The Metz (Schneiders site redevelopment)

[panamaniac]

I was wondering about that myself - isn't the large parking lot down Kent also part of Schneiders?  I'm also not sure about the empty area bounded by Stirling, the train tracks and Palmer (behind the properties fronting on Courtland).  I thought that used to be parking for Schneiders as well, but I can't remember.

Hmmmm, you might be right on that, although I can't remember for sure. 

They did own the land between Mill and the railroad that now has the townhouse complex.  Not sure about the vacant land on the other side of the creek from the townhouses, next to the industrial buildings.

No, I don't know who owns that area but I'm pretty sure it was never Schneiders.  I don't know who that lot belongs to but it has been more or less "orphaned" since I can remember (quite a long time!).  We used to play there when we were kids and in the winter it made for pretty good tobagganing, as it slopes down to the creek.  If the Parkway could be extended under the tracks to the Schneider site, it would make pretty good public space/natural area, imo.

[clasher]

The only brick building on Courtland worth saving IMO is the one from 1941(?) with the bricked up windows. It's got the cool little "S" stone blocks in the wall. I'm not sure there is much heritage value in the rest of generic brick building that faces Courtland. I guess if you cut big windows along the entire length and make some walk-up doors it would be nice but I agree there needs to be a break or two in the wall for pedestrian access to the rest of the site. Whether or not that would be economically viable I have no idea. The facade might be the only part worth saving anyway, I imagine they'd have to be gutted for use as offices or residential. At that point some new stuff might just be easier/cheaper.

The building with the smokestack would be hard to refurbish for any other use I think even though I like the chimney. I also think the brutalist office building needs something better than the sheeting on the backside of it, looks pretty drab with the grey siding right now.

edit: that green space on the other side of the tracks looks a bit like a hobo campground on google maps, that or there are random piles of garbage strewn around. It would be nice to make it a park connecting to a trail along Shoemaker and going under the tracks. I seem to remember there used to be an underpass from the old parking lot that is the townhouses now.

[panamaniac]

The only brick building on Courtland worth saving IMO is the one from 1941(?) with the bricked up windows. It's got the cool little "S" stone blocks in the wall. I'm not sure there is much heritage value in the rest of generic brick building that faces Courtland. I guess if you cut big windows along the entire length and make some walk-up doors it would be nice but I agree there needs to be a break or two in the wall for pedestrian access to the rest of the site. Whether or not that would be economically viable I have no idea. The facade might be the only part worth saving anyway, I imagine they'd have to be gutted for use as offices or residential. At that point some new stuff might just be easier/cheaper.

The building with the smokestack would be hard to refurbish for any other use I think even though I like the chimney. I also think the brutalist office building needs something better than the sheeting on the backside of it, looks pretty drab with the grey siding right now.

edit: that green space on the other side of the tracks looks a bit like a hobo campground on google maps, that or there are random piles of garbage strewn around. It would be nice to make it a park connecting to a trail along Shoemaker and going under the tracks. I seem to remember there used to be an underpass from the old parking lot that is the townhouses now.

Does anyone know what the "smokestack building" actually houses?  I used to use the underpass all the time to walk to Cameron Heights, back in the day.  It would be nice to see it reopened and another one added on the other side of the creek, with a trail extending out to Mill St.  When you look at Google Maps, the random paths and piles of garbage in the "orphan" field indeed looks like it is used for "informal housing".

[REnerd]

The only brick building on Courtland worth saving IMO is the one from 1941(?) with the bricked up windows. It's got the cool little "S" stone blocks in the wall. I'm not sure there is much heritage value in the rest of generic brick building that faces Courtland. I guess if you cut big windows along the entire length and make some walk-up doors it would be nice but I agree there needs to be a break or two in the wall for pedestrian access to the rest of the site. Whether or not that would be economically viable I have no idea. The facade might be the only part worth saving anyway, I imagine they'd have to be gutted for use as offices or residential. At that point some new stuff might just be easier/cheaper.

The building with the smokestack would be hard to refurbish for any other use I think even though I like the chimney. I also think the brutalist office building needs something better than the sheeting on the backside of it, looks pretty drab with the grey siding right now.

edit: that green space on the other side of the tracks looks a bit like a hobo campground on google maps, that or there are random piles of garbage strewn around. It would be nice to make it a park connecting to a trail along Shoemaker and going under the tracks. I seem to remember there used to be an underpass from the old parking lot that is the townhouses now.

Does anyone know what the "smokestack building" actually houses?  I used to use the underpass all the time to walk to Cameron Heights, back in the day.  It would be nice to see it reopened and another one added on the other side of the creek, with a trail extending out to Mill St.  When you look at Google Maps, the random paths and piles of garbage in the "orphan" field indeed looks like it is used for "informal housing".

If I had $100 million I would give it to Panamaniac.

[panamaniac]

If I had $100million (and were king!), Kitchener would be a very different place, REnerd, believe me.

[nms]

My guess is that the smoke stack is from the boilers which would have provided heat for the factory complex.  Kingston is home to the Boiler Room Climbing Gym which features a 100' climb up the boiler room chimney, plus shorter climbs in the main boiler room.

[Markster]

My guess is that the smoke stack is from the boilers which would have provided heat for the factory complex.  Kingston is home to the Boiler Room Climbing Gym which features a 100' climb up the boiler room chimney, plus shorter climbs in the main boiler room.

If there's one thing Borden could use more of, it's climbing gyms!

[white_brian]

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/kitch...-1.3364222

[Memph]

27 acres is a lot of space.

The island of Trogir is exactly 27 acres.

That's the whole island including the park belt, the built up part is only about 14 acres. I've been there a few years ago, it's a very nice little town.

The Distrillery District in Toronto is 10 acres, and that's including the new condos that take up about 1/3 of the district.

This photo of Eguisheim, France shows an area that covers about 20 acres.


This new neighbourhood in Malmo, for a more modern take on this village feel, is also about 27 acres.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en...JfE6b1-cyk
A newly built but historic style version of this near Malmo is Jakriborg, you could fit almost 3 of those onto the Scheider lands.
Also on that map is the best part (imo) of Potsdamer Platz in Berlin at 29 acres.

If we're willing to build parking underground in exchange for density bonuses or lower parking requirements, maybe some of it could be built under a square or park. Or maybe built under one or two larger buildings with smaller buildings using the larger buildings' parking if needed?

If the total site is 27 acres, then that suggests it includes the lands on the other side of Palmer and the parking lot on Kent.

[rangersfan]

Thanks for sharing, that really highlights the property boundaries.

[tomh009]

I could see the small parts on the east side of Courtland being separated, they don't really integrate with the main part of the property.

At the corner of Courtland and Palmer, there are some houses that are not part of the Schneider's lands, right?

[panamaniac]

That is correct. It would be good to see those properties redeveloped as well.

Has there been any news about public consultations? I'm still out of the country but am really hoping to be able to attend.

[jordan2423]

Mixed use 30+ floor buildings

[KevinL]

I hadn't previously realized that, technically, Palmer is a public right-of-way all the way to the railway track. This means the lot flush with Stirling is officially a separate parcel from the factory.

[tomh009]

I assume that the city could change that fairly easily, correct?

And in any case, with a property this large, there would be a need for some internal roadways/streets, so Palmer could work into that.