Gaukel Street Pedestrian Promenade

[danbrotherston]

If anyone knows someone who lives at Heartwood Place (the small apartment beside North offices), I'd love to bring them into the discussion.

Do you mean above Rhapsody, I know someone who lived there up until a few months ago.

Regardless, I know this idea has been floated a few times, I don't care who gets credit for it, I'm just happy to see it make progress, I'm not sure what you've done to be the face of it, but its probably deserved, this is the first time I've ever seen it get legs.

[samnabi]

Do you mean above Rhapsody,

No, I'm talking about 19 Gaukel: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4505877,...312!8i6656

[Spokes]

Wow, Sam, you and the group you're working with have put a ton of energy into this. On behalf of so many of us....THANK YOU!!!

[jamincan]

This would be fantastic and holds so much potential. It makes me wonder what the opportunities would be when the transit terminal is finally shuttered. Right now Victoria Park is kind of pinched off at Joseph St. using some of the terminal space to extend the park along Gaukel would create a much more organic transition.

[ijmorlan]

This would be fantastic and holds so much potential. It makes me wonder what the opportunities would be when the transit terminal is finally shuttered. Right now Victoria Park is kind of pinched off at Joseph St. using some of the terminal space to extend the park along Gaukel would create a much more organic transition.

Great point! North of Charles it’s pretty much restricted to the space between the existing buildings, but south of Charles a strip of the bus terminal property could become part of the pedestrian route. How wide a strip? Whatever works best with the future use of the bus terminal property and the pedestrian route.

[Spokes]

Thats an interesting idea. And you'd think it might be a little easier to achieve as you'd be dealing with the Region not a private property owner.

[taylortbb]

Thats an interesting idea.  And you'd think it might be a little easier to achieve as you'd be dealing with the Region not a private property owner.

Charles St Terminal is actually owned by the city of Kitchener, so there wouldn't even be a transfer of ownership involved to make it part of the park.

[Spokes]

Really??? They lease it to the Region?

Ohhh right, from back when it was Kitchener Transit?

[KevinL]

No, I'm fairly sure it's now Regional property. The only part of the block still owned by the City is the parking lot in the Charles/Ontario corner.

[REnerd]

I love this idea - extending Victoria Park into the city center would be so great.

Maybe next step is to have the city consider forgoing the future re-development of the charles street terminal and converting that into extra parkland?  No central park can be too big! 

[jgsz]

I really like the idea of extending Victoria Part to King Street.  I would also like to see an informal entrance to Victoria Part from Queen Street and Victoria Street near West Ave.  An informal entrance beside the Schneider Haus would work for Queen Street.   The Iron Horse Trail or perhaps reworking the Henry Sturm Greenway could provide an informal entrance from Victoria Street.  

Kitchener should also consider using wayfinding signs along King Street to help people find Victoria Park and other places of interest in the downtown core.

[panamaniac]

Do you not consider the arrangement next to Schneider Haus between Queen and David to constitute an entrance to the park?

[jgsz]

Do you not consider the arrangement next to Schneider Haus between Queen and David to constitute an entrance to the park?

It is but it’s not obvious.  I’m not even sure if there’s a sign indicating that it leads to Victoria Park.  Locals know the many ways to get to the Park but anyone new to the city could use some help.

[tomh009]

Do you not consider the arrangement next to Schneider Haus between Queen and David to constitute an entrance to the park?

It is but it’s not obvious.  I’m not even sure if there’s a sign indicating that it leads to Victoria Park.  Locals know the many ways to get to the Park but anyone new to the city could use some help.

Signage might be all we need there.

[KevinL]

Pedestrian wayfinding in general could use a boost in the region. Preferably using a consistent style.