General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[ac3r]

The multimillion dollar concrete pad which took years to pour in front of city hall, a couple bollards and a weird bench to take Instagram selfies at on Gaukel and a parkette that insects use more than we do doesn't really mean a whole lot when this region is soon to be approaching 700'000 people. There should be much more. There should also be MUCH more greenery...walk around a place like Berlin for 15 minutes and it'll seem more full of life than all of downtown Kitchener.

Downtown is simply not an inviting or desirable place for the vast majority of all those people and it isn't their fault, it's because downtown is just gross and undesirable. No amount of condos and concrete box planters or cheap lights is going to do anything about that. Even fewer people will want to move down there when they see buildings like this falling apart despite the ridiculous price tag.

The place needs a total overhaul by people who actually know what they're doing in regards to design and the approval.

[tomh009]

The multimillion dollar concrete pad which took years to pour in front of city hall, a couple bollards and a weird bench to take Instagram selfies at on Gaukel and a parkette that insects use more than we do doesn't really mean a whole lot when this region is soon to be approaching 700'000 people. There should be much more. There should also be MUCH more greenery...walk around a place like Berlin for 15 minutes and it'll seem more full of life than all of downtown Kitchener.

Sure, it's not Berlin. But Berlin has over three million people in its urban area and more than five centuries of history, whereas KW has maybe 100K people in its urban area, and barely 150 years--and that in a car-centric North American society. It really makes no sense to compare these two cities.

And just because you don't like the Carl Zehr square doesn't mean it's not used--it's popular with many people, including kids and families, both in summer and winter. And that pretty much confirms that it's a "pleasing, bright, welcoming space".

[dtkvictim]

Sure, it's not Berlin. But Berlin has over three million people in its urban area and more than five centuries of history, whereas KW has maybe 100K people in its urban area, and barely 150 years--and that in a car-centric North American society. It really makes no sense to compare these two cities.

And just because you don't like the Carl Zehr square doesn't mean it's not used--it's popular with many people, including kids and families, both in summer and winter. And that pretty much confirms that it's a "pleasing, bright, welcoming space".

This is just my own personal observation and maybe it's just the timing of when I visit or pass by both, but Waterloo Public Square feels like an order of magnitude more busy than Carl Zehr Square. And this is despite being in a smaller city. I use Carl Zehr square in the winter for skating, and maybe for the odd event during the summer, but never is it a casual place to just hang out. Yes there are usually a few people hanging around it, but I think you're kidding yourself to call it popular.

When I grab Four All with friends uptown it's an easy choice to go sit in the public square and watch buskers, people dancing, etc. But when I've gotten Four All downtown with friends we are always standing around trying to think of a good place to eat it and chat, and city hall isn't on anyone's mind as a good option. Last time we just sat on the planters and had profanities screamed at us (though now they have a patio to consider at least).

[ac3r]

I'm not really comparing Kitchener to Berlin, I'm just saying that downtown Kitchener doesn't really feel like a place most want to be because it just has a very cold, uninviting, dirty vibe.

But there's also nothing to really do on a day to day basis. I don't even mean stuff like a new sports stadium or whatever that can offer one-off events, but what is the draw for anyone who doesn't already live downtown to want to go downtown? There's more natural environment, more to do and less schizo drug addicts in any of the most generic suburban neighbourhoods. Downtown - for those not living there - is at best a place you go for the occasional dinner date, maybe see some random band, work or study and pass through on transit or driving. Condos that are already falling apart such as Duke Tower sure haven't done anything to improve it either.

It's objectively just a boring, yucky place with no real direction or coherent goal.

[Acitta]

The industrial land on Mill St. across the tracks from The Metz is for sale.     

[panamaniac]

After sitting unused for 70+ years. Personally, I always thought it would be a good location for a park.

[KevinL]

There's a bike path along the creek all the way from Homer Watson to Mill; I've always hoped they could extend it through here, add a railway crossing, and let it go through The Metz to connect to the IHT.

[tomh009]

There's a bike path along the creek all the way from Homer Watson to Mill; I've always hoped they could extend it through here, add a railway crossing, and let it go through The Metz to connect to the IHT.

The path now continues behind Meinzinger Park, all the way to Stirling, where it connects to the Stirling bike lanes and the trail through Lakeside Park.

Using this land to connect to the Metz (maybe using a tunnel rather than a level crossing?) would be an excellent addition to the grid.

[tomh009]

It's a big property, at 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres), but encumbered by a narrow strip (about 8m wide) connection to Mill St, and no connection to Stirling (the municipal address is actuall 326 Stirling Ave).

On the city property, there is maybe 4-5m between the creek and the property line. Probably the best outcome without combining other properties with this one would be a 2.5m or 3m MUT, half on the city property and half on the current 325 Stirling property (which half would need to be expropriated).

Really, the smart thing would be for the prospective developer to also acquire 338 Mill St (I think this is a small auto repair/sales shop) which would make the main property far more useful.

   

[ZEBuilder]

It's a big property, at 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres), but encumbered by a narrow strip (about 8m wide) connection to Mill St, and no connection to Stirling (the municipal address is actuall 326 Stirling Ave).

On the city property, there is maybe 4-5m between the creek and the property line. Probably the best outcome without combining other properties with this one would be a 2.5m or 3m MUT, half on the city property and half on the current 325 Stirling property (which half would need to be expropriated).

Really, the smart thing would be for the prospective developer to also acquire 338 Mill St (I think this is a small auto repair/sales shop) which would make the main property far more useful.

The property is zoned SGA-4 on the back half and SGA-3 closer to Mill so it wouldn't be surprising to get a Metz type development here. There's little NIMBYs can do anymore to stop development thankfully. This property is not likely to see any movement in terms of development for years with how much is in the pipeline by local developers, unless another player decides to enter the market. There are a few GTA developers who have been eyeing up Kitchener recently but I don't expect them to be looking at this end of downtown.

CN is likely the only ones who are going to be a pain to deal with when it comes to development here, they've been difficult to deal with on other projects in Kitchener along the spur (The Metz and Vierra Village/Inclusive on Courtland).

[panamaniac]

This is not a NIMBY neighbourhood. A connection underneath the tracks, as Schnieders once had, seems a no-brainer.

[KevinL]

There's a bike path along the creek all the way from Homer Watson to Mill; I've always hoped they could extend it through here, add a railway crossing, and let it go through The Metz to connect to the IHT.

The path now continues behind Meinzinger Park, all the way to Stirling, where it connects to the Stirling bike lanes and the trail through Lakeside Park.

Using this land to connect to the Metz (maybe using a tunnel rather than a level crossing?) would be an excellent addition to the grid.

The crossing at Homer Watson is rather poor; a formalized hard pad in the central boulevard would be a big help to link it up.

[tomh009]

The path now continues behind Meinzinger Park, all the way to Stirling, where it connects to the Stirling bike lanes and the trail through Lakeside Park.

Using this land to connect to the Metz (maybe using a tunnel rather than a level crossing?) would be an excellent addition to the grid.

The crossing at Homer Watson is rather poor; a formalized hard pad in the central boulevard would be a big help to link it up.

There is one there now--concrete was poured just this week! It appears that there will also be a stretch of MUT on the SE side of Homer Watson to connect to the trail on the other side of Shoemaker Creek. Will take some photos tomorrow unless someone else gets there first.

[tomh009]

Some photos of the work at the Homer Watson trail crossing:

   

   

   

[Acitta]

Some photos of the work at the Homer Watson trail crossing:

It will make cycling to the new pedestrian/cycling bridge easier. FYI, there is a Trails topic under Transportation and Infrastructure.