Quote:
Originally Posted by bigguy1231
The city is doing what they are required to do by taking care of infrastructure. It's up to the property owners to develop the properties. There are always going to be parts of any city where work needs to be done. Neighbourhoods go through up and down cycles, Kenelworth will come back when the demand returns. Ottawa St, James N. and Locke St. are prime examples of being on high cycles after years of neglect and all of those revivals are a result of the property owners.
As for the rest of the city we are seeing record numbers of building permits being issued. You have to look at the big picture rather than just focusing on a few isolated areas.
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That's a very interesting point about building permits you've raised there but I think that's one of the things that feeds into Hamilton's inertia and malaise. In many parts of the city (the suburbs and the Mountain primarily), property values have soared over the past few decades. If the whole of the city were struggling (or succeeding for that matter), perhaps there would be more of a sense of civic fraternity. As it is, though, people look down their noses (and literally down from the Mountain top) with suspicion and loathing. One of the things that holds this city back is its complete lack of cohesion. Some suburbanites and Mountainites haven't set foot in the lower city for years and that's not healthy for either group. So while it's true that neighbourhoods have ups and downs this is not necessarily a natural occurrence; it is a direct result of all levels of government and the citizens of Hamilton turning their backs on those places and people that are most in need of help.
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