Raise the Hammer

Great work Michael. This has been baffling to me since we all heard about this...why tear down the school when there is a ton of empty space all around it? As well, I'm not certain, but based on looking at the back of the school it appears as though the back low piece of the school could be demolished to add green space, or apartment parking etc.....

Nobody is surprised that the school board simply wants to tear it down and get on to building more schools in the countryside. I'm glad to see such work being done by residents and business people who care about Hamilton, and who understand (and again, care) what makes a city successful, and how a neighbourhood can be revitalized. Empty rubble lots for years on end accomplish neither.

Let's hope that Michael Clark's proposal will be the first of many when the process is opened up to the community at large and beyond. The message should be that here in Hamilton and in particular Ward 3, that we are open for creative solutions to the adaptive re-use of our built heritage that has been so woefully neglected and that the process be fair and transparent to all.

I have learned through direct correspondence with Rom D'Angelo, Director Facilities Management & Capital Programs that (these quotes are taken directly from his emails to me):

"What I'm saying here is that the HWDSB was clear to us in the city that the property wasn't for sale."

"This exercise of estimating a market value has become difficult for the sole reason that the building and site does not belong to the City, the School Board has no interest in selling the property to the city nor does it have an interest in selling to the public. The Board is reluctant to put a price of the site."

"The $1.4M stated in your email below, is a figure in the City's Capital Budget and will be used for the Pinky Lewis expansion, for design and scope documents, getting the project ready for tendering and construction phase (i.e getting it shovel-ready)."

So, a senior person from the City of Hamilton tells us that the HWDSB will not tell the City, with whom they have been working on a re-development plan for 5 years according to Councillor Morelli, whether or not they will sell the building, nor how much they would ask for it should they decide to sell it. Some plan.

No wonder no private investors came forward when the Board still doesn't have a price for the building and says they don't want to sell it. See, most people like to have some sense for price before committing to purchase something. Some plan.

When I asked Bernie Morelli at the December 4 meeting at Cathy Wever how much the HWDSB wanted for the building, he said he had the number, but wanted to verify it. Pretty tough to verify when the HWDSB says they don't have a number and won't give it to Morelli even if they had one. Even senior City staff don't have the number. Some plan.

This has been poorly managed from the get go. The HWDSB, and in particular Tim Simmons, and Councillor Morelli need to show us their business plan. Enough of the Hallmark greeting card pandering about children, and trees, and shade, and heritage. Start by being transparent. You know, the good definition of public transparency, not the bad one they seem to be engaged in at the moment.

Wow.

Don't know what else to say, really.

Comment edited by seancb on 2012-12-17 08:14:17

The lawyer made some money by following the lead of pioneers like Dave Kuruc and others and investing in the adaptive reuse of a derelict building on James North. Pretty sure he has the best interests of the area at heart.

There, fixed that for you.

This is getting insane! I know Michael. He is a gentleman who didn't need "to line his pockets" by taking a risky gamble with 4 investors to kick out a creep like Rev Ron and improve the street. This anti-gentrification crap has to stop. There is nothing good about sucking as a city. God bless the early investors in James. Time marches on. There is enough pie for indie artists and developers. Have you seen the prices at www.hotelhamilton.com they are cheap, clean and amazing.

I keep on thinking of that lovely lot at King and Wentworth by Cathedral High! I'm not so sure that the gravel lot surrounded by "temporary" fencing that has been there the past few years is better than the decrepit tavern that was there before. It was demolished to make parking for Cathedral, yet I haven't seen it used as a lot and why don't they pave it?

At least Sanford is a beautiful building that isn't ramshackle and falling down - the bones seem to be sound, despite it not having a boiler.

Just saying that there already is a precedence for a Hamilton area BoE with aspirations of real-estate gains with no evidence of any pre-planning and they made a botch job of then as the other BoE will now...

Adaptive reuse of Sanford School has been attempted earlier.

Here is my email exchange with Clr. Morelli regarding Sanford School from July 26/27, 2012.

Unfortunately, the anticipated walk-thru of the school building never materialized, as HWDSB appeared to be committed to its plans for its demolition -- which was solely guided by the feedback it received from the small group working around the Wever Elementary School & Pinky Lewis Rec Centre.

For a more detailed understanding as to how this decision to demolish got shaped - read this:

There has been much misinformation about the roles that have been played by various organizations/groups leading up to the decision to demolish this building. Unfortunately, there has been a reluctance among local media sources to publicly discuss facts.

