The City of Hamilton is deciding to build a tower along its waterfront that would be the tallest in the city. The government has decided to take this step so that it can be considered a move towards higher density for the growing Southern Ontario City. However, after the announcement of this news, not all the residents are happy with this decision as some are claiming that building this tower will block sightlines.

This 45-storey high tower will be designed by architect Bruce Kuwabara. The proposed tower will have two storeys more than the current tallest tower in Hamilton city. According to the government, this proposal is a major part of the redevelopment plan of over five hectares of land along the waterfront. This is to be built at Pier 8 into a new community. According to the proposal presented, the tower will occupy the northwest corner of the pier. This tower will contribute to more than 1,600 residential units, over 1,400 parking spaces that the pier is set to have after the redevelopment is completed and more than 13,000 square metres of commercial and institutional space. This tower will provide a beautiful view and it will be a landmark for the city of Hamilton city. The building announced on May 20th will be a part of the new Pier 8 redevelopment plan. The height of this building would challenge The Urban Hamilton Official Plan.

The architect, Bruce Kuwabara, thinks the building would be considered a work of architecture for Hamilton city as a flagship and a landmark; especially for Pier 8. But the tower will work at the tip of Lake Ontario. Initially, it was designed that the tower should be cylindrical but later on, during a Design Review Panel, two more options were added and presented in front of Bruce Kuwabara. It is decided that the exterior of the building would consist of curves, giving a floral-like shape from a birds-eye view. This was the second design presented. The third design, named Lily, consisted of a more organic form due to its asymmetric and abstract shape.

Bruce Kuwabara mentioned that the variations will give more meaning to the character of the building. The occupants will have different perspectives and experiences regarding what it is like to live in a building that has wavy patterns versus what it would be like to live in a building that would have softer, flatter and floral curves. But towards the end, the design of the building will be kept simple, minimal, and elegant as said by Bruce Kuwabara.

As the tower would be the tallest building in Hamilton city, it will be visible not just from Hamilton but also from Burlington as well. One can view this tower from points around the bay, from LaSalle Park, and from down as well. This tower will be a landmark for Hamilton city, it doesn't matter whether it's the Waves, Cylinder or Lily. This tower will become a part of the image of the entire city of Hamilton in an intentional manner.

However, though this tower will certainly be a new focal point for the city of Hamilton, not all residents are in support of the construction of this tower. After the Planning committee discussed this project in a meeting, a number of petitions were submitted against the construction of this tower. Some people commented that the city has not considered the potential issues that this tower will put on the neighbourhood. People said that the interference with the enjoyment of their property has been completely neglected by the government as a part of the current redevelopment process going on. People will not be able to enjoy the beautiful view of the waterfront and the traffic will be directed to Guise Street which would create a lot of issues for them. Even the issue of shadows of the tower being cast over nearby streets was also raised by some commoners.

The North End Neighbourhood Association and Harbour West Neighbours Inc, however, supported this project and have raised their voices in support as well. In a letter to the Planning Committee, The North End Neighbourhood Association mentioned that if the government approves this construction of the tower then it will significantly lower the development density and allow housing purposes that will attract families from everywhere. By attracting families with children, it will benefit the neighbourhood and provide support to restaurants, education, retail, transportation services, etc.

Listening to the comments and reviews of the people, Bruce Kuwabara has emphasized the point that, although people think that building itself is high-density, the entire level of land density for the parcel of land will not be changed. Bruce Kuwabara has named this thing "zoning". According to this, it is not adding, not a land grab and increase in density. But rather zoning means the stabilization of density. In simpler terms, it means the distribution of those units over Pier 8. The design team has promised to ensure that the tower itself, although will be the tallest building in Hamilton city, will have the least amount of impact on its surrounding environment.

Bruce Kuwabara has clearly stated that they are trying to make an elegant building. The very fork of it will be aerodynamic. The designers are very concerned regarding mitigating wind through design and they have decided that it will have comfortable outdoor amenity spaces. This 45-storey tall building will be iconic from the Pier 8 shoreline and it will symbolize progress in Hamilton's growth. Yet to date, no legal approvals have been given to the project. Hamilton's Design Review Panel will once again present the idea and discuss the proposal in a meeting that is scheduled to be held on April 27, 2022. The recommendation will be provided by the review panel but the ultimate decision will lie in the hands of the City Council.