06-24-2015, 11:56 AM
(06-24-2015, 01:47 AM)Square Wrote: Does anyone know the reasons that Kitchener doesn't have buildings higher than 19 stories?
(06-24-2015, 11:13 AM)Spokes Wrote: Demand I'd guess? It's certainly not a zoning issue as far as I know.
Well, I don't think that the zoning currently allows you to build very high. Taking a look at some of them that are prevalent in the downtown core, I see things like maximum floor space ratios of 2.0. You would need a huge plot of land, and a very skinny building to get 20 storeys out of that.
Of course, zoning is pretty much designed to make sure that any development that changes anything has to be reviewed and approved. (See King St N for what happens when you upzone without attention to detail)
More realistically, the reason we don't see it is because developers haven't been interested in building it. Building that tall is expensive, and you need people willing to pay for it.