Much as we would like to beat down on somebody for this unfortunate outcome, the truth is that we are ourselves to blame as a community, for not being vigilant. The impending demise of Sanford School was indeed brought up in a few exchanges here in 2011 & 2012, but many were focused on other issues.

HWDSB and its trustees are not to be blamed in this saga, for it has been the City Community Services Dept which was essentially leading all civic planning and by default civic engagement at Sanford, Wever School, Pinky Lewis Rec centre.

And it has been the small group of individuals operating via the Wever School (who do provide essential services to Kids), who gave HWDSB the impression that they represented the local community -- and hence the unfortunate chain of events that has led to such an outcome.

My request to the HWDSB is this:

If there is a change of direction viz the demolition of Sanford School, (and I have full confidence that this will be the outcome tonight) -- then in order to rectify the damage done by a faulty process of community engagement, a through assessment must be made to understand how these conditions arose in the first place.

And then, a totally transparent RFP needs to be developed by HWSDB, so that re-development proposals are solicited from across the region or province, and if need be across the nation to ensure that the very best ideas are brought forward.

I hope that the HWDSB trustees makes the right call tonight to alter the course on Sanford School, and turns this crisis into an opportunity to re-invent not just itself, but thru its collaboration with the City of Hamilton, help re-focus the City's "Planning and Community Services Department" to develop a keener understanding of the positive changes that have been already underway in Ward 3 for some years now.

Mahesh P. Butani

Note:

The design schematic in proposal above establishes that all needs of the Wever School and the Pinky Lewis Rec Centre can be easily accommodated without demolishing the Sanford School building -- with the only exception that the Soccer field design has to be seen in the right context.

The size of the soccer field shown in the earlier published drawing, is an Adult Soccer Field with a size of: 60-80 yds x 100-120 yds (or 180 ft-240 ft x 300 ft-360 ft).

Ironically, an adult size soccer field was being proposed for an Elementary School, (upto 5th grade).

This incomprehensible overreach in the size of the Soccer field has led to the faulty conclusions that the Sanford School Building had to be torn down.

The average age of kids in 5th grade is 10-11 yrs. and as such they do not require an Adult Size Soccer Field, but a standard U-10 or U-11 size field -- which is around: 40-50 yds x 70-80 yds (or 150 ft x 240 ft). Kids that age are not able kick as far as an adult could, nor run that much. Hence the different sizes of Soccer field for different age groups.

As things stand, the space available behind - or to the North of the Sanford Building, simply cannot accommodate an adult size soccer field. However, the appropriate size as required for an Elementary school can be easily accommodated at the rear of the Sanford School Building, without having to demolish the main building. Just the removal of the rear gym structure provides ample room for the field.

Other requirements of the Wever School & Pinky Lewis Rec Centre as shown in the drawing above, can also be very easily phased in as the funding for it materializes.

Such an approach does not requires the demolition of the Sanford School Building, which can be re-purposed by the private sector via a public RFP.

The Sanford School redevelopment will generate significant assessment revenues for the city, which then could be used to fund the expansion of the Pinky Lewis Rec Centre and support Kids & Adult programming at the Wever School.

Comment edited by Mahesh_P_Butani on 2012-12-17 14:36:40

That is more or less what I was envisioning as a compromise solution that still allows all elements to take place! Fantastic to see it has been drawn out. What is the boards problem? They aren't making money off a demolition are they? I like your idea of phasing things in as the money allows.

Even if he didn't have the "best interests" in mind (which you have no way of proving/knowing), how on earth could buying a school slated for demo & re purposing it possibly be a bad thing?

This statement just seems baseless.

"This anti-gentrification crap has to stop."

I cannot agree enough with this line... bravo!

Gentrification has some very real impacts on very vulnerable people, simply negating all criticism or demanding the silence of any disagreement that gentrification is all good is elitist-petit-bourgeois-bullshit of the highest order.

Can we all agree that this is the worst institution to ever set foot in Hamilton? The destruction they've done to many of our neediest neighbourhoods is incredible. In other cities, public schools, colleges and universities see it as part of their mandate to lead the charge in redeveloping neighbourhoods that the private sector won't touch. Here, they do the opposite. I'll be redirecting my taxes to the Catholic Board by the next election.

