The Metz (Schneiders site redevelopment)

[Acitta]

For the first time in a year, I saw some activity at the Schneiders property. They appeared to be removing the asphalt from the parking lot off Borden behind the warehouse.    

[tomh009]

I do believe that their plan is to start construction next spring, as Arrow 2 will be wrapping up around that time.

[panamaniac]

Are the warehouses being used by anybody?

[Acitta]

Are the warehouses being used by anybody?

No, I think the plan, if I recall correctly,is to renovate the office building, the warehouse and the other building first.

[Momo26]

Looked at page one...do we have more pics and more detailed renderings of this development?

[ac3r]

Looked at page one...do we have more pics and more detailed renderings of this development?

Yes, here are a couple documents, which include a lot of renderings of the project not seen in this thread.

1. General urban design brief for The Metz, which has everything from renders, shadow studies, traffic studies, architectural studies etc: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5...+-+WEB.pdf

2. PARTS Rockway Plan, which details planning around LRT stations, in this case everywhere between Mill and Borden and it includes the Schneiders site: https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resourcesGen...y-Plan.pdf

[Momo26]

Very thorough documents! Thanks. Incredible.

It's going to be a buzzing community in its own regard. I would have liked to see a bit more creativity and maybe variety in the colors and look of the high rises, but I mean I'll take it if there's no other choice.

The area is going to be revolutionalized. I won't lie I did not read the fine print - how much is regular for sale condo, how much is for rent and how much is affordable housing? As well retail?

[ZEBuilder]

Very thorough documents! Thanks. Incredible.

It's going to be a buzzing community in its own regard. I would have liked to see a bit more creativity and maybe variety in the colors and look of the high rises, but I mean I'll take it if there's no other choice.

The area is going to be revolutionalized. I won't lie I did not read the fine print - how much is regular for sale condo, how much is for rent and how much is affordable housing? As well retail?

How would it be revolutionalized? seeing that this is a auburn development it feels as if it'll end like another barrel yards which i wouldn't say revolutionalized waterloo.

[tomh009]

It will energize the area. Bring probably more than a thousand people into the area, as well as at least some retail and restaurants. That is a big difference from the abandoned factory we have had for the past 15 years.

Certainly I'm not expecting any architectural landmark buildings, but more people living in the urban core is still very much a good thing in my books.

[Momo26]

Uptown Waterloo already had A CRAP ton going for it before the Barrel Yards. That dev just added to it and it's a gorgeous area with a really nice vibe.

This is the reminenants of an abandoned factory, a sad looking used car dealership and a peppis pizza location which I'm not even certain is operational.

This'll do more for this neighborhood, if it gets completed, then any medium dev has for other areas of the Region.

[panamaniac]

It will energize the area. Bring probably more than a thousand people into the area, as well as at least some retail and restaurants. That is a big difference from the abandoned factory we have had for the past 15 years.

Certainly I'm not expecting any architectural landmark buildings, but more people living in the urban core is still very much a good thing in my books.

If the concept drawings are any indication, you are wise to keep your expectations low - the towers look absolutely brutal!

[ac3r]

How would it be revolutionalized? seeing that this is a auburn development it feels as if it'll end like another barrel yards which i wouldn't say revolutionalized waterloo.

They're planning for it to be a lot more mixed-use than Barrel Yards is which should help, but a single project isn't going to revolutionize a neighbourhood, it can only help.

The main thing is that this one is big. In addition to the condos, they're planning a mix of office and retail spaces throughout the development. The Courtland/Borden side will have the brutalist office tower renovated (thank god), the distribution centre will be renovated into a technology oriented facility, an old garage will be turned into a retail building, eventually a retail/restaurant will be built along with parks. Below that - next to the train tracks - the parking lot will eventually be home to another 12 floor mixed use tower. The Courtland/Palmer side will be mid rise residential, with the first floor of 3 buildings available for retail/office. Next to that, Courtland/Stirling will have 2 more midrise towers and some town houses. This is all in addition to 6 highrise residential buildings along the train tracks, so there will be a lot of people living/working in this area (approx 2800 units).

This is just the start, so it's not like it's all down to Auburn. The entire neighbourhood is part of the Rockway PARTS plan which is the project to guide transit oriented development around the LRT stations in the city. There are more mixed-use projects coming to the area, too: Vive Developments has recently proposed the redevelopment of a block to be called Lower Kitchener and Perimeter Developments is planning The Junction adjacent to that, both of which are only about a 5 minute walk down the street. If you're curious to see how the city is going to be guiding development around here, check out the PARTS document I shared a few posts above.

The worst part about this thing is that it is still Auburn, so architecturally speaking it's not going to be that interesting. My expectation is that once this is all built there will be many other projects going up in the area, so we can quietly forget about how ugly Auburn projects are. At best, it means more people, office and retail space in the urban core, which is never a bad thing.

[Spokes]

Big documents but definitely worth the time to sift through

[Momo26]

Yes agreed they could have made those buildings nicer. They dont all need to be identical and facing the same direction/same shape (Which is ugly).

Re: building more and more along the LRT - now we just need to get people onto it! How do we do that ha.

[ijmorlan]

Re: building more and more along the LRT - now we just need to get people onto it! How do we do that ha.

Make it go faster, for a start. I regularly drive along the route between Allen and Mill, and by observing the next arrival times at the stops I’ve determined that I regularly do the trip in 5 minutes less than the LRT. Now, it has to stop at stations, but I have to stop at traffic lights (no signal priority) and often slow or stop for other traffic. Occasionally I’ve tried driving right next to the LRV, and find that it often goes slowly enough that it feels uncomfortable to drive so slowly with nobody ahead of me.