06-21-2022, 05:10 PM
(06-21-2022, 04:05 PM)cherrypark Wrote:(06-21-2022, 03:10 PM)ac3r Wrote: I was involved with this project and said if it didn't go ahead, I'd never do architectural work in Waterloo Region again. So, see ya later, I guess, I'll stick to working in actual progressive cities. Enjoy the shitty fucking SRM skyscrapers instead.
Any sense on whether there is a case they bring back substantially revised proposal or if there is the ammunition to go to the OLT?
Really disappointed we're losing out on a quality building and substantial activation of that intersection, to say nothing of $2M for affordable housing developments and their plans to maintain permanent affordability within the designated units in this development.
Not really sure since the design was handed off to the developer so it's basically up to them to decide how to proceed. They could take it to the OLT and possibly win. One of the few good things about the Ford government is that they'll gladly support stuff like this. They would hand out MZOs left and right, for example to the massive SmartCentre development that'll be built in Cambridge so I can't see them objecting to a handful of old boomers who want to fantasize about small town 1950s Kitchener. They could also scale back the development but from what I understand they didn't want to do this since they had hopes the City of Kitchener would be on board (and financially, a developer is going to want to maximize the potential), but something feels like it shifted lately and now they're being a bit more regressive.
We'll have to see what happens but this project could now be officially dead...which sucks because it was a beautifully designed proposal with retail and usable space which is seriously lacking downtown. The city will let IN8/SRM and other developers build these awful ugly skyscrapers that are basically nothing but tiny 1 bedroom units with no commercial space but this or the condo on Belmont that would have actually brought new character to that area. But a proper big city development with good architectural design and commercial/publicly usable space? Apparently that's going too far.