Make it Kitchener 2.0: Economic Recovery & Growth Strategy

[Brenden]

The City of Kitchener today announced its plan to support economic recovery and growth. 

Make it Kitchener 2.0 Proposal

The plan that will be going to council next week, calls for a $110 million dollar investment over the next 10 years in 5 key areas.

• Health Innovation
  
• Creative Industries
  
• A City-Wide Startup Network
  
• Affordable and Attainable Housing
  
• A Vibrant, Active City
  

The plan will be funded over the next 10 years without an increase in taxes. With $10m coming from the Economic Development Reserve, $20m in debt, and $80m from the sale of city-owned land. The city says they will strategically evaluate selling land, and work with developers to create a master plan for the property and ensure that their bidding process for the land is competitive and open to all. 

The $110m will be spent on these key areas.

• $5m to support economic recovery. This funding would be immediate and aimed at programs to support businesses adapting and recovering from the pandemic.
  
• $10m for Health Innovation. A new facility for heal & med-tech innovation and a new urban business park.
  

• $15m for Creative Industries. Focus on industry and educational partnerships and creating space for entrepreneurs.
  
• $7.5m for a City-Wide Startup Network. Creating city-owned and commercial spaces for entrepreneurs. A hub for supporting business tackling the U.N. sustainability development goals
  
• $15m for Affordable and Attainable Housing. Mixed-income communities, mixed-use housing. 
  
• $7.5m for  Vibrant, Active City. Create a new platform to bring "difference-makers" together
  

[danbrotherston]

The City of Kitchener today announced its plan to support economic recovery and growth. 

Make it Kitchener 2.0 Proposal

The plan that will be going to council next week, calls for a $110 million dollar investment over the next 10 years in 5 key areas.

• Health Innovation
  
• Creative Industries
  
• A City-Wide Startup Network
  
• Affordable and Attainable Housing
  
• A Vibrant, Active City
  

The plan will be funded over the next 10 years without an increase in taxes. With $10m coming from the Economic Development Reserve, $20m in debt, and $80m from the sale of city-owned land. The city says they will strategically evaluate selling land, and work with developers to create a master plan for the property and ensure that their bidding process for the land is competitive and open to all. 

The $110m will be spent on these key areas.

• $5m to support economic recovery. This funding would be immediate and aimed at programs to support businesses adapting and recovering from the pandemic.
  
• $10m for Health Innovation. A new facility for heal & med-tech innovation and a new urban business park.
  

• $15m for Creative Industries. Focus on industry and educational partnerships and creating space for entrepreneurs.
  
• $7.5m for a City-Wide Startup Network. Creating city-owned and commercial spaces for entrepreneurs. A hub for supporting business tackling the U.N. sustainability development goals
  
• $15m for Affordable and Attainable Housing. Mixed-income communities, mixed-use housing. 
  
• $7.5m for  Vibrant, Active City. Create a new platform to bring "difference-makers" together
  

So they have 7.5m for "active city" but they won't even clean the sidewalks in the winter. ?

[taylortbb]

$10m for Health Innovation. A new facility for heal & med-tech innovation and a new urban business park.

Urban or not, the term "business park" deeply concerns me. It suggests a single use area, like the R&T Park. I really hope the future vision for the Bramm St yards (or wherever else this might be) is more ambitious than a single use office area, but I keep seeing city staff referring to it as that.

[panamaniac]

$10m for Health Innovation. A new facility for heal & med-tech innovation and a new urban business park.

Urban or not, the term "business park" deeply concerns me. It suggests a single use area, like the R&T Park. I really hope the future vision for the Bramm St yards (or wherever else this might be) is more ambitious than a single use office area, but I keep seeing city staff referring to it as that.

Is it intended to be a reference to the Innovation District, or to something new?

[ijmorlan]

I’ve never seen a business park that didn’t have space to add in hundreds or even thousands of apartments, not to mention retail to go with them. So planning something that is just a business park downtown seems incredibly uncreative and regressive.

[jeffster]

I know that Cory Bluhm is behind a lot of this stuff, and I believe that everything will work very good. Cory has always had a great vision, and he really does know what he's doing. A lot of the stuff we see going on in DTK, Cory pushed for. Years ago, had council had their way, we'd still max out a 19 floor condos, and nothing close to Victoria Park (like, within 2 km). The guy is a true prodigy. I'll reserve judgement to see what happens here. The last time the city spent money like this it turned out real well.

[tomh009]

I expect we'll find out next week what they actually mean by a "business park".

[jamincan]

$10m for Health Innovation. A new facility for heal & med-tech innovation and a new urban business park.

Urban or not, the term "business park" deeply concerns me. It suggests a single use area, like the R&T Park. I really hope the future vision for the Bramm St yards (or wherever else this might be) is more ambitious than a single use office area, but I keep seeing city staff referring to it as that.

It reads to me like maybe they're hoping to imitate what was done with the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto.

[Brenden]

It reads to me like maybe they're hoping to imitate what was done with the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto.

Don't we already have that, with the Tannery, Catalyst 137, Communitech Data Hub, 305 King St.