The Metz (Schneiders site redevelopment)

[ZEBuilder]

Kitchener is still purchasing properties downtown they're just not being overtly public about it. I know recently they've purchased just over 2 acres. And with that property they have an assembly of just under 3 acres, they also have other properties close to that assembly of 1.38 acres and 0.8 acres.

So it's not that the city can't do it it's more a question of if they want to or not. In this particular case though it's extremely likely to be converted to parkland. If they get a few other properties close by the city would be looking at about 8 acres (about 20% of Victoria Park). Theres also other properties they're looking at which would make it larger than 8 acres but it won't be continuous.

But long story short Kitchener hasn't just stopped buying properties, they've just been doing it quietly.

Where?   As I've said before, I think they need to be buying up properties in the block bounded by King/Madison/Duke/Cameron with a view to creating a new urban plaza/green space.

It's all along the Schneiders Creek/Shoemaker Creek corridor.

   

That's a quick mock up of the area, everything in Green is the existing creeks and IHT, Blue is property that is owned by the city, including the 2 acre property they recently bought and are demolishing. Everything in Red are properties that are shown in the Schneider and Shoemaker design to be required, so presumably the city is working to buy/expropriate. Then Orange are roads that no longer serve a purpose if they buy all the properties and could reasonable be turned into parkland. 

Those road sections have some substantial infrastructure running under them so you'll always need access but you can design around them (1350 and 750 mm trunk sanitary).

[tomh009]

But long story short Kitchener hasn't just stopped buying properties, they've just been doing it quietly.

Where?   As I've said before, I think they need to be buying up properties in the block bounded by King/Madison/Duke/Cameron with a view to creating a new urban plaza/green space.

The city has purchased 470 King E (the old BT supermarket property). Nothing else on that block shows as being owned by the city, though.

[panamaniac]

Where?   As I've said before, I think they need to be buying up properties in the block bounded by King/Madison/Duke/Cameron with a view to creating a new urban plaza/green space.

The city has purchased 470 King E (the old BT supermarket property). Nothing else on that block shows as being owned by the city, though.

That would be the obvious place to start.

[ZEBuilder]

They've almost completed all of the excavation/shoring for Buildings A, B and C as of this week. They've started to form the raft slab for building A and had a crane on site this past week. As of right now they can only complete concrete work for the raft slab as they are working off of the shoring permit which was conditionally amended in January to include raft slab and under slab plumbing but nothing else. Realistically they should be getting the full foundation permit in the coming weeks so they can progress beyond the raft slab.

This photo is not mine, it's taken from Musselman Excavating's social media, it looks to be about a week or two out of date at this point but it provides a nice aerial view of the site.

   

[Acitta]

They've almost completed all of the excavation/shoring for Buildings A, B and C as of this week. They've started to form the raft slab for building A and had a crane on site this past week. As of right now they can only complete concrete work for the raft slab as they are working off of the shoring permit which was conditionally amended in January to include raft slab and under slab plumbing but nothing else. Realistically they should be getting the full foundation permit in the coming weeks so they can progress beyond the raft slab.

This photo is not mine, it's taken from Musselman Excavating's social media, it looks to be about a week or two out of date at this point but it provides a nice aerial view of the site.

Thanks for posting this. The hoardings on Courtland make it difficult to take pictures of the site and my current disability makes if impossible for me to scramble onto the railroad tracks to take pictures as I was doing before. I notice that Mussleman has a drone video on Facebook and Instagram.

[Kodra24]

Great to see a busy worksite at this location, thanks for sharing the photo

[Lebronj23]

Is that as deep as they are going? Doesn’t look like much of a pit

[ZEBuilder]

Is that as deep as they are going? Doesn’t look like much of a pit

The simple answer is yes, the perspective of that particular picture from Musselman is rather deceiving as Courtland has a significant grade change across the elevation. On the Kent side (side you can see in the photo) its about 320 MASL, whereas the Palmer side is 326 MASL, a 6 meter grade change. So on the Kent side the excavation is likely around 316.5 MASL (3.5 MBGS). Whereas on the Palmer side you're looking at close to 9.5 MBGS.

