Right in the core of downtown Hamilton Ont. Sat four historic buildings. Two of them are pre confederate and the other two were built in the 1870s. They had many businesses in them through the decades but were vacated about fifteen years ago. The owners submitted a plan to redevelop to whole block and the plan was going to save many parts of the buildings, including the front facades.
The city approved the plan, to only change their minds right before construction. So the developer altered their plans and resubmitted them. The city again approved them. Only to reverse that decision again. This process has been an ongoing cycle for the whole fifteen years now, while the buildings sat abandoned and decaying.
Two days ago the 1870s buildings collapsed (thankfully no one was injured) and the clean up has been in progress, so I went for a walk to go check it out.
The city released a statement, laying full blame on the owner for not upkeeping the buildings and stating that the city has been monitoring them since the summer. This is a very well known issue with this city! The government will hold up projects, milking them for as much money that can be made through applications, permits etc. until the plans becoming undoable or things like this happen. There have been many out of town investors and developers who have done or started a project here and now say they will never work on anything in this city again!
It is just said that we are loosing our heritage because of insane and greedy governments!