General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[dtkvictim]

I actually like the idea of vibing food hall...similar to that of The Well, Toronto or Chef's Hall. So long it doesn't feel kore like 'food court' lol. There is a bit of a difference.  And there should be at least 8 to 12 vendors ideally.

I think both are good options. I would love to have hawker centers (basically just urban food courts) in Canadian cities, as long as security could keep them comfortable places to be. But I doubt that's what they have planned here.

[Acitta]

Retired urban planner watches his work get ‘wiped out’ across Waterloo Region
Kevin Eby is the former director of community planning at the Region of Waterloo. 

Urban planning and home building have seldom been in a bigger mess, says a retired urban planner who oversaw the region’s award-winning smart-growth plans.

Before retiring from the Region of Waterloo in 2015, Eby led the creation of the 2003 growth management plan, and the writing of two official plans that intensified new housing development along the light rail corridor while protecting farmland.

He also helped write the Places to Grow Act that aimed to curb urban sprawl across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

[MidTowner]

Micro-unit building proposed for Kitchener neighbourhood

132 Fairway Rd N, 26-unit affordable apartment building. 1 bedroom units range in size from 350 to 375 square feet; bachelor apartments range in size from 240 to 260 square feet.

Supposedly rents will range from $860 to $1,100.

It's a quarter acre lot on a main road, but it does require rezoning.

Some of the comments from the developer are kind of rich concerning the size of the units. Some people really do not want room mates, which is fair enough, but paying $1,100 (plus all utilities I imagine) for 375 square feet doesn't sound so affordable to me.

[Momo26]

Interesting @ micro unit approach. From dollar per square foot perspective, sounds the 1 bedrooms are asking for more than the going per sqft rate right now!

I know we need to intensify but I can also appreciate the neighbors' concerns. I don't know that area all that well - are there already lots of mid rises/6-plex/12-plex there etc?

[danbrotherston]

Micro-unit building proposed for Kitchener neighbourhood

132 Fairway Rd N, 26-unit affordable apartment building. 1 bedroom units range in size from 350 to 375 square feet; bachelor apartments range in size from 240 to 260 square feet.

Supposedly rents will range from $860 to $1,100.

It's a quarter acre lot on a main road, but it does require rezoning.

Some of the comments from the developer are kind of rich concerning the size of the units. Some people really do not want room mates, which is fair enough, but paying $1,100 (plus all utilities I imagine) for 375 square feet doesn't sound so affordable to me.

Yeah, the size of the units is fine to me, there are lots of homes here a similar size and with the right type of furnishings it's quite cozy (gezellig the Dutch might say). The cost is a little high, but I also have lost my context for local rental rates. To me this should run around 50-75% of what a 1 bedroom would be (and this will also be new units, so a new 1 bedroom).

The funniest thing is the complaints from the neighbours...funny in a sardonic way. Like, honestly..."the height is the problem" it's a 3 storey building. It doesn't get much shorter.

[MidTowner]

Interesting @ micro unit approach.  From dollar per square foot perspective, sounds the 1 bedrooms are asking for more than the going per sqft rate right now!

I know we need to intensify but I can also appreciate the neighbors' concerns. I don't know that area all that well - are there already lots of mid rises/6-plex/12-plex there etc?

There's a townhouse complex right across the street, and a four-storey apartment building next door to that. This parcel is on the corner, so it's probably the neighbours behind on the residential street who are commenting.

I think these are expensive for the size. A newish two bedroom on the larger side (let's say 850 square feet), those can be had for $2,300 a month now. $860 for 240 square feet doesn't seem like a bargain, and most importantly to me, I'm not sure that's the kind of thing that Waterloo Region should be subsidizing.

[danbrotherston]

Interesting @ micro unit approach.  From dollar per square foot perspective, sounds the 1 bedrooms are asking for more than the going per sqft rate right now!

