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Fairview Park Mall - Grand Market District
#1
Check out Cadillac Fairview's bold plans for the Fairview Park Mall lands:

http://www.collierscanada.com/24845#.WygpW9JKhaQ

   

   

Over 250,000 sq ft of office space in two new buildings, a parking garage, re-development of the old Sears space into new retail, plus a plan for 4 residential towers in behind the mall.

Grand Market District, located at CF Fairview Park, provides a unique blend of historical and contemporary design. An activated streetscape creates an intimate pedestrian experience weaving together retail, office, restaurants and entertainment. Shop, eat, play – Grand Market District is a true one-stop destination for the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Grand Market District’s traditional brick and cobblestone streets and lanes are a historical reference to Southern Ontario’s rich examples of Victorian-era industrial architecture. These structures are often identified by their classically proportioned forms, picturesque cupolas, brickwork, chimneys and gently sloping roof-lines.

The Offices @ Grand Market District boast brick and beam aesthetics combined with exposed 11 foot ceilings and floor-to ceiling windows. Office life at Grand Market District combines casual, contemporary and historical into an integrated mixed-use development. Post-work celebrations and gatherings will have a plethora of destinations to choose from. Curbside café’s, contemporary dine-in restaurants and specialty boutique grocers ensures that every appetite is satisfied. The Offices @ Grand Market District provide the integral DNA for a wholly encompassing employee experience. With connectivity being key for office users – Fairview Park is home to Kitchener-Waterloo’s brand new rapid light rail transit line. With construction complete and testing underway, a launch in 2018 is expected, with the new LRT shuttling individuals across 19km and 19 stops between Waterloo and Kitchener. The next phase will extend transit to Cambridge entrenching Fairview Park as a central destination node.
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#2
Not so sure on the faux-brick-and-beam look, but I'm pleased to see an intensification plan.

Odd that there's no tie-in across Fairway, where the cinema is; CF owns that land, too. Are the plans there unable to be revealed just now?
EDIT: Just checked the PDF on the site, it's marked as 'Future Phase'.
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#3
(06-18-2018, 07:18 PM)KevinL Wrote: Not so sure on the faux-brick-and-beam look, but I'm pleased to see an intensification plan.

Odd that there's no tie-in across Fairway, where the cinema is; CF owns that land, too. Are the plans there unable to be revealed just now?
EDIT: Just checked the PDF on the site, it's marked as 'Future Phase'.

How can anyone be critical of a proposal so quick. It is a bold idea. I hope it comes to fruition.
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#4
The Brick and Beam is a very interesting choice. It's going to be quite the icon from the highway if they actually execute on the old-timey roof signage. It'll confuse a lot of tourists, thinking that it's an actual old-timey factory!
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#5
I guess my objection is to the overall 'industrial' aesthetic - a fake smokestack and water tower? Really?

Also: we're losing the famous scalloped-concrete facade on Sears.
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#6
(06-18-2018, 07:49 PM)KevinL Wrote: I guess my objection is to the overall 'industrial' aesthetic - a fake smokestack and water tower? Really?

Also: we're losing the famous scalloped-concrete facade on Sears.

Seems weird to destroy an interesting, will-be-historical-before-too-long-if-it-isn’t-demolished, architectural feature while building new faux-historical architectural features.

Overall it looks interesting, although I think the illustrated area adjacent to Fairway itself with benches and so on is fantasy land — it’s just not a pleasant place to be. Also if they’re building that much there should be at least roofs covering the pedestrian crosswalks. There is no good reason why people should have to get rained on when they’re just walking from one building on the property to another.
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#7
(06-18-2018, 07:41 PM)Rainrider22 Wrote: How can anyone be critical of a proposal so quick. It is a bold idea. I hope it comes to fruition.

It's very easy to be critical of this. It is very telling that Cadillac Fairview seems to completely ignore the presence of the ION in their site plan. Not that the density isn't welcome, in particular the residential towers facing Kingsway, however the density is facing an onramp.

It also appears that Cadillac Fairview appears to be setting up the conditions for a right-of-way dispute for ION Stage 2. The vote on endorsement of the Stage 2 route following the Hydro right-of-way goes to council tomorrow.
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#8
Like dunkalunk said, seems to completely ignore ION phase 2. So doog luck with that.

Any intensification / parking lot removal in this area is good, though I do question why the street facing facilities are directly next to the highway off rams. Especially when you're leaving that big gap with no street facing buildings for a parking lot. No one ever walks here, and there's not even a sidewalk IIRC.
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#9
(06-18-2018, 09:26 PM)GtwoK Wrote: Like dunkalunk said, seems to completely ignore ION phase 2. So doog luck with that.

Any intensification / parking lot removal in this area is good, though I do question why the street facing facilities are directly next to the highway off rams. Especially when you're leaving that big gap with no street facing buildings for a parking lot. No one ever walks here, and there's not even a sidewalk IIRC.

