Bayfront Studio District

Welcome to the Bayfront Studio District Virtual PIC

Introduction

Welcome to the Bayfront Studio District Virtual Public Information Centre (vPIC).

Aeon Studio Group is a developer and operator of film studios and related places, including Hamilton’s first large scale studio production facility, Bayfront Studios, located at 243 Queen Street North.

Aeon is now looking to build a live-work-play hub for the creative industries on a site adjacent to its current property.

This new economic cluster would include studios for the production of film & television, animation, video games, virtual reality, music and fashion. The District would also feature affordable work space for artists and makers, office space for creative industry companies, event and performance spaces, as well as learning and training spaces to build the local workforce.

This virtual public engagement process presents a preliminary plan for the District to start a conversation with you, our neighbours and stakeholders. The goal is to collect your thoughts on what you like about the concept and how it can be improved.

AEON Studios at 243 Queen Street North

Before we get started, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Name

Jane Doe

Postal Code

LOL OLO

Jane@email.com

I would like to receive email updates from Aeon Studio Group.

Yes

Privacy Statement

Please note that any personal information you choose to share with us will remain confidential. We will not share, re-use or sell your information.

Please click "Next" below to continue.

Study Area

Bayfront Studio District Study Area

The Studio District Study Area is located on Hamilton’s West Harbourfront in an area known as Barton-Tiffany, north of Downtown and adjacent to the West Harbour GO Station.

The approximate boundaries are Queen Street to the West, Stuart Street to the North, Tiffany Street to the East, Barton Street to the South.

Current Conditions

Take a virtual tour around the study area. Use your mouse on the image below to explore the district.

Municipal Policy Review

In order to better understand the existing context of the study area, a look at relevant municipal policy is useful. Two important municipal documents outline development expectations for the study area: The Setting Sail Secondary Plan for West Harbourfront and the Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study.

Setting Sail Secondary Plan

The Setting Sail Secondary Plan identifies two land use categories for the study area, which is outlined in red on the map below. These two land uses are Commercial on the northern portion of the site and Medium Density Residential on the southern part of the study area.

Barton-Tiffany Land Use, West Harbour Secondary Plan, City of Hamilton

Click here for more information about the land use categories

Commercial designation permits certain commercial and open space uses, including a production studio which is defined as “the use of land, building or structure used for creation and production of motion pictures or audio or video recordings and the associated warehousing, set design and storage.” Permitted building height is four storeys.

Medium Density Residential designation allows for multiple residential dwelling units, commercial uses on the ground floor of a multiple storey building with residential units above, as well as open space and parks. For this part of the study area, the Secondary Plan indicates that building heights are mainly four storeys. Higher building heights may be permitted to a maximum of eight storeys, but these would be allowed only after a site-specific urban design study is approved by the City of Hamilton.

Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study

The Urban Design Study for the Barton-Tiffany lands recommends an urban design concept with a building configuration that creates a street wall along the main roads with an emphasis on height around the Barton-Caroline intersection. Streets should be designed to support ground floor commercial uses, as well as active transportation (i.e. walking and cycling with bike lanes).

Preferred Urban Design Concept, Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study, City of Hamilton

Barton-Caroline Intersection, Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study, City of Hamilton

Click here for more information about the urban design study

Form: At the southern part of the site, the Urban Design Study calls for mixed use multiple dwellings units. The Study emphasizes that the proposed building form should use setbacks to lessen the impact of higher buildings. At the northern part of the site, the design intent of the Study calls for a broad range of commercial, institutional and civic activities. This space is intended to be developed as an integrated and comprehensive unit with a campus-like setting rather than a series of individual buildings with limited interconnections.

Height: The Urban Design Study recommends that additional building heights over eight storeys be allowed along the Caroline Street corridor. Given the street width and wider setbacks envisioned for the Caroline Street corridor, the Study suggests that heights between 12 and 14 storeys are appropriate on the west side of Caroline Street, and heights up to 14 to 16 storeys are appropriate on the east side.

Any building heights over eight storeys in the Medium Density Residential Area would require an amendment to the Setting Sail Secondary Plan to permit the taller buildings.

Preliminary Concept Plan

Building on the Setting Sail Secondary Plan and the Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study, the Concept Plan creates two areas of focus for the Studio District separated by a new through street.

Bayfront Studio District Preliminary Concept Plan

Concept Plan Principles

The Plan is grounded in three key principles that underpin the future development.

1. High Quality Urban Design

Preliminary view looking east on Barton Street

2. Mixed Use Neighbourhood

Preliminary view looking south from Stuart Street

3. Improved Community Connections

Prelminary view looking east

These principles are presented on the following slides. Please note: These drawings are not the final picture. They are a starting point for what we hope will be an ongoing conversation with our neighbours and stakeholders.

High Quality Urban Design

The Concept Plan for the Bayfront Studio District includes a number of elements that contribute to building a high quality urban environment. This includes the design of complete streets, animated store-front spaces on pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and building design that considers the impact of building height at street level.

Preliminary View Looking East on Barton Street

Tell us what you think about these elements.

