City Council will decide whether and how to respond to a new report stating that staff knew there were structural issues with the Gore Park buildings and continued to issue event permits—including allowing a children’s maze—in the months leading up to their uncontrolled collapse on November 11, 2024.
Encampments and Homelessness report is back on the agenda. There is one public delegation request regarding encampments on the escarpment. The staff response to Councillor Matt Francis’ request for a detailed cost breakdown for the Barton/Tiffany “temporary” outdoor shelter does not include the level of detail sought.
Councillors will vote on a $900,000 grant to New Vision United to create a 1,000-seat music concert venue.
The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday inside Council Chambers. (Here are the links for the agenda, and the YouTube live stream.)
Gore Building Collapse: A Timeline of City Inaction
Over six months after the Gore Park buildings collapse on November 11, 2024, and following months of stonewalling by the City Manager’s Office, City Council will receive a long-awaited “interim” report that includes a timeline of City inaction.
The timeline reveals that the City was aware of serious structural issues for over 21 months while continuing to permit public events—including a children’s hay maze—in front of the buildings.
On February 8, 2023, the City became aware of holes in the roof and issued orders to repair it. The property owner informed the city that ‘they could not safely repair the roof’ because it was not safe to ‘work on, even with a lift.’
On June 5, 2023, the City confirms structural repairs are needed.
A year later, on June 28, 2024, the City decided it would seek a structural engineering report. On July 22, the City issued an order to comply with the requirement for the report. The August 9 report deadline passed. On August 13, City officials emailed the building owners to remind them of the order.
Months pass, and the City continues to issue permits for events in front of the building.
Finally, on November 6, the City sends a letter to the owner “giving 5 days to comply, or legal action may proceed.”
The fifth day arrived, November 11, the buildings collapsed.
More details here:
Encampments and Homelessness Response
There is one public delegation request, “respecting an unauthorized structure on the Escarpment trail.” For the past two weeks, the City of Hamilton has been clearing encampments along the escarpment.
A separate staff report provides a more detailed breakdown of the costs to construct the Barton/Tiffany “temporary” outdoor shelter than what was provided to Council in late April.
The project went $5.1-million over its original $2.8-million budget.
At the April 30 Council GIC meeting, Councillor Matt Francis directed that staff provide a complete breakdown of costs, down to the “mounts for the televisions” in each of the container living units.
The updated report contains general spending areas, not the level of detail requested.
Grant for New Vision United Church to Establish a Mid-Sized Performance Venue
Staff recommend approving a $900,000 grant to New Vision United Church to fund approximately 80 percent of the initial cost to convert the downtown church sanctuary space into a 994-seat concert hall.
The City’s 2013 Music Strategy stated that Hamilton needs a mid-size music venue (500 to 1000 seat capacity), and successive councils have approved this as a priority in the Tourism Strategy and the Economic Development Action Plan.
The $900,000 will be funded from the economic development initiatives budget.
More details here:
Hess Village Business Improvement Area
Fifty-one (51) of the 65 eligible property owners and businesses in the Hess Village area [Hess Street North (Main Street West to King Street West) and George Street (Queen Street North to Caroline Street North)] have voted in favour of creating the Hess Village Business Improvement Area.
The new BIA plans to raise $50,000 annually from a local tax levy to support programming and initiatives to attract more people to the restaurant, entertainment, and personal services-focused business area.
More details here:
King William Street Summer District Motion
Councillor Cameron Kroetsch is moving a motion to spend up to $200,000 in Ward 2 area-rated funds this summer on pedestrianizing King William Street between James Street and Hughson Street.
The motion proposes purchasing outdoor public space furnishings, hiring the Downtown BIA to operate programming, and installing overhead suspended lighting over the street. The overhead lighting is forecast to cost up to $100,000.
Heat Mitigation Parks Infrastructure
In April 2024, Hamilton City Council approved a new Heat Response Strategy. The expansion of air conditioner subsidies captured most of the attention in that report.
Within the report, Council directed staff to explore the installation of shade structures and misting stations in parks, focusing on “priority locations” in the Lower City.
A year later, City staff have returned to Council with the cost of park “heat strategy amenities.“
Staff state that a 7.3 metre by 7.3 metre shade structure (a canopy) is $90,000 per unit installed, a new spray pad costs $900,000 “on average,” adding a water drink fountain costs $65,000, and a misting station “can range in costs from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on servicing, complexity, and scale.”
More details here:
Incorporating Universal Design CityHousing Hamilton
Council will vote to direct City staff to work with the Accessibility Committee for Persons with Disabilities to determine what accessibility enhancements can be implemented in future CityHousing Hamilton builds and added during renovations.
Furthermore, the City will review mandating higher accessibility standards for other affordable housing providers seeking municipal support for new build projects.
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Published: May 19, 2025
Last updated: May 19, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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