Queen Street Conversion
In 2013, residents, city staff, then Councillor Brian McHattie (Ward 1) and Councillor Jason Farr (Ward 2) conducted a block by block walkability and traffic audit for Queen Street. 93 recommendations were made all to make Queen Street safer for all users including cars pedestrians and cyclists. Many of those recommendations have made their way to the conversion of Queen Street. (See the Queen Street Audit)
CITY OF HAMILTON RENDERING
Beginning June 8, 2020 crews will begin the conversion of Queen Street from 1 way to 2 way. This will take place in stages. Crews will start at Main and Queen, then move south to Aberdeen and then north to King and Queen. This is expected to be completed by November 2020. The detailed designs and stages can be found on the City’s website www.Hamilton.ca/queenconversion
Durand Character Study
The Durand Neighbourhood is one of the oldest residential areas in the city of Hamilton. Over its long history, the neighbourhood has come to be defined by traditional streets and homes creating a unique urban area despite the loss of significant residential housing stock through previous periods of development.
Currently, Hamilton is experiencing a renewed period of residential growth and once again the Durand neighbourhood is challenged with balancing new development and intensification within the established community. In response to this, the Durand Neighbourhood Association launched the Durand Neighbourbourhood Character Project. This Project explored an innovative, community driven, approach to define and preserving neighbourhood character inspired by an example from the City of Ottawa.
To date, City Council has approved our study that included a motion for a peer review with the intent to create a pilot project overlay of measures to protect the character of the Durand until such time Durand has a Secondary Plan and a new Urban Zoning Bylaw which will incorporate those measures.
To see the project in its entirety click here
St Mark’s Garden and Community Space
Phase 1 of restoration of St Mark’s involved preliminary site work with new service hookups as well as masonry, foundation and weeping tile repairs. The roof was replaced, windows were restored and new heating and ventilation system added.
The final phase of restoration work is scheduled to begin once the Covid 19 pandemic subsides. This will include interior restoration of the historic part of the church, an addition on the west side will be built to house washrooms, a kitchenette and storage. The site will be wheel chair accessible. Plans are to open in Spring/Summer of 2022 as a cultural education programming centre for Whitehern Museum and Garden House, a community meeting place, and an events venue.
The DNA has been active for the past 25 years in ensuring that St Mark’s church site would remain both a community facility and an open green space. To that end we have engaged with City staff and are working together to create and maintain the gardens of St Mark’s. We have had initial meetings; we are in the early stages and have discussed the size of the gardens, design, style, hardscaping and appropriate plant material; we wish to develop a program to secure a volunteer gardening team that will help with maintenance and planting, to work with staff to determine the roles of all and any requirements to make this a successful and ongoing endeavour. In return the Association will have a “key” to host meetings and events! Volunteers are needed. Yes, it is a way off, but please if you are interested fill in the Volunteer Application Form and a member of the DNA will contact you.
St. Mark’s Anglican Church
Location: Bay and Hunter streets
Built: 1877; Sunday school added in 1925
Closed: 1989
City owned: Since 1994
Notable attributes: The landscaped front grounds create a park-like setting and are a green-space contrast to the high-rise buildings in the neighbourhood.
Historical: St. Mark’s was the fifth Anglican Church built in Hamilton and the first constructed in brick.
Architectural features: The building was designed in the Gothic Revival tradition with a gabled roof, buttresses, belfry and pointed arched windows. There’s a bell tower with strong architectural features on the east side.
James Street Baptist (The Connolly)
This is a new condo development by Hue Developments and LCH Developments / Lifestyle Custom Homes currently under construction at 98 James Street South, Hamilton.
The development is scheduled for completion in 2022. Connolly Condos has a total of 315 units and will be 30 storeys. Units were expected to go on sale in the Spring of 2020? This is another wait and see. The DNA remains hopeful that Hue Developments will be successful and that the mixed-use tower will unify the historical significance and details of the former James Street Baptist Church (that which remains following the do called “minor alteration” of 4/5 ‘s of the Church) with contemporary architecture. This is another wait and see!