Welcome Guest!
In order to take advantage of all the great features that Waterloo Region Connected has to offer, including participating in the lively discussions below, you're going to have to register. The good news is that it'll take less than a minute and you can get started enjoying Waterloo Region's best online community right away.
or Create an Account




Thread Rating:
  • 5 Vote(s) - 2.6 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
The Metz (Schneiders site redevelopment)
You all make good points about the brick facade. Grasping to the past I guess Wink

Tom, are the non Courtland sides of the building fairly window free? I remember a decent number of windows on the front of the building, but that's just me picturing it in my head right now
Reply


The windows at the rear are limited, and non-existent on the west side that was attached to the older office structure. Both exterior walls will need work to be presentable.
Reply
Will the office (grey cement building) be the only remaining structure from Schneiders not demo'd?
Reply
Again, like the oldest bit fronting on Courtland, I thought that the smokestack was to be saved, but the pic seems to show that everything has been levelled. Very unfortunate, istm.
Reply
(11-15-2018, 11:16 AM)kidgibnick Wrote: Will the office (grey cement building) be the only remaining structure from Schneiders not demo'd?

I believe the warehouse on the Borden side will also remain.
Reply
(11-15-2018, 12:39 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 11:16 AM)kidgibnick Wrote: Will the office (grey cement building) be the only remaining structure from Schneiders not demo'd?

I believe the warehouse on the Borden side will also remain.

For now.  Are they currently rented out?
Reply
(11-15-2018, 12:59 PM)panamaniac Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 12:39 PM)tomh009 Wrote: I believe the warehouse on the Borden side will also remain.

For now.  Are they currently rented out?

No. They are planning some retail/restaurant/bar space in the converted warehouse.
Reply


(11-15-2018, 01:26 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 12:59 PM)panamaniac Wrote: For now.  Are they currently rented out?

No. They are planning some retail/restaurant/bar space in the converted warehouse.

Thats going to end up being a cool area of town. TWB brewery is near there too.  They have the best entertainment going on for free on a Sunday afternoon.. And great beer...
Reply
(11-15-2018, 11:36 AM)panamaniac Wrote: Again, like the oldest bit fronting on Courtland, I thought that the smokestack was to be saved, but the pic seems to show that everything has been levelled.  Very unfortunate, istm.

Eh, it was a plain box and not that old. Schneider's initial commercial building is 63 Courtland (which has several later additions).
Reply
(11-15-2018, 03:48 PM)BrianT Wrote: 63 Courtland is not Schneiders.

Did Silverwood build that building or did they move into it?

Edited: Answered my own question.

In the 1890s Schneider had a factory built on land next door to his home at 55 Courtland Ave. E. (near Benton Street). It was built in the shape of a house in case the venture didn’t succeed.

In 1909, a storefront addition was completed on the east side of the factory. This storefront is still standing at 63 Courtland Ave. E., along with other parts of the two-acre complex he developed at this site with his sons.

Once the new plant was up and running, the old site was sold to Silverwood Dairies Ltd., which used it for the next 45 years. Today, the buildings at 63 Benton St. hold several small businesses.



https://www.therecord.com/living-story/2...der-plant/
Reply
(11-15-2018, 02:37 PM)kps Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 11:36 AM)panamaniac Wrote: Again, like the oldest bit fronting on Courtland, I thought that the smokestack was to be saved, but the pic seems to show that everything has been levelled.  Very unfortunate, istm.

Eh, it was a plain box and not that old. Schneider's initial commercial building is 63 Courtland (which has several later additions).

The bit I'm thinking of, between the modern expansion and the 1950s office, dated back to the 1920's - 1940s, iirc.  It was modest, but with everything gone, I fear that the chance of a new neighbourhood with a mix of materials and age has been lost.   In its place, I'd be concerned that this could end up as "Barrel Yards Redux", which is not something I'd wish on Kitchener or any other city.

