Victoria and Park | 25, 36, 38 fl | Proposed

[ac3r]

Where did you find the shadow impact analysis?

It's in the urban design brief I linked here: https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/...0#pid96950

[JeffH]

I don't know the specific developer, but they're based in Toronto and this is their first project in the region. So it's not one of the usual suspects.

This is the best news I have heard all day! Finally Toronto players are recognizing the potential of the region. This should bode well for the quality of proposals across the region.

Yeah....Toronto Developers........expect Toronto pricing of north of $ 1000/ft for condos........

[panamaniac]

The documents, if I read them correctly, suggest that the "affordable" 450 sq ft units would go starting at $368G.

[CP42]

The documents, if I read them correctly, suggest that the "affordable" 450 sq ft units would go starting at $368G.

Unfortunately, with the way the market is trending, that doesn't seem that far from reality by the time this is built. 

[tomh009]

The documents, if I read them correctly, suggest that the "affordable" 450 sq ft units would go starting at $368G.

These are not income-geared, so not useful to (most of?) the people waiting for affordable housing in the region. But $368K (or possibly somewhat less) is certainly far more attainable than the $500-600K that single-family houses sell for now.

[panamaniac]

The documents, if I read them correctly, suggest that the "affordable" 450 sq ft units would go starting at $368G.

These are not income-geared, so not useful to (most of?) the people waiting for affordable housing in the region. But $368K (or possibly somewhat less) is certainly far more attainable than the $500-600K that single-family houses sell for now.

True, although when one compares the cost per sqft ...
”Affordable” seems to have become something only the wealthier half of the population can afford.

[tomh009]

These are not income-geared, so not useful to (most of?) the people waiting for affordable housing in the region. But $368K (or possibly somewhat less) is certainly far more attainable than the $500-600K that single-family houses sell for now.

True, although when one compares the cost per sqft ...
”Affordable” seems to have become something only the wealthier half of the population can afford.

Not everyone needs (or wants) a 2000 sqft house, though, and living in/near downtown can also enable car-free existence, further reducing costs.

[danbrotherston]

True, although when one compares the cost per sqft ...
”Affordable” seems to have become something only the wealthier half of the population can afford.

Not everyone needs (or wants) a 2000 sqft house, though, and living in/near downtown can also enable car-free existence, further reducing costs.

This is on point. And we really must stop this cultural assumption that everyone wants or needs a big house.

[rangersfan]

Wow liking this project from the quick look I have had!

[Lebronj23]

Wow liking this project from the quick look I have had!

From the docs it seems the development has a name -  ‘Victoria and Park’

[Spokes]

WOW! How did I miss this thread and this project. This is truly beautiful. I'm very impressed. Victoria getting a lot of nice projects. Hopefully it can become an improved area for pedestrians moving forward. Somehow.

[danbrotherston]

WOW! How did I miss this thread and this project. This is truly beautiful. I'm very impressed.  Victoria getting a lot of nice projects. Hopefully it can become an improved area for pedestrians moving forward. Somehow.

This is very much on point. I hate it the way it is, it needs to improve (it's one of the reasons I sold my house), but I don't have much in the way of hope, the region does not have any plans to make this happen, and even when they do have plans, they often fail even then.

[Spokes]

Is there anything that you could think of that would make it better? In a perfect world?

[GtwoK]

I've long thought it would be nice to see wider sidewalks and a tree-lined boulevard down the center of Victoria (a la what the plans are for University ave?), but I doubt that would ever happen. Especially not if a potential Ion pt 3 might run down that way.

[danbrotherston]

I mean, I think pretty clearly it could go down to 3 lanes with the middle being an intermittent turn lane.

That would leave room for bike lanes, maybe even wider sidewalks.

That's not a perfect world, that's like, easy to achieve today...with literally zero sacrifices from anyone. Safer for everyone, handles same traffic volume, the fact we won't do this speaks to the inflexibility and car centric policies of our regional government.

In a particularly ambitious world, we would make significantly more changes, restrict to two lanes, limit speed to 40km/h, limit access to the residential areas in behind to just Joseph and Charles Sts., make more pedestrian crossings, more ped space, cycle tracks, combine with removing Park St. as a through road through Vic Park. Etc.

This would require actual changes to our culture and society, rather than just pols ignoring the fear mongering from a few loudmouth anti-change folks, who are afraid of nothing.