Waterloo Region Connected
General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Printable Version

+- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com)
+-- Forum: Land Development and Real Estate (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Urban Areas (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Thread: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours (/showthread.php?tid=8)



RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Momo26 - 07-22-2020

Modern day open office look. Nice.

Let's keep the momentum going!


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 07-22-2020

Street closures! This is Ontario St:

   

And Gaukel St:

   


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - jgsz - 07-23-2020

I like it.  I'd like to see some more closures downtown even after Covid 19.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - panamaniac - 07-23-2020

It would be hard for me to see any reason why both those temporary closures couldn't be made permanent.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - mastermind - 07-23-2020

(07-23-2020, 09:20 AM)panamaniac Wrote: It would be hard for me to see any reason why both those temporary closures couldn't be made permanent.

I agree


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 07-23-2020

(07-23-2020, 09:20 AM)panamaniac Wrote: It would be hard for me to see any reason why both those temporary closures couldn't be made permanent.

It looks like the Gaukel closure will be permanent, although I don't think there has been a council decision on this yet.

Also closing Ontario would be somewhat more challenging as that would mean there would be no through streets (across King St W) between Queen and Water. It's possible that this is in the plans, too, though.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Coke6pk - 07-23-2020

(07-23-2020, 10:31 AM)tomh009 Wrote: It looks like the Gaukel closure will be permanent, although I don't think there has been a council decision on this yet.

I've been told from a very reliable source that this is correct.

Coke


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - dtkvictim - 07-23-2020

Awesome. Are there lights hanging over Gaukel as well? I hope these both stay permanent and continue to be beautified over time.

I just wish the city(?) hadn't decided on the awful solid colors for all of their tables, chairs, and picnic benches. And I suppose the bike shaped bike racks also follow that color scheme but I don't mind them as much.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 07-23-2020

I don't think the picnic tables are a long-term solution, but they do offer some pedestrian space in the short term, before the street can be rebuilt (after the Charlie West construction is complete).


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - Momo26 - 07-23-2020

I'm for beautifying DTK! There needs to be a hip injection into King as well - maybe even nice accent lights or tree/post type lights like those in uptown Waterloo. Coming down from Waterloo one just enters this dark nexus.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 07-23-2020

I believe the picnic tables were part of a community art effort to quickly setup outdoor dining space for areas that lacked amenities. They had a bunch of them in a warehouse that were painted in various designs by local artists, that have since been set up around the city.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - dtkvictim - 07-23-2020

To answer my own question from earlier, there are indeed lights over Gaukel. Although they didn't turn on until ~8:30 unlike Ontario St's. They are comically sparse over Gaukel, but I'm glad to have them for this temporary phase regardless.

And to be clear, I'm glad about having picnic tables. I just really dislike the bright colored design the city uses all over.

And for anyone who saw my post in the Better Tent City thread, it turns out the shed in city Lot 9 is not a tiny home, but seems to be storage for chairs and tables possibly related to these pedestrian streets. I saw DTK staff putting away those bright coloured tables and chairs in it today.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - jeffster - 07-24-2020

(07-23-2020, 10:31 AM)tomh009 Wrote:
(07-23-2020, 09:20 AM)panamaniac Wrote: It would be hard for me to see any reason why both those temporary closures couldn't be made permanent.

It looks like the Gaukel closure will be permanent, although I don't think there has been a council decision on this yet.

Also closing Ontario would be somewhat more challenging as that would mean there would be no through streets (across King St W) between Queen and Water. It's possible that this is in the plans, too, though.

I would imagine once Charlie is finished, Gaukel would be reopened between Charles and King. And it's two way, unlike Ontario. So perhaps keeping that one section of Gaukel and Ontario closed is feasible.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - taylortbb - 07-24-2020

(07-24-2020, 12:08 AM)jeffster Wrote:
(07-23-2020, 10:31 AM)tomh009 Wrote: It looks like the Gaukel closure will be permanent, although I don't think there has been a council decision on this yet.

I would imagine once Charlie is finished, Gaukel would be reopened between Charles and King. And it's two way, unlike Ontario. So perhaps keeping that one section of Gaukel and Ontario closed is feasible.

This year's budget included funding for making Gaukel fully pedestrian, Joseph to King. The city plan also mentions doing the same on Cedar St, from the ION station to the market.

I haven't seen much action on Cedar, but I'd consider Gaukel fully committed to at this point. The plan is that it will never reopen to cars after Charlie West is built.


RE: General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours - danbrotherston - 07-24-2020

(07-24-2020, 02:21 AM)taylortbb Wrote:
(07-24-2020, 12:08 AM)jeffster Wrote: I would imagine once Charlie is finished, Gaukel would be reopened between Charles and King. And it's two way, unlike Ontario. So perhaps keeping that one section of Gaukel and Ontario closed is feasible.

This year's budget included funding for making Gaukel fully pedestrian, Joseph to King. The city plan also mentions doing the same on Cedar St, from the ION station to the market.

I haven't seen much action on Cedar, but I'd consider Gaukel fully committed to at this point. The plan is that it will never reopen to cars after Charlie West is built.

I'm not sure what their solution to traffic accessing Charlie West, but I think they might end up having a lane open from Charles to Halls Lane.

Also, I think it's Eby not Cedar that's getting the treatment near the market, but I haven't heard anything on that in a while.