At one time there was supposed to be a citizens' committee struck to have input on the redevelopment plans, or so I thought.  Has that also fallen by the wayside.
Reply
(11-15-2018, 07:52 PM)panamaniac Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 02:37 PM)kps Wrote: Eh, it was a plain box and not that old. Schneider's initial commercial building is 63 Courtland (which has several later additions).

The bit I'm thinking of, between the modern expansion and the 1950s office, dated back to the 1920's - 1940s, iirc.  It was modest, but with everything gone, I fear that the chance of a new neighbourhood with a mix of materials and age has been lost.   In its place, I'd be concerned that this could end up as "Barrel Yards Redux", which is not something I'd wish on Kitchener or any other city.

There were pre-war buildings, yes. But they were in poor condition and not practical to salvage and repurpose. This is why Auburn is keeping the probably least attractive one of the buildings fronting onto Courtland, and not any of the older ones.

Auburn's plans do envision a mixed neighbourhood, but on the factory lands themselves there really won't be much variation in age.
Reply
(11-15-2018, 05:14 PM)Chris Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 03:48 PM)BrianT Wrote: 63 Courtland is not Schneiders.

Did Silverwood build that building or did they move into it?

Edited: Answered my own question.

In the 1890s Schneider had a factory built on land next door to his home at 55 Courtland Ave. E. (near Benton Street). It was built in the shape of a house in case the venture didn’t succeed.

In 1909, a storefront addition was completed on the east side of the factory. This storefront is still standing at 63 Courtland Ave. E., along with other parts of the two-acre complex he developed at this site with his sons.

Once the new plant was up and running, the old site was sold to Silverwood Dairies Ltd., which used it for the next 45 years. Today, the buildings at 63 Benton St. hold several small businesses.



https://www.therecord.com/living-story/2...der-plant/

Yes, 63 Courtland (as a one storey building - the second storey was added sometime later) was the original JM Schneiders location.
Reply


(11-16-2018, 11:20 AM)tomh009 Wrote:
(11-15-2018, 07:52 PM)panamaniac Wrote: The bit I'm thinking of, between the modern expansion and the 1950s office, dated back to the 1920's - 1940s, iirc.  It was modest, but with everything gone, I fear that the chance of a new neighbourhood with a mix of materials and age has been lost.   In its place, I'd be concerned that this could end up as "Barrel Yards Redux", which is not something I'd wish on Kitchener or any other city.

There were pre-war buildings, yes. But they were in poor condition and not practical to salvage and repurpose. This is why Auburn is keeping the probably least attractive one of the buildings fronting onto Courtland, and not any of the older ones.

Auburn's plans do envision a mixed neighbourhood, but on the factory lands themselves there really won't be much variation in age.

That has been mentioned before, but I am very sceptical about this - there was no reason for those parts of the complex not to have been in decent condition when the plant closed.  However, it's now academic.
Reply
(11-16-2018, 11:56 AM)panamaniac Wrote:
(11-16-2018, 11:20 AM)tomh009 Wrote: There were pre-war buildings, yes. But they were in poor condition and not practical to salvage and repurpose. This is why Auburn is keeping the probably least attractive one of the buildings fronting onto Courtland, and not any of the older ones.

That has been mentioned before, but I am very sceptical about this - there was no reason for those parts of the complex not to have been in decent condition when the plant closed.  However, it's now academic.

I heard this from a person I trust at Auburn, who is senior enough to know this, and I can't think of any reason why he would have wanted to mislead me. But of course you don't need to believe it.

There was no reason for Mayfair Hotel to not have been in decent condition, either ...
Reply
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 3 Guest(s)

About Waterloo Region Connected

Launched in August 2014, Waterloo Region Connected is an online community that brings together all the things that make Waterloo Region great. Waterloo Region Connected provides user-driven content fueled by a lively discussion forum covering topics like urban development, transportation projects, heritage issues, businesses and other issues of interest to those in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the four Townships - North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich.

              User Links