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American Block Redevelopment | 3 fl | U/C
(11-27-2019, 04:44 PM)ac3r Wrote: I'm curious, why is this called American Block? Is that historical or just some cheap marketing name it's getting?

Googling `Kitchener "American block"` turns up this Record article as the first result.

https://www.therecord.com/living-story/7...can-block/

Quote:Photographs of Berlin in the 1860s are rare enough but luckily two are similar views looking north toward the King/Queen corner. They date from, probably, 1863 and 1864. Dominating each is the village's newest and largest commercial structure, the American Block. Erected in 1862 for $10,000 by Louis Breithaupt, it was multi-purpose: storefronts along King; a hotel entrance off Queen; and just beyond that, office and display space for Breithaupt's leather-tanning business.
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“American Block” is the original name, probably inspired by the “Canadian Block” built the previous year on the geo-north corner of King St and Foundry (now Ontario) Street (and rebuilt in 1865 after being destroyed by fire).
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It was operated as "The American Hotel" back in the day...
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(11-27-2019, 05:28 PM)Rainrider22 Wrote: It was operated as "The American Hotel" back in the day...

I think it operated as the American Hotel for over a century.  The building (or parts of it) date to 1862.
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https://www.therecord.com/news-story/979...-new-look/

Quote:A Tim Hortons will open in the corner unit of the building. The startup Kiite, which enhances the instant messaging platform Slack with artificial intelligence to support sales teams, is moving into brick-and-beam space on the third floor.

From other parts of the article, a venture capital firm is potentially leasing the second floor, they're still looking for a restaurant for the Caper's space, and the scaffolding will be down at the end of January. 

Apparently Caper's is moving, renaming, and doubling in size. Will be a new Hall's Lane entrance beside the future AOK arcade/bar.
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(01-05-2020, 10:27 PM)If ‘itaylortbb Wrote: https://www.therecord.com/news-story/979...-new-look/

Quote:A Tim Hortons will open in the corner unit of the building. The startup Kiite, which enhances the instant messaging platform Slack with artificial intelligence to support sales teams, is moving into brick-and-beam space on the third floor.

From other parts of the article, a venture capital firm is potentially leasing the second floor, they're still looking for a restaurant for the Caper's space, and the scaffolding will be down at the end of January. 

Apparently Caper's is moving, renaming, and doubling in size. Will be a new Hall's Lane entrance beside the future AOK arcade/bar.
Scaffolding down so quickly suggests a lot less exterior work than I had expected.  Another Halls Lane business is great news, even if it’s Capers.
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You beat me to posting the article! I was searching like a .adman for '1 Queen' lol...isnt that the address?

So this is on the same side of King as BMO (soon to be expanded Museum) correct? Just wanna make sure I'm not confusing myself. With a Timmies opening up, would it be an understatement to suggest that Coffee Culture is likely to take a massive hit? Huh There's even a point in the article speaking of ANOTHER coffee shop (speciality?).
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(01-06-2020, 12:03 AM)Momo26 Wrote: You beat me to posting the article! I was searching like a .adman for '1 Queen' lol...isnt that the address?

So this is on the same side of King as BMO (soon to be expanded Museum) correct? Just wanna make sure I'm not confusing myself. With a Timmies opening up, would it be an understatement to suggest that Coffee Culture is likely to take a massive hit? Huh There's even a point in the article speaking of ANOTHER coffee shop (speciality?).
this is on the “east” side of Queen, same side of King as BMO.  The Timmies will be kitty corner to Coffee Culture.
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A restaurant in the old American Hotel sounds like a good idea.  But what kind of restaurant?   Personally, I'd like to see an upscale Chinese Restaurant.  At one time downtown had a couple of Chinese Restaurants but today they are on the fringe.  A nice German Restaurant would be a great nod to the past.  A middle-eastern restaurant restaurant offering more than Schawarma would fit in nicely too.
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I'm hard pressed to think of a food place from a part of the world not already represented in Kitchener! That's how multi-cultured we are.

What we see now propping up, on that side of Queen towards Frederick, will likely have a focus that is student crowd welcoming!
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I can definitely see the Tim Hortons hurting Coffee Culture's business unfortunately.
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(01-06-2020, 10:34 AM)Spokes Wrote: I can definitely see the Tim Hortons hurting Coffee Culture's business unfortunately.

Everyone (?) seems to have survived the arrival of Starbucks. Will a (relatively small, urban-format) Tim Hortons be that much worse?
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(01-06-2020, 11:20 AM)tomh009 Wrote: Will a Tim Hortons be that much worse?

If you are referencing Coffee Quality... Yes. Wink

Coke
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If by everyone you mean the speciality shops then yes, their patrons choose those places for particular reasons ie. Fair trade/better than fair trade/vegan etc. They may have stilk taken a bit of a hit but yes surviving.

I see coffee Culture crowed as the same as Timmies crowds though.
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Ya I think the CC client base is a lot closer to Tims than Starbucks.
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