They just voted for a hole in the ground. There is no assurance for any of the funding for any of the greenspace or recreational facilities that the community has been promised. It was irresponsible and disingenuous of Trustee Simmons to represent this vision to the parents of Cathy Wever - knock down Sanford and you will have this wonderful space! Furthermore, Simmons’ characterization of the neighbourhood as pathetic, impoverished waifs who desperately need this paltry promise, as we have no other access to any of life’s creature comforts (no cottage - even no air conditioning!), is gravely insulting. Thanks, Trustee - soon we will have no beautiful Sanford School, either.

It was indeed a sad day for Hamilton.

The only saving grace was that there were no children present in the Council Hall tonight to witness the damage done to the credibility of this city in their name.

The good news is that downright lies were caught on video tape.

Before the wrecking ball can move forward however, an injunction is imminent. The demolition permit is not yet issued -- and the Minister of Education has not yet reviewed all the facts from the real community around Sanford School.

It is high time that City Manager Chris Murray and the City Council steps forward to conduct a public inquiry into the faulty 'public consultation' process leading to the perception that the local community is behind this decision - when in fact it is not.

Mahesh P. Butani

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/76358...

Comment edited by Mahesh_P_Butani on 2012-12-17 23:45:59

Student enrolment at Cathy Wever School currently sits at 655 students(around 60% capacity) and is on a declining trajectory. The community has been mislead from the get go on the plans for Sanford Avenue School. Up until 2 years ago students attended Sanford as a holding school while other schools were being built. Tim Simmons told me that to enter the building to view it we would have to wear hazmat suits and masks because of the contamination in the building. Were the students who recently attended Sanford School and played in the gymnasium issued protective masks and suits? Tim please tell us. Did you care about the children you were putting in harm's way just a short two years ago? When you say that you see the education system through the lens of the children, it must be through the lens of a telescope far, far away! To witness first hand one of the most condescending citizen engagement smackdowns on the true issue surrounding this bogus and illegal process start the recording by Joey Coleman (many thanks to Joey)at the 9:00 minute mark to catch Tims Simmons at his "holier than thou" best routine. Thank you very much Mother Teresa!

Cathy Wever Elementary School

Profile - Total number of students: (655) - Gender: Male(320); Female(335) - Primary language other than English: (123) - Students born outside of Canada: (80)* (*Calculation does not include students for whom language information is missing.)

Use, Renovation & Replacement Study Hamilton Recreation and Public-Use Facilities, Sept, 2007

Comment edited by Mahesh_P_Butani on 2012-12-18 00:04:23

Vote the trustees out in 2014 before they have a chance to smash any more buildings!

Real gentrification has negative issues, but that is not what is happening on James. Progress is not elitist.

Easier said then done with majority of Hamiltonian's apathetic voting style.

Which as I see it seems to be as follows: I'll just vote for the person's name I recognize, if I vote at all...

Progress is a natural order and if gentrification results, so be it.

Why do some want to stand in the way of progress instead of looking for ways to join it? I guess the its easy to oppose it, than join and they easy way too often wins out.

exactly...this is one of Hamilton's biggest problems. A small group of people who think that a several km swath of poverty and no opportunities is somehow a badge of honour to preserve.

Suddenly having contamination issues? Seems to be a red herring and a weak excuse to decline any debate.
An irreplaceable asset of architecture and heritage dismissed without any respect to the community or history, a call to demolish without entertaining any other solution. This is absurd.

I heard a roumer that The Lifesaver factory on Cumberland will be turning into apts/lofts with an added story. Great history too :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqJ2S--9I...

Preserve??? You think that's what people who are against gentrification want? Maybe people who speak out about gentrification view the city as more than buildings. They see the city as a community of people and if you really want to "Raise the Hammer" you need to raise the community out of poverty and not just replace the lower income demographic with a higher income one.

Ugh, this place makes me want to puke sometimes. More concern for ugly decaying buildings than people on this website.

Progress is not elitist.

Don't kid yourself, what is often sold as "progress" certainly can be elitist. It may just take a different perspective to see it that way.

Are you even reading this article or any other, Keily? The preservation of old buildings and repurposing them helps people. Destroying built heritage and replacing it with expensive stucco developments does what exactly for vulnerable people?

Obviously no historical parallels between these two school preservation stories but interesting to note what visionary cities do with unused school buildings...

http://www.maedchenschule.org/en/architecture.html