chedoke browlands

Thanks Mary Ellen Kaye!

It’s interesting that on the same day the Spec printed your letter to the editor, there was also an article entitled, “New condos have million-dollar view”

Here is what the story had to say -

“Windows started going in on the 22-unit condo tower, which is perched on the Mountain brow on Mountain Park Avenue, tucked under quaint Concession Street quite near Henderson General Hospital.

“This is a growing trend, and many believe this is long overdue,” said Dana Senagama, market analyst for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

“Even in the downtown core, we should see some. They might be conversions (of old condos) or complete new builds.”

The reason, said Senagama, is a growing number of aging boomers who want to downsize but still want space and want to stay in their hometown.

“It’s a niche market, and it’s catering to affluent … empty nesters who don’t want the upkeep of a single detached home.”

A niche market? This is much more then a ?niche?!

Boomers are 30% of the population and given their herding instinct, whatever they do will have a profound affect on our city. The lower city will be subjected to gazing up at monuments to boomer comfort and the mountain brow will lose all its perfect lands to glass and concrete monoliths.

Another article in The Spec drives the point home, entitled; Hamilton has all that boomers want by Ian Taylor

?We moved here May 1, 2006, and we love it.

We’re examples of what urban economist Richard Florida calls “the flight of the creative class” and Hamilton serves our needs to a T. We sold our Toronto home, invested most of the proceeds and we’re currently renting a luxury penthouse apartment five blocks from the Hamilton Go Centre.?

A classic ‘incentive trap’ – if the market decides how this trend will playout, what is best about Hamilton will be consumed and what attracted Ian will be lost.

Glass and concrete mausoleums are to the boomers, what the Hula Hoops were in the late 1950s – just another fad.

And….Sacrificing Hamilton’s crown jewels to a trend is unconscionable, no matter what the CHC officials have to say on the matter.