The Latest News

Forge & Foster’s One West building, featuring Lester Coloma mural, featured on NHL’s ‘Get to Know: Hamilton Ontario’

MARCH 22, 2022

It’s officially a landmark.

One West Avenue South is featured prominently on a short film produced by the NHL to familiarize hockey fans with Hamilton, home of the NHL’s 2022 Heritage Classic.

Forge & Foster has painstakingly renovated brick-and-beam office building at the gates of the International Village on the corner of King and Main.

Once a dilapidated office building with high vacancy, One West Avenue is now an A-class brick-and-beam office building home to many prominent Hamilton businesses.

About the mural

Forge & Foster worked with noted local artist Lester Coloma to create “Raise”, a mural that celebrates the rich history of the building and the Hamilton core. Designed by Coloma’s brother Norman and realized by both artists, the towering mural depicts workers hoisting rope to the heavens against a stark white backdrop.

Born and raised in the Hammer, Lester Coloma is a local award-winning mural artist and illustrator. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art & Design, he’s left his artistic mark across the city.

Coloma has been commissioned by Forge & Foster to create murals at 400 Wellington Street North, 150 Chatham Street, and more.

Hamilton has become a hotspot for countless public murals – from stunning painted landscapes to eye-popping abstract or conceptual renderings – created by many local independent artists and art collectives.

Forge & Foster is currently collaborating with Coloma on a ground-breaking new project! It’s set to be unveiled on March 30, 2022, and promises to bring Forge & Foster’s commitment to Hamilton and its artistic community to a whole new platform. Stay tuned for exciting details!

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Would-be film production hub starts buying Hamilton’s vacant west harbour lands

The Hamilton Spectator, February 8, 2022

Aeon Studio Group announced plans in 2019 to transform the city’s failed stadium lands into a film hub, but taxpayers still own most of the land more than two years later.

The would-be builders of Hamilton’s Hollywood North have bought the first of what the city hopes will be many of the taxpayer-owned properties in the west harbour block once earmarked for a football stadium.

Now Aeon Studio Group is asking residents this week to “share your ideas” of what belongs in the eventual mega-development of a planned film production hub and live-work condos worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Read more >>

Walker Press building up for sale

The Brantford Expositor, January 31, 2022

With plans seemingly stalled to turn the historic building at Yeo and Willow streets into a commercial/retail centre, Forge and Foster, of Hamilton, has put up a “for sale” sign.

“We’ve been trying to find a way to move this forward with the county but we can’t wait forever,” Ben Ames, of Forge and Foster, said. “It’s a shame because it really is a nice old building and we’d really like to make into something the community would enjoy.

“But we have to be able to move forward and, without any kind of suggestions or feedback from the county, that’s just not possible.”

Brant County Mayor David Bailey said, “Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love old buildings and I have no doubt that they (Forge and Foster) would do a great job.” Read more >>

Fresh paint, upgrades brings history back to iconic Cambridge building

The Record, February 9, 2022

The former Scott Shoe Co. building, also known as the Ray Electric building, has new owners and a new look.

One of Cambridge’s most iconic industrial buildings just got a facelift.

Fresh paint and upgrades to the former Scott Shoe Co. building, also commonly known as the Ray Electric building, brings history back to this Park Hill Road fixture.

“We’re big believers in revitalizing older buildings, and this one obviously has a great history and incredible bones,” said Ben Ames, chief investment officer and partner at Forge & Foster, the Hamilton-based company behind the revitalization project. Read more >>