From strip club to arts centre

CityHousing Hamilton boss Keith Extance wants to convert a boarded-up former strip club at 95 King St. E. into an arts centre featuring a two-storey, glass-fronted entry court with 10 artist studios upstairs.

Extance recently persuaded his agency's board of directors to approve spending $3.5 million to turn the building into a "creative catalyst" on the rundown north side of King between James and Catharine streets. It would also complement CityHousing's new Gore Building next door.

CityHousing bought the building last December and cancelled the adult entertainment licence. A study found it's structurally sound and worth saving.