In June of this year, The Hamiltonian published an article examining the condition of Hamilton City Centre and the impression it leaves on visitors encountering one of the city’s most visible downtown landmarks.
At the time, the building’s deterioration and apparent neglect were difficult to ignore. In response, The Hamiltonian contacted both the property owner, Darryl Firsten of in8 Developments, and the City of Hamilton to ask why the site had been allowed to fall into such a state and what plans, if any, were in place to address its appearance.
Both Mr. Firsten and the City of Hamilton responded to our inquiries. The full exchange with Mr. Firsten is available to readers by clicking here.
Today, The Hamiltonian revisited the site and observed that Mr. Firsten has followed through on his stated intention to commission a large-scale exterior art installation on the building. A photograph taken today illustrates the change, with the previous condition shown on the left and the updated exterior on the right.
In our earlier correspondence, Mr. Firsten stated: “As soon as market conditions improve, we intend to knock the building down and put up some spectacular towers. In the meantime, we are doing our best to deal with the graffiti that is occurring on the building.”
The Hamiltonian acknowledges Mr. Firsten’s efforts to act on his assurances and thanks both him and the City of Hamilton for engaging with our questions and responding to concerns about this prominent downtown site. Whether the interim makeover represents a meaningful improvement is a matter we leave to our readers to decide.
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