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ODC redevelopment (119 Roger St) | 6 fl | U/C
#61
Of course, there is always the "Twelve Angry Men" approach: "At the beginning, they have a nearly unanimous decision of guilty, with a single dissenter of not guilty, who throughout the play sows a seed of reasonable doubt."

Automatically pigeon-holing any dissenter (or supporter for that matter) into one group or another does a disservice the debate in general.
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#62
Update on this project, apparently the developer is Reid Heritage Homes.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/868...-waterloo/
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#63
Good news. Have we ever seen any renders for what is being proposed?
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#64
There's a render of an example townhouse block in the zoning change:
https://www.waterloo.ca/en/contentresour...ger-St.pdf

They're not terribly inspired, modernist grey boxes with splashes of red brick, but I don't think boring architecture is really anything to hold against townhomes.

What's really neat is this rendering of the proposed corner park, with a preserved ODC frontage and sign. This will become a real community focal point.

   
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#65
(06-21-2018, 11:32 AM)Markster Wrote: There's a render of an example townhouse block in the zoning change:
https://www.waterloo.ca/en/contentresour...ger-St.pdf

They're not terribly inspired, modernist grey boxes with splashes of red brick, but I don't think boring architecture is really anything to hold against townhomes.

What's really neat is this rendering of the proposed corner park, with a preserved ODC frontage and sign. This will become a real community focal point.

Nice find. I really like the preserved ODC frontage as well! That's very cool.
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#66
'"It's a great place for seniors, but it is not a place for children to play," said Suderman, adding that the closest park is Mary Allen Park, about a 15-minute walk away across Union Street.'

Uniroyal-Goodrich Park is closer, right down the Spur Line (next to know interactions with cars), but the City of Kitchener has been dragging its heels a bit on actually putting anything there. Speaking of, I guess it's in a different municipality, so maybe that's why it wouldn't be top of mind.

I'm happy about the park space, and happy that the City approved so many units. It increases the odds of new amenities being introduced in the neighbourhood, and the chance of new park and green spaces identified in Kitchener's Midtown PARTS plan along and near King Street.
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#67
I would suggest they better align the widest of the five paths for the cut-across pedestrian traffic, because the grass where it doesn't have a good angle *will* get trampled pretty instantaneously. I'd also suggest you could get out the narrower pair, and make more use of the greenery there. Those two footpaths serve no desire lines, they just chew up greenery. I guess I should caveat that with, does the central one go to where the crosswalks are? If the crosswalks are set back extremely far (and you really DO need to have an actual crosswalk for Roger over Moore now), then depending on crosswalk alignment, you get rid of either the central, or the two adjacent-to-central footpaths.

I'm getting a bit tired of how many crosswalks are set so far back from the intersection. On one hand, for drivers, it makes left turning vehicles which enter the intersection create space for more cars behind them to feel that they should enter as well. Then you get a driver who can't turn left until it's red, and 2-3 vehicles turning left on a red light to clear the intersection, instead of only 2 or just 1. For pedestrians, it lengthens your route, whether crossing one or two intersections. It also accommodates unsafe, larger turning radii, with traffic posts often blocking sight of the pedestrians about to step onto the road when you're turning right, and you're now turning at a higher speed. As well, in all areas but especially view-obstructed places like Roger and Moore, a car cannot safely turn right from the stop line. They theoretically have to stop, then pull forward to be able to see if it is safe, potentially wait for clearance, and then finally go. It takes a longer time for them, and they often block the crosswalk. They also now use the far crosswalk line instead of the stop line as their stop line, blowing right into a crosswalk that a pedestrian would assume they would stop at the line for. I really don't understand why we have such large intersections.
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#68
(06-21-2018, 01:26 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: I would suggest they better align the widest of the five paths for the cut-across pedestrian traffic, because the grass where it doesn't have a good angle *will* get trampled pretty instantaneously.

I think what they've done is actually quite good already. The maximum "ideal" desire line is physically blocked by the facade, and the diagonal cut by the path is "close enough".

The existing crosswalk is right at the corner, so the central pathway as-is should be good. Also, it retains the existing conditions, as a nod to heritage.
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#69
(06-21-2018, 11:32 AM)Markster Wrote: There's a render of an example townhouse block in the zoning change:
https://www.waterloo.ca/en/contentresour...ger-St.pdf

They're not terribly inspired, modernist grey boxes with splashes of red brick, but I don't think boring architecture is really anything to hold against townhomes.

What's really neat is this rendering of the proposed corner park, with a preserved ODC frontage and sign. This will become a real community focal point.

I thought council approved the option without the corner park?
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#70
(06-25-2018, 09:47 AM)urbd Wrote: I thought council approved the option without the corner park?

Quote:City staff recommended a plan that would have two smaller parks

If you check out the pdf report, you will see Concept C (page 67) which is what was presumably approved.

Indeed, the corner park is smaller than the image that I quoted above, but it is still there.
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#71
(06-25-2018, 09:55 AM)Markster Wrote:
(06-25-2018, 09:47 AM)urbd Wrote: I thought council approved the option without the corner park?

Quote:City staff recommended a plan that would have two smaller parks

If you check out the pdf report, you will see Concept C (page 67) which is what was presumably approved.

Indeed, the corner park is smaller than the image that I quoted above, but it is still there.

True, thanks for clarifying.
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#72
Somewhat related to this project, the new ODC building on Randall Dr exterior appears to be nearing completion. The company sign went up last week.
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#73
Hoping to move out of the old building and into the new one sometime in the near future. No dates set in stone though...
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#74
Anyone know if ODC has moved yet?
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#75
I'm pretty sure they have, but I only have an anecdote: A friend of mine was talking about a friend of his was involved in the effort a few weeks back. They had to either break apart the machines to get them out, or break holes in walls. It was a social event with intoxicants involved, so the details were neither communicated nor received with perfect clarity.
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