General Suburban Updates and Rumours

[neonjoe]

Block Line has MUTs on the section between Strasburg and Homerwatson and bike lanes everywhere else, Bleams is supposed to be getting MUTs when they widen it, Homerwatson also has a MUT, Ottawa is slowly getting a MUT, then Strasburg will have a MUT from Ottawa to the new bridge. So it is definitely not a bad area to bike in compared to other neighborhoods, the only road that doesn't have decent cycling infrastructure in the neighborhood is Westmount, it did have the covid bike lanes though and numerous people were using them so they might put bike lanes or a MUT in eventually. 

If you were someone living in the townhouses that Activa is planning biking downtown wouldn't be all that difficult, you'd bike up to block line, cut through McLennan park, take the Ottawa MUT to Strasburg then the new bridge, then down Stirling and from their your at the east end of downtown. So it's anything but a desert when it comes to cycling infrastructure and as neonjoe already mentioned it's far from a transit desert.

Here's hoping that the Bleams ones do a better job of the intersection treatments. Block Line MUTs are nice until they aren't at Strasburg, especially trying to make a left turn.

This may also depend on who the road belongs to. Blockline is CoK. This another type of case where having one Municipality would make sense, at least design will be consistent.

[ac3r]

Or just an agreement between the 3 cities, townships and the region to have a consistent plan rather than a patchwork of ideas.

[sluismcfc]

Block Line has MUTs on the section between Strasburg and Homerwatson and bike lanes everywhere else, Bleams is supposed to be getting MUTs when they widen it, Homerwatson also has a MUT, Ottawa is slowly getting a MUT, then Strasburg will have a MUT from Ottawa to the new bridge. So it is definitely not a bad area to bike in compared to other neighborhoods, the only road that doesn't have decent cycling infrastructure in the neighborhood is Westmount, it did have the covid bike lanes though and numerous people were using them so they might put bike lanes or a MUT in eventually. 

If you were someone living in the townhouses that Activa is planning biking downtown wouldn't be all that difficult, you'd bike up to block line, cut through McLennan park, take the Ottawa MUT to Strasburg then the new bridge, then down Stirling and from their your at the east end of downtown. So it's anything but a desert when it comes to cycling infrastructure and as neonjoe already mentioned it's far from a transit desert.

Here's hoping that the Bleams ones do a better job of the intersection treatments. Block Line MUTs are nice until they aren't at Strasburg, especially trying to make a left turn.

Crossrides are starting to be used much more frequently, and I believe the plans for Bleams are still evaluating the preferred streetscape composition with either a choice of sidewalk and adjacent cycle track (all off-street) or a combined MUP. The first purpose-built Dutch-style roundabout will also be coming soon to this area, right at the location of the new southwest KPL branch at Rosenberg and Abram Clemens within the Williamsburg Green community. There will be off-street MUPs connecting Williamsburg down to RBJ Schlegel Park, intersecting with a "City Spine" trail through the hydro corridor which crosses Bleams and Fischer-Hallman connecting east and west.

[bravado]

A massive property on the Speed River next to downtown Preston and right on the proposed ION Phase 2 route is for sale, possibly another Gaslight district if the right buyer steps up.





https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...am-6674427

Current owners:
https://forgeandfoster.ca/project/woollen-mills/

Interesting to see intensification begin before the LRT shovels are even in the ground.

Right in the nick of time, Council decides to ask staff to investigate Heritage designation for parts of this property:

https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...nt-6699946

Cynical take: close call, we almost got more housing built!

[Acitta]

A massive property on the Speed River next to downtown Preston and right on the proposed ION Phase 2 route is for sale, possibly another Gaslight district if the right buyer steps up.





https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...am-6674427

Current owners:
https://forgeandfoster.ca/project/woollen-mills/

Interesting to see intensification begin before the LRT shovels are even in the ground.

