The Metz (Schneiders site redevelopment)

[panamaniac]

The City of Kitchener also purchased a large number of properties downtown to control development in the core (e.g. it consolidated then sold sold off the lands to enable the City Centre/Young development)

Kitchener is still purchasing properties downtown they're just not being overtly public about it. I know recently they've purchased just over 2 acres. And with that property they have an assembly of just under 3 acres, they also have other properties close to that assembly of 1.38 acres and 0.8 acres.

So it's not that the city can't do it it's more a question of if they want to or not. In this particular case though it's extremely likely to be converted to parkland. If they get a few other properties close by the city would be looking at about 8 acres (about 20% of Victoria Park). Theres also other properties they're looking at which would make it larger than 8 acres but it won't be continuous.

But long story short Kitchener hasn't just stopped buying properties, they've just been doing it quietly.

Where?   As I've said before, I think they need to be buying up properties in the block bounded by King/Madison/Duke/Cameron with a view to creating a new urban plaza/green space.