Steve Kulakowsky '03 - HSC Review 2022

Top Honours

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Top Honours

2021

2022

40 | HSC REVIEW

Building It Better Developer Steve Kulakowsky ’03 has helped reshape Hamilton by renewing heritage buildings Stories by Saira Peesker STEVE KULAKOWSKY ’03 HAS HAD A FRONT SEAT to the dramatic change going on in downtown Hamilton. As co-founder of developer Core Urban Inc., he has spent the last 13 years helping shape urban renewal in the city, largely through the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, increasing Hamilton’s stock of housing and commercial space.

Core Urban has turned a former school into a dramatic, glass-topped condo building, joined two aging commercial buildings to create a mix of residential and street-level storefronts, and remodelled a 19th-century textile factory into an airy and modern office building, among other projects.

Steve says he’s proud of his contribution to Hamilton’s resurgence, saying his company often works in overlooked areas of the core and on challenging projects that many other developers wouldn’t risk. He describes his philosophy as one that looks to create attractive buildings that add to the streetscape and improve the community, as opposed to one that seeks to build the maximum number of units in the most cost-efficient way possible.

“A lot of the time it’s taking old buildings that have been underutilized for years and making something special out of them,” says Steve. “We’ve shown that by building in interesting places, you can attract and retain people from Hamilton and out of town, through buildings that are kind of cool.”

The local community has taken notice. Core Urban has received multiple awards for its projects, such as the Hamilton Municipal Heritage Awards’ heritage property developer of the year seven times between 2010 and 2020, and has had developments recognized by the City of Hamilton’s Urban Design and Architectural Awards of Excellence every year since 2013.

Alumni Award of Distinction The HSC Alumni Award of Distinction Program celebrates the achievements of alumni in our community who have lived the aspirations of the Hillfield Strathallan College vision and developed into global citizens who have in effect bettered the world around them.

Photo by Frank Zochil

Top Honours

Steve is particularly proud of the impact his buildings have had on the local economy, which—barring the struggles seen everywhere during the COVID-19 pandemic—has been on a steady upward trend for the past decade. He notes his commercial developments are home to 1,000 net new jobs when compared to what was in the buildings before redevelopment.

“In an office market with a vacancy rate in the high teens we have consistently outpaced traditional office buildings because we design the spaces with character that people appreciate,” he says. “In the last 13 years we’ve been in business, we’ve seen a tremendous change in the downtown. We’re excited by the small role we play in that transformation.”

He believes the city’s evolving, new-look downtown is helping drive a new image beyond its borders, from scrubby steel town to forward-thinking innovation hub.

“It’s been a very effective tool in correcting an outdated public perception of Hamilton,” he says, adding, “I am confident that Hamilton will continue on its ‘comeback’ trajectory when we return to our new normal.”

The balance between improving the core and pushing out long-time residents is a hot topic in Hamilton, and it’s not one that has escaped Core Urban as the company conducts its work, Steve says. He believes it’s possible to drive urban renewal without the displacement that often comes with gentrification.

Steve Kulakowsky ’03

“We work really hard to make sure nobody is left behind,” he says. “Through our numerous projects, we’ve never displaced anyone.” Instead, the company has found new homes or commercial spaces for tenants before beginning to redevelop their buildings, he says.

He believes his attention to the holistic impact of his work is a result of his education at the school. “HSC fosters leadership and awareness that good work can be done thoughtfully,” he says. “You’re exposed to so much when you’re there.”

It’s also where he met his wife Stephanie Howe Kulakowsky ’03. The couple have two children, Grace, 5, and Bennett, 3, who are both in the Montessori program at HSC. “When I was graduating at HSC, most of my classmates looked to opportunities outside of Hamilton,” he recalls.

“Twenty years later, through some meaningful urban renewal, I hope that outlook has changed for today’s students and Hamilton is an area that can attract and retain the talent that gets lost to other communities.”

WAR STORIES: In the 2021 edition of HSC Review, we carried a Top Honours story about retired lieutenant-colonel Christopher Waters ’72, an Afghanistan war veteran, that described him as “the only graduate since the Second World War to serve with the Canadian Forces in a zone of conflict.” At least one reader, Tim Taylor ’67, has notified us of his own service, at a base in Bahrain during the first Gulf War. The definition of a zone of conflict, or a war zone, is somewhat elastic, but if we ignored other graduates, we’re not only sorry but we’d like to hear from you. Have you served in a zone of conflict, however you choose to define it? Let us know your story by contacting alumni@hsc.on.ca.

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