Please indicate whether you like or dislike these elements by clicking on the thumbs up or thumbs down:

1. Mixed use corridors with ground floor retail opportunities along Barton and Caroline.*

1a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

2. Medium density buildings along street fronts.*

2a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

3. Increased height with setbacks to preserve pedestrian friendly scale.*

3a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

4. Complete streets design to encourage sustainable alternative transportation (e.g. cycling and walking).*

4a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

Mixed Use Neighbourhood

The Concept Plan for the Bayfront Studio District aims to create a mixed use neighbourood through a number of elements that provide space to live, work and play. It will balance facilities and services meant for the neighbourhood as well as the creative employment cluster.

Prelminary view looking south from Stuart Street with Civic Plaza

Preliminary View Looking South from Stuart Street

Tell us what you think about these elements.

Please indicate whether you like or dislike these elements by clicking on the thumbs up or thumbs down:

5. Work space for creative industry companies, academic & labour organizations, and artists & makers.*

5a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

6. Civic plaza/green space for recreational activities, performances, and events.*

6a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

7. Residential buildings to support population growth, with ground floor retail providing neighbourhood services (e.g. grocery, pharmacy, bank, gym, coffee shop, etc.).*

7a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

8. Purpose-built studio and sound stages for film economic cluster.*

8a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

Improved Community Connections

The Concept Plan for the Bayfront Studio District seeks to improve community connections across and through the study area, preserve and enhance built industrial heritage, and link the area to important community nodes.

Preliminary View Looking East

Tell us what you think about these elements.

Please indicate whether you like or dislike these elements by clicking on the thumbs up or thumbs down:

9. Adaptive reuse of underutilized industrial buildings.*

9a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

10. On-site parking for studio district use.*

10a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

11. New through street from Queen to Tiffany to improve public access and flow across the district.*

11a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

12. Strengthened linkages to adjacent nodes (e.g. West Harbour GO) and surrounding neighbourhoods.*

12a. Tell us more

Optional

Write Here

Additional Thoughts and Ideas

Are you a member of Hamilton's creative community?*

Yes

What sector of the creative community are you a part of?*

Write Here

How could this plan further support your sector? For example, are there specific types of facilities or infrastructure that would support your work?

Write Here

If you have additional comments to share, please do so below.

Write Here

Thank you for your input!

We will review your feedback carefully, and will reach out to you if we have any additional questions.

Please share the link to this website on social media, and with anyone who has ideas that can help us design a better studio district.

Reach out to us any time at ideas@aeonstudiogroup.com.

Prelminary view looking south from Stuart Street with Civic Plaza

Welcome to the Bayfront Studio District Virtual PIC

Introduction

Welcome to the Bayfront Studio District Virtual Public Information Centre (vPIC).

Aeon Studio Group is a developer and operator of film studios and related places, including Hamilton’s first large scale studio production facility, Bayfront Studios, located at 243 Queen Street North.

Aeon is now looking to build a live-work-play hub for the creative industries on a site adjacent to its current property.

This virtual public engagement process presents a preliminary plan for the District to start a conversation with you, our neighbours and stakeholders. The goal is to collect your thoughts on what you like about the concept and how it can be improved.

Before we get started, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Privacy Statement

Please note that any personal information you choose to share with us will remain confidential. We will not share, re-use or sell your information.

Please click "Next" below to continue.

Study Area

The Studio District Study Area is located on Hamilton’s West Harbourfront in an area known as Barton-Tiffany, north of Downtown and adjacent to the West Harbour GO Station.

The approximate boundaries are Queen Street to the West, Stuart Street to the North, Tiffany Street to the East, Barton Street to the South.

Current Conditions

Take a virtual tour around the study area. Use your mouse on the image below to explore the district.

Municipal Policy Review

Setting Sail Secondary Plan

The Setting Sail Secondary Plan identifies two land use categories for the study area, which is outlined in red on the map below. These two land uses are Commercial on the northern portion of the site and Medium Density Residential on the southern part of the study area.

Click here for more information about the land use categories

Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study

Click here for more information about the urban design study

Any building heights over eight storeys in the Medium Density Residential Area would require an amendment to the Setting Sail Secondary Plan to permit the taller buildings.

Preliminary Concept Plan

Building on the Setting Sail Secondary Plan and the Barton-Tiffany Urban Design Study, the Concept Plan creates two areas of focus for the Studio District separated by a new through street.

Concept Plan Principles

The Plan is grounded in three key principles that underpin the future development.

1. High Quality Urban Design

2. Mixed Use Neighbourhood

3. Improved Community Connections

These principles are presented on the following slides. Please note: These drawings are not the final picture. They are a starting point for what we hope will be an ongoing conversation with our neighbours and stakeholders.

High Quality Urban Design

Tell us what you think about these elements.

Mixed Use Neighbourhood

The Concept Plan for the Bayfront Studio District aims to create a mixed use neighbourood through a number of elements that provide space to live, work and play. It will balance facilities and services meant for the neighbourhood as well as the creative employment cluster.

Tell us what you think about these elements.

Improved Community Connections

The Concept Plan for the Bayfront Studio District seeks to improve community connections across and through the study area, preserve and enhance built industrial heritage, and link the area to important community nodes.

Tell us what you think about these elements.

Additional Thoughts and Ideas

Thank you for your input!

We will review your feedback carefully, and will reach out to you if we have any additional questions.

Please share the link to this website on social media, and with anyone who has ideas that can help us design a better studio district.

Reach out to us any time at ideas@aeonstudiogroup.com.

Thank you for visiting the Bayfront Studio District Virtual PIC.

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