Developers Valery Homes and Spallacci Group are poised to transform one of the city of Hamilton’s most iconic landmarks, the Royal Connaught Hotel, into a residential development that will reclaim a city block in the historic Gore Park district.
The Residences of Royal Connaught will introduce 700 new residential condominium units into the heart of the city. The original Edwardian façade of the existing buildings will be preserved.
With strong Hamilton roots, both partners are committed to the revitalization of their city.
“People see The Royal Connaught as their hotel,” says Valery Homes president Ted Valeri. “Our plans for the project are to bring it back and make people proud of this iconic address once again.”
A complete interior reconstruction of Connaught’s upper floors will connect to three new residential point towers. Modern smoked grey glazing will juxtapose the historic nature of the former hotel buildings. Designed by KNY Architects, historical elements will rise up alongside the glass.
An expansive eighth floor rooftop amenity space will connect the new residential towers offering condo residents more 35,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor recreation and social space including a theatre, gaming room, fitness centre, party room with dining amenities and terrace equipped with outdoor fire-pits and cabanas for entertaining.
Integral to the project, the developers said, is the launch of more than 13,000 square feet of boutique retail that will revitalize a commercial footprint that wraps from King Street along Catherine Street to Main.
A new seven-storey podium designed to complement the historical façade of the Connaught Hotel will anchor the residential community and feature a galleria including restaurants, cafes, and shops mixed with pedestrian spaces at ground level and a public square with outdoor seating.
Set to open in summer 2013, the project’s presentation centre located in the hotel’s three-storey art deco lobby will feature the signature glass staircase and mezzanine, a grand piano, coffee bar and sleek deco contemporary furniture.
Accents of marble, black, warm whites, gold and brass in the décor “allude to the opulence and glamour” of the hotel’s past, the developers said. Original columns will be illuminated to highlight the dramatic 23 foot ceiling and architectural features. The lobby presentation centre will eventually transition into the main lobby and reception area for the residence.
“It will be a really chic and eclectic space,” says Lisa Boyer, principal of LB Design, the project’s interior designer.
As a nod to those “who have stayed, played and entertained” at the Royal Connaught, a feature gallery wall with black and white graphics will showcase the hotel’s celebrated history and over-sized portraits of guests.
“We need the Connaught to come back to life so people in the city as well as the rest of the world understand that Hamilton is on the move again,” says Mayor Bob Bratina.
Phase I of The Residences of Royal Connaught will offer 135 condominium suites built behind the original façade of the first of the two Connaught buildings. Occupancy is expected in 2015.
“We can build in numerous communities, but the heart is missing in our city and we want to bring it back,” says Rudi Spallacci, president of the family-run Spallacci Group.
The group’s previous revitalization projects include West Avenue Residences in North Hamilton converting an 1885 heritage schoolhouse into a LEED certified residence, and Terraces on King, rejuvenating a large portion of Hamilton’s International Village.
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