The Hamilton Bank Building is comprised of Hamilton Studios & Shops. 42 residential studio units above approximately 4,314 sq. ft. across 5 commercial spaces on the ground level at the cross streets of Powell Street and Victoria Drive.
Situated in the eclectic Port Town neighborhood of East Vancouver, famous for its concentration of craft breweries and coffee roasters, The Hamilton Bank Building is a 110-year-old mixed-use character building that still maintains its authentic charm. It was built in 1906 and designed by turn of the century “starchitect,” William Whiteway, who was responsible for designing many of Vancouver’s most iconic buildings, including the Sun Tower in Crosstown. The building was originally occupied by the Hamilton Bank – a bank which merged with CIBC in the 1920’s – of which the original two-story solid brick bank safe still exists within the building today.
fabric purchased the Hamilton Bank Building in 2015 and began renovations to the property. Jordan MacDonald, fabric’s CEO, set up fabric’s very first office in the building and worked on the project with his own hands – ripping out old radiators for days. Talk about sweat equity!
At the time, the neighborhood lacked real identity but was home to Parallel 49 Brewing and it was clear that there was a lot of potential. fabric named the neighborhood Port Town and worked with mural artist MEGA on 4 murals in the building including a Welcome to Port Town banner on the exterior, A Tribe Called Quest hip hop lyrics in the lobby and Biggie Small’s “still got love for the streets” lyrics on the front door.
The small studio units fill a gap in the market for affordable micro suites in a safe and clean environment and are perfect for creative/craft makers that prefer to reside small and live large. Rents at the Hamilton Bank Building include all utilities as well as Wi-Fi and the building is prominently featured in the Eastside Culture Crawl, with resident-artists showcasing their work and studios at the Hamilton Bank Building during the multi-day festival.
Port Town is in the infancy of an urban revitalization, which is attracting young creatives and entrepreneurs in droves. A variety of new eclectic restaurants, coffee shops, craft breweries (highest concentration in Canada) and creative businesses have opened their doors to the community over the past few years. Port Town is home to Parallel 49 Brewing’s head office & brewery and the original JJ Bean Coffee Roasters and in recent years has seen major commercial developments like Conwest Development’s 300,000 sq.ft. Terminal City Iron Works project add new businesses and local employees to the community.
The Hamilton shops on the ground level house tenants that have grassroots businesses, contributing to the artisanal nature of the local community and are home to Studio Roslyn (Robert Leddingham Emerging Designer of the Year), Motiv Architects, Aleph, Subject to Change (a new rotating chef concept) and NIWA! (a highly anticipated new restaurant opening December 2024.)
Past tenants include Trans Am Restaurant (Vancouver Magazine bar of the year recipient), The Pie Shoppe and Elephant Restaurant (Michelin Guide-recognized and listed as one of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants).
The Hamilton Bank Building currently has live / work studios available for rent. Visit www.hamiltonbankbuilding.com for more information!