General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[panamaniac]

Is the ground floor still going to be commercial/retail, I wonder?  I can't say I love the look of the place, but it is an improvement over what it looked like before.

[westwardloo]

City staff recommend concil approves condo near the Aud.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/979...r-the-aud/

Decent looking proposal.

Personally these are the type of developments I would love to see along ottawa from king up to the free way.

[white_brian]

Properties at 741-751 King W are now fenced off. Not sure if this had been mentioned yet

[Square]

Properties at 741-751 King W are now fenced off. Not sure if this had been mentioned yet

Yes, in the Hudson thread.

[tomh009]

City staff recommend concil approves condo near the Aud.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/979...r-the-aud/

Decent looking proposal.

Personally these are the type of developments I would love to see along ottawa from king up to the free way.

That's another Vive project!

[urbd]

City staff recommend concil approves condo near the Aud.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/979...r-the-aud/

Decent looking proposal.

Personally these are the type of developments I would love to see along ottawa from king up to the free way.

That's another Vive project!

Wow. Zero street level activation, what is that grass berm? Not even a sidewalk in sight!

[westwardloo]

That's another Vive project!

Wow. Zero street level activation, what is that grass berm? Not even a sidewalk in sight!

You can clearly see people walking on a sidewalk in front of the building. I don't know what you want for street interaction? This isn't on a main street and will not have any commercial units on the main floor. I would rather a vehicle entrance to an underground parking than to have a sea parking in front of a building.  looks like they have the underground parking basically half out of the ground and are covering it up with a grass berm. This likely saves on construction of underground parking. Again i would rather have a berm than exposed concrete.

[Spokes]

Ya, as someone that is always pushing for street level interaction, I don't know that much more than this really fits here. I think they actually kind of nailed it with this project in this location.

[westwardloo]

Ya, as someone that is always pushing for street level interaction, I don't know that much more than this really fits here.  I think they actually kind of nailed it with this project in this location.

Completely agree. I am all for street level interaction and commercial space on the ground floor where it makes sense. This is a perfectly scaled building for this location. I also really like the exterior cladding choice.

[jgsz]

Retail revitalization in downtown Kitchener? Give it another 2 years, city says

"Downtown Kitchener -- the stretch of King Street from Victoria to Cedar -- is an absolute toilet that no number of high-rise condo projects will help improve."

That is one comment on this story about the changes and challenges that business face in downtown Kitchener.   I think the comment is too harsh and it really doesn't capture the changing landscape.  

[tomh009]

Retail revitalization in downtown Kitchener? Give it another 2 years, city says

"Downtown Kitchener -- the stretch of King Street from Victoria to Cedar -- is an absolute toilet that no number of high-rise condo projects will help improve."

That is one comment on this story about the changes and challenges that business face in downtown Kitchener.   I think the comment is too harsh and it really doesn't capture the changing landscape.  

Some people really have a low level of tolerance.

Me, I will support DTK businesses whenever possible.

[panamaniac]

It’s more than “some people”. Although that person put it crudely, many people are not comfortable in, and certainly don’t want to share, an environment that includes the homeless/the poor/the mentally ill. I abhor the attitude, but I recognize it as pretty common in K-W (not that K-W is unique in this regard). I believe it will fade over time, although I have doubts about DTK as a significant retail destination, which seems to be a key element for “non-Downtowners”.

[Rainrider22]

I go DTK often and utilize businesses and restaurants. The changes I see are exciting. My daughters and I will often to backpacking through the city ( I know it sounds silly) and we have found so many great places and I see the changes happening. The people that make comments like above are the people that refuse to see and or make change.

[tomh009]

It’s more than “some people”.  Although that person put it crudely, many people are not comfortable in, and certainly don’t want to share, an environment that includes the homeless/the poor/the mentally ill.  I abhor the attitude, but I recognize it as pretty common in K-W (not that K-W is unique in this regard).  I believe it will fade over time, although I have doubts about DTK as a significant retail destination, which seems to be a key element for “non-Downtowners”.

I don't know what it's like in Ottawa, but certainly downtown Toronto has far more homeless people than we have. And yet people accept it as a destination. Not to mention big US cities, whether New York, San Francisco etc.

We need to work on this problem. But I say that because I think we should help these people, not because I'm looking to clean up our downtown so that people like Arthur can shop there.

[panamaniac]

It’s more than “some people”.  Although that person put it crudely, many people are not comfortable in, and certainly don’t want to share, an environment that includes the homeless/the poor/the mentally ill.  I abhor the attitude, but I recognize it as pretty common in K-W (not that K-W is unique in this regard).  I believe it will fade over time, although I have doubts about DTK as a significant retail destination, which seems to be a key element for “non-Downtowners”.

I don't know what it's like in Ottawa, but certainly downtown Toronto has far more homeless people than we have. And yet people accept it as a destination. Not to mention big US cities, whether New York, San Francisco etc.

We need to work on this problem. But I say that because I think we should help these people, not because I'm looking to clean up our downtown so that people like Arthur can shop there.

Ottawa also has many more, especially in parts of the Market, with its 3 large shelters.  It really wouldn’t occur to most people to avoid (most of) the area only because of homeless people. But again, Ottawa is a much larger city with a much larger and busier core.