Fairview Park Mall - Grand Market District

[Spokes]

I hadn't seen this posted before, but it was in the discussion about the Square One Lands:


https://www.gspgroup.ca/projects/grand-market-district/

[panamaniac]

Would I be correct in thinking that is supposed to represent Phase One (yellow), Phase Two (pink), Phase 3+, (blue)?

[westwardloo]

I hadn't seen this posted before, but it was in the discussion about the Square One Lands:


https://www.gspgroup.ca/projects/grand-market-district/

Wow look at that. Is this the full build out plan or have they scaled it back completely just to in include retail and a couple towers at the back? I like that they are at least entertaining the idea of converting the parking lots into residential and mixed use creating a more pedestrian friendly neighborhood. Personally i would love if the rebuilt the Walmart offsetting it back closer to the highway to allow a straight road to be created from fairway to kingsway.

[attachment=6690]

[Spokes]

Would I be correct in thinking that is supposed to represent Phase One (yellow), Phase Two (pink), Phase 3+, (blue)?

That's what I was thinking.

 I don't love those big slab towers behind the mall though.  Slimmer please

[Bytor]

I hadn't seen this posted before, but it was in the discussion about the Square One Lands:


https://www.gspgroup.ca/projects/grand-market-district/

Those blue buildings in eeh lower left seem to be on the ION LRT park 'n' go lot?

[ijmorlan]

Would I be correct in thinking that is supposed to represent Phase One (yellow), Phase Two (pink), Phase 3+, (blue)?

That's what I was thinking.

 I don't love those big slab towers behind the mall though.  Slimmer please

I thought the plans we saw before had about 4 thinner towers behind the mall. But they might have been just conceptual grey blocks to provide a context for the work that is actually planned in the next couple of years. Are these renders newer than those?

[jeffster]

All conceptional -- likely we won't see the whole thing come together like this. As others as mentioned, it looks like part of the project is in the park and drive and bus terminus -- owned by the region now.

I do think though we'll see some condo/apartments in that development. I am sure by the time I retire from work, I can pick up a nice small condo in that area....

[Coke6pk]

I hadn't seen this posted before, but it was in the discussion about the Square One Lands:


https://www.gspgroup.ca/projects/grand-market-district/

Those blue buildings in eeh lower left seem to be on the ION LRT park 'n' go lot?

This was my first thought too.... How are you going to develop land that isn't yours.

My second thought is the iON extention.  Is it designed to continue straight out like that?  And if so, why didn't we bury the hydro lines further, instead of brining them above ground on the future route?

Coke

[Spokes]

That's what I was thinking.

 I don't love those big slab towers behind the mall though.  Slimmer please

I thought the plans we saw before had about 4 thinner towers behind the mall. But they might have been just conceptual grey blocks to provide a context for the work that is actually planned in the next couple of years. Are these renders newer than those?

Ya I think it was all conceptual.  As is this though

[Bytor]

Those blue buildings in eeh lower left seem to be on the ION LRT park 'n' go lot?

This was my first thought too.... How are you going to develop land that isn't yours.

My second thought is the iON extention.  Is it designed to continue straight out like that?  And if so, why didn't we bury the hydro lines further, instead of brining them above ground on the future route?

Coke

First panel of the preliminary design for stage 2 shows that it no longer runs on what would be parallel underneath the power lines.

http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/...Design.pdf

[creative]

From the above link.

This artist illustration should be considered as a preliminary demonstration model that illustrates a hypothetical long-term development scenario for the site. The massing, heights and site layout are conceptual only and do not represent current development plans. Any future development on the site will be subject to detailed design and the applicable planning approvals.

[westwardloo]

Those blue buildings in eeh lower left seem to be on the ION LRT park 'n' go lot?

This was my first thought too.... How are you going to develop land that isn't yours.

My second thought is the iON extention.  Is it designed to continue straight out like that?  And if so, why didn't we bury the hydro lines further, instead of brining them above ground on the future route?

Coke

What I would say to this is. With the extension out to cambridge a park and ride isn't super necessary at this location. They could easily have a parking at sports world or at hespler rd. Also with a development of regional land they could probably stipulate a minimum amount of parking be available in underground parking for transit users.

To your second point. I believe it will be moved across fairway in phase 2 of the ion. Probably didn't do it in phase 1 for cost reasons.i suspect the region had to pay for the hydro line being buried. It looks pretty ridiculous right now. Its basically right in front of the main entrance of mall.

[ijmorlan]

To your second point. I believe it will be moved across fairway in phase 2 of the ion. Probably didn't do it in phase 1 for cost reasons.i suspect the region had to pay for the hydro line being buried. It looks pretty ridiculous right now. Its basically right in front of the main entrance of mall.

It’s hard to believe that it really makes sense to bury the hydro in 2 phases (now, 3, that would make sense! ).

Wouldn’t the slight extra upfront cost of burying a bit more of the line right away be repaid a few years later when the entire project of burying a bit more simply doesn’t need to be done? It would be different if the 2nd phase was a long section, but it’s basically just the rest of the way through the parking lot and across the street. They will have to remove the transition structure they built just a few years ago after building a new transition structure south of Fairway.

[KevinL]

The more recent diagrams for stage 2 show the Ion corridor swinging a bit to the south of the Hydro corridor, so no further relocation is needed.

[westwardloo]

Of course it would have made more sense/ probably would have been cheaper to do it in phase one. But it was all about cost savings to get the LRT built and a hydro tower/ line was an easy line item to save a couple million. 

You can clearly see in the preliminary drawings for phase two that they will still be moving the hydro tower to a new subsurface station across fairway. Yes they shifted the alignment slightly but not enough for the leave the tower above ground at that location.