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+--- Thread: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours (/showthread.php?tid=7)
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - ijmorlan - 01-20-2023
If you want a really obscure street, try Fulton St.
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - Momo26 - 01-20-2023
Record just posting an article about landlords now offering to pay for moving costs/incentives etc. Is or did the super scarce rental vacancy issue just flip suddenly?
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - Rainrider22 - 01-20-2023
No, its the usual Record BS... There is probably some desperate Landlords that have made the offer...
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - nms - 01-23-2023
(01-20-2023, 01:01 AM)urbd Wrote: Hawthorn Street? where even is that.
Northdale. It's a little cul-de-sac off of Hickory that backs on the Waterloo Collegiate Institute property (Its west of Spruce St, east of Hazel St and north of Fir St, fairly close to Balsam, Larch, & Hemlock St)
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - nms - 01-23-2023
Can someone remind me of what's happening at 130 King St S in Waterloo (the former Alibaba Steakhouse). When I went by today and peeked behind the hoarding, it looked like the entire façade of the main floor had been removed. I tried searching for 130 King St S (alternately 128, 132, or 134 King St. S) and turned up nothing.
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - urbd - 01-24-2023
(01-23-2023, 10:08 PM)nms Wrote: Can someone remind me of what's happening at 130 King St S in Waterloo (the former Alibaba Steakhouse). When I went by today and peeked behind the hoarding, it looked like the entire façade of the main floor had been removed. I tried searching for 130 King St S (alternately 128, 132, or 134 King St. S) and turned up nothing.
It will be split into smaller retail units. Much needed.
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - Acitta - 02-06-2023
Historic Waterloo pumping station faces overhaul to help make it into gateway to the downtown
The one-storey, yellow-brick pumping station was built in 1899 on William Street and is still used to distribute drinking water
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - Lebronj23 - 03-04-2023
Not sure if there is a thread for 143 Columbia St W. Prica is proposing three 25fl building directly beside society 145.
Here is a YouTube video showing the buildings
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I3MbvEnQ9Yo
Another 25 fl is proposed at 20 University Ave East (uni and Regina)
All headed to council next week for the first look
Via:
https://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news-story/10861926-is-waterloo-adding-too-many-highrises-packed-too-closely-neighbouring-tower-developers-spar-over-wind-sunlight-and-privacy/
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - CP42 - 03-04-2023
(03-04-2023, 12:43 PM)Lebronj23 Wrote: Not sure if there is a thread for 143 Columbia St W. Prica is proposing three 25fl building directly beside society 145.Wow… those will be really packed in at that corner. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been opposed to any development in the region, but this seems a little too close to the Society145 buildings right next to it?
Here is a YouTube video showing the buildings
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I3MbvEnQ9Yo
Another 25 fl is proposed at 20 University Ave East (uni and Regina)
All headed to council next week for the first look
Via:
https://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news-story/10861926-is-waterloo-adding-too-many-highrises-packed-too-closely-neighbouring-tower-developers-spar-over-wind-sunlight-and-privacy/
![[Image: JfAIJGC.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/JfAIJGC.jpg)
![[Image: mFLr0tM.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/mFLr0tM.jpg)
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - Acitta - 03-04-2023
(03-04-2023, 12:43 PM)Lebronj23 Wrote: Not sure if there is a thread for 143 Columbia St W. Prica is proposing three 25fl building directly beside society 145.
Here is a YouTube video showing the buildings
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I3MbvEnQ9Yo
Another 25 fl is proposed at 20 University Ave East (uni and Regina)
All headed to council next week for the first look
Via:
https://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news-story/10861926-is-waterloo-adding-too-many-highrises-packed-too-closely-neighbouring-tower-developers-spar-over-wind-sunlight-and-privacy/
The video makes it sound like some kind of mystical Shangri-la. It is no Shangri-la for people who have families, though, since they are only 1 bedroom apartments.
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - ZEBuilder - 03-04-2023
There's an article in The Record by Outhit about these buildings and apparently the developers of Society 145 are getting lawyers involved because its going to block views and all the stuff that comes with that. So it seems like developers are afraid Waterloos turning into Toronto even though they are making millions of dollars. Here's the article Is Waterloo Adding Too Many Highrises?
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - panamaniac - 03-04-2023
Wouldn’t bylaws provide for how close one tower can be to another? Loss of view is irrelevant, afaik.
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - CP42 - 03-04-2023
(03-04-2023, 04:15 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Wouldn’t bylaws provide for how close one tower can be to another? Loss of view is irrelevant, afaik.
The article says “to permit three new highrises on Columbia Street West, city council has been asked to ease the separation it normally requires between towers.” As well as that they would be just over 12 metres away from the other towers (Society145).
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - ac3r - 03-04-2023
Quote:Is Waterloo adding too many highrises, packed too closely?
Let me answer this for you, Jeff: no.
A journalist is supposed to be objective but even when a story is short, his stuff is filled with emotional language and strongly loaded headlines. Everything he writes just says "I hate living in a city" or pushes a strong NIMBY narrative. Maybe it's time he goes to live in the woods where he can escape urban life.
Anyway I don't think these towers are too close. 12 meters is nothing... Go to any big city in the world and they're even closer than that. I'll also say loss of view should be pretty irrelevant. Nobody is fundamentally entitled to a nice view out their window, though it's nice to have of course. If one lives in a city and expect that, then maybe city life isn't what they should be doing. Or if it wants, Waterloo can put legislation in place to curtail density but that would be a really bad decision to do when this region is exploding in population, more and more students are studying here and the federal government is aiming to bring in roughly 500'000 immigrants per year. If they do that, then they need to expand the approval of medium density.
It would be nice if these buildings had more than 1 bedroom on average (and actually looked nice, but I digress) but let's be honest, it's the university area of Waterloo. These places are mostly geared to students or young people without families, not people with 2+ children (or multiple adult family members) already. And nobody wise should raising a family on the 25th floor of a building anyway as doing so has been consistently linked to a myriad of problems: higher degrees of mental illness, breakdowns in social interactions leading to isolation, a sedentary lifestyle leading to worsened physical health, a potential for higher rates of crime and anti-social behaviour and so on. This is why we need more midrise apartment blocks which can add density yet mitigate the health and social issues related to living in higher towers and skyscrapers. I think issues like these are often forgotten by people who promote high density. They're only looking to solve certain issues (loss of green space, farmland etc) by mitigating sprawl and assuming high density is the key, but it comes at a cost.
Pack the kids studying and young graduates in these existing dense areas like this whilst building midrise buildings and some single family homes elsewhere which provide a better environment for raising families. Balance is the key, but it feels like Waterloo only goes in either polar opposite of SFH's and these towers up to 25 floors (which is the maximum height they allow in the city).
RE: General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours - ac3r - 03-04-2023
(03-04-2023, 01:02 PM)Acitta Wrote: The video makes it sound like some kind of mystical Shangri-la.
Just checked out their website and they describe every project in such a goofy pretentious way. They describe the project at 20 University West as:
Quote:The design of 20 University is based on the theme and magnificence of Niagara Falls with the sun above. [...] The podium level at the parking garage will have perforated screens that symbolized the rocky base, along with the white paneling of the mist with grey paneling representing rocks piercing through. Going up the tower, tapered balconies convey the turbulence of the mist. The white linear lines on the tower itself symbolize the power and magnificence of the falls. Above the top of the tower is the sun, that will be lit up at night identifying the building through out the area. Mesmerized by its beauty, 20 University conveys a powerful message about our willingness to use nature within its design.
Who the heck is writing this stuff? Lol.