I know we need to intensify but I can also appreciate the neighbors' concerns. I don't know that area all that well - are there already lots of mid rises/6-plex/12-plex there etc?

There's a townhouse complex right across the street, and a four-storey apartment building next door to that. This parcel is on the corner, so it's probably the neighbours behind on the residential street who are commenting.

I think these are expensive for the size. A newish two bedroom on the larger side (let's say 850 square feet), those can be had for $2,300 a month now. $860 for 240 square feet doesn't seem like a bargain, and most importantly to me, I'm not sure that's the kind of thing that Waterloo Region should be subsidizing.

I think 850 is actually on the smaller side of 2 bedroom apartments. Maybe I'm out of touch, but even here two bedrooms are typically 800 square feet or so.

That said, I don't think price scales linearly with square footage. You still have all the kitchen+bathroom which is most expensive parts. That said, I probably agree it feels too expensive. 

I am unclear how this is subsidized though?

Edit: actually I didn't catch that the 370 sq ft units were 1-bedroom, and there were 240 sq ft bachelors. That is indeed even smaller than I though.

That said, I really cannot agree with anything the neighbours have said:

"“[I’m] looking forward to the idea and the prospect of helping low-income housing and providing them the space that they require, but it’s just not suitable. It’s not fair.” Dahms [also] voiced concerns with parking requirements, waste collection and snow removal."

They're just throwing the usual NIMBY whini---ahem...talking points at the wall to see what sticks.

Like, no jokes, this is literally NIMBY bingo:

"Dahms also felt the project represented a big change for people who are already living in the area.

“We’re not Toronto and we have to stop thinking like Toronto,” Dahms said. “We have to remember where our roots came from. This is Kitchener-Waterloo. Let’s treat it properly.”"

[MidTowner]

I think that 800 square foot is a pretty healthy size for a two bedroom nowadays. For instance, the two bedroom units at Station Park started at 610 square feet.

240 square feet is really small.

I could be wrong that it's subsidized. I say that it might be because the developer has built and operates low-income/community housing for the Region. In this case they may not be using the word "affordable" in the technical sense. With those rents, maybe not. But if it is considered affordable, there are subsidies provided and reduced development charges, etc.

[ijmorlan]

That said, I really cannot agree with anything the neighbours have said:

"“[I’m] looking forward to the idea and the prospect of helping low-income housing and providing them the space that they require, but it’s just not suitable. It’s not fair.” Dahms [also] voiced concerns with parking requirements, waste collection and snow removal."

They're just throwing the usual NIMBY whini---ahem...talking points at the wall to see what sticks.

Like, no jokes, this is literally NIMBY bingo:

"Dahms also felt the project represented a big change for people who are already living in the area.

Oh no! A big change!

I’d be interested to know what they said about parking, waste, and snow. I’m having trouble imagining anything they might have said that would even make sense, never mind actually being a reasonable complaint. Waste collection? Do they think people will just throw everything over the back fence into the complainant’s backyard? Same for snow? Parking? A bunch of people who can’t afford a place to live at full market rate will park their Cybertrucks on the streets in the neighbourhood?

[Momo26]

https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchener/s/P3ZulZ44Z4

Anyone with experience comment on wooden bases framing?

[creative]

Dog crate condos taken to a whole new level.

[Momo26]

You don't need a dog crate when you can have a shoe box!

[tomh009]

https://www.reddit.com/r/kitchener/s/P3ZulZ44Z4

Anyone with experience comment on wooden bases framing?

Wood frame construction for low/mid-rise apartments is 100% legit (and Vive Towns uses it for their 3F stacked towns, like most other stacked towns).

Noise separation between the units is much more about the drywall construction than about the structural materials.

[Joedelay Highhoe]

I live in a wood-frame condo-townhouse and the noise isolation is great. I've never heard a voice/tv/music from neighboring units - just the occasional stomping or door slamming, but it's completely negligible for me.

[bravado]

How much is Big Shoebox™ paying you guys?!?