Even as the southern Ontario city lists more buildings as heritage structures, giving them some slight protection, two structures built in the 1800’s on King Street facing Hamilton’s popular Gore Park are set to come down.
The demolition is beginning despite a compromise deal with the city to keep them standing while preservation options are discussed.
The developer said the facades are not being touched for now.
Hamilton city councillors involved in the discussions say they were caught off guard when heavy demolition equipment moved in.
“Nothing has changed,” Robert Miles, senior property manager with Wilson-Blanchard told CBC Hamilton. “The city and the owner are discussing the heritage frontage only and have never talked about keeping the buildings behind these frontages.”
However that is different from a statement made by counciller Jamie Farr, involved in discussions, who said on July 9, that demolition would be stopped
The city had intended to do a peer review of all the buildings, but that likely wont happen now, said Counc. Brian McHattie.
“If they maintain the front forty feet, we’d still want to do a peer review there — but it’s obviously not going to be the whole thing.” McHattie also expressed some concern for the parts of the buildings’ that are supposed to stay standing. “If you demolish half the building, how do we know the other half still stands?”
Councillor Farr was unavailable for comment but said on twitter he was “perplexed” by the start of the demolition and was returning early from vacation.
David Blanchard and his partners are planning a complex that includes retail and commercial space, as well as condos.
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