MISSION DEMOLITION

Project marks big change for corner in core

Demolition at a former Mission Services building at James Street North and Barton Street is well underway. Local developer Core Urban is constructing a 12-storey rental building on the site. For more,

A big change — but not that tall at 12 storeys — is on the horizon for a downtown Hamilton crossroads where homeless men sought shelter for decades.

Core Urban has demolished one of two former Mission Services buildings at the corner of Barton and James streets to make way for the rental project.

A four-storey brick street wall, or podium, that pays homage to the site will blend in with the surroundings, co-owner Steve Kulakowsky says.

The floors above will have a more contemporary look that’s stepped back from the street.

“It’s an opportunity to really do something stylistic that you’ll see from the street,” Kulakowsky said.

The demolished building at the corner had been stripped of many of its heritage features over the years, he noted.

But 325 James, its three-storey companion that dates to 1910, has an attractive facade and handsome brickwork, he said. It will be a standalone building on the redeveloped site. The project calls for 127 rental units at market and below-market rates, but not subsidized, Kulakowsky said.

“We want it to be a building that can house many walks of life in Hamilton, which I think pays homage to the history of that site.”

The project marks a major change for the corner where Mission Services presided for about 70 years.

Last year, the agency sold the property to Core Urban. As part of the deal, the developer overhauled 400 King St. E. into a new shelter for Mission Services that doubled its size.

The local firm has been behind a host of mid-rise residential buildings in Hamilton that blend heritage elements into modern design, including the Templar Flats on King William Street and Witton Lofts, a refashioned old school on Murray Street just north of Barton.

The project at James and Barton will also feature about 13,000 square feet of commercial space, to which Core Urban aims to draw smaller retailers, including a grocery store.

The future buildings don’t have a name yet, but it will reflect Mission Services’ history on the property.

“Without question,” Kulakowsky said.

Core Urban hopes to start construction in the next months.