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Vertikal (471-481 King St E) | 23 & 19 fl | U/C
(02-22-2018, 04:06 PM)panamaniac Wrote:
(02-22-2018, 03:48 PM)Rainrider22 Wrote: Now that was a blanket statement.  Are we saying that people in the east end don't deserve better ?

Not at all. Only that they are unlikely to get better, at least as far as this development is concerned.

Exactly. I will quote my earlier post on this thread:

(02-07-2018, 11:26 PM)tomh009 Wrote: Not my favourite design, either, but not every building will be beautiful, and this is leaps and bounds better than anything these properties have seen for more than 50 years.

This property had run-down car dealerships in the 1970s already, and the properties continued to deteriorate until Drewlo demolished them last year. And across Madison is an empty lot covering about half the block, which has also been unused at least since the 1970s.

The Drewlo project will finally bring new life to this area, with probably close to 1000 new residents, but it has been a long time coming. No other developer has seized the opportunity in the past half-century to develop either this property or the one across Madison St. So haters can hate the design, I am very happy to see reasonable-cost rental units in the city core, and retail at the ground level coming to this area, regardless of the aesthetic.
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(02-22-2018, 12:53 PM)modernizt Wrote: Awful. It looks like a housing project going up in a suburb of Shanghai or Moscow. Absolutely unfit for downtown Kitchener.

I disagree. For one, you're looking at something that has horrible CGI. It won't look anything like this.

Not only that, what are people looking for? Never mind that east-end DT Kitchener, except for the construction of Cameron Heights and the Market, has zero appeal at the moment.  This project will change that. Drewlo, and some will think this is a bad thing, isn't cheap. So you will be getting quality renters moving to this part of town.  This is NOT a housing project like the ones they put up in Shanghai or Moscow.

Amazing how quick people are to criticize this project but give zero input on what it should actually look like, or, for that matter, put one shiny nickel (since we can't use the expression "red cent" anymore) for any project in a near derelict part of town.

But again, once this thing is actually done, even without a single design change, it's going to look 10x better than the crappy CGI renders shown and a 100x better than what is there now.
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(02-22-2018, 05:01 PM)jeffster Wrote:
(02-22-2018, 12:53 PM)modernizt Wrote: Awful. It looks like a housing project going up in a suburb of Shanghai or Moscow. Absolutely unfit for downtown Kitchener.

I disagree. For one, you're looking at something that has horrible CGI. It won't look anything like this.

Not only that, what are people looking for? Never mind that east-end DT Kitchener, except for the construction of Cameron Heights and the Market, has zero appeal at the moment.  This project will change that. Drewlo, and some will think this is a bad thing, isn't cheap. So you will be getting quality renters moving to this part of town.  This is NOT a housing project like the ones they put up in Shanghai or Moscow.

Amazing how quick people are to criticize this project but give zero input on what it should actually look like, or, for that matter, put one shiny nickel (since we can't use the expression "red cent" anymore) for any project in a near derelict part of town.

But again, once this thing is actually done, even without a single design change, it's going to look 10x better than the crappy CGI renders shown and a 100x better than what is there now.

Well Said !
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(02-22-2018, 05:01 PM)jeffster Wrote:
(02-22-2018, 12:53 PM)modernizt Wrote: Awful. It looks like a housing project going up in a suburb of Shanghai or Moscow. Absolutely unfit for downtown Kitchener.

I disagree. For one, you're looking at something that has horrible CGI. It won't look anything like this.

Not only that, what are people looking for? Never mind that east-end DT Kitchener, except for the construction of Cameron Heights and the Market, has zero appeal at the moment.  This project will change that. Drewlo, and some will think this is a bad thing, isn't cheap. So you will be getting quality renters moving to this part of town.  This is NOT a housing project like the ones they put up in Shanghai or Moscow.

Amazing how quick people are to criticize this project but give zero input on what it should actually look like, or, for that matter, put one shiny nickel (since we can't use the expression "red cent" anymore) for any project in a near derelict part of town.

But again, once this thing is actually done, even without a single design change, it's going to look 10x better than the crappy CGI renders shown and a 100x better than what is there now.

