General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[CedarHillAlum]

I found this nice image of the old transit mall in the 60s (courtesy of Michael Druker). Notice the trolleybuses and the nice greenery. Here's a Modern street view image of the same location.


https://twitter.com/m_druker/status/1179...48/photo/1

This photo also shows types of businesses that are no longer there and that likely won't return.  Those businesses would attract a wide variety of foot traffic rather than a very narrow clientele. Two theatres are there (Lyric and Capital) and I think I recall correctly, there may be been 2 or 3 others further north.  Goudie's department store is further south (I believe with the flags on the left).  Eaton's was further north (where the Shopper's Drugmart is now); Budd's was also nearby.  Woolworth's was also in the vicinity.  Simpson's-Sears was likely nearby too.  About the only recognizable type of business in that photo that is still downtown the Loans business.  

Movie theatres offered a wide variety of programming at various times of the day which attracted the full range of ages and demographics.  The only 'theatre' space left is the Conrad Centre for the Arts which offers limited programming (vs a theatre that might daily have had 4-5 screenings) (and a little further afield, the Apollo).  The department stores carried a wide variety of goods, again that catered to various ages and demographics, and that also had relatively deep pockets for advertising and stock selection.  I would argue that the presence of the larger department stores likely supported the smaller stores, much the same way that a marquee vendor at the St. Jacobs Market allows smaller vendors to have a small table selling niche goods.

I wonder with this 1960s transit mall idea, were they able to convince the larger stores that it was a good idea, and then the smaller stores agreed to it as well?  At the moment, I'm not aware of any business in the Kitchener BIA that might have the same influence as Goudie's or Eaton's.

Small correction - Eatons was where Eaton Lofts is. Kresges was where Shoppers Drug Mart is. But your overall point is the main thing - these retailers aren't coming back, transit mall or no transit mall.