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Innovative Office Space in Historical Hamilton Landmark

Innovative Office Space in Historical Hamilton Landmark

Innovative Office Space in Historical Hamilton Landmark
February 04
18:49 2020

Warehouse Office Space in Demand. Westinghouse HQ has Ceiling Height Options from 14 to 18 feet.

The elegant building that was once home to the headquarters of Westinghouse Canada has been reborn. Some have said this is the best warehouse office space in Hamilton.

Westinghouse - Banko Creblurb
Westinghouse HQ offers over 40,000 square feet of space for unique retail and office opportunities. Located at 286 Sanford Ave North in Hamilton Ontario.

Westinghouse HQ in Hamilton’s east end features a total of 70,000 square feet of office space, professionally managed events and community space on the ground floor, a highly efficient building envelope and HVAC system controlled by photo sensors, two new high-speed elevators, ceiling heights of 14 to 18 feet, access to plenty of parking and high-speed fibre directly to each unit.

“Our core value is that the tenant experience is central to what we do here,” said development partner Ray Hutton, who along with Meir Dick, leads a group of investors backing the project.

Classical Revival building in Hamilton’s Gibson neighbourhood sat empty for several decades, but remained a “magnetic force” in the city, says Dick. It features a reinforced concrete and structural steel frame with an ornate and historically designated red brick and cut-stone façade.

At its peak in 1955, Westinghouse employed more than 11,000 people in Hamilton.

The developers have replaced a staggering 360 eight-foot windows in the building with fully operational aluminum-clad wood windows. Soaring arched walnut windows on the ground floor were restored by a heritage specialist. Many original features have been retained, including terrazzo and mosaic floors in the entrance hall, marble and hardwood, ornate pillars, decorative crown moldings and wrought iron and wood railings on the fire stairs.

Heritage Office Space Building in Hamilton

“The heritage of this building is the greatest asset here. There are not many buildings like this one anywhere. We wanted to make sure we did everything right,” said Dick.

Rates are $17 per square foot triple net least and are competitive with downtown Class A office rates. Leasing options include full floors of 10,000 square feet of open space filled with natural light and 360-degree views of the city, units of 2,500 square feet on the fourth floor, and professional offices with shared services and amenities on the third floor.

The top floor, where Westinghouse engineers and draftsmen once toiled, features vaulted ceilings and skylights.

Westinghouse HQ – a more than $13-million investment – is the first for Electric City Developments, which focuses on contextually aware heritage revivals that value social connection. Before even signing a tenant, the developers joined the local BIA, sponsored community events and hosted neighbourhood meetings.

Along with event space partner Equal Parts Hospitality, the vision is for Westinghouse HQ to become a community hub, supporting local arts, innovation, and economy. That will include everything from hosting pop-up art galleries and concerts in the European boutique hotel lobby-inspired space, to providing picnic baskets to enjoy at the adjacent Woodlands Park.

The second floor, once home to the president’s office and boardroom, is now occupied by the project’s architects, mechanical engineers and heritage consultants McCallum Sather Architects. It features massive, floor-to-ceiling iron trusses that carry the upper floors, allowing for a wide-open theatre space on the ground floor.

The development is aimed at attracting tenants in design, architecture, engineering, and heritage.

“We are really looking at top-of-their-game tenants who are experiencing growth, take pride in their work and their work environment, and want to be part of this vision. MSA is a great example of that,” said Dick

“The developers are focused on sustainability, have invested in a high-quality building envelope, and have been great stewards of a beautiful heritage building,” said Drew Hauser, director at MSA.

“The working environment is so incredible here that it is helping us attract and retain our best team members. The building is having its second heyday now and will become an integral part of Hamilton again. That is important to us.”

Support from the municipality and the community has been unwavering, says Dick

“It’s a testament to the meaningfulness of the building. What we are doing is a very fitting buildout of what this building has always been. We’re just bringing back what was always here.”

If you are interested in some of the best warehouse office space in Hamilton please connect with the Hamilton Economic Development Department or Westinghouse HQ.

About Author

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Lloyd Stevens has been writing Canadian business news for over 20 years with articles appearing in Perspective which appears in The Globe & Mail and contributing to ThinkHamilton.blog and Creblurb.com

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