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+--- Thread: Kraus Development (525-565 Conestogo Road) | 3-35 fl | Proposed (/showthread.php?tid=1587)
Kraus Development (525-565 Conestogo Road) | 3-35 fl | Proposed - Anthomas - 06-25-2021
Looks like there's a proposal for a large mixed-use site where the Kraus flooring factory is currently located.
https://www.waterloo.ca/en/government/zone-changes.aspx#Conestoga
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - panamaniac - 06-25-2021
Over 2,500 apartments on 18 acres and no provision for parkland? Needs a rethink ....
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - westwardloo - 06-25-2021
(06-25-2021, 03:01 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Over 2,500 apartments on 18 acres and no provision for parkland? Needs a rethink ....As much as I love the idea of that area of town getting some much needed density. I have to agree. Remove one of the towers, or get rid of the 4 office buildings and the sea of parking surrounding them or even build 1 taller office building with a parking garage and convert the rest into a decent size park for the community. I think they are on the right track, but they need provide outdoor space. The 3d images show a nice bridge over the highway to connect to the lrt station. Any idea if this is a developer proposal or they are counting on the city/region to build that?
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 06-25-2021
Boxed in by an expressway and industrial land. I appreciate it's mixed use, but will they really get people to live here?
On top of that, the Ion is 'in walking distance' but that's over the expressway bridge...
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - ac3r - 06-25-2021
(06-25-2021, 05:32 PM)KevinL Wrote: On top of that, the Ion is 'in walking distance' but that's over the expressway bridge...
What do you consider close? This is a 10 minute walk from Northfield Station. That's not bad at all. It would appear they have plans for a pedestrian bridge over the highway as well, as seen on 14 and 15 of the master site plan file.
Overall...this seems like a weird place to build a new project. Unfortunately the City of Waterloo never developed comprehensive plans for long term development around LRT stations the same way the City of Kitchener did (with their PARTS project), so I think developers are stuck taking shots in the dark. Personally, I think it's a bad location. Northfield Station doesn't even make any sense...what the hell can you develop around there? It seems like the only reason it was selected was because they were able to use the existing spur line. Maybe they're hoping that the industries one day turn into residential/other developments or something, but it's one of the worst LRT stations on the entire network IMO.
Edit: Also, ew, ABA Architects. This will likely look horrible if this gets approved.
Kraus Development (65 Northfield Drive) 35 fl - danbrotherston - 06-25-2021
(06-25-2021, 05:32 PM)KevinL Wrote: Boxed in by an expressway and industrial land. I appreciate it's mixed use, but will they really get people to live here?
On top of that, the Ion is 'in walking distance' but that's over the expressway bridge...
Honestly, like all our developments, we could do so much more with it. I mean, it's a big site, they could easily build an inner urban plaza, with ground floor retail all around, larger apartments above, with towers for residential and commercial. Then connect the site better to surrounding amenities, they could easily connect it to the LRT station by tunneling or bridging 85 (and connecting to Dutton Dr. while they're at it). With some creativity, they should be able to connect to Conestoga Mall. A parkland dedication would be nice, but there's actually a huge amount of empty land around there that could also be converted into amenity space.
Instead we get a tiny commercial area, surrounded by giant car oriented towers, a sea of parking, and no place any human being would ever want to be in. With office separated from everyone by a sea of parking, encouraging officer workers to drive to Conestoga mall instead of browse along an urban plaza.
Yes, this is outside the box thinking, but frankly, I don't really care, it's what they *SHOULD* be doing. The density is not a problem to me. It's the pathetic, business as usual, car dependent and otherwise dead development that bugs me. The fact that they are not working to make this development integrate with it's (admittedly limited) surroundings, and not planning for it to be a livable space is the fundamental problem in our city/province/country/continent.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 06-26-2021
(06-25-2021, 06:35 PM)ac3r Wrote:(06-25-2021, 05:32 PM)KevinL Wrote: On top of that, the Ion is 'in walking distance' but that's over the expressway bridge...
It would appear they have plans for a pedestrian bridge over the highway as well, as seen on 14 and 15 of the master site plan file.
