Harry Stinson (born June 3, 1953 in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

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) is a Canadian real estate developer from

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

, Canada. He is president of Stinson Properties, Inc. He has been called Toronto's "condo king".

Biography

Prior to his pursuit as a developer, Harry Stinson ran a party venue in Toronto, Canada, called The Mad Hatter—a place for children's parties in the 1980s. The business has since ceased operation. Stinson's most significant project to date has been 1 King West, a condo/hotel tower that he claimed to be the "narrowest building in the world" on the basis of its height-to-footprint ratio. It incorporates the former headquarters of the

Dominion Bank The Dominion Bank was a Canadian bank that was chartered in 1869 and based in Toronto, Ontario. On February 1, 1955, it merged with the Bank of Toronto to form the Toronto-Dominion Bank. History The Dominion Bank's charter received royal ass ...

. He was promoting the Sapphire Tower, a new residential tower for Toronto's financial district that would have been the tallest residential tower in Toronto at 342 metres (90 storeys). He was competing with Trump International Hotel and Tower, a condo/hotel of similar height. In early 2008 the Sapphire Tower site was sold for three times its initial price for $24m. His Dominion Club was closed on September 20, 2006 and sold to the 1 King West Condo Corporation along with the hotel management contract for $14 million. In March 2007, Stinson filed for creditor protection as a result of an $11.8 million dispute with

David Mirvish David Mirvish, (born August 29, 1944) is a Canadian theatre producer, impresario, and art collector. He owns and operates Toronto-based theatrical production company Mirvish Productions, which he founded with his father in 1986. He has also pr ...

, the financier of 1 King West. On April 20, 2007, Stinson and Mirvish went to Ontario Superior Court where Mr. Justice Colin Campbell issued an order granting Mr. Stinson permission to continue running One King, but appointed Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. as monitor, with full access to all records of Mr. Stinson’s businesses. On August 24, 2007, Ira Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. was appointed Receiver and Manager over the assets, properties and undertakings of several of Mr. Stinson's companies, pursuant to the order of the Honourable Madam Justice Pepall. In late 2009 the legal battles continued between Stinson and Mirvish. On February 29, 2008, Stinson signed a $9.5-million contract to purchase the Royal Connaught Hotel at Hamilton. The agreement was secured with a $100,000 deposit and provided a 30-day conditional period for Stinson to secure financing. The concept included restoration and a substantial addition to the existing Connaught building to include a 100-room boutique luxury hotel and approximately 200 compact one- and two-bedroom multi-use condominiums. Stinson confirmed a 100-storey condominium tower with a commercial gallery designed to be an architectural signature piece for downtown Hamilton. Stinson now resides in the city of Hamilton.De Lazzer , Rachel. "Condo king buys Royal Connaught for $9.5m." Hamilton Spectator. 29 February 2008: A1."Every city needs an icon."- Harry Stinson, Hamilton Spectator. 24 May 2008: WR7. On June 2, 2008, Stinson made a public presentation of his proposed 100-storey Connaught Towers at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce building. It would have made it the tallest building in Canada. Three months later, on Thursday September 4, Stinson closed the Connaught Towers sales office in downtown Hamilton and the project was cancelled. In April 2009, Stinson moved the location of his proposed Hamilton Grand Hotel from John St. beside the Royal Connaught Hotel to the southeast corner of John and Main streets in Hamilton. The hotel is to look like a 19th-century building and will operate as a condominium owned hotel with street level retail, restaurant and banquet centre. On June 30, 2009, Stinson bought the Stinson School at 200 Stinson Street for $1.05 million with plans to turn the former school into loft condominiums."School Purchase Puts Stinson on Stinson" Hamilton Spectator. 3 July 2009 On December 23, 2013, the Stinson School Lofts held an open house and Christmas reception in its grand lobby that was attended by approximately 1,000 people including the mayor of Hamilton

Bob Bratina Robert Bratina (born 1944) is a Canadian politician and former broadcaster who was the 56th mayor of Hamilton from 2010 to 2014. Previously, he sat on the Hamilton City Council from 2004 until 2010. He went on to be the Liberal member of Par ...

. At this party, Stinson also announced his latest historical school development project in Hamilton where he plans to convert Gibson Public School into small condos. On March 9, 2022, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) is accusing a Harry Stinson of violating provincial securities law by allegedly misleading investors who gave him $19 million for the Buffalo Grand Hotel in New York and using the money for other projects. Harry Stinson, who moved to Hamilton in 2008, said he disagrees with the allegations, but wouldn't dispute the claims publicly. The accusations haven't been proven. The OSC's statement of allegations names Stinson and an employee, Stephen Kelley.

Projects

Stinson's projects include: * The Mad Hatter (no longer in operation) * 1 King West (completed) * High Park Lofts (completed) * The Candy Factory (completed) * Sapphire Tower (CANCELLED, sold for $24 million in early 2008) * The Connaught Towers (CANCELLED 100-storey tower for downtown

) * The Hamilton Grand (CANCELLED) * Stinson School Lofts (Completed) * Gibson School Lofts (In Development. Sales have started with construction soon to follow. The project is scheduled for completion in 2025) * The Hammer Lofts (CANCELLED) * Beasley Park lofts (DELAYED. Construction start date delayed Several Times) * The Buffalo Grand (INCOMPLETE. Ontario Securities Commission investigating Harry Stinson for various violations)

Images

Image:IMG MR STINSON.JPG, Harry Stinson, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Image:IMG MR STINSON1.JPG, Harry Stinson, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

References

* William Hanley, "The condo king's crowning moment: Persistence pays off for Harry Stinson with Toronto tower", ''National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing'', September 25, 2004. * Tony Wong, "Condo king files for bankruptcy protection", ''Toronto Star'', March 9, 2007.

External links

Stinson PropertiesOne King West's Official SiteIra Smith Trustee & Receiver Inc. re 1 King West receivership - see Court Reports and Court OrdersStinson School Lofts Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stinson, Harry 1953 births Businesspeople from Toronto Living people Businesspeople from Hamilton, Ontario Canadian businesspeople in real estate Real estate and property developers