Right in the nick of time, Council decides to ask staff to investigate Heritage designation for parts of this property:

https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news...nt-6699946

Cynical take: close call, we almost got more housing built!

It looks to me that some of the buildings are solid enough that they can be converted into condos with maybe more stories added on top. After all, we do have good examples in the region of old industrial buildings being converted to housing.

[ac3r]

Nothing wrong with investigating the viability of designating a historical factory of Waterloo Region as a heritage building. Doesn't mean you can't still build a large project on the site, it would just need to preserve the existing buildings which is easy enough given the acreage of this site. Sounds like the City of Cambridge knew it was put up for sale and decided to hire a architectural heritage company to determine whether it has any significance worth preservation.

I would only hope a bad developer doesn't buy this up. We all witnessed what HIP did with The Gaslight in Cambridge, for example. They had two of the regions most reputable architecture firms (Martin Simmons Sweers and ABA) involved and it could have been so good with all those existing old buildings, but then they decided to save money and totally ruined the podium and made one of the worst eyesores I've ever seen. Not only did the towers look like shit, the design was just an offensive disservice to the original structures that are there.

[ac3r]

Proposed at 21 Hoffman Street is a 3 floor project containing 21 residential units. That's all I got!

[Bytor]

Zero parking spaces...heh. Maybe if Waterloo Region was on another continent, like Europe or the island of Japan. We simply don't live in the type of area where you can realistically do that. Even if you live downtown, you are likely going to rely on a car for things. There isn't even a grocery store.

There are multiple grocery stores downtown. Just because it isn't a ginormous Zehrs hypermarket doesn't mean that it's not a grocery store.

Marché Leo's
Mi Tienda Latina
Hasty Market
New City
Full Circle
Legacy Greens
Ben Thanh
Variedad Latina

and, of course, Kitchener Farmers Market

[Acitta]

Zero parking spaces...heh. Maybe if Waterloo Region was on another continent, like Europe or the island of Japan. We simply don't live in the type of area where you can realistically do that. Even if you live downtown, you are likely going to rely on a car for things. There isn't even a grocery store.

There are multiple grocery stores downtown. Just because it isn't a ginormous Zehrs hypermarket doesn't mean that it's not a grocery store.

Marché Leo's
Mi Tienda Latina
Hasty Market
New City
Full Circle
Legacy Greens
Ben Thanh
Variedad Latina

and, of course, Kitchener Farmers Market

Not to mention that Central Fresh Market is close to downtown and that a short bus ride will take you to 4 grocery stores on Highland. The suggestion that you need a car to do grocery shopping if you live downtown is ridiculous.

[Chris]

You can also grab grocery items at Dollarama, Shoppers Drug Mart and the wonderful new Coven Market in the old Cafe Pyrus location on Charles.

As Acitta mentioned Central Fresh isn't far. If you are at the other end of downtown you have the Independent at Frederick Mall or even Giant Tiger on Margaret.

And if none of this works for you,the Viola service from Sobey's is great.

[Acitta]

You can also grab grocery items at Dollarama, Shoppers Drug Mart and the wonderful new Coven Market in the old Cafe Pyrus location on Charles.

As Acitta mentioned Central Fresh isn't far. If you are at the other end of downtown you have the Independent at Frederick Mall or even Giant Tiger on Margaret.

And if none of this works for you,the Viola service from Sobey's is great.

Another one is Tasty Deli in the Charlie West building.

[danbrotherston]

Not to mention you can easily bike to multiple grocery stores, and without using city streets.

[ac3r]

Who has time in life to bike around to 10 different stores?

[Acitta]

Who has time in life to bike around to 10 different stores?

I do. Sometimes I go down to Fairway and then up to Waterloo on the same day. The e-bike really helps.

[ijmorlan]

Who has time in life to bike around to 10 different stores?

I do. Sometimes I go down to Fairway and then up to Waterloo on the same day. The e-bike really helps.

Who has enough life force to drive to 10 different stores in one day?