Historic abandoned Ontario theatre to be demolished to make way for condos

A heritage landmark in downtown Hamilton may soon be razed to make way for a huge new condo complex, and the project’s developers are arguing that they have no choice but to tear down the structure after engineers deemed it unsafe.

Hamilton’s Tivoli Theatre could see its final curtain call, with the landmark squarely in the crosshairs of Aventus Developments, which bought the abandoned property in 2022, and partner Society Developments.

The developers wish to tear down the auditorium and replace it with a pair of high-rise condominium towers connected by a floating sky bridge.

City of Hamilton

Constructed in phases over an almost half-century period spanning from 1875 to 1924 the at least century-old property has lived many lives.

According to the National Trust for Canada, the building’s earliest forms housed a carriage factory and later a small nickelodeon in 1907. A century ago, it was converted into a combined vaudeville stage performance venue and movie house, and finally transitioned into a purely live venue for stage shows in the mid-1990s.

The Tivoli was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 2004.

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Despite heritage protections in place for the structure, the project team has submitted a report to Hamilton City staff arguing that the property is now unsalvageable after years of neglect and deterioration.

In a statement to blogTO, Edward John, principal planner at the firm Landwise assisting with the application, explains that the project team explored many options for preservation, but ultimately deemed the building was “fundamentally compromised.”

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“In terms of options explored, the original design concept sought to integrate the Tivoli theatre auditorium into the new proposal,” says John.

He explains that “The design intent was to use the area as an event space that could host entertainment and other uses such as community market, restaurant and reception/ballroom area for functions.”

“However, following an exhaustive assessment by its heritage architect, structural engineer and environmental consultant, the group determined both the structure and internal fabric is fundamentally compromised and demolition is the only viable option due to specific exterior and interior conditions.”

John says that following the realization that salvaging the structure was not feasible, “a pivot in the original design approach was necessary and alternatives explored.”

“This has included considering recreating the event space in alternative locations and maintaining a cohesive commemorative experience throughout the building that reflects the historic value of the site in a contemporary manner,” he says.

John says that while demolition is the current plan for the property, “Aventus is committed to preserving the legacy of the site through interpretive elements integrated into the forthcoming development.”

“The final design and layout will be refined over the coming months, with plans for a formal submission anticipated early next year.”

However, the supposed urgency for demolition has been challenged by Hamilton’s heritage permit review subcommittee, which voted against a teardown order this week, and argued that the building could indeed be saved if the owner was willing to invest enough funds.

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This is actually not the first time the theatre has been targeted for demolition. Almost 20 years earlier, in 2005, the Sniderman family — known for the Sam the Record Man music store — applied to the City of Hamilton in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to demolish the structure.