10 AM
    I fail to understand how this buildings owner could be allowed to just let the building rot. Where are the property standards people, how come they are always failing to do their job.

    If you ask me it is just more then just council that needs a clean sweep but city hall as well.

    Property Stnadards Enforcement at Work, well not really

    It sounds about right in this video, enforcement lady takes a few pictures, slaps a notice in the window, then walks away, never doing anything, no follow up, no nothing. How much do these people get paid, Benefits, Pensions.

    This is inexcusable for many reasons.
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  3. Cal. I used to follow you on the now defunct Hallmarks, that I used to cal Cal Marks. You're one of the few people that i always thought had something useful to say. I admit to being a "lurker" on this blog and on Hallmarks, so excuse me if I only use myu first name. I know you are trying to be nuetral but I think you should come out swinging, once in a while. I agree with you 100% on the demo by failure in leadership thing. You are a gtreat leader Cal and you should take everyones advice and give Fred a run for his money. Hamilton needs people who are smart and can out talk the talkers with intelligence and good reasoning. Rob
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  4. Stan Laurel performed there once.

    Rick Cordeiro
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  5. Just another can-o-worms to open and dissect during an election year. Judging by the slate so far, we are in for more of the same, the tainted status quo. Cal for Mayor.
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  6. I agree that Cal should run for Mayor. On the topic here, don't forgert that many councillors have been around for more than one term so why didn't they do something about the demo thing way back when? Dont fall for the election B.S.! Tom
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  7. I love that old slapstick, thanks for that bit of trivia Rick. One of our more esteemed colleagues once suggested bulldozers and dynamite as a cure for the core. Looks like he was right, AGAIN! So I would take that as a sign, an election sign that is. Cal, what are you waiting for?
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  8. The following was a headline in Raise the Hammer March 18 2006 - Downtown is Looking Up: Don't look now, but downtown Hamilton is potentially on the verge of a major makeover.

    Yeah sure ! The makeover is a demolition. Even Raise the Hammer got fooled.
    Of all the projects that got mentioned, including the Lyric/Century Theatre, only one seems to be moving – the infamous Lister Block. And that after a massive subsidy.
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  9. Hi Cal,

    According to the Hamilton Spectator the property is owned by Zoran Cocov. It would be very interesting to find out what other properties in the core this person also owns if any? The reason why I ask this is because a while back when I was still residing in Hamilton I attended the grand opening of the Paperbox Studios and had the pleasure of meeting up with Harry Stinson and I learned a lot from him that day with the way things work in the downtown especially where it pertains to the rules and the Bylaws of our city for property owners.

    Harry Stinson told me that if you own a building/ property in downtown Hamilton and it's next door to another building that is falling apart and/OR in bad shape you get a tax break from the city, EVEN IF YOU OWN BOTH PROPERTIES!! So where's the incentive to make improvements? Well, the way things stand now in Hamilton there isn't any. We should be giving property owners in downtown Hamilton incentives to fix up and improve their properties. Once again, another area in town where we have our priorities backwards....BUT, as you stated Cal, the property owners don't make up the rules and that may be so but the thing I'm concerned about is maybe the guys who do make the rules in town, maybe they have very close ties to these property owners and the property owners like the rules just the way they are.

    Somethhing to think about.

    Rick Cordeiro
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  10. Who cares about that old building? Out of all of the buildings that are old and potentially classic; the Century stands out at unworthy. It is just an old building that had long been shoddy and ugly, and it was an eyesore even forty years ago.

    We can't "save" everything. Some things need to be yanked down simply because they are beyond repair, and are of no value, especially when they are butt ugly. People that had never been there seem to be all up in arms - having been there, in the "good old days", well, it should have been ripped down forty years ago.

    Same with the Lister Block, of which people that never visited it or worked there have some fond memories. Having been there, that building was terrible, even forty years ago. Old, rickety, poorly laid out, not adaptable to any modern uses, and obsolete.

    Many buildings have been destroyed over the years - buildings that had merit and could have entirely been rehabbed; like the old Phantom plant on Dundurn, or the apartment building at Hess and King, or the old Federal Building - all easily adapted and put back into play; but we decided to waste money on old garbage, like the Lister Block, or the thirty million that was lost on the old Tivoli, buildings that were beyond repair, not adaptable, and that will never be of practical use.

    Face it, many of the old buildings are just that, old - and next to some architectural details that can easily be recreated with modern, safe materials - they are nothing but shoddy, inefficient and worthless.

    Perhaps we would make better use of out efforts upon insisting that new construction follow some design guidelines that would mimic those things that we believe are appealing and venerable; while allowing builders the chance of constructing safe, modern, usable buildings in the place of stuff that will never meet the grade.

    We should also get over this fixation on "Condos". Every proposal that the City fixates on is a Condo. We have tons of condos - no one wants to live in them for some reason, perhaps because of outrageous maintenance fees or the fact that condo owners have no say in the operation of the condo itself.

    Instead, the City should concentrate on those things that either bring something profitable to the City: like creating space for business and manufacturing that are money makers for all; or by encouraging Co-op living spaces where the people are empowered and since they are share holders, have a vested interest.

    Of course, the systematic problems remain, that slum landlords end up paying much less tax than those people who have neat properties, or have made improvements - because Market Value Assessment is just a big scam. Property tax should be that - a tax on property. If someone operates a slum, they should pay the same tax as someone who builds something out of a solid gold ingot...
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