http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1285407
Skyline giant
New 60-storey hotel towers above city
Posted By RAY SPITERI , REVIEW STAFF WRITER
Updated 1 day ago
It dwarfs everything in the city.
And proponents claim it's the tallest of its kind in Canada.
Standing at nearly 60 storeys (about 550 feet), the latest addition to the Hilton Hotel even looks down on the Skylon Tower.
The first of a two-phase redevelopment of the Fallsview Boulevard complex began in January 2007 and is slated for completion in April 2009.
It includes about 500 new guest rooms on 43 storeys, says senior project manager Chris Hawkswell.
The tower is attached to the existing 36-storey Hilton structure opposite the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. A 15- storey hotel in the centre connects the two towers.
"From my understanding, it's going to be the tallest hotel in Canada and it's obviously, right now, the tallest building in Niagara Falls," says Hawkswell.
"I think the tower is going to be an icon ... because of its long, tall, slender appearance. The podium level of the hotel is going to be Tuscan themed and I think it will be a real monument or landmark in Niagara Falls."
Also part of the initial phase is the construction of an underground parking facility to the west of the tower, says Hawkswell, president of Niacon Construction, which was awarded the project.
A "topping off" ceremony will be held today at the Hilton, where the last bit of concrete will be poured, he says.
"It's a significant timeline in the schedule because the structural portion of the job is over and basically it's interior finishing ... left to do."
The second portion of the redevelopment, which has yet to begin, will include a 10-storey addition to the parking garage that adjoins the hotel, as well an extensive amenity package, says Hawkswell.
"Phase two ... is the further addition of a major pool facility, major conference centre and a piazza combination theatre and retail complex. The total property (the Hilton's three buildings) will end up being approximately 1,000 rooms when it's finished."
Hilton Hotel owner Vincent DiCosimo Sr., says he hopes to get started on the second phase of the project next fall.
"We're calling it a 60-storey building, not 60 storeys of rooms," says DiCosimo.
The entire redevelopment project will cost $200 million, he says.
"This is a dream come true for me. I planned this five years ago. To see it coming along so well is a big deal for me."
DiCosimo says his architect in Toronto told him that while the new tower is not the biggest office building in the country, it is the tallest hotel building.
"It's something I'm proud of, proud for Niagara Falls."
Calls to the Hotel Association of Canada in an effort to confirm the tallest hotel structures in the country were not returned.
Hawkswell says his team has suffered a few setbacks while working on the massive project.
Two labour strikes and bad weather pushed the schedule back a month or two, but not enough to cause concern, he says.
"Fortunately, due to some really good trades on the job, we've been able to make up most of the schedule delays."
Chris Hawkswell, senior project manager for the new Hilton Hotel tower currently under construction, looks over Niagara Falls from the 47th floor. Mike DiBattista, The Review He says working with a crane on a project of such mammoth scale posed one of the toughest challenges for his team.
"We've looked at bringing in a helicopter, we've looked at a very large mobile crane and we've settled with a derrick solution where we build a smaller crane on the roof and take that one down and then we build an even smaller crane and take the medium size crane down. It's a fairly long process, but it's the most cost effective."
Standing atop the new Hilton addition and looking down on the rest of the city is "absolutely breathtaking," says Hawkswell.
"The view of the falls, both the U. S. and Canadian and the Upper Rapids, is very impressive. With that much height, you basically have a phenomenal peripheral view. You've got the Buffalo skyline, the Toronto skyline and certainly you can see all the sort of key locations in Niagara.
"It's something to be proud of. I think it's a tribute to the hospitality industry in Niagara Falls and I think it ... contributes to all the interesting things to come to Niagara Falls."