Downtown project directory

[nms]

I have more than enough local knowledge of the University of Waterloo campus, thank you. The two crossings that flank the University Shops Plaza come to mind as the most superfluous. Given that there is a sidewalk crossing twenty metres south at University Ave, and another one 40 m north (the entrance to E5/6/7) that would have eliminated two crossings. For that matter, and if the University had planned ahead, E5/6/7 could have been shifted north of East Campus Hall to funnel all pedestrian traffic across the William Tutte Way pathway. Coincidentally, 40m appears to be the distance that major east-west pathway through Waterloo Park was shifted in order to connect to the WLU-Seagram station. A convenient path of travel, particularly if you weren't connecting to the LRT station was moved so you had to connect to the LRT station. If it could be done in Waterloo Park, which not on the UW campus? I also wonder what will happen to the E5/6/7 crossing when the LRT platform is lengthened. I seem to recall seeing elsewhere that the platforms would be eventually doubled in length.

Pulling this back to Downtown projects, how much shorter would the various towers be if we removed out-of-town investors (or for that matter in-town investors) who have no interest in renting their units, but rather plan to flip their units for a higher price in short order, unoccupied, and further cutting local residents out of the market? Surely the number of vacant units in the Region must be getting close to taking a significant chunk out of the affordable housing backlog.