+- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com)
+-- Forum: Land Development and Real Estate (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Urban Areas (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Thread: ODC redevelopment (119 Roger St) | 6 fl | U/C (/showthread.php?tid=716)
ODC redevelopment (119 Roger St) | 6 fl | U/C - zanate - 04-06-2017
Spur Line Common
119 Roger St, Kitchener
119 Roger St, Kitchener
Ontario Die Company, at the 007 intersection (Roger & Moore) is moving. The owner is seeking a zoning change and envisions it being redeveloped.
Open house with conceptual design on April 20th, 5-7pm.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - timc - 04-06-2017
Wow, that *is* exciting.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - Viewfromthe42 - 04-06-2017
*depending* on neighbourhood reception. The site is next to a cemetary, and within an "established" neighbourhood (which tends to be interpreted by politicians as never-to-be-changed). Also is incredibly close to one of the hardest-to-populate ION stops (due to GRT/cemetary/school/arena/Sun Life).
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - C Plus - 04-06-2017
I look forward to seeing his vision for the area.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - DHLawrence - 04-06-2017
I quite like the Roger Street frontage, including the rounded corner section. I wonder if they'd consider retaining that.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - rangersfan - 04-06-2017
Is this vision something that the company/owner is putting together? Or just a possible vision that could be picked up by another owner in the future?
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - panamaniac - 04-06-2017
(04-06-2017, 12:48 PM)DHLawrence Wrote: I quite like the Roger Street frontage, including the rounded corner section. I wonder if they'd consider retaining that.
That would be a nice bonus. Overall, the site strikes me as a good location for townhouse or stacked townhouse development.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - Markster - 04-06-2017
(04-06-2017, 12:48 PM)DHLawrence Wrote: I quite like the Roger Street frontage, including the rounded corner section. I wonder if they'd consider retaining that.
I suspect that they're just going for a rezoning in general, and don't have any specific design plans. There will likely be massing diagrams at the zoning, but nothing terribly specific.
The land will be worth more for sale if it is already upzoned.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - zanate - 04-06-2017
I've long mulled over the potential for this site. It's a substantial property.
Physically there is room for a tower here, one or more midrises, or even just a cluster of townhouses. It's well within the GRH ION station walkshed. I'd personally love to see something in the middle range of density here.
How will the immediate neighbours react? I'm not sure. Houses along Roger are a mixed bag. There's some rentals in there. At least a couple of the properties backing onto ODC are in pretty rough shape.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - KevinL - 04-06-2017
Just realized the entire lot is in Waterloo. The border through there is so interesting.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - MidTowner - 04-06-2017
I have to say, I got pretty excited when I saw "Ontario Die Company" as a thread title! Not that I think they're bad neighbours by any stretch of the imagination, but I've spent a fair bit of time while strolling by considering what might come next here.
There's precedent for a tower here, I think. There are substantial apartment buildings off of Roger (accessed from Union but closer to Roger) just to the west of here. I don't see any real reason why there shouldn't be something taller on Moore. My dream: that someone would construct the Roger Moore Condo Tower with a shop or two at the base (there is retail only a few blocks up). More realistically: stacked townhouses, hopefully executed a little more nicely than the ones at Union and Moore.
Those few houses on Roger that back onto ODC are actually in significant disrepair. If and when the ODC site is redeveloped, it wouldn't be surprising to see them go with it.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - curious_look - 04-06-2017
That site would be perfect for cohousing!
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - Jefferson - 04-09-2017
I'm a Tool & Die Maker at ODC
ODC owns all the properties along Roger St on that block (except for 85 Roger St I believe) and those houses are currently all rentals. I imagine those houses will be demolished if/when a new development goes up there.
A property in north Waterloo was purchased a few years ago to build a new shop. Last month Ron announced that he was in the final stages of obtaining all required building permits and was hoping to have construction underway in the near future. It is expected to take about 12 months between when construction begins and when the entire shop is moved to the new location.
He hasn't said anything about his plans for the existing property.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - rangersfan - 04-09-2017
Jefferson thanks for the insight.
RE: Ontario Die Company (119 Roger St.) - MidTowner - 04-20-2017
The Midtown KW blog had a post about this the other day. It included information from a neighbour on Roger Street who says that the plan would be for three-story townhomes along the street, with six-story apartment buildings behind.
That wasn't the most interesting part to me; we'll find out this evening what is envisioned. What was interesting to me was that the Roger Street resident contacted MPAC for an opinion on how such a development would effect her property value (a 5% decline was their response). And had this to say:
Quote:This represents a undeniable densification of our neighbourhood, increased traffic, and a big change to our skyline. Because our neighbourhood is currently dominated by older single-family detached homes, this proposed development also represents a significant change to the type of neighborhood we are.
and
Quote:Though I wish it were otherwise, there’s probably nothing we can do to stop this parcel of land from being developed.
I don't know who this person is or where she specifically lives (for all I know, it could be directly adjacent to the site, or blocks away). But that's an unfortunate attitude, I think. Obviously it's intensification, but it's entirely logical given the location. I live near to there because I like the location- so why shouldn't a couple of hundred new residents be given that opportunity? Hopefully the development is high quality and respectful of the existing neighbourhood. We should work towards that.
The neighbour also urges people to voice their concerns to their councillor, who happens to be Melissa Durrell of Waterloo. I wonder if the City of Kitchener will be consulted in this zoning change at all, since it's so close to the border and "traffic" will be brought up as an issue. Will residents of Kitchener have the opportunity to complain about this- or, conversely, to speak out in favour and state that traffic concerns on Moore are probably overblown?
I'm curious how this one plays out. Could there really be much opposition to turning an industrial facility into some pretty modest-sized apartment buildings?