I think many people here should start putting money up themselves and developing instead of just being critical. It is easy when you don't have any skin in the game.
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#10
(06-18-2018, 09:02 PM)dunkalunk Wrote:
(06-18-2018, 07:41 PM)Rainrider22 Wrote: How can anyone be critical of a proposal so quick. It is a bold idea. I hope it comes to fruition.

It's very easy to be critical of this. It is very telling that Cadillac Fairview seems to completely ignore the presence of the ION in their site plan. Not that the density isn't welcome, in particular the residential towers facing Kingsway, however the density is facing an onramp.

It also appears that Cadillac Fairview appears to be setting up the conditions for a right-of-way dispute for ION Stage 2. The vote on endorsement of the Stage 2 route following the Hydro right-of-way goes to council tomorrow.

I wasn't sure what you meant by "ignore the presence of ION".  Is it the intention that Phase 2 would pass through the mall lands?
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#11
(06-18-2018, 09:02 PM)dunkalunk Wrote:
(06-18-2018, 07:41 PM)Rainrider22 Wrote: How can anyone be critical of a proposal so quick. It is a bold idea. I hope it comes to fruition.

It's very easy to be critical of this. It is very telling that Cadillac Fairview seems to completely ignore the presence of the ION in their site plan. Not that the density isn't welcome, in particular the residential towers facing Kingsway, however the density is facing an onramp.

It also appears that Cadillac Fairview appears to be setting up the conditions for a right-of-way dispute for ION Stage 2. The vote on endorsement of the Stage 2 route following the Hydro right-of-way goes to council tomorrow.

I wasn't sure what you meant by "ignore the presence of ION".  Is it the intention that Phase 2 would pass through the mall lands?  I thought it would turn at the terminal to get up to and over Fairway Rd.
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#12
(06-18-2018, 09:48 PM)Rainrider22 Wrote:
(06-18-2018, 09:26 PM)GtwoK Wrote: Like dunkalunk said, seems to completely ignore ION phase 2. So doog luck with that.

Any intensification / parking lot removal in this area is good, though I do question why the street facing facilities are directly next to the highway off rams. Especially when you're leaving that big gap with no street facing buildings for a parking lot. No one ever walks here, and there's not even a sidewalk IIRC.

I think many people here should start putting money up themselves and developing instead of just being critical. It is easy when you don't have any skin in the game.

Provided the City of Kitchener approves the variance and site plan, CF can do whatever they want with their property if they think it will make them money. The proposed Stage 2 routing will be a large part of the city's consideration. I remember when stage one property acquisitions were happening, CF was hostile to the presence of any Light Rail on their property, which is why the Fairway (not Fairview Park) station is located in the hydro ROW where it is, and why the region bought out Burger King and Crabby Joe's in order to create a more streamlined transfer off Fairway Road. I don't trust CF to not be hostile to Stage 2 when it comes time to actually build LRT through parking space on Hydro's easement.

One of the great things about a democracy is that I am allowed to have an opinion and elect representatives who share my values, or become involved in the planning process. Being critical of how our urban spaces are built will ultimately shape the policy which is adopted and affect the built space we end up with. Personally, I would rather not have another vehicle-dependent, suburban office development with excessive parking. IMHO, what is being proposed is just as much a "Grand Market District" as "The Boardwalk" is a boardwalk.

I would appreciate not being told to stop being critical because I'm not a real-estate developer. Calling criticism "just being critical" is an easy way to dismiss any opinions you disagree with and entrench your own views without actually defending your position. Whenever you're ready to defend your position as to why you think this development should go ahead in its current form, I'm ready to have a discussion.
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#13
(06-18-2018, 10:19 PM)panamaniac Wrote: I wasn't sure what you meant by "ignore the presence of ION".  Is it the intention that Phase 2 would pass through the mall lands?  I thought it would turn at the terminal to get up to and over Fairway Rd.

The Phase 2 extension continues along the hydro corridor to Fariway road, bisecting the existing parking lot. There's a picture in the site plan that shows the property parcels it would follow.

[Image: 096H6gy.png]
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#14
Smack in the middle of that is a hydro pylon, and the transition bunker where the buried lines come up to meet it. That could be tricky to route around.
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#15
(06-18-2018, 06:05 PM)Tony_Plow Wrote: Check out Cadillac Fairview's bold plans for the Fairview Park Mall lands:

http://www.collierscanada.com/24845#.WygpW9JKhaQ


Over 250,000 sq ft of office space in two new buildings, a parking garage, re-development of the old Sears space into new retail, plus a plan for 4 residential towers in behind the mall.

I like it, it will totally update the mall into the 21st century.

I am sure many will mourn the loss of the Sear architecture, but I cannot see how they can keep that building.
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