The grade change results in some weird interaction with Courtland. The floor of the lowest parking level is at 318 MASL so on the Kent side the lowest parking level will actually stick above grade by 1.6m which will result in walk up units similar to the Barrel Yards units facing Father David Bauer. Then behind those units there will be parking since you're still 4.6 or so MBGS on the Palmer side. Then the top of that second parking level will be at 324.6 MASL. Which means the "first floor" of building A is really 4.6m above ground level (15 feet), then the first floor of building B is actually 1.7 MBGS (5.5 feet). I've attached the P2/P1/L1/Grading Plan to have a visual to that jumble of words.

P2 Level:
   

P1 Level:
   

First Floor:
   

Grading Plan:
   

[Acitta]

March 03         

[Acitta]

Weekend fire at Schneiders plant in Kitchener started on ‘multiple mattresses’

One thing that caught my eye in this article was the sentence:

The building at 321 Courtland Ave. E is slated for demolition as the City of Kitchener approved a massive development for the site in 2023.

 
I recall that the original plan was to renovate the office building, which is why it wasn't demolished with the rest of the plant. I hadn't heard of any change to that plan.

[ZEBuilder]

Weekend fire at Schneiders plant in Kitchener started on ‘multiple mattresses’

One thing that caught my eye in this article was the sentence:

The building at 321 Courtland Ave. E is slated for demolition as the City of Kitchener approved a massive development for the site in 2023.

 
I recall that the original plan was to renovate the office building, which is why it wasn't demolished with the rest of the plant. I hadn't heard of any change to that plan.

The approved development maintains the old office building and warehouse. Unless something has been modified since ZBA/OPA it should be staying, there isn't any demolition permits pending for those buildings, so it's more than likely The Record being incompetent.

[ac3r]

Dang I hate when I nod off on fent and knock the torch over and commit arson in the process...haha, oops.

I'll assume no charges are being laid, though? Dope fiends seem to have a free pass to commit whatever crimes they want. I can't read the article because of the paywall.

[Acitta]

Dang I hate when I nod off on fent and knock the torch over and commit arson in the process...haha, oops.

I'll assume no charges are being laid, though? Dope fiends seem to have a free pass to commit whatever crimes they want. I can't read the article because of the paywall.

The Kitchener Fire Department responded to a weekend fire at the old Schneiders meat processing plant in Kitchener after multiple mattresses caught fire.

On Sunday afternoon at 5:46 p.m., Kitchener Fire arrived at the vacant building on Courtland Avenue for reports of a fire.

Deputy fire chief, Patrick O’Halloran confirmed that the fire started on multiple mattresses on the building’s sixth floor.
“Everything is shut off in that building, but the crew was on scene for a while ventilating the structure. It’s quite a big building,” said O’Halloran.

Police and fire closed off sections of Courtland Avenue and Borden for hours on Sunday, as they made sure the building was clear.

A video posted to social media showed firefighters breaking the windows on the second floor to enter the building.

O’Halloran added that no one was injured, and those in the building self-evacuated, leaving the structure empty when fire crews arrived.

This is not the first time Kitchener Fire has responded to the old meat plant for a fire as crews responded to another blaze in May 2022.

“I know that building has ongoing issues. They have security constantly checking it as well, so obviously, it’s an issue with people going inside,” added O’Halloran.
The damage was contained to the possessions left behind by those living in the vacant building, as O’Halloran describes the room as a “concrete box.”

The building at 321 Courtland Ave. E is slated for demolition as the City of Kitchener approved a massive development for the site in 2023.

Auburn Developments looks to build 13 towers with 4,000 residential units, retail spaces and restaurants in place of the old meat factory.

[panamaniac]

"(S)elf-evacuated". How diplomatic.