Raise the Hammer

Thanks Mr Bratina for your vision here. I really think you are right - we have a blank slate right now. We are forced to spend money on city hall in some way. Let's do something amazing instead of just repairing the broken status quo.

Jason, I will respond to your points by number :-)

1. You need to look beyond the mall. It will no longer be a mall either inside or out. Picture an interior like BCE place. Of course, city centre is not architecturally equivalent to that, but the inside could be opened up, walkways and escalators replaced by glass and elevators. Imagine what is goig on in camco - they are turning an old dingy warehouse/office building into a fantastic space with atrium and more. You have to consider city centre as a structure around which we can be creative. Money saved in this plan can be invested in making the centre majestic.

2. Yes, city hall is beautifu. But given the current council position, and assuming there will be occasional hiccups down the road in terms of budget and timing, how likely do you think that it will be restored correctly? We haven't even started restoratin and the comromises have already disgusted the architects to the point of their quitting. Perhaps the best way to save city hall is to take a loss selling it to someone who can be forced to do it right - post secondary or whatever it takes.

3. This has been covered elsewhere but the true public gathering space in hamilton is gore park. The forecourt has never been properly utilized as a gathering space. What will make that change? streetscaping? I don't think so. Jackson roof is gathering space. Gore park. King william could be pedestrianized, and combined with that parking lot at the corner of james to mage a great public space rightin front of city hall if it wer in the centre. You have to see the potential. We aren't talking about plunking them in the middle of a mall dead stop. This would be investment of our money in creating a great hall and great surrounding spaces rather than wasting money on renovating a building that half the city hates (and is willing to accept concrete compromises).

4. Notgonna happen. THe inentive is just not there. City hall HAS TO BE in the CENTRE of our city, not across a highway from the true core, and facing the backside of the business district. The current location just does not work, and this separation of servants from their own city has cheated us for 50 years. It's time for it to end.