The History & Future of 434 King Street West
The Past
In 1924, the Kenmore Theatre opened its doors to the citizens of Hamilton. One of the first picture theatres of this city entertained the masses through the Depression and WWII.
By the late 1950's, the entertainment landscape changed, and with that, so did the Kenmore. With Television becoming the predominant media of the era, CHCH-TV was born, originally as a CBC affiliate, and later as the first independent Canadian television station, where some of the best Canadian media content was created. Beloved shows like The Pierre Berton Show, Party Game, Tiny Talent Time, as well as all-time cult favourites like The Red Green Show and the Hilarious House of Frightenstein all sprung to life from this landmark on King Street West.
As the decades passed, Hamilton, like many rust-belt cities, experienced economic challenges. CHCH-TV moved their base of operations to more modern facilities and the old theatre on King Street West became expendable.
Over the ensuing years, a variety of attempts were made to sustain the building as a commercial entertainment venue for music and theatre. In 2014, a roof failure over the main theatre meant a new plan was required. Band-aid solutions were no longer going to suffice.
The Present
Lyrical Investments Inc. has since taken over this landmark building and with new mixed-use concepts being utilized to create a more robust business plan for the future of the building, and the new LRT planned for King Street, which will result in a more pedestrian focused streetscape, the future is bright for this project.
Having completed our formal consultation and Design Review Panel with the City of Hamilton, we are now moving toward Site Plan Approval and Building Permits with a target for having those in hand by Spring 2021.
The Future
With Site Plan Approval and Building Permits secured, the 434 King Street Theatre project will be market ready with a variety of commercial opportunities available and a targeted opening of 2022.
Contact Lyrical Investments Inc. at 289-838-5662 for more information.