The Metz (Schneiders site redevelopment)

[Section ThirtyOne]

Schneiders property in Kitchener officially up for sale -- LINK

KITCHENER — For sale signs will go up in front of the former Schneiders plant this week, the first step in a major redevelopment project expected to attract interest from across the country.

Owner Maple Leaf Foods, which closed the historic meat processing plant in February, believes it's sitting on a gold mine with the vacant factory and surrounding land. The 27-acre property on Courtland Avenue at Borden Avenue is a rare find in the middle of the city — it's near two future light rail transit stations and has about 750,000 square feet of office and industrial space.

City planners, meanwhile, envision a new neighbourhood springing up from the ashes of Schneiders. That could mean condos, shops, restaurants, brew pubs, space for tech companies, retailers and possibly light manufacturing on land that used to produced hotdogs and luncheon meats.

"It's one of the largest offerings in the region today, and there's a rapidly shrinking pool of infill opportunities," said Peter Whatmore, senior vice-president and executive managing director of CBRE Southwestern Ontario, the commercial real estate firm that will sell the property.

"These kind of properties don't come along very often, and it's pretty special."

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