You may not recognize the name Harry Stinson but you wouldn’t forget two of his major projects in Toronto if you saw them. The developer is now poised to make his mark in Hamilton, although this development coincidentally came with his name already attached.
The future for Stinson is the Stinson School Lofts, a redevelopment of downtown Hamilton’s historic Stinson School. The past has included Toronto’s Candy Factory Lofts and One King Street.
While Stinson was “supposed to be studying architecture”, he opened Toronto’s first health food restaurant in 1970 that evolved into a concert venue. Stinson also served as the restaurant’s chef. At about the same time, he opened a restaurant geared to children as well.
He then became a real estate broker, specializing in condos. Frustrated with the design of the inventory in Toronto, he admits to undermining his sales by commenting on how the units could be improved.
“The condos I was showing to clients weren’t very interesting. They were boring,” recalls Stinson.
He refers to himself as “just a guy who has done a small number of very interesting projects”. He’s attracted to things that are distinctive, that stand out.
One King West is a 51-storey tall, 29-foot wide combination hotel and residence. The modern high-rise has the original Toronto Dominion Bank Building as its foundation. Stinson has stood on the sidewalk outside the Starbucks across the street and watched people take photographs of the landmark. He’s also heard their generous comments. Stinson says One King Street West was voted one of the “most admired buildings in Toronto”.
“There’s nothing to me more fulfilling than being able to stand outside a building I’ve just done and watch other people look at it and say ‘wow, that’s a beautiful building’,” Stinson contends.
In the early 1990s his vision of a vacant warehouse in a derelict neighbourhood being transformed into fashionable lofts became a reality. The Candy Factory Lofts, he says, “totally revolutionized downtown Toronto”. The massive change was the result of a new, open zoning policy brought in under the guidance of Toronto’s mayor of the day, Barbara Hall.
In Toronto Life magazine’s 40th anniversary issue published two years ago, the creation of Candy Factory Lofts was named one of the 10 most significant events in Toronto’s history. Stinson believes this kind of revolutionary change is what’s needed in Hamilton.
He has done developments for large companies like Tridel that bring him in on small, one-of-a-kind, difficult projects. Stinson jokes that he is the “patron saint of lost causes in development”. “I take on the difficult ones that require hands-on attention. I’m a typical fanatic who just gets obsessed with his projects. I gravitate to the unusual and the difficult,” he says, adding that he will spend several years working on a project to make it a showpiece.
A collector of old cars, Stinson is particularly obsessed with antique limousines. Although his thin stature may not speak to his passion for food, he is a chef and still has a fondness for the hospitality business. He calls himself fanatic stair climber who has found the ideal city in Hamilton, to indulge this activity.
Stinson is the type of person who stays totally focused on one particular thing. That focus is currently on Stinson School Lofts. He expects to again get the fulfillment that comes with creating a remarkable landmark. “Buildings last,” he explains and his buildings definitely have lasting impact.
To find out more about Stinson’s latest project visit www.stinsonschool.com or drop by Stinson School Lofts which is open for viewing seven days a week.
