City considering adding film studio to plans for Barton-Tiffany lands

Hamilton is considering adding a film studio that could bring hundreds of jobs to the city as part of itsplans for theBarton-Tiffany lands.

That unanticipateduseis behind an open house Monday where the public can weigh in on the idea of adding cultural industries to the established visionfor the North Hamilton neighbourhood.

Film companies have been eyeing the vacant lands as a potential location for a studioin Hamilton that would help meet "huge increases in demand" for production in Ontario, according to Edward John, senior project manager for urban renewal.

"Right now we're looking at a production studio, a commercial school and artists' studio amongthe uses already committed in the Barton-Tiffany land," he added.

The section of city-owned land in the West Harbour, tucked in to the south of theCanadian National rail yard, has been part of several suggestions and re-imaginingsin recent years.

A previous plan approved by the city's planning committee in 2014 featured park space, roads cut down from four lanes to two and new buildings, including two towers standing12 and 16 storeys.

Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr and affordable housing advocates were also pushing for mix-income housing to be included.

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But the idea of using the lands for creativeuses, including a film studio, was "not anticipated" when those plans were coming together, according to the city.

John said the goal would be to use a swath of commercially-zoned land to build creative spaces that wouldalign with the previous plans without sacrificing any residentially-designated land.

He noted production companies have expressed an interest in fitting in with the city's vision of apedestrian-friendly area.

"They are looking at campus-like setting where there are pre and post-production and office uses, some convenience retail both for the area and workers and even the possibility of live-work units which could be located along that public interface on Barton," he explained.

Open house tonight

Among the benefits a studio and sound stage could bring are between 500 and a thousand jobs, John added.

City staff areinviting residents to an open hose to discuss the "opportunities and challenges" of adding "creative cultural uses" to plans for the area during an open house, question and answer segment and workshop at the DavidBraleyHealth Science Centre Monday evening from 6 to 8:30 p.m.