04-29-2016, 11:50 AM
(04-29-2016, 11:24 AM)panamaniac Wrote: Is the best approach for that location (only that location) to bring the retail element to King St, or to bring the pedestrian experience in from, but parallel to, King St to avoid the unpleasantness of the retaining wall and railway overpass? At the moment, I don't think the project does either. If this project marks the far end of an expanded Downtown, is it really a problem if it draws pedestrian traffic in off the street? Again something I'd say only about that specific location, but I do wonder.
panamaniac, I am a firm believer in always keeping the pedestrian experience at the street. There are very few projects that manage to successfully bring pedestrians onto private property. And those projects usually do so because they are not fortunate enough to be located along a pedestrian-busy thoroughfare - I guess more of a park car and enter experience - shopping mall-like. Furthermore, I don't think we can continue to think of this location as the far end of an expanded downtown. The location of the transit node indicates that Kitchener and Waterloo are both interested in expanded densification efforts along King - which would actually make this location smack in the middle of the new downtown.