An old building with new ideas: Historic Coppley building is being reimagined, but its design will stay

One of the most iconic pre-Confederation buildings in the city is switching hands.

TAS - a Toronto-based development company - and the Hamilton Community Foundation (HCF) - a local organization working to drive positive change" in the city - are restoring the Coppley building on York Boulevard.

The two groups have big plans for the 70,000-square-foot building that is set to reopen in mid-2023.

You need an old building for new ideas," said Mazyar Mortazavi, president and CEO of TAS.

New ideas are precisely what's in store for the former textile factory built in 1856. However, the building's original character and footprint" will remain untouched when renovations begin in mid-2022.

The downtown building, which TAS acquired in collaboration with investors like HCF and Vancity Community Investment Bank, will serve as a community hub for charities, non-profits and private sector partners.

A bakery, a brewery or a coffee shop on the first floor may be in the cards.

The courtyard, accessible by the first floor - fit with a 20-foot arched doorway initially used as a loading zone - could serve as a space for art crawls and public events, with the second, third and fourth floors as office space.

Above the top floor? A potential rooftop space for events with a view of the harbour and the area's industrial character, Mortazavi proposed to Terry Cooke, president and CEO of HCF, on a tour of the 165-year-old building.

Whatever the plans may be, HCF will be an integral partner to determine who - and what - should fill the open spaces, Mortazavi said.

We're committed together to not only restore what I think is the most important piece of commercial heritage and history in Hamilton, but also creating a really lively space where everybody belongs," Cooke said.

Besides the infrastructure revamps, you need the people elements," too, Mortazavi said, and they've started engaging with Hamiltonians and hiring key consultants and trades" for the project.

Mortazavi said the building will be a place for the community," which he hopes will create a ripple effect in the city with positive impacts beyond Coppley's doors - including mitigating the effects of gentrification.

TAS is looking for ways to help non-profits and charities build an asset base," which may include allowing them to become a syndicated owner with a lease-to-own opportunity - or a shared equity model" - noting these groups often get displaced when major renovation projects, like the imminent renovation at Coppley, are complete.

Charities never get the security of tenure or the uplift in value in neighbourhoods as they change," Mortazavi said.

The company strives to drive both positive social and environmental impact" through the transformation.

Mortazavi said a carbon strategy for the building is in the works, including thermal efficiency and other features. Plus, repurposing the building, rather than developing an entirely new one, helps to preserve the carbon history" of the space, he said.

What will the indoor renovations look like, and who will call the building home? Hamiltonians will find out in 2023.

This is a special place, and we're going to honour its history and reimagine its future," Cooke said.

Alessia Passafiume is a reporter with The Spectator. apassafiume@thespec.com