56 York Boulevard is a beloved local landmark.
Built in 1856, it housed Coppley Apparel, a high-end suit and jacket production company for nearly 140 years and played a key role in Hamilton’s textile trade.
Located downtown Hamilton at the corner of York Boulevard and MacNab Street North, right across from established community hubs like the Farmer’s Market and the Central Hamilton Public Library, the building has sat quiet, vacant and full of potential for several years.
The project is part of TAS’s urban industrial portfolio, which sees us lead the adaptive re-use, lease-up and operations of industrial spaces across the GTHA, taking them from underutilized warehouses to dynamic commercial hubs.
In late 2021 and early 2022, we connected with over 20 Hamiltonians (representing 17 organizations) regarding TAS’s plans to re-imagine the building. Several themes emerged from these rich and interesting conversations:
- Heritage is important! People love this building and are keen to see it preserved and celebrated; it is a unique asset and a potential symbol of what Hamilton can be moving forward.
- Collaboration and connectedness are key, and should be maximized when considering the mix of tenants, partnerships, programming and uses. In addition to office spaces, many people suggested informal gathering areas, flexible meeting rooms and event spaces that would be inclusive, accessible and affordable to a diverse range of users.
- Many different tenants and partners could call the space home, and suggestions spanned a wide spectrum: from co-located health and social service organizations to business, film, technology, and creative sector uses.
- For community-serving tenants, affordability, stability and the ability to access shared amenities or services were identified as desirable attributes.
Location: Downtown Hamilton, Hamilton, Canada
Partner: Hamilton Community Foundation
Status: Design
Land area: 37,000 square feet
GLA: 76,000 square feet
