[Evan]

Stinson says Connaught condos closer to consummation
Green dream for 100-storey tower



Michelle Dubé, CHCH News
Published: Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The man with big plans for a famous landmark in downtown Hamilton - the Royal Connaught Hotel - says his vision is coming closer to becoming a reality.

Toronto's dethroned condo king, Harry Stinson, has unveiled his final design for the Grand Old lady. And it's safe to say if we do see it come to life it will transform how people see Hamilton's downtown.

Stinson plans to build a 100 storey structure, attached to a revamped Royal Connaught. He says the adjacent Connaught Tower mirrors the shape of Gore Park and it will be visible from afar - considering it's 80 percent of the height of the CN Tower.*

Stinson wants the tip to have wind turbines, solar cells and other green features.

Both buildings will have hotel rooms, and condos. In the royal connaught prices will range around the 200 thousand dollar mark, and then the tower prices will range from 300 thousand and up - with the 80th floor priced at seven figures.

But that's not all Stinson has planed: he wants 24 hour food services, ball rooms for weddings and events, as well as a plaza area with a bandstand for people to congregate in the core. It all adds up to an ambitious project, but Stinson says it has to be.

"If it weren't overwhelming it wouldn't work. If we put a normal box up there and tentatively stuck our toe in the water and said 'well, we're sort of going to give it a try, we'll put up this mediocre building and if anybody buys it then we'll do something good'... it wouldn't work. You have to do something wow. This is perfectly buildable."

A company that Stinson owns has purchased this building for 9 and a half million dollars. The closing date is June 30th. By mid-June Stinson says he plans to open a sales office and start selling units in the Royal Connaught.

He expects construction on the Connaught to be completed in 2 years, then 3½-4 years for the tower.

Stinson says he will be able to finance the project once he has sales, and can prove to investors he can generate revenue.

*WTF?

 

[yyzer]

well, there is always a possibility that Harry could pull something like this off...

then again, there is always a possibility that he is clinically insane...

 

[3Dementia]

The man with big plans for a famous landmark in downtown Hamilton - the Royal Connaught Hotel - says his vision is coming closer to becoming a reality

Translation... another media story = closer to reality. Yeah. Right.

 

[Evan]

405m sounds out of Harry's range. He could possibly pull off a tower 80% the height of Edmontons CN tower.

 

[adma]

Tee hee

 

[khris]

I love the look of this tower, but it would look so much better in Toronto. I can't see the market in Hamilton area being able to support such a tower. Maybe half the height, but even that is pushing it.

 

[Kiwi]

Special Advance Notice: Harry Stinson Presentation - "Connaught" project - Monday June 2/08 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Dear Chamber members and other community leaders:

Harry Stinson has requested to do a special personal public presentation here at the Chamber (Waterfront Centre) as above to any interested Chamber members, as well as any interested members of the general public about his planned project for the Downtown.

There may be a formal notice invitation coming later; but in the interim, as time is marching on, if you are interested in hearing directly from Harry in this important project, I do suggest that you put this into your calendar right now.

This briefing will be fully open to the public at no charge, so please feel free to pass this along to anyone whom you feel may be interested.

Hope to see you then.

R. John Dolbec
Chief Executive Officer
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

 

[ganjavih]

Progress Note: May 27, 2008

Patient unresponsive to treatment, delusional beliefs of the grandiose and bizarre type persist. Therapy is complicated by narcissistic, paranoid, obsessive-compulsive, and anti-social personality traits. Insight is poor. Patient may be experiencing auditory hallucinations, possibly command hallucinations. Patient at one point commented that voices tell him to build tall things.

Recommendations:
1. Increase dose and frequency of antipsychotic medication.
2. Refer to psychoanalyst, preferrably one trained in Vienna.

Department of Psychiatry

 

[Hydrogen]

Hmm, I don't know about the Vienna part. Lots of people have had delusions of grandeur there. Harry might not be that noticeable.

 

[yyzer]

ganja, too funny!.......

 

[Kiwi]

Stinson to divulge Connaught plans
May 28, 2008
Wade Hemsworth
The Hamilton Spectator

The public will get a chance Monday to hear Harry Stinson's plans for the Connaught Hotel property in downtown Hamilton.

Stinson speaks from 6 to 8 p.m. at a free event at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce's Waterfront Centre at the foot of Bay Street North.

The colourful developer is set to close a $9.5-million deal to buy the Connaught on June 30. He is planning to refit the 1916 hotel, splitting the residential areas between condos and hotel rooms. In the second, more ambitious stage of his plan, he wants to build a condominium tower attached to the hotel. At 1,000 feet, it would be Canada's tallest occupied building.

The plan has divided community opinion between those who believe he can do it and those who don't, and between those who believe it would rejuvenate downtown Hamilton and those who believe it would be out of proportion with the existing core.

 

[CDL.TO]

LOL! Well done, ganj.

 

[Kiwi]

Tonight during the public presentation from Harry Stinson he'll likely announce that the sales office will open at the main floor of One James South on Saturday, June 7th as scheduled. It's right at the corner of James and King St.

 

[caltrane74]

If I was a purchaser at 1 King West or Sapphire, I would show up at the sales office with a sign in protest.

"Harry Stinston Ripped Me Off!"

 

[Hydrogen]

There's no part about how the building will levitate once built. I guess Harry hasn't got to that part of the sales campaign yet.