In Conversation: The Toronto developer and the city councillor

Toronto developer Brad Lamb says while Hamiltonians might be reeling at the pace of change in the city, he feels it is "early days" and there is much change to come.

And the city should embrace that idea.

"I would say Hamilton is fortunate. There are many cities that would love to have the buzz that is happening here right now, and the opportunity to grow this city in responsible way.

No one is moving here from Toronto to try tochange the culture or nature of the city. I think you'refine.- Brad Lamb

"It is early days, I understand when you are here, you see there is all this change. From the standpoint of what could happen, very little has happened so far."

Lamb's Television City project proposed for the CHCH headquarters on Jackson Street West is a big step toward that larger pace of change. The proposal is for 620 condos in two towers, 30 and 40 storeys high. Lamb, whosays he sees a bright future for the city, was speaking as part of CBC's series exploring Hamilton's evolving identity.

Agree and disagree

The flashy and sometimes brash developer spokewith Ward 3Coun.Matthew Green, as the two explored issues around development, affordability and the Toronto migration's impact on the city's future.

In a wide-ranging conversation, the two traded observations, debated points of development, andargued over the role of the OMBbut also found points of agreement. You can watch an edited version of their conversation in the window above.

Green,who described himself as "pro development" but not always "pro-developer," cautioned Lamb that Hamilton is a skeptical city when it comes to flashy promises from outsiders.

"If you've been in Hamilton long enough, we've seen that time and time again. Hamiltonpeople are skepticalof thetwo dimensional drawings and thehype. It'sbecausewe have had that horse and pony show coming to the city for a very long time ... for us, we don't get too excited about that. We'rea 'show me'kind of city."

While welcomingandprepared for change, the city has a culture and history that needs to be respected, he told Lamb.

Different perspectives

Each offered a perspective on how they viewed development and the change Hamilton is undergoing:

Said Green:

"How do we balance the economic needs of development I'm very prodevelopment, but not always prodeveloper, depending on the situation to ensure that the folks that have built this city over multiplegenerations aren't pushed to the fringe, and so it's building and maintaining a place for Hamiltonians, while openingour doors to welcome whether it's new Syrians or people like yourselfcoming from Toronto."

Lamb said:

"A typical developer'sperspectiveis more myopic thanyours.You have an overall view of where you want the city to be, and our view is, we've bought a piece of property and we have an idea for that property ... we don't have the same overarching ideologythat you might have but having saidthat, whenever we develop in a citywe want to developsomethingin a citythat will make a it better."

What kind of canvas?

Lamb, who also riled some of Hamilton's social mediaseveral weeks ago with his comment that the city is an "unpainted canvas," clarified that he meant the city was more a work in progress.

"Iwouldn't characterize as an unpainted canvas, I would characterizeas an uncompleted canvas. Hamilton has had these growth spurts and then there has been retrenchments, industrial ups and downs.

"To me it feels thepainting shallcontinue and thefuture is amazing. I think the retrenchments are over, I only see growth in the city."

One topic they touched on was the role of the movement of people from Toronto into the city.

Lamb felt the city had nothing to fear from that.

"I think Hamiltoncan maintainits integrity and sense of being a distinct city despite the fact there are external migrations taking place. It's all based on how Hamiltoniansreact and how politiciansreact.Its really up to thepeoplewho live here how the city progesses.

"I don't see the city changing dramatically. No one is moving here from Toronto to try tochange the culture or nature of the city. I think you'refine."

Managing expectations

Green, however talked about managing expectations of newcomers and the dilemmas it causes.

"We havethis interestingcultural pheneomenwhere folks are comingin from Torontoand saying in my old city I received X, Yand Z.I'm here now and I'm demanding,my city councillor,that you give me a dog park, thatyou give me a bike lane that you give me all these things that urbanists want and expect in TO, without paying for it.

"There is a bit of a caviar taste with a BurgerKing budgetsometimes with people."

On the question of being an outsider to the city bringing change, Lamb was not concerned aboutthe label.

"I don't feel bad, don'tthink its relevant. The key is, cities need to change, cities need new blood and new ideas to not get staid and not get comfortable."

Green, endorsing change and progress, said people new to the city had to understand the history they were buying into.

"As long as you are acknowledging there has been a lotof peopleworking for long time to get towhere we are today, you'll be fine."