Hamilton councillor calls Vrancor hotel development ‘disposable’

Ten storeys have been built so far, but Vrancor Group has cleared a hurdle to add two more to its future hotel on the edge of downtown Hamilton.

The city planning committee's green light Tuesday on a 5-3 vote didn't come without scathing criticism over the developer's path to approval, however.

And Vrancor's application for land-use changes to add two storeys to the partially built hotel at the corner of King Street West and Queen Street North is just one element of a greater blueprint.

On the horizon is another request to add 19 storeys to a residential building approved at six storeys on the same site, where the developer razed an old orphanage.

Coun. Maureen Wilson, whose motion to reject the additional storeys on the hotel didn't pass Tuesday, denounced Vrancor's designs as disposable" to the historic Strathcona neighbourhood.

And disposable places are places that could be anywhere and thus nowhere."

The Ward 1 councillor also criticized the developer's shifting plans, warning such a process could make the city's push for denser building forms more difficult.

In this case, clearly, the goalposts have been moved. They keep moving, and we've got a package that is undeserving of this neighbourhood."

Addressing councillors, Strathcona resident Wayne MacPhail called the shifting development plans a classic bait and switch."

MacPhail, who started a neighbourhood group called the Shadow Dwellers to oppose the schemes, said he first heard of Vrancor's short version" in 2018 but then learned of the loftier one in early 2019.

We were told it was one thing and then we were told is was another thing," he said. And the second thing was much higher, much uglier and much more impactful on the neighbourhood than what was originally proposed."

Dozens of area residents also wrote the city to voice concerns, ranging from increased traffic to lack of green space.

The emails also contend the development is out of step with the area's heritage character, including the Scottish Rite, an 1890s-era mansion owned by the Masons across King.

Aleda O'Connor told councillors the design was an architectural insult" and lamented the sudden and dramatic intensification."

Vrancor's plan for a six-storey residential building and 10-storey hotel received site plan approval in October 2019.

That December, the firm led by Darko Vranich then pitched the 25 and 12 storeys, before deciding a year later to separate the proposals and focus first on the hotel.

The request for 19 more storeys on the residential building will be covered at a future meeting, city urban planner Andrea Dear said Tuesday.

But staff supported two more storeys for the hotel, Dear said, noting the developer's technical reports were weighed against residents' concerns and planning policies.

Staff are satisfied that the proposed building height is compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood."

Another developer, Coletara, is building a 24-storey residential building across King and Queen at the site of the former All Saints Anglican Church.

Vrancor's 12-storey hotel and proposed 25-storey residential building aren't the only developments it has in the works for the area.

In September 2018, the developer received conditional site plan approval for 15-storey and 12-storey buildings at 200 Market St., just north of King.

Vrancor, which is also building townhouse units on Market, then proposed four towers, each between 15 and 25 storeys.

The city says it hasn't received an application for official plan and zoning amendments on the active file.

Vrancor executives didn't respond to The Spectator's request for comment Tuesday.

But Brenda Khes, a planning consultant for Vrancor, told the committee the hotel property is an underutilized site" along a major transit route just outside downtown.

The two storeys increase the number of suites to 154 from 126, Khes noted.

This particular development will increase the hotel suites by 28, which will also accommodate increased tourism and growing industries in the city."

Coun. Jason Farr agreed, saying the hotel will benefit downtown entertainment venues and help Hamilton recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ward 2 councillor also offered a defence of the hotel's design, pointing out, everyone has a different opinion" on what makes a beautiful building."

Coun. John-Paul Danko contended the only reason to add two more storeys was additional profit.

He questioned why the city would allow Vrancor and others to just keep coming in with a sliding scale to add storeys" on top of previous approvals.

Brenda Johnson sided with Danko and Wilson in rejecting the added storeys. Chad Collins, Lloyd Ferguson, Judi Partridge and Maria Pearson joined Farr to vote in favour of them.

The decision awaits a final nod at council next week.

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com