581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Approved - Printable Version +- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com) +-- Forum: Land Development and Real Estate (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Suburbs (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=7) +--- Thread: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Approved (/showthread.php?tid=1726) |
581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Approved - bravado - 09-19-2022 Quote:Our client is proposing to redevelop the subject property to accommodate a 7 storey, 136 dwelling unit, mixed-use building for the purpose of providing affordable rental housing in support of the Waterloo Region Housing Master Plan. The proposed redevelopment will be apartment-style dwelling units and include a 'Youth Community Centre' on the ground floor. Replacing a dated low-income townhouse property + youth centre with a 7 floor apartment building + new youth centre in a quiet North Preston neighbourhood. Architect Package Planning Justification Report Urban Design Brief [size=1][/size] [size=1][size=1][/size][/size] [size=1][size=1][size=1][/size][/size][/size] RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - tomh009 - 09-19-2022 That looks like a great addition to the affordable housing stock. Maybe 35-40 townhouses being replaced with 136 apartments is excellent. I assume the five-bedroom units will be for group living, similar to four- and five-bedroom shared student apartments. Who will be operating this building? RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - ac3r - 09-19-2022 That'd be a much better use of space! Townhouse complexes tend to underutilize so much of the property they are on. I mean look at Figure 4...pointless giant strips of grass lots that I am sure almost nobody uses but a couple kids now and then. Same with the aerial view in Figure 3. So much wasted space along the property/fence line. People who want greenspace are more likely to use a park, not some barren strip of grass along a property line. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - bravado - 09-19-2022 (09-19-2022, 07:44 PM)tomh009 Wrote: That looks like a great addition to the affordable housing stock. Maybe 35-40 townhouses being replaced with 136 apartments is excellent. I assume the five-bedroom units will be for group living, similar to four- and five-bedroom shared student apartments. The text on the city applications page seems to say that the Region will be operating this building on its own. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - ac3r - 09-19-2022 Also...shame about all that parking, yuck. Looks like this property is around 95-100 meters, give or take. 3/4th of that is taken up by parking and other void spaces. Now compare that to this random city block in Berlin. Same size, but with no setbacks from the sidewalk, no parking, various 6 floor buildings, courtyards in the middle etc. They fit more people into 1 square kilometer than we probably do in 10 or more (totally making those numbers up, but yeah). Obviously there are major differences in terms of transportation, nearby shops and so on between our cities, but it's still annoying to see us underutilize a plot of land like this when you could easily pack in multiple times more people and end up with a more vibrant, interesting community. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - bravado - 09-19-2022 (09-19-2022, 09:00 PM)ac3r Wrote: Also...shame about all that parking, yuck. Looks like this property is around 95-100 meters, give or take. 3/4th of that is taken up by parking and other void spaces. Now compare that to this random city block in Berlin. Same size, but with no setbacks from the sidewalk, no parking, various 6 floor buildings, courtyards in the middle etc. They fit more people into 1 square kilometer than we probably do in 10 or more (totally making those numbers up, but yeah). Obviously there are major differences in terms of transportation, nearby shops and so on between our cities, but it's still annoying to see us underutilize a plot of land like this when you could easily pack in multiple times more people and end up with a more vibrant, interesting community. Surely everyone walking around Berlin is constantly assaulted by the clashing "character" and "neighbourhood feel" across the city, I am so glad we dodged that bullet. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - ijmorlan - 09-20-2022 (09-19-2022, 09:00 PM)ac3r Wrote: Also...shame about all that parking, yuck. Looks like this property is around 95-100 meters, give or take. 3/4th of that is taken up by parking and other void spaces. Now compare that to this random city block in Berlin. Same size, but with no setbacks from the sidewalk, no parking, various 6 floor buildings, courtyards in the middle etc. They fit more people into 1 square kilometer than we probably do in 10 or more (totally making those numbers up, but yeah). Obviously there are major differences in terms of transportation, nearby shops and so on between our cities, but it's still annoying to see us underutilize a plot of land like this when you could easily pack in multiple times more people and end up with a more vibrant, interesting community. If Berlin keeps this up, future Berliners will have no heritage parking lots to enjoy! RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - westwardloo - 09-20-2022 Definitely glad the region is starting to replace the townhouse blocks with something a little denser. Not a nice looking building, but not a horrible replacement. I think the offset window help this type of building. I am disappointed in the industrial style wrap around drive lane that creates 2 car entrances when 1 would more than suffice for the number of cars in this building. If they pushed the building to one side of the lot, they would provide future infill opportunity. I do think there is way too much parking, obviously this is not the most walkable/ transit oriented neighbourhood, but I feel like housing stock should take precedence over parking especially in affordable (subsidized) housing. At least the building is along the street and parking is in the back, babysteps in north america, car is king. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - nms - 09-21-2022 Will the current tenants be given the option to return to the site after the project is complete? If so, I wonder where the current tenants will live during construction. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Proposed - bravado - 02-08-2023 Happy to announce that 38 existing units will be replaced by 136 apartments with the City finally approving this project. https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news/city-gives-final-approval-to-regions-langs-drive-affordable-housing-redevelopment-6507772 Quote:One of the oldest affordable housing properties in Waterloo region will be rebuilt from the ground up starting this spring now that Cambridge city council has granted final approval to official plan and zoning bylaw amendments for 581 to 595 Langs Dr. RE: 581-595 Langs Drive | 7fl | Approved - bravado - 02-08-2023 The credentials and brain power necessary to be a city councillor reach new lows: Quote:Coun. Adam Cooper said he found the number of parking spaces per unit to be "incredibly low" despite the fact the Langs Drive property is in close proximity to major transit routes. |