https://www.therecord.com/news-story/832...-of-glass/[/url]
"WATERLOO — Fire burned a hole in downtown Waterloo five years ago on King Street North. A three-storey office building of glass and light is now proposed to fill the vacant space.
Pending city approval, the new building will abut the [url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/contentresources/resources/government/heritage_property_old_post_office.pdf]historic post office, its modern lines designed to play off against stone and brick. The two buildings near Dupont Street will connect inside.
The historic post office and its neighbour will function as one complex. The new building will provide retail space at ground level.
Architecturally, the glass building is intended to complement the stone post office rather than compete with it. Passersby will be able to see the stone through the glass.
Coun. Mark Whaley is captivated. He was inside the post office a few months ago to see workers renovating it into brick-and-beam office space.
"The interior renovation is spectacular. And to put this beautiful gem of a building next door, this glass bubble next door, is going to be incredible," he said. "When you get that old look and have that new look and blend them together to make something brand new, it's going to be amazing."
Brothers George and Nickolas Georghiades revealed their development proposal for the vacant space at a recent council meeting. They need council approval in part to trim the number of parking spaces at the new building from 29 to five. The site has never had more than five parking spaces.
The brothers, also known as Lexington Park Real Estate Capital, also redeveloped the former Royal Canadian Legion building at 19 Regina St. N. They argue their King Street development needs little parking because there's substantial parking nearby and people drive less in the area.
The downtown hole was left vacant after a fire in 2012 destroyed a restaurant, an empty storefront and apartments above the businesses at 37 to 41 King St. N. Police struggled to keep afternoon crowds behind the police line while firefighters battled the blaze. No one was hurt.
The fire did not affect the historic post office. It was built in 1913, expanded in 1944, and has been privately owned since 1967. Since then it's been an optometry school, a restaurant, and the first home of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics."
![[Image: B8888733Z.1_20180312172418_000_GGS3SVON....rtrait.jpg]](https://dynamicmedia.zuza.com/zz/m/original_/2/7/27fdb689-4ca0-4b8f-9374-5a015a7a7434/B8888733Z.1_20180312172418_000_GGS3SVON.3-0_Super_Portrait.jpg)
![[Image: B8888733Z.1_20180312172418_000_GGS3SVOQ....rtrait.jpg]](https://dynamicmedia.zuza.com/zz/m/original_/9/6/9672aa6b-9ef0-4436-be6b-e7a5da7fd964/B8888733Z.1_20180312172418_000_GGS3SVOQ.3-0_Super_Portrait.jpg)
"WATERLOO — Fire burned a hole in downtown Waterloo five years ago on King Street North. A three-storey office building of glass and light is now proposed to fill the vacant space.
Pending city approval, the new building will abut the [url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/contentresources/resources/government/heritage_property_old_post_office.pdf]historic post office, its modern lines designed to play off against stone and brick. The two buildings near Dupont Street will connect inside.
The historic post office and its neighbour will function as one complex. The new building will provide retail space at ground level.
Architecturally, the glass building is intended to complement the stone post office rather than compete with it. Passersby will be able to see the stone through the glass.
Coun. Mark Whaley is captivated. He was inside the post office a few months ago to see workers renovating it into brick-and-beam office space.
"The interior renovation is spectacular. And to put this beautiful gem of a building next door, this glass bubble next door, is going to be incredible," he said. "When you get that old look and have that new look and blend them together to make something brand new, it's going to be amazing."
Brothers George and Nickolas Georghiades revealed their development proposal for the vacant space at a recent council meeting. They need council approval in part to trim the number of parking spaces at the new building from 29 to five. The site has never had more than five parking spaces.
The brothers, also known as Lexington Park Real Estate Capital, also redeveloped the former Royal Canadian Legion building at 19 Regina St. N. They argue their King Street development needs little parking because there's substantial parking nearby and people drive less in the area.
The downtown hole was left vacant after a fire in 2012 destroyed a restaurant, an empty storefront and apartments above the businesses at 37 to 41 King St. N. Police struggled to keep afternoon crowds behind the police line while firefighters battled the blaze. No one was hurt.
The fire did not affect the historic post office. It was built in 1913, expanded in 1944, and has been privately owned since 1967. Since then it's been an optometry school, a restaurant, and the first home of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics."