A slew of upcoming condo projects in the lower city promises to transform Hamilton's skyline.

More than 20 multiple residential developments — some rising 20 storeys and more — are in the works throughout the core.

These townhouses, condos and apartment developments are all part of a wider trend across the entire city.

Glen Norton, the city's manager of urban renewal, says the condo boom is common in downtowns across North America because of shifting demographics. More and more, people want to mesh creative arts with old industrial sites and live in urban, walkable communities.

And the future GO station on James North is propelling the trend — especially within the growing creative arts sector.

"We seem to be having the experience typical of many old cities. It's a North American trend," says Norton.

"The young people want to live in an area of activity, they want to walk to work and be part of that scene. Then there are empty-nesters who want the same things."

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Jason Thorne, the city's new senior manager of planning and economic development, confirms the city's trend toward high density building — and key new projects unveiled for the core are evidence of that.

Drew Hauser is a local architect working on the Tivoli Theatre condos — the restoration of the former vaudeville theatre, which includes a 22-storey condo tower — and on The Connolly, a mixed-use condo project that calls for a 30-storey condo tower in the former James Street Baptist Church.

While they promise to be transformative, Hauser argues they aren't out of the norm.

"Those heights are in the downtown already," he says, pointing to the 43-storey Landmark on Main Street East and the Olympia, perched on the escarpment, that tops it.

From Jan. 1, 2011 to Jan. 30, 2014, in Wards 1 to 5 (in the lower city), there were 370 permits issued for apartments (this category includes condos) worth $145 million in construction costs. In comparison, there were 1,888 permits issued for single unit homes worth a total of $44 million.

The numbers don't tell the entire story, though.

New projects are popping up weekly, such as one by the Vrancor Group which was just at the city to discuss plans for a 12-storey, mixed-use building at 220 Cannon St. And there are some downtown projects that haven't even made it to the city's building department yet. Among them, the Artizen project by the Highrise Group beside the Lister Block.

JASON THORNE

HAMILTON SENIOR MANAGER OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Meanwhile, developers for The Connolly and The Tivoli have met with city officials and are beginning the process of getting site plan approvals.