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(05-05-2021, 06:29 PM)jeffster Wrote: (05-02-2021, 04:04 PM)nms Wrote: For a completely out of left field solution, why not use the empty space to build an observation tower a la the CN Tower, the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls or the Calgary Tower? The CN Tower footprint looks to be about 50 meters to a side. I wonder how high it would have to be to beat the height of the Baden hill towers, that are the current highest point in the Region?
Are you talking about the Tower of Google that's being built close to the station? It won't be as tall as Baden Hill, but it will be about 950 high, or about 200 feet shorter than the observation deck at the CN Tower. They're working with Rogers an GO Transit on this one (The LED display will cycle between showing GO Transit, Rogers and Google). They're testing longer range 5G as well. The observation deck will be around 875 feet (the other 75 feet above is antenna). I hadn't heard about any restaurant in there tho, not an easy sell.
Your post came 35 days late. LOL
Coke
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(05-06-2021, 09:37 AM)Coke6pk Wrote: (05-05-2021, 06:29 PM)jeffster Wrote: Are you talking about the Tower of Google that's being built close to the station? It won't be as tall as Baden Hill, but it will be about 950 high, or about 200 feet shorter than the observation deck at the CN Tower. They're working with Rogers an GO Transit on this one (The LED display will cycle between showing GO Transit, Rogers and Google). They're testing longer range 5G as well. The observation deck will be around 875 feet (the other 75 feet above is antenna). I hadn't heard about any restaurant in there tho, not an easy sell.
Your post came 35 days late. LOL
Coke
I hadn't seen that post. The design plan though is pretty amazing though. Will be a nice entrance when one drive into the region on the 401.
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Hey look what I saw.
https://twitter.com/AklTransport/status/...4740130818
I bet that Puhinui Station as seen in these pictures serves a catchment population smaller than Kitchener-Waterloo's and that it'll have some retail in the building.
The Swiss had this carbon-copy model for regional train stations that was pretty good too.
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05-21-2021, 07:20 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-21-2021, 07:21 AM by danbrotherston.)
So Kippling GO was constructed for 73 million.
It includes an indoor area (admittedly less grand than here) along with an utterly massive parking garage.
I'm not saying this is a better development, but again, the cost seems much more reasonable.
https://www.cp24.com/news/construction-c...-1.5436330
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(05-21-2021, 07:20 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: So Kippling GO was constructed for 73 million.
It includes an indoor area (admittedly less grand than here) along with an utterly massive parking garage.
I'm not saying this is a better development, but again, the cost seems much more reasonable.
https://www.cp24.com/news/construction-c...-1.5436330
3,000 SF seems really small though. I'd argue our old terminal had more space than that.
Good that Mississauga and Toronto have that link for transit users now though.
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(05-21-2021, 07:20 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: So Kippling GO was constructed for 73 million.
It includes an indoor area (admittedly less grand than here) along with an utterly massive parking garage.
I'm not saying this is a better development, but again, the cost seems much more reasonable.
https://www.cp24.com/news/construction-c...-1.5436330
Kipling Station doesn’t have a parking garage. The 1,400 spots referenced in that article are all in surface lots that existed before the regional bus terminal was built. That $73 million covered the new 16 bay bus terminal, a new bridge and set of elevators to the existing GO train station, a pedestrian tunnel to connect to the existing TTC station, and a reconfigured PPUDO.
You may be thinking of Bloomington GO, which cost $82 million and opens on June 28th. That one is 90% masssive parking garage (area wise), with the other 10% being the passenger waiting area and a 6 bay bus terminal that will have 0 local bus service. The only bus service will be the Richmond Hill line bus that runs when the train isn’t - which is most of the time, as there are only 5 train trips to Union station in the morning peak and 5 back in the afternoon. The last southbound bus to Toronto is at about 2 PM, so it’s really a very commuter focused station.
Between the relative lack of GO service, 0 local transit service, and absence of TOD opportunities around the station (green belt), I suspect usage will remain rather low despite the almost $100 million investment into its construction.
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Waterloo Region takes step towards closing Duke Street for transit hub
https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...ub.html?rf
"Regional council voted Wednesday for a short section of Duke Street, between the CN Rail tracks and Victoria Street, to be transferred from the City of Kitchener to the Region, with the aim of eventually closing that section."
"Metrolinx will be issuing a tender for construction of the new platforms this fall. Construction is expected to start next spring, with GO trains expected to start using the new platform by the summer of 2023."
"Construction of much of the rest of the transit hub is on hold until the Region can line up funding for the $106-million project. The province has agreed to pay $43 million."
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Ah another nice cycling route out of downtown gone.
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Did you read the whole article ?
The closure won’t affect bike traffic or walkers. Maintaining convenient pedestrian and cycling access between the Breithaupt neighbourhood and downtown is “critical,” officials say, and the transit hub’s design will include a bike and pedestrian corridor, with direct access to the train platforms.
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I wonder if they will reopen Ahrens st once they move the train station? Probably not. Does anyone know who own the current via/ go station? I feel like they should start putting together a plan/ vision for the site, oppose to the charles st terminal that the region has left sit idol for the 2+years without any public consultation. I would love to see them remove the east building, but keep the main building, possibly subdivide the lot and sell off the eastern section to developers and build an urban park in the western section.
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(11-19-2021, 03:19 PM)westwardloo Wrote: I wonder if they will reopen Ahrens st once they move the train station? Probably not. Does anyone know who own the current via/ go station? I feel like they should start putting together a plan/ vision for the site, oppose to the charles st terminal that the region has left sit idol for the 2+years without any public consultation. I would love to see them remove the east building, but keep the main building, possibly subdivide the lot and sell off the eastern section to developers and build an urban park in the western section.
That station would make a great venue for weddings and grad parties and stuff like that (plus community centre). You could make an urban park, but gotta keep in mind public safety with the tracks.
Of course, the region (or whoever owns it) could look at the property as having a lot of value, and sell it and let whatever happens, happen.
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I want to say that VIA owns the station, but I might be mistaken.
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Correct, VIA owns the station.
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(11-19-2021, 03:37 PM)jamincan Wrote: I want to say that VIA owns the station, but I might be mistaken.
VIA -- so a crown piece of land. That changes things, a lot.
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I presume VIA will be prepared to dispose of the property once service moves on. The question then is who would take it over; it's a listed heritage structure with limits on how it can be modified, which would further complicate that.
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