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Hamilton mayor’s bid for more presentable construction sites clears first hurdle

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger hopes to take measures to beautify the city's ongoing construction projects.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger hopes to take measures to beautify the city's ongoing construction projects. CHML

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger says he doesn’t want the city to look like a “discount town” while ongoing development projects are underway.

The mayor has brought forward a motion, which has been approved by the planning committee, that asks staff to explore ways of encouraging developers to beautify the board fencing, also known as hoarding, around construction sites.

The motion still needs final approval at next Wednesday’s city council meeting.

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Construction hoarding is regulated by the provincial Ministry of Labour.

The mayor believes, however, that developers could be offered “encouragement” or “inducement” through city bylaws to incorporate public art or promote the buildings under construction behind the hoarding, “all in the effort to make it look a lot more presentable.”

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“The plywood is unsightly and certainly attracts the kind of graffiti that we don’t want,” Eisenberg says.

He adds that his message applies to both private- and public-sector developments, pointing to Metrolinx and the number of boarded-up properties that the province’s transportation agency owns along Hamilton’s future light rail transit (LRT) route.

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