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The Coppley Building redevelopment is bringing new life to one of Hamilton’s most significant heritage assets. Comprising a pre-Confederation limestone structure from 1856 and an adjoining 1911 red-brick industrial building at 56 York Boulevard, the limestone block is Hamilton’s largest surviving commercial building of its era, long associated with Coppley Apparel’s garment production. Core Urban Inc. acquired the property from a group led by TAS in Toronto, which had initiated a community-hub vision with the Hamilton Community Foundation.
Working with Lintack Architects, Core Urban is advancing a restoration that includes a boutique hotel in the stone building, commercial and community spaces at grade, a courtyard atrium, and rental housing in the brick building, the two connected by a new multilevel bridging structure. The redevelopment also reintegrates the site’s two interior courtyards, with one becoming a glass-topped atrium serving the hotel lobby, and the other forming a landscaped amenity space for residents.
Looking northeast across York Boulevard in October, 2025, we see the limestone building’s bracketed stone cornices and steep Mansard roofline, featuring slate shingles and copper flashing. A telescopic materials handler hoists timber into the interior for the 60-suite hotel. Window openings remain unglazed, set to feature new aluminum-clad, double-hung thermal units. On the left behind the flatbed truck is the metal-clad passageway that will be replaced.
Looking north toward the west building, the clay brick walls, now partially cleaned, show newly exposed rough openings where second- through fourth-floor windows have been removed. The open bays show interior retrofit for 36 rental units on the upper storeys, while the ground floor will transition to community and commercial uses, including the Hamilton Community Foundation offices. The envelope will feature Edwardian-style wood cornice and upgraded roofing.
In November, 2025, a boom lift is positioned against the upper storeys of the limestone east building as crews carry out detailed restoration along the cornice line. The cornices will be cleaned, repaired, and prepared for new waterproofing systems that will accompany the reinstated slate roof and copper ridge flashing. Window openings still hold aging frames. Above the parapet, temporary timber framing indicates ongoing work at roof level, where dormers will receive new metal cap flashing and slate shingles.
Circling around the block to the north elevation, the limestone building’s new Mansard roof structure is taking shape, with truss framing outlining the fourth-floor addition that will include slate shingles, copper ridge flashing, and aluminum-framed skylights. To the right, the brick building shows its new concrete elevator core rising to the third floor, with formwork in place to continue higher.
Looking northwest again, scaffolding wraps the south elevation and extends partway along the east facade of the limestone building. At the centre of the east elevation, the future lobby entrance’s wood doors will be restored and fixed open before installing an aluminum entry screen and a post-formed copper canopy. A temporary stair tower rises within the scaffold to support worker access.
This month, the brick building shows new windows installed, with dark frames and clear glazing. At the centre of the image, steel framework marks the location of the new bridging connection that will link the two heritage structures. This structure will be enclosed by a four-storey aluminum and glass curtain wall system with tapered mullions. The ground level will eventually feature a copper-clad entrance canopy leading into a shared lobby, while above, a barrel-vaulted glass roof will span the courtyard.
The buildings are targeting a mid-2026 opening.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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