The head of the group renovating Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre says they hope to “work collaboratively” with the Salvation Army on a possible relocation of its men’s shelter on York Boulevard.
PJ Mercanti, CEO of Carmen’s Group and president of the Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group (HUPEG) says they “remain respectful” of the organization and its needs despite an action item proposing “reasonable efforts to relocate” the Salvation Army’s Hamilton Booth Centre.
“We understand that they are conducting their own internal review about their future needs, and so we’re respectful of their process,” Mercanti told 900 CHML’s Hamilton Today.
“And we remain committed to working collaboratively with them in the event that they would like to work with HUPEG or others.”
The potential relocation was included in the downtown arena redevelopment master plan, released publically Wednesday, disclosing the city and HUPEG will seek to move the decades-old centre at 94 York Blvd.
Mercanti acknowledged the Salvation Army are “in control of their own destiny” since they own the address.
The Booth Centre is a men’s shelter that provides a temporary home for some 100 men experiencing homelessness in the city.
In a statement to Global News, a Salvation Army spokesperson characterized the relocation initiative as a “surprise” despite having been approached by HUPEG and provided with a long-term vision for the downtown.
“The Salvation Army has no immediate plans of relocating the Hamilton Booth Centre,” Glenn van Gulik, divisional secretary for public relations wrote.
“We remain committed to supporting the most vulnerable in the downtown core through our emergency men’s shelter, the Hamilton Booth Centre and our Community and Family Services.”
He went on to say they “look forward to continued dialogue” with the city and partners to serve “struggling individuals and families in Hamilton.”
The multi-million dollar redevelopment of Hamilton’s downtown arena and neighbouring entertainment venues is slated to begin in January 2024.
FirstOntario is the centrepiece of the build which expects to add a new exterior façade, video board, transformation of the lower bowl, expanded concourse and a flexible curtaining system for the upper bowl balcony.
The project, expected to last 18 to 20 months, will also include the changing out of floors, walls and the ceiling in the Chedoke Ballroom and a Concert Hall upgrade.
However, Mercanti says the latter two venues will remain open for some time with the arena development first on the list.
“The priority was getting the arena renovated first, but those two venues will remain open and there will be conventions still coming in, different concerts, musical events and comedy events at the concert hall,” he said.
Estimates put the cost of construction between $60 to $80 million after accounting for possible cost escalations compared to quotes in the 2016 renovation study.
HUPEG took on a 49-year lease of all three venues in January at a cost of just $1 per year.
A forecast from the city and developers estimates some $155 million will be saved through the management initiative over 30 years.
Mercanti says the involvement of the Oak View Group (OVG), which recently completed a similar 12-month project at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, could potentially accelerate timelines for completion, currently set for the second half of 2025.
Meetings with the city’s chamber of commerce and downtown stakeholders will happen in a couple of weeks to discuss programming and activations for nearby restaurants and businesses that typically rely on the activity at FirstOntario.
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