Charlie West (Charles & Gaukel) | 31 fl | Complete

[Watdot]

I think it is going to tie in very nicely to the Manulife Building....

If only Manulife would go ahead with adding a tower to the building.  The foundation was originally built to accommodate a tower.

Not just the foundation - the building at Water and Charles is the podium of the never-built tower.

Is that a true fact? I only remember that building from my childhood as a mall, for retail. Manulife is a "more recent" tenant.

[panamaniac]

Not just the foundation - the building at Water and Charles is the podium of the never-built tower.

Is that a true fact?  I only remember that building from my childhood as a mall, for retail.  Manulife is a "more recent" tenant.

As opposed to a false fact?  It is a fact.

[Coke6pk]

I was thinking the same.... I remember it as a mall. Would be unusual for a mall in the 70's/80's to plan a tower addition...

Coke

[robdrimmie]

I was thinking the same.... I remember it as a mall.  Would be unusual for a mall in the 70's/80's to plan a tower addition...

Coke

The Waterloo Public Library has some of its image archives online and I was able to find a copy of the Waterloo Chronicle from 20 April 1977 that included an article describing the mall which includes:

The project, to be called King Centre, includes a retail mall, Robinson's department store, a super-market, drug store, parking garage and office building.

The multi-million dollar project would have its main entrance on King Street where the Dunker building now stands.

Except for the office tower, the project will be low-rise -- two storeys on King Street and three storeys on Charles Street. The office tower will extend 12 feet above the Canada Trust building on the corner of King and Water Streets.

http://images.ourontario.ca/waterloo/3547690/page/3?n=

[Watdot]

Cool, thanks for the article! Fact vs rumour. Clears that up.

[KevinL]

Great find, Rob!

[kwtech]

As of Aug 3 2019    

[GtwoK]

They're on the third story as of today

[BruceAshe]

Taken through a window at Manulife    

[Spokes]

Thanks for the pictures!

[robdrimmie]

That's a great angle, Bruce!

[Rainrider22]

It is hard to believe that the building is still further underground than it is above ground. Great pic though. It really puts the building into perspective and how nice it is going to look at that location.

[ac3r]

It may be a visual trick, but that middle pillar looks off...like the floors are lower at that point than at the others.

[boatracer]

If that is above grade parking in the back than it is probably sloped structure for drainage.

[robdrimmie]

Yeah, you can see some the same sloping from the other direction as well, eg in https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/...7#pid71677 which is taken from the Charles Terminal corner of Charles and Gaukel.