Tall order: 45-storey tower pitched for Hamilton’s Pier 8 harbourfront
A startling proposal for a residential tower reaching up to 45-storeys in height is the upshot of a neighbourhood appeal of Hamilton's ambitious Pier 8 redevelopment.
The signature" tower was pitched by development architect and Hamilton native Bruce Kuwabara in a virtual meeting with city planners and neighbourhood residents Wednesday. The tall building would allow more family-sized units and on-pier parking in a planned neighbourhood that otherwise has an eight-storey height limit.
But there's no guarantee the harbourfront tower will go ahead at record-breaking heights, said ward Coun. Jason Farr, who stressed there are variations in massing and height" possible.
The proposed tower will need to survive public consultation, zoning and official plan amendments and an urban design study to set appropriate" maximum building heights on harbourfront land city officials previously vowed would not be used for skyscrapers."
City council voted to partner with a consortium called Waterfront Shores in 2018 on a high-profile plan to redevelop the barren west harbour industrial pier into around 1,600 condo and townhouse units. Both neighbourhood residents and industry appealed the plan, with the former group settling with the city in November.
At the time, a city release said notable" settlement changes included more on-pier parking, more family units" and city consideration of planning amendments needed for a mid-to-highrise" development next to the Discovery Centre.
Forty-five storeys would set a new highrise record in Hamilton, with the current tallest building the 43-storey Landmark Place downtown. (A developer also pitched a 59-storey condo tower in Stoney Creek last year.)
It would also be a significant departure from the area secondary plan and original Pier 7-8 urban design study that forced groups bidding on the redevelopment project to come up with neighbourhood plans for 3,000 residents limited to a maximum height of eight storeys.
The North End Neighbours Association's planning committee has recommended further study" of the concept, telling its members a tall building would have some attractive aspects" - particularly increased family housing on the pier.
Herman Turkstra, an association member who was heavily involved in the pier appeal, said he is open to considering the signature" building concept as a way to promote more family housing and reduce density" through the rest of the pier neighbourhood.
If you had asked me two or three years ago if I would ever be supporting a tall building on the waterfront, I would not have been able to imagine that would work," he said. But Turkstra said the project architects have since convinced him it's possible to build something that was actually beautiful" and adds to the neighbourhood.
Some council members were caught off-guard by Wednesday's sky-high pitch.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger said he had yet to hear the details of the height proposal, but added a 45-storey tower sounded like a non-starter."
Coun. Chad Collins said the maximum height proposed came out of left field," adding he had assumed the settlement contemplated something closer to 10 or 12" storeys. It's just totally contrary to anything we as a council have told residents about the vision for this development," he said.
As far back as 2013, former city manager Chris Murray said the city was intent on avoiding the type of complaints faced by Toronto about a waterfront blocked" by tall towers.
We're talking medium density," Murray said shortly after the Hamilton Port Authority agreed to transfer Pier 8 to the city, setting redevelopment plans in motion. You're not going to see skyscrapers."
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com