City staff are being asked to investigate the feasibility of creating a technology hub within Hamilton’s downtown core.
The motion, approved by city councillors at a committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon, is in response to a private sector proposal to build a pair of 20- to 24-storey towers and an urban plaza on the city-owned land behind Hamilton City Hall.
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MetroPartners Inc., in conjunction with Lintack Architects, believes it could attract Google and other signature companies to the city core and create 6-7,000 tech jobs in total by creating “Class-A” leasable office space.
Hamilton-born entrepreneur Paven Bratch, in making his pitch to city councillors, said “Hamilton has the infrastructure, the culture, the arts and entertainment, the people, the downtown GO link and expanding airport” to make his vision a reality.
Bratch also highlighted the city’s talent pool “driven by our strong university and college network.”
Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr is among those looking to further investigate the proposal noting that there is currently not an “A-class” tower within the downtown core and noting that without one “we aren’t going to break the mold and achieve things that maybe some of us have not even dreamed of.”
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A political willingness to lease or sell the rear portion of the city hall property will be one big question as the process moves forward.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger suggested that “those not inclined to go there” let their feelings be known at the start of the process, rather than “leading any potential proponents out there down a path that is a blind alley.”
Ward 6 Coun. Tom Jackson is one such voice, saying, “there are other city properties that could be disposed of to make money for city taxpayers, but I want to preserve city hall plaza in the public interest for generations to come.”
The proposal dates back to 2016, when council asked city staff to seek out expressions of interest in the land behind city hall.
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