General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours

[panamaniac]

This seems an odd discussion given the fact, it seems, that the purchaser plans to retain and re-use the building.  Apart from any heritage value the building might or might not have, I would think that the opportunity to preserve and re-purpose a century old industrial building into the sort of high tech office space that is all the rage would be very attractive to Waterloo.

The comments are because of:

It also requires the developer to submit a heritage impact assessment as part of their redevelopment plan, said the city’s heritage planner Michelle Lee.

“It’s certainly worthy of (heritage) consideration,” said Lee. “There are very few old commercial or manufacturing buildings left in the downtown core.

It is perfectly possible to support the reuse plans by the owner/developer while opposing heritage designation.

True.  On the other hand, depending what the developer has in mind, a heritage designation could be a feather in the cap of a prestige project.  Frankly, that seems a stretch to me in this case, however, as the original façade of the factory seems to have been completely rebuilt.