General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[tomh009]

Victoria Commons dates back to the mid-2010s and is indeed a nice concept. As can be seen from your photo, they paused the project before completing the infill, though. Maybe the sales of the mid-rise condos were not as strong as they would have liked?

[ac3r]

Unless something changes, they've still got a Phase 2 in their plans for the site as they still own the property. They've got 3 more condo buildings - 8 to 12 floors - proposed, but I have no idea when they plan to construct those.

[tomh009]

Unless something changes, they've still got a Phase 2 in their plans for the site as they still own the property. They've got 3 more condo buildings - 8 to 12 floors - proposed, but I have no idea when they plan to construct those.

Exactly. It's been years since there was any construction activity on the site.

[DK519]

This building at 851 King E. was painted entirely black at some point over the weekend.

Is there any reason why you'd do this to a building that will surely be demolished in the future?

   

[Rainrider22]

Sales centre ?

[Joedelay Highhoe]

We all go through a goth phase at one point or another.

[Chris]

This building at 851 King E. was painted entirely black at some point over the weekend.

Is there any reason why you'd do this to a building that will surely be demolished in the future?

The old Buka Maranga (or however it was spelled) was ahead of it's time.

I would think sales center or similar. Why pay to paint it if you just want to demolish it.

[GtwoK]

Art installation? There were 2 houses on the OTIS property that (before being demolished) were painted 1 entirely white and 1 entirely black as part of an installation

[DK519]

Art installation? There were 2 houses on the OTIS property that (before being demolished) were painted 1 entirely white and 1 entirely black as part of an installation

Funny, that's exactly where my mind went as soon as I saw it.

[Rainrider22]

Art installation? There were 2 houses on the OTIS property that (before being demolished) were painted 1 entirely white and 1 entirely black as part of an installation

Good call,  another possible art project..

[robdrimmie]

It is a CAFKA year (they postponed 2020), but Don Miller isn't listed in the participating artists, but callbacks don't necessarily require the original artist's involvement.

[DK519]

"Parcel of land at Weber and Cedar streets up for sale for $14 million"

https://outline.com/stat1k/ugUmUN.html

[Nextasy]

"Parcel of land at Weber and Cedar streets up for sale for $14 million"

https://outline.com/stat1k/ugUmUN.html

I saw this - it's a big parcel. The entirety of May Place. I'll be a little disappointed if a huge development blindly levels all of that. It's got a lot of character, and the city doesn't let anybody build nooks and crannies like this anymore.

Also one of the last remaining factory worker rowhouses of that era (there used to be a ton). Not everything always has to be kept, but I'd like it if we didn't remove every example of something that was once prominent.

Also very concerned we're going to see a repeat of Israel Pl or Vogue Pl, where the city issues a demolition permit for a bunch of afforable units, and it spends 10 or 20 years as a vacant lot getting passed around, or as surface parking, while we're in the middle of a housing crisis.



Would have really preferred several smaller intensification projects for this area. There's likely no chance for that though

[ac3r]

I saw this - it's a big parcel. The entirety of May Place. I'll be a little disappointed if a huge development blindly levels all of that. It's got a lot of character, and the city doesn't let anybody build nooks and crannies like this anymore.

Also one of the last remaining factory worker rowhouses of that era (there used to be a ton). Not everything always has to be kept, but I'd like it if we didn't remove every example of something that was once prominent.

Also very concerned we're going to see a repeat of Israel Pl or Vogue Pl, where the city issues a demolition permit for a bunch of afforable units, and it spends 10 or 20 years as a vacant lot getting passed around, or as surface parking, while we're in the middle of a housing crisis.

Would have really preferred several smaller intensification projects for this area. There's likely no chance for that though

It's nice to think about, but for 14 million, I have no doubt this will be bought up by either one of the 3 largest local developers or to someone based in the GTA, flattened and turned into another condo of shoebox sized 1 & 2 bedroom units.

[cherrypark]

I wish the downtown were surrounded with more of these stacked row townhouses. A modern version of This is the type of development I could see replacing the midrise buildings that were cancelled on Margaret Ave.

I'd love to see more contemporary row house developments as well. There's a decent looking project just outside of downtown called Victoria Commons off of St. Leger Street. There's at least 30 blocks of row houses there along with a couple mid rise condos. It's the perfect kind of urban middle housing we desperately need.

Strong agreement in principle, however in the specific case of that St. Leger development I think the row houses were not particularly well executed. Seems that half the battle with this mid-density developments is that either zoning rules or lack of imagination really miss a chance to build an inviting development.

I would absolutely love to see some strong European influence in duplex and row house designs that don't look like a cardboard movie set like these seem to me.