Downtown Hamilton parking garage roof to become city’s newest concert venue

By

Published May 28, 2020 at 4:44 pm

Hamilton’s City Council voted in favour of a motion that would turn the top of the York Boulevard Parkade into a temporary outdoor performance venue.

Hamilton’s City Council voted in favour of a motion that would turn the top of the York Boulevard Parkade into a temporary outdoor performance venue.

The motion was introduced by Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr, and seconded by Mayor Fred Eisenberger, and is aimed at supporting the recovery of the performing art sector, particularly Hamilton’s music scene, when COVID-19 restrictions start to lift.

“[It’s a] perfect motion for the times and perfect timing,” Farr said when he introduced the motion at Wednesday’s (May 27) virtual council meeting.

The motion cites an initial start-up cost of approximately $7,500 that would come from the City’s Economic Development Reserve.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger pointed out that it was the GM of Planning and Economic Development, Jason Thorne, who came up with the idea to use the parade, located at 28 York Blvd., for this purpose.

“[It’s a] novel idea for an industry that’s going to struggle for a long time,” he added.

For the most part, councillors lauded the innovative motion and approach to help an industry hit hard by the pandemic, but some had concerns about creating a destination where people might be tempted to gather.

Thorne assured councillors that this measure would be put into effect “if and when the province allows for outdoor gatherings…of upwards of 50 people.”

And as far as drawing other people to the venue, Thorne explained that the location on the roof would make it impossible for bigger groups to gather because events would be limited capacity and there are specific ways to access and view the performance area.

When Councillor Esther Pauls, who supported the motion, questioned whether or not it might be better to use parks for this kind of initiative, Eisenberger explained how crowd control would be easier at the parkade.

“We’ll be in this [COVID] situation for a long time and this would be a controlled situation,” he said.

Councillor Terry Whitehead, who voted against the motion, was the voice of opposition, suggesting that he feels the motion benefits a very small and specific group of Hamilton residents and area of the city.

“We’re not trying to deny any other area any opportunity,” Eisenberger said. “If you have any suggestions [for something similar] bring it; the more venues we can create, the better.”

Staff will now undertake the process of enlisting a third-party operator to handle “organizing, scheduling and managing a small performance series program.”

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising