Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Area (BIA) has a new brand identity, intended to reflect new energy that’s being focused on the downtown core. Look past some of the old, tired small stores and the rather unfortunate street people looking like they have nothing but time on their hands, and you see a lot of vibrant renewal. Mixed-use space is being created inside old buildings with beautiful old architectural facades that are being retained. Retail and office space with condos or apartments above them are being built, a sign of lively urban neighbourhoods.
As an example, on April 19, the BIA held the brand launch reception on the third floor of The Right House at 35 King St. E., a former department store, now a huge space that has been opened up back to the newly sandblasted brick walls and 1834-original wood floors, newly refinished, with wood boxing in pillars to look like timber frame supports. The ceiling is high, huge windows let in a lot of light and provide neighbourhood views. The commercial space is available for rent, ideal for a growing company that thrives on an open-concept plan.
“Hamilton is changing,” declares the BIA. “Hamilton business is changing. Downtown Hamilton is at the heart of this shift in economic renewal.”
With so much new vibrancy, the new brand is intended to attract more people to downtown Hamilton and change their perceptions. The identity rebranding replaces the old brand with the new, powerfully graphic sage and rose simple design that plays on the word “downtown.” The tag line “To the core” is a call to action as well as the root of messages for six specific sectors of the centre of the city:
Living – Genuine to the core
Entertainment – Captivating to the core.
Arts – Creative to the core.
Food/Drink – Appetizing to the core.
Business – Dedicated to the core.
Services – Professional to the core.
The branding and related streetscape banners are the work of Factor[e] Design Initiative of downtown Hamilton.
“Passion and people who believe in Hamilton is what is driving the growth of our downtown,” says Lillian Cathcart, chair of the BIA’s board of management. “Whether it is a multiple-million-dollar developer or an individual who is visiting downtown Hamilton, we all are adding vitality and value to our core. The stronger the core, the stronger the foundation to grow our city.”
For more about the Downtown Hamilton BIA, see http://downtownhamilton.org.
Delicious food & wine were provided by Incognito Restaurant & Wine Bar.
