The Shops | ?m | 3fl | Complete

[insider]

You're disappointed by a mixed-use commercial/retail building with urban massing and streetscaping being built here?

I think his disappointment can be summed up by the pictures from the other Shops at Waterloo Town Square thread; It's the what could have been moreso than the specific development itself.

That photo above showing what it could have been is nice, but there just isn't the need for that much retail/office space Uptown. You won't see such height (not including the condo towers in the surrounding neighbourhoods) for a long long long time. Plus, Waterloo will always be a student city. Kitchener's Downtown will always prevail in terms of large developments.

Agree about commercial demand, but look at BarrelYards for example, it has been selling/renting really well. There's a ton of people that would love to move to Uptown if they could = very high residential demand, which in turn creates demand for commercial uses. People love Uptown, that's a fact, and people want to be close to things to do. Re: Waterloo as a student city... so not true. I see Kitchener-Waterloo as one city though, and it is a growing region with all kinds of people, yes a lot of students, but lots of others. Plus having such strong institutions and companies (UW/WLU, PI, CIGI, Google, etc) means that this city is a magnet for talent, and we need to provide the amenities, culture, and services that people with talent require to enjoy their lives.