One Young (née Mayfair Hotel) | 5 fl | Complete

[panamaniac]

The rough wall left behind by the demolition of the Mayfair is getting a coat of battleship grey paint today. I'm surprised the City didn't insist on better finishing.

[UrbanCanoe]

This evening Kitchener City Council will be considering an agreement to use the vacant land of the former Mayfair Hotel as a temporary 'parkette'. It will be nice to have this space open and active especially during the many upcoming summer events.

   

[tomh009]

Excellent. While it's not what I'm hoping for the long term, it's much better than the abandoned lot that it's at the moment. This will do nicely until it's redeveloped.

[panamaniac]

Would this be on the City's dime, or is this what Nimer is proposing to pay for? I wonder what the deal is with the drainage swale on the Weber Chambers side of the lot.

[Viewfromthe42]

City's dime, but emphasizing that anything that doesn't have to be permanent (planters, benches, chairs, etc) will be repurposed when the site is lost. Asphalt, of course, is a sunk cost.

[panamaniac]

City's dime, but emphasizing that anything that doesn't have to be permanent (planters, benches, chairs, etc) will be repurposed when the site is lost. Asphalt, of course, is a sunk cost.

It seems like the City is being extraordinarily kind to Mr. Nimer!   Maybe the ugly gap across King St from City Hall should be "parked" as well - its only been sitting derelict for what, ten years? 

Anyway, glad to see the site put into a fit state.   The idea of using the Kristkindl booths for "pop up shops" is really interesting - perhaps a few of them should be sprinkled around the Downtown.

[darts]

This evening Kitchener City Council will be considering an agreement to use the vacant land of the former Mayfair Hotel as a temporary 'parkette'. It will be nice to have this space open and active especially during the many upcoming summer events.

So more concrete, it would be nice if it was just grass and planters. There is enough concrete open space at city hall for everyone

[Spokes]

While I'm glad to see something happening here, I'd like to see some sort of timeline put on the lot to be developed. That should have happened already though IMO

[MacBerry]

City's dime, but emphasizing that anything that doesn't have to be permanent (planters, benches, chairs, etc) will be repurposed when the site is lost. Asphalt, of course, is a sunk cost.

It seems like the City is being extraordinarily kind to Mr. Nimer!   Maybe the ugly gap across King St from City Hall should be "parked" as well - its only been sitting derelict for what, ten years? 

Anyway, glad to see the site put into a fit state.   The idea of using the Kristkindl booths for "pop up shops" is really interesting - perhaps a few of them should be sprinkled around the Downtown.

I really like the possibility of waking up Downtown Kitchener in December. The idea of a Downtown Kitchener Kristkindl Market and booths are totally scaleable over time.The four weeks leading up to Christmas are when any City of moderate size 25,000+ will feature their own Kristkindl Market area with booths lining the town square or along the main street areas adjacent to the Town Hall.

Here are the "pop up" shops that happen in Chicago to celebrate the Christkindl market.



Below I have inserted Germany's Berlin Kristkindl Market which is set up on the four weekends of advent. Very interesting that the Berlin City Hall in Germany is almost a twin for the Old Kitchener City Hall which was at Frederick and King.

[tomh009]

While I'm glad to see something happening here, I'd like to see some sort of timeline put on the lot to be developed.  That should have happened already though IMO

Alas, the city really has no tools to force development.

Personally, I think it could make sense to have differential property tax rates for developed and undeveloped (or abanadoned) properties.

[MacBerry]

While I'm glad to see something happening here, I'd like to see some sort of timeline put on the lot to be developed.  That should have happened already though IMO

Alas, the city really has no tools to force development.

Personally, I think it could make sense to have differential property tax rates for developed and undeveloped (or abanadoned) properties.

According to CTV Kitchener tonight, city councillors voted to punt and study it more 

[panamaniac]

While I'm glad to see something happening here, I'd like to see some sort of timeline put on the lot to be developed.  That should have happened already though IMO

Alas, the city really has no tools to force development.

Personally, I think it could make sense to have differential property tax rates for developed and undeveloped (or abanadoned) properties.

I've often wondered whether the City couldn't implement a municipal tax regime that would discourage developers from leaving urban lots unredeveloped for long periods of time?  In Kitchener's case, prime locations in the core can site for years or even decades without being redeveloped.  In the case of the Mayfair site there seems to be a vague sense that the site will be built on within the next couple of years - two years would be the point where I'd like to see taxes start to rise to incentivize developers to get on with it.

[mpd618]

I've often wondered whether the City couldn't implement a municipal tax regime that would discourage developers from leaving urban lots unredeveloped for long periods of time?

I'd guess the province doesn't currently give them the power to do that.

[tomh009]

I've often wondered whether the City couldn't implement a municipal tax regime that would discourage developers from leaving urban lots unredeveloped for long periods of time?

I'd guess the province doesn't currently give them the power to do that.

No.  The rates actual are different for vacant land, that is most certainly allowed, and different based on the zoning.  But the problem is that the rates are lower for vacant land, and on top of that the property value is lower without a building.  I would like to see a property tax rate of 2x or 3x normal for vacant land within the downtown core, which would discourage parking lots and abandoned land.

https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resources/20...es_web.pdf

[darts]

I'd guess the province doesn't currently give them the power to do that.

No.  The rates actual are different for vacant land, that is most certainly allowed, and different based on the zoning.  But the problem is that the rates are lower for vacant land, and on top of that the property value is lower without a building.  I would like to see a property tax rate of 2x or 3x normal for vacant land within the downtown core, which would discourage parking lots and abandoned land.

https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resources/20...es_web.pdf

Parking lots are taxed the same as commercial.

I don't think it could work to force them to do something with the land, they could put up a leonade stand and call it commercial or bring in something modular to get around it. The other side of it is it is their land, it doesn't seem right to force them to build something if they don't want to.