I'd missed that on my first look, thanks for pointing it out.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 06-26-2021
Kudos for that pedestrian (and MUT?) bridge proposal. That would out this development within a nice 15-minute bike ride of UW and make it significantly more attractive to faculty, staff and (grad) students.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - ijmorlan - 06-26-2021
(06-25-2021, 06:43 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Yes, this is outside the box thinking, but frankly, I don't really care, it's what they *SHOULD* be doing. The density is not a problem to me. It's the pathetic, business as usual, car dependent and otherwise dead development that bugs me. The fact that they are not working to make this development integrate with it's (admittedly limited) surroundings, and not planning for it to be a livable space is the fundamental problem in our city/province/country/continent.
Even if the existing surroundings are limited, the development could be designed so it is easy for future adjacent developments to integrate with it. This way, the character of the development would actually improve as nearby properties evolve over time. This is a bit like those bike lanes (University?) that the roads department said weren’t needed because they would just start and stop, ignoring the fact that this reasoning could be used to maintain the status quo indefinitely.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - danbrotherston - 06-26-2021
(06-26-2021, 01:40 PM)KevinL Wrote:(06-25-2021, 06:35 PM)ac3r Wrote: It would appear they have plans for a pedestrian bridge over the highway as well, as seen on 14 and 15 of the master site plan file.
I'd missed that on my first look, thanks for pointing it out.
I missed that as well, thanks ac3r for pointing it out. Yeah, that's a real no brainer, so I'm glad it's included. I still do wish they'd go farther, instead of a massive elevated structure, a more modest, but wide open tunnel would allow the surrounding wooded area to made into a recreational area, and also facilitate a connection to Dutton Dr.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - ijmorlan - 06-27-2021
(06-26-2021, 08:30 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:(06-26-2021, 01:40 PM)KevinL Wrote: I'd missed that on my first look, thanks for pointing it out.
I missed that as well, thanks ac3r for pointing it out. Yeah, that's a real no brainer, so I'm glad it's included. I still do wish they'd go farther, instead of a massive elevated structure, a more modest, but wide open tunnel would allow the surrounding wooded area to made into a recreational area, and also facilitate a connection to Dutton Dr.
I doubt a tunnel would be cheaper, especially not a wide one that would address concerns people would have about a hidden enclosed space. I agree that connecting to Dutton Drive would be a good idea. There is tons of space to put a path next to the driveway that leads to the LRT parking lot, which could connect the end of the bridge with the road itself. Or just decide that the driveway is “outside the fence” and build a sidewalk next to it.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 06-27-2021
It would need to be quite a long tunnel, too, to get under both directions of the Expressway. A nice bridge should be more pleasant.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - danbrotherston - 06-27-2021
(06-27-2021, 08:20 PM)tomh009 Wrote: It would need to be quite a long tunnel, too, to get under both directions of the Expressway. A nice bridge should be more pleasant.
Actually, you need 2 short tunnels, there need not be a tunnel in the middle, which can help the tunnel be more pleasant.
The proposed causeway is enormous, almost 1/4 of a km long. Leaving aside the expense, such a long distance takes away the opportunity to make recreation space in the green area, as well as a direct connection to Dutton Dr.
A bridge must be significantly higher because double large trucks use the highway, where as even a high airy human sized tunnel would be significantly smaller.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - westwardloo - 06-27-2021
I am sorry, but a tunnel is a ridiculous idea. It would cost 2 to 3 times as much. You would still need a significant ramp down to get under freeway so you wouldn't save much space/distance. Also there are more concerns when it comes to safety. I wouldn't hesitate to take an overpass at night, a tunnel I would think twice about.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - ijmorlan - 06-27-2021
(06-27-2021, 08:42 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: The proposed causeway is enormous, almost 1/4 of a km long. Leaving aside the expense, such a long distance takes away the opportunity to make recreation space in the green area, as well as a direct connection to Dutton Dr.
A bridge must be significantly higher because double large trucks use the highway, where as even a high airy human sized tunnel would be significantly smaller.
Whatever technique the bridge uses to reach ground level towards Northfield Station, it or a branch of the bridge can do the same to reach towards Dutton Drive. And I don’t see what the presence of the bridge has to do with use of the space for most recreational purposes — just run a ground-level path over from where the bridge starts.
The height of the bridge above the road won’t make much difference. It’s just a matter of how long the posts have to be — maybe 5m. One 50m up or something would be way more expensive of course. Digging for a tunnel is always going to be very expensive, especially given how wide it would have to be to make people comfortable. The floor of a tunnel would have to be at least maybe 3m below grade (guess) so getting back up to the surface would be a significant distance unless the ground slopes downwards away from the expressway.