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American Block Redevelopment | 3 fl | U/C
#61
(10-29-2017, 05:26 PM)taylortbb Wrote: I believe the plans for the new build were a proposal for Stantec when they were debating staying in the core vs moving to the R&T park. In the end they decided on the move. I'm sure the plans could be revived if another major tenant was interested, but absent that I don't think we should expect any movement. And I find it hard to imagine a tech company picking the Stantec proposal over something like the Huck Glove one.

Are you referring to the empty lot to the east of the American Block?
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#62
(10-29-2017, 08:18 PM)panamaniac Wrote:
(10-29-2017, 05:26 PM)taylortbb Wrote: I believe the plans for the new build were a proposal for Stantec when they were debating staying in the core vs moving to the R&T park. In the end they decided on the move. I'm sure the plans could be revived if another major tenant was interested, but absent that I don't think we should expect any movement. And I find it hard to imagine a tech company picking the Stantec proposal over something like the Huck Glove one.

Are you referring to the empty lot to the east of the American Block?

That's right -- the Stantec project was for the current surface parking lot across from Dollarama, not for the American Block.
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#63
I am, and I may have misinterpreted which new build was being referred to by
Quote:By the way, whatever happened to the new build at the end of the block? Everything seemed to come to a halt after they finished the exterior.
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#64
(10-29-2017, 10:49 PM)taylortbb Wrote: I am, and I may have misinterpreted which new build was being referred to by
Quote:By the way, whatever happened to the new build at the end of the block?  Everything seemed to come to a halt after they finished the exterior.

My fault then - my reference to the "new build" was to the re-built segment at the end of the American Block, i.e. the section that replaced the bit destroyed by fire.
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#65
Small article from CTV on this project, the article states that the developer is looking to demolish most of the existing building. I have not seen the plans but hopefully that is overstating the situation.

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/devel...-1.3667767
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#66
From an earlier Record article:  ... Vanessa Hicks, a heritage planner hired by the developer, said the modern structure is actually an amalgam of six buildings that have been added to the original 1862 structure over the years, from 1875 to after 1950. Very little of heritage value remains on the inside of the building, she said, although the building still has some original hand-hewn beams and mortise-and-tenon floor joists that might be salvaged and used in the new development to commemorate the building's long history.  ...

I don't know whether the plan is to save much more than the King St and Queen St facades.  Perhaps the "original 1862 structure" is also to be retained?
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#67
I believe basically only the facades are meant to be kept. Old buildings don't all need to be saved, nor are they all unique, nor are they all in good enough condition to make saving them worthwhile, nor are they all in spots that lets the public have any way to appreciate them, making their preservation even more pointless (this instance doesn't fit all of these, but generally in the region I've become accustomed to two things: development of appropriate nature gets opposed by neighbours, and old building deemed to be critical piece of untouchable heritage).
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#68
I just hope the developer and the City are rigorous in ensuring that the facades are well protected during demolition and construction - they seem fairly fragile to me, but I'm no expert.  I don't think that anyone seriously disputes that this structure (the exterior anyway) has heritage value, but I also haven't seen anything to suggest public pressure to retain more than the facades, and some interior materials as suggested in the old Record article.
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#69
They won't be getting very close to the King facade during the work, so that should be safe. I wouldn't be surprised if the Queen facade is (at least partially) taken down and rebuilt as part of the work.
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#70
They're rebuilding the whole interior, even the portion that remains at 3 floors (which is the King Street portion), so I wouldn't bet on them staying far away from it.
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#71
Perhaps this helps to show what is proposed to come down:
   

   
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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#72
So to clarify the above image, this doesn't change the majority of the King St frontage?
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#73
(11-11-2017, 09:20 AM)Spokes Wrote: So to clarify the above image, this doesn't change the majority of the King St frontage?

Note that the street running closest to horizontal in the picture is Queen, not King. If I’m understanding correctly, it doesn’t touch either the King or Queen frontages at all. The cinder block addition, as well as the “blank facade” it mentions, are on Goudies Lane. The rest of the demolition is behind the buildings.
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#74
Pheidippides thanks for posting that picture, it really helps to clarify what is being requested here.
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#75
Also, no part of building A is set for demolition. This will mean no change to any of the King frontage.
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