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+-- Forum: Land Development and Real Estate (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: University Area (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Thread: General University Area Updates and Rumours (/showthread.php?tid=5)
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - plam - 06-30-2015
(06-30-2015, 10:59 AM)tomh009 Wrote:(06-30-2015, 10:45 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: There are that many units for sale in the42, which has ~55 units total, so I wouldn't say anything is on the high side at this point.
But some of those are still-never-occupied units, are they not?
On Keatsway, it's a whole lot of resale units at the same time. I wonder whether some investor might own multiple units and is putting them all on the market at the same time? Or it's just coincidence?
I see a lot of different brokers so I'd suspect that it's not one investor (unless they're trying hard to diversify or something).
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - BuildingScout - 06-30-2015
There is some construction on the East side of the building. This might have something to do with people moving, but so far this is all speculation.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - nms - 07-06-2015
My guess with 255 Keatsway is that you may be seeing churn from parents who purchased units for their student children 3-4 years ago who are now cashing out as their kids graduate.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 07-20-2015
The commercial space at 171 Lester St has been leased according to the sign out front. I wonder what we will see go in there.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - TMKM94 - 08-03-2015
The old Forwell Variety building at University and King is now a Short Stop. I'm assuming the plan for a Restaurant/pub opening there isn't happening now.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - numberguy - 08-17-2015
(08-03-2015, 04:54 PM)TMKM94 Wrote: The old Forwell Variety building at University and King is now a Short Stop. I'm assuming the plan for a Restaurant/pub opening there isn't happening now.
My understanding is that WLU still needs that land for impending expansion. Phil's got an extension, but my last information is that it still was given marching orders. Perhaps Short Stop agreed to a short/medium term lease?
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - Lens - 08-17-2015
There are rumors the WLU now owns the WCI property so I doubt they'll be developing both.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - BuildingScout - 08-17-2015
(08-17-2015, 09:25 PM)Lens Wrote: There are rumors the WLU now owns the WCI property so I doubt they'll be developing both.
WLU has a policy of buying all the land that it can around it. A purchase of one piece of property has never stopped them from going after something else. They developed the Northdale campus while expanding on Lodge St and Sunview Cr.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - ookpik - 08-17-2015
Also I would think that a corner of University and King is not only closer but also more important strategically to WLU than WCI, even if the latter property is much larger than the former.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - ijmorlan - 08-17-2015
(08-17-2015, 09:45 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: WLU has a policy of buying all the land that it can around it.
Except when they didn’t buy those two blocks that came up for auction, one of which is now “The Block” (except for one house). That would have made their campus North of University one big space instead of two smaller ones separated by the length of Larch St.
Of course I have no idea if the price was reasonable. I expect their decision actually did make sense but I was disappointed when those blocks did not become part of Laurier.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - BuildingScout - 08-17-2015
(08-17-2015, 10:07 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:(08-17-2015, 09:45 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: WLU has a policy of buying all the land that it can around it.
Except when they didn’t buy those two blocks that came up for auction, one of which is now “The Block” (except for one house). That would have made their campus North of University one big space instead of two smaller ones separated by the length of Larch St.
Of course I have no idea if the price was reasonable. I expect their decision actually did make sense but I was disappointed when those blocks did not become part of Laurier.
Operative word: "that it can". If the price is too high they pass on it, or sometimes they get someone else to buy it and develop it with an option for purchase. I've been told that the architecturally-matching-yet-private residences on King were developed under this model.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - Spokes - 08-18-2015
(08-17-2015, 09:25 PM)Lens Wrote: There are rumors the WLU now owns the WCI property so I doubt they'll be developing both.
Wow. Hadn't heard that. Doesn't seem like something the WRDSB would do. Where else would they build a high school?
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - BuildingScout - 08-18-2015
(08-18-2015, 11:40 AM)Spokes Wrote: Wow. Hadn't heard that. Doesn't seem like something the WRDSB would do. Where else would they build a high school?
The WRDSB had definitely announced their intention to sell the close WCI lands about a year ago in 2011. There was a lot of pushback then and they went silent on the issue. I forget where they had talked about building the replacement HS.
Edit: searched for more info on this and updated the posting accordingly.
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - Spokes - 08-18-2015
Wow. Seems like a mistake. Creates a big hole in the center of Waterloo. Next two closest are Bluevale and SJAM
RE: General University Area Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 08-18-2015
Reminds me of the outcry about 15 years ago when there was thought of closing KCI at the same time as Huron Heights opened. Of course it was kept, but I can imagine much of the same sort of response to the WCI scenario.
(Even if, as a KCI alumnus, I can feel some schadenfreude toward my traditional Viking rivals...)