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Oh there are Nimbys in Kitchener. a third of the Downtown is heritage, the six stories of Google's adaptive Breithaupt Block reuse has been brought up as being too intense for the neighbours (direct ones being a parking lot, a now closed McDonald's a strip mall turning into SIXO, and a rail corridor abutted by the future transit terminal). The Market area, i.e. the most affordable place to buy food, is also one of the places most impossible to try and put actual people (especially affordable-food-needing people) nearby.
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(01-26-2017, 11:15 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Oh there are Nimbys in Kitchener. a third of the Downtown is heritage, the six stories of Google's adaptive Breithaupt Block reuse has been brought up as being too intense for the neighbours (direct ones being a parking lot, a now closed McDonald's a strip mall turning into SIXO, and a rail corridor abutted by the future transit terminal). The Market area, i.e. the most affordable place to buy food, is also one of the places most impossible to try and put actual people (especially affordable-food-needing people) nearby.
Nimbys because they don't want height are a bit different than saying, hey, we don't want social housing !!! Many backwards thinking people in Kitchener....My Point is that people in Waterloo routinely speak of higher social justice however, how many social services or housing do they actually take on....
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(01-26-2017, 09:46 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7085...-activist/
"Next month, the region is considering proposals for 100 one-bedroom units. The subsidized housing could be built by spring of 2018."
Now, will people get behind this, or will we see a massive NIMBY outpouring?
Relating to the SIXO thread on affordable housing, there are a few kinds. One, which I think and hope the above statement refers to, is heavily subsidized, very basic features. Would hopefully be the kind available as transitional housing, the lowest end of affordability, but close enough to the cores to fit with renters likely being non-car users, needing short trips to social assistance sites and transit nodes.
There's also the affordable housing that's decidedly between a place like 1Vic and these 100 beds. Years ago, I rented in the short red brick buildings at Laurel and Bridgeport, and for a 2 bed 1 bath ground floor unit it was only $800/month, far more reasonable than most options out there for couples, small families, and many others who can't make $1600+/month work in short or long term. Guaranteed.
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I wonder what all this means.
Blockbuster! Toronto firm buys much of downtown Kitchener. Now what?
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This quote in the article above adds intrigue:
""We are attracted to the city because it has great potential with a vibrant, entrepreneurial population base and healthy market fundamentals. We are in talks with local partners and are open to proposals for joint projects or development.""
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Strong possibility for Market Square to be redeveloped. The other properties are pretty standard office blocks as those go, but maybe some new ideas there too?
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That's... that's unreal. That's basically every single major office building in Kitchener!!
For daily ion construction updates, photos and general urban rail news, follow me on twitter! @Canardiain
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This closed at the end of December. DREAM has been divesting of most (or all?) of their properties in smaller cities.
http://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/s...8&page=110
We didn't know until now whether EuroPro had purchased the full Kitchener office space portfolio, though. And we still need to wait to see what plans EuroPro has for some of these properties -- and especially Market Square:
- Market Square
- 101 Frederick St.
- 50 Queen St. N.
- 55 King St. W.
- 235 King St. E.
- 22 Frederick St.
- 70 King St. E.
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Market Square is the big one. The one we all have dreams of.
But I think all of the other ones will be interesting as well. I think this could be a 305 King West situation where these buildings get totally renovated and modernized to fetch top notch tenants.
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A number of the other ones (50 Queen N, 235 King E and 55 King W, for example) are in good shape and most have high occupancy rates (DREAM did improve this situation significantly, which surely helped them get a better price for the properties). Apart from Market Square, which needs a complete re-think, I think Galleria (101 Frederick) is most in need of a facelift.
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70 King St. E. is the Crabby Joe's. If they buy up the adjacent parking lot, that's a good sized parcel to rework as well.
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What do you mean "rework" for the Crabby Joe's? That is a designated heritage building.
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I assumed he was just referring to the adjacent parking.
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Do we know anything about EuroPro? Holdings elsewhere, developments they've worked on?
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(01-28-2017, 10:07 PM)timc Wrote: What do you mean "rework" for the Crabby Joe's? That is a designated heritage building.
Redevelop with reuse is what I meant. The building can be integrated into something better, I'm sure.
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