RE: BALTIMORE HOUSE ANNOUNCES CLOSURE
The same forces that are transforming King William Street are at work everywhere. Venue owner/operators are under pressure.
There is a battle looming, and I’m not surprised Baltimore House wants to avoid it. New residential buildings have been built on King William, and where there used to be empty sky above and around the venue, there are now people living.
My two bits:
1. Residents who move into an urban condo should only do so with both eyes AND EARS wide open. Condo marketers need to honestly represent the fact that established music venues exist in the area.
2. People who are moving into a dense, urban environment need to give their head a shake if they believe there should be no night life.
3. The condos need to be sound-proofed if they are the new kid on the block. This follows the “agent of change” principle.
4. City bylaws and zoning need to be updated and forward-thinking, and balanced with the existing Hamilton Music Strategy. This is a matter of political will, good communication, and good information flow.
5. And most importantly, we need to be customers at these music venues! The musicians have enjoyed playing there, and the regular customers have loved the vibe at the Baltimore House. It has been a room like no other in Hamilton. We had our first magazine release party there back in 2013. It was a wonderful experience.
