LARRY'S CORNER- Hamilton's Former Mayor Speaks

The Royal Connaught: Crucial to Downtown Redevelopment

By Larry Di Ianni
(posted August 1, 2008)

The Stinson deal is dead. Long live the Stinson deal! Hamiltonians were either disappointed or un-surprised that the Harry Stinson deal for the Connaught hotel fell apart. Recall, Harry Stinson is the Toronto (former) condo-developer who came to our city after some high –profile successes and controversies in Toronto drove some of his ventures into receivership. He came to Hamilton, liked the opportunities he saw, bought a home here, put a down payment on the Royal Connaught, promising to rebuild it, and made plans for a 100 storey, iconic tower to be built beside the Connaught. Harry was labeled a visionary by some and a snake-oil salesman by others. He tried to raise financing for the Connaught purchase but apparently couldn’t. So the deal died. Or, has it? Stinson and city staff say the ball is still in play. The current ownership, however, says the deal is dead and the group is forging their own plans. Confusing? Perhaps, but here is why the Connaught must be re-developed.

First a personal retrospective: when my wife of 36 years and I married in 1972, we had our wedding reception in the Grand Ball Room of the Connaught Hotel. It was by 1972 standards, a grand affair. Then, we didn’t have the plethora of fine banquet halls that we have today in our city. The popular option for newlyweds in the early 70’s was to essentially host a wedding in one of the many Church basement halls across the city. We decided to strike a deal with Mr. Eddie Fischer, who ran the Connaught then and had a grand time. Hamilton was flourishing; the downtown was a hot-spot of entertainment and retail activity. Life was good.

Then came the downturn. The slide occurred in the 80’s and 90’s. Our urban core deteriorated while the suburbs flourished. Some of us moved away from the old established neighbourhoods, chasing careers and political ambitions elsewhere. The blight did not escape the Connaught Hotel which, after valiant efforts by the Mongeon family fell into receivership and eventual closure. This was a tragedy for all concerned and for the downtown.

When I became Mayor, we set about to continue the good work started under Mayor Morrow’s term to invest in downtown programs to see the core re-established. As a Councillor in 2000-2003 under Mayor Bob Wade’s term, I became again engaged in the downtown’s welfare. I was then a Stoney Creek Councillor and it wasn’t necessarily good politics to stray from my home turf, especially just after the contentious amalgamation, but I decided that the core was too important for the entire city, to see it abandoned. I was also aware that many a political career had soured because of lack of progress in downtown re-vitalization. The capable and likeable duo, Vince Agro and William (Bill) McCulloch were unfairly criticized for the downtown decline. The affable grocer, turned Councillor, Ron Corsini, tried his best to revitalize the core, and the tenacious Andrea Horwath jealously guarded the downtown and promoted expensive programs to see its rebirth. The current Councillor, Bob Bratina’s legacy, is unclear at this point. He has taken some strong, pro-downtown stands as well as anti-downtown positions, notably with the Lister Block redevelopment. Time will tell what his impact will be. With this as backdrop, I decided as Councillor to assist the downtown, and as Mayor, to champion its rebirth.

So, I was saddened when the Connaught was abandoned, but pleased when a local ownership group purchased the building with intentions of preserving the façade while gutting the inside to make room for a five-star hotel in our core again. As well, this group talked of an adjoining condo development on site and a number of other potential re-development ideas. I was just glad that some locals with money and a plan had ideas they were moving forward with.

Not all members of Council were pleased with this ownership group though, as was played out when the project received some city funding to help with its asbestos removal, as I recall. All this was done without a word of encouragement from me as Mayor. The deal had made its way through committee and Council and was shepherded along by appropriate city staff. Some individual councillors, namely McHattie and I think one or both of the Flamborough Councillors questioned the numbers and the bills submitted by the developers. They held up the process for a week or so until staff could be assured of the accuracy of the submissions by the group. I was criticized by a local columnist for not chastising these wild-goose chasing Councillors at the meeting. I did not because although their tactics were stalling ones, they didn’t jeopardize the process for more than a week or so. Of course, everything was appropriate and it was allowed to proceed, to the chagrin of the recalcitrant trio.

Frustration began to set in when this group couldn’t get the financing in place for their plans, which had a series of iterations to it as well. I met only once with the principal of this group and downtown staff to look at a parking proposal the city was being asked to share in. I note with interest that it is now being revised. I asked that the particular proposal being discussed when I was Mayor not go forward. The numbers were not accurately thought through and I felt the city was being asked to shoulder a larger share of the partnership than was good for our finances. I asked all sides to sharpen their pencils. Perhaps this has been done. Time will tell.

What about Harry Stinson? Well, he doesn’t seem to be out of the picture. Good for him. I note in a recent column that Stinson is talking to the local ownership group. Perhaps the two entities can come up with a joint proposal; perhaps the local group can revive its own plans for the Connaught. Whatever the case, it is crucial for the downtown that this iconic building be put to productive use once again. Architecturally, it is, unlike the Lister, an attractive building with a richer history. It has seen royalty visit and stay. The newly married Pierre Trudeau and Margaret danced there, and many more important luminaries than my wife and I had wedding receptions at the Connaught. It is also smack-dab in the middle of the core for all to see. Its revitalization and reuse will signal in a most emphatic way that the downtown is coming back!

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