I actually think this is a really valid point.  I think it'll look better than the rendering.  The red that looks like it doesn't fit will likely be brick, so maybe more muted?
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The Zoning request is going to Committee today, and the description in the agenda makes me really excited for this development.
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(06-18-2018, 09:37 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: The Zoning request is going to Committee today, and the description in the agenda makes me really excited for this development.

How so?  Has the proposal been changed from what we saw originally?  I do see that they are going to provide a small space for cultural/community use, which seems a plus.  Also some (undefined) affordable housing.
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(06-18-2018, 10:28 AM)panamaniac Wrote:
(06-18-2018, 09:37 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: The Zoning request is going to Committee today, and the description in the agenda makes me really excited for this development.

How so?  Has the proposal been changed from what we saw originally?  I do see that they are going to provide a small space for cultural/community use, which seems a plus.  Also some (undefined) affordable housing.

I didn't read it in too much detail to begin with, so I'm not sure if it's changed, but the parking is relatively limited (still too much, IMO), and includes charging stations, a lot of bike parking, outside and inside is specified.  The company seems to have paid attention to streetscaping and wind effects, and it is a mixed use development, so streetscape should be pretty interesting.  Amenities in the building look pretty good.  As far as affordable housing, Drewlo buildings have been fairly affordable to middle class folks, if this is anything like that, it should be good--although if it included actual affordable housing that would be even better.
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The affordable housing component is in the news, but scant details:

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/869...-approval/

Quote:The London-based developer Drewlo has agreed to include affordable units when it builds two apartment buildings and townhouses on the city block bounded by King Street East, Madison, Charles and Cameron streets. In all the plan calls for about 400 rental units on the block. City council is expected to give its final approval Monday night.

"We have talked them into putting a number of affordable units in that development," said Etherington. "Those units will probably be managed by Kitchener Housing. So that's a good sign."

I editorialize on this a little in the gentrification thread:
http://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/s...4#pid54284
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(06-18-2018, 11:21 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(06-18-2018, 10:28 AM)panamaniac Wrote: How so?  Has the proposal been changed from what we saw originally?  I do see that they are going to provide a small space for cultural/community use, which seems a plus.  Also some (undefined) affordable housing.

I didn't read it in too much detail to begin with, so I'm not sure if it's changed, but the parking is relatively limited (still too much, IMO), and includes charging stations, a lot of bike parking, outside and inside is specified.  The company seems to have paid attention to streetscaping and wind effects, and it is a mixed use development, so streetscape should be pretty interesting.  Amenities in the building look pretty good.  As far as affordable housing, Drewlo buildings have been fairly affordable to middle class folks, if this is anything like that, it should be good--although if it included actual affordable housing that would be even better.

And I'm excited to finally see a new development take form for a property that was already an eyesore in 1978! It may not be perfect but it'll provide a significantly more affordable option to buildings like DTK (which get lots of attention and praise) and help nudge the east end revival along.
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(06-25-2018, 09:36 AM)Markster Wrote: The affordable housing component is in the news, but scant details:

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/869...-approval/

Quote:The London-based developer Drewlo has agreed to include affordable units when it builds two apartment buildings and townhouses on the city block bounded by King Street East, Madison, Charles and Cameron streets. In all the plan calls for about 400 rental units on the block. City council is expected to give its final approval Monday night.

"We have talked them into putting a number of affordable units in that development," said Etherington. "Those units will probably be managed by Kitchener Housing. So that's a good sign."

I editorialize on this a little in the gentrification thread:
http://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/s...4#pid54284

In council it was stated it will be 8-10 units.
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I really really wish they would have left out the red. I don't know what software they have designed these in (we tend to use Revit or Rhino when rendering where I work) but I don't recognize the software style. So it could at least come out looking a little better than what we are seeing here, but I suspect is going to look like some of the students buildings.

I know it's Drewlo, but mix-used apartments/low-income/social housing projects can look good too: https://www.dezeen.com/2015/05/07/gold-s...is-france/
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At least the red bits will be brick, or so I understand. Even so, it will never win any beauty prizes.
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I don't see a problem with red if it's well done:

[Image: hotel-villa-fontaine.jpg]
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The render in today's Record looks considerably different from the original - dare I say better?

[Image: 2ik9jc9.jpg]
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Now this, I like.
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