General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[creative]

It isn't even about the architecture or materials, it's that everything in this region SUCKS.

Then why do you live here?

[westwardloo]

I said it several times before, and I'll say it again- hopefully before the forum czars come in saying "off topic!", Kitchener DTK needs major major work. The stark difference coming in from Uptown Waterloo into DTK is literally day and night. Exit from a well lit and uplifting vibe to darkeness, shadows, drugs and sadness.

The rebuttals of 'but there are so many festivals!' Does not hold up when the day-to-day is depression. So much wasted potential. It's going to become some condo tower wasteland. If a few tech companies exit we could literally see it fall into worse condition.

Mark the date Conestoga leaves Market Square and let's see what comes of that corner and this building in 1, 3 and 5 years. I hope something vibrant comes in to Market Square.

Market square is a perfect location for a Downtown Arena.

[Rainrider22]

not a bad idea !!

[Momo26]

I'm game. Could the footprint there be bigger than the Aud? Thought was arena could go at old bus station land but this isn't a bad idea.

Coupled with a really good, marque attraction at the old bus terminal and a few more businesses for filling in, we could have DTK revitalization 2.0

[cherrypark]

Current Aud, just the main building, is the size of Market Square minus the parking garage. Its not a ton of area if parking were to be on that site.

[westwardloo]

Current Aud, just the main building, is the size of Market Square minus the parking garage. Its not a ton of area if parking were to be on that site.

The beauty of a downtown arena is that it does not need a much surface parking. Not sure if the parking garage could be kept if they tore down the Market square, but there is also 2 other city owned parking garages within a short distance to this location.

[Square]

I would leave the Aud where it is. Build a new one beside it, and then demolish the old building and put a park and a new baseball/soccer field. Also the new Aud should be at least 15'000 capacity. (My dream anyway)

[westwardloo]

I would leave the Aud where it is.  Build a new one beside it, and then demolish the old building and put a park and a new baseball/soccer field.  Also the new Aud should be at least 15'000 capacity. (My dream anyway)

This is obviously a different conversation, although I prefer a DTK arena. I think the current Aud Lands could be transformed into an amazing sports and entertainment district with housing, park space, office, retail, an arena (12,000) and a soccer/ football stadium for the NSL/CPL/ CFL/ host big university games (roughly 15,000) look at what the NWSL is building in Denver colorado..... One can dream. This might have happened if Blackberry didn't fumble the smartphone so spectacularly, unfortunately there just isn't that much individual personal wealth in KW right now.  There is no appetite for government funds to go to a project like this though. I dream that sports leaders in the Region could make a push for a commonwealth games or something like that to get serious Federal and provincial funding like edmonton, calgary and hamilton have gotten in the past, but the security costs have made it impossible for cities to host these large scale events now a days.

[nms]

I would leave the Aud where it is.  Build a new one beside it, and then demolish the old building and put a park and a new baseball/soccer field.  Also the new Aud should be at least 15'000 capacity. (My dream anyway)

This is obviously a different conversation, although I prefer a DTK arena. I think the current Aud Lands could be transformed into an amazing sports and entertainment district with housing, park space, office, retail, an arena (12,000) and a soccer/ football stadium for the NSL/CPL/ CFL/ host big university games (roughly 15,000) look at what the NWSL is building in Denver colorado..... One can dream. This might have happened if Blackberry didn't fumble the smartphone so spectacularly, unfortunately there just isn't that much individual personal wealth in KW right now.  There is no appetite for government funds to go to a project like this though. I dream that sports leaders in the Region could make a push for a commonwealth games or something like that to get serious Federal and provincial funding like edmonton, calgary and hamilton have gotten in the past, but the security costs have made it impossible for cities to host these large scale events now a days.

I would argue that there is more than enough personal wealth here, it's just a matter of inspiring people to give money to local causes that need our support.  The Waterloo Region Community Foundation manages $144 million in investments spread among 429 funds (some are quite small, others are significantly larger), and distributes over $7 million per year (and more than $89 million since the fund was launched).  The local hospital foundations, universities and the Symphony  and the Symphony have done great jobs of inspiring giving and support. The numbers listed here are for endowments or restricted funds but to not include other flow through funds that are donated and spent in a given year.  That's a much larger research project.

• $49 million for GRHF
  
• $55 million for St Mary's Hospital Foundation
  
• $10 million for Cambridge Hospital 
  
• $524 million at Waterloo
  
• $120 million at WLU
  

Conestoga College raised $13 million in the last reporting period but some of that came through other funds.  I couldn't find anything about a Conestoga College Foundation.  The WRDSB has their WEFI fund which holds about $2 million while the WCDSB has funds in the Catholic Community Foundation of Waterloo Region.

Moderators: I don't know if there should be a thread labeled, "Philanthropy in Waterloo Region" or called something else

[tomh009]

I said it several times before, and I'll say it again- hopefully before the forum czars come in saying "off topic!", Kitchener DTK needs major major work. The stark difference coming in from Uptown Waterloo into DTK is literally day and night. Exit from a well lit and uplifting vibe to darkeness, shadows, drugs and sadness.

When has a discussion ever been shut down here? At most it gets moved to a more relevant thread.

On a personal level, I do live in DTK and yet I don't find it to be all "darkeness, shadows, drugs and sadness". However, I know that I'm not going to be able to change your opinion, so I'll leave it at that.

[tomh009]

This might have happened if Blackberry didn't fumble the smartphone so spectacularly, unfortunately there just isn't that much individual personal wealth in KW right now.

I don't know why you think that, although maybe your concept of "not that much" is different from mine. But apart from Mike Lazaridis (who is not on par with the US oligarchs, but is still quite wealthy) there are dozens (or more) of entrepreneurs in the regions who have had their tech companies acquired for large sums of money. And others who have made their wealth in more conventional ways, too.

[neonjoe]

Downtown is leaps and bounds better than it was in the 00s and 10s. I worked downtown in the early 2010s and it has improved substantially. I am fine bringing my kids downtown, I wouldn’t have done the same in the early 2010s.
I think it may have to do more with the ratio of regular patrons vs those in need, or that the ones who have psychological issues now in general seem more passive than in years past.
There’s still a lot of work but compared to similar sized cities it’s definitely not bad.

[panamaniac]

I think the point the poster was making is that DTK lacks the bourgeois blandness of UTW. Many people like that kind of atmosphere.

[neonjoe]

Uptown Waterloo particularly reminds me of lifestyle centres in the US more than a city centre.

[bravado]

Come to downtown Cambridge for the cupcakes and coffee, stay for the grimey real life feel

(although Disko and Monagram are genuine gems for coffee)