Kraus Development (525-565 Conestogo Road) | 3-35 fl | Proposed

[ac3r]

I have no idea either, but I hate it. It makes the places feel so lifeless and ugly. Some concrete is fine and necessary, but good landscape architecture ought to have some greenery and colour. Contrast the above with something like Parc Hydro-Québec in Montréal by Claude Cormier + Associés - https://www.claudecormier.com/en/projet/...dro-quebec - or their Lakeshore East project in Chicago: https://www.claudecormier.com/en/projet/lakeshore-east/

[mastermind]

I think it is because there's parking underneath, and a thin layer of gravel plus concrete pavement is relatively light compared with deeper topsoil for trees or significant plantings.

[ac3r]

Topsoil doesn't weight that much. For context, you can build an entire building above underground parking, so a bit of soil and greenery isn't a huge challenge to hold up.

[cherrypark]

I have no idea either, but I hate it. It makes the places feel so lifeless and ugly. Some concrete is fine and necessary, but good landscape architecture ought to have some greenery and colour. Contrast the above with something like Parc Hydro-Québec in Montréal by Claude Cormier + Associés - https://www.claudecormier.com/en/projet/...dro-quebec - or their Lakeshore East project in Chicago: https://www.claudecormier.com/en/projet/lakeshore-east/

Love these examples. I know they are more complicated and costly in general and point taken if these on not also having to be on top of buried parking (which, is at least better than a surface lot), but just a night and day difference in the liveability.

Similar but lesser gripe with a few spaces that matter more to me in the region like the transit hub, etc. Would be nice to see more examples like these in the region than these lightly decorated slabs.

[ijmorlan]

Topsoil doesn't weight that much. For context, you can build an entire building above underground parking, so a bit of soil and greenery isn't a huge challenge to hold up.

I think of it as a green roof at ground level, which given the current rage for green roofs should make it a no-brainer.

[mastermind]

Topsoil doesn't weight that much. For context, you can build an entire building above underground parking, so a bit of soil and greenery isn't a huge challenge to hold up.

I think of it as a green roof at ground level, which given the current rage for green roofs should make it a no-brainer.

Topsoil does weigh that much and green roofs are pretty heavy too.  I'm not saying it's not a fantastic idea, I'm just saying it's money out of the developers pocket and we all know the challenge there.  Arguably on a project of this scale a few million dollars is a small price to pay for an actual good public space.  Let's team up and try to convince the owner lol.

Here's a random engineers report for a project in Maryland that I just quickly found on google.  https://www.engr.psu.edu/ae/thesis/portf...rt%201.pdf    On page 21 you can see a chart showing some of the design loads for the different areas.  In this case compared to a typical roof a "green roof" has double the dead load and a "courtyard planter" (which appears to be able to support small trees) has eight times the dead load.  This means a thicker concrete slab with more rebar.

[nms]

It's too bad that façade facing Northfield driving isn't being kept. It's not great architecture, but it's something different than what is being built today.

[urbd]

Here are some very early renderings of the project:

Keep in mind that the actual project(s) will probably look nothing like what is being shown now. This is just a concept to get the zoning in place to make it enticing for developers to purchase the land in the future and build something as they see fit. Think about it as an illustration of the potential of the site. However, if the future developer decides that they want to build something completely different because of different market conditions, they will likely go through another OPA/ZBA approval process at that time.

[Zoo]

For what it's worth, the site transacted last week, so there may be some movement. 

65 Northfield Drive Inc. purchased the 26.56 acres for $37.5M.

[clasher]

I hope they build that pedestrian bridge first.

[jamincan]

I hope they build that pedestrian bridge first.

I fear the classic bate and switch. Getting all the approvals they need and then drop the community-focused elements from plans.

[ac3r]

Unlikely. With that many residents living in such a small location, it would make sense for them to have a more direct connection to the nearest LRT station.

[SF22]

There is a new application for this site from April/May 2023. Looks like they've really redesigned the whole layout, including a new Central Park-style parkspace (park surrounded by tall buildings). Honestly, it looks a lot more logically laid out now. Pedestrian bridge is still being proposed, so that's good. https://www.engagewr.ca/525-to-565-conestogo-rd-w

[Lens]

Surrounded by a highway, high voltage lines, a major arterial and an old industrial area with no park space anywhere in sight. Not exactly an ideal place to live but it could be a good start towards creating a new neighborhood. Get some shovels in the ground already.

[taylortbb]

There is a new application for this site from April/May 2023. Looks like they've really redesigned the whole layout, including a new Central Park-style parkspace (park surrounded by tall buildings). Honestly, it looks a lot more logically laid out now. Pedestrian bridge is still being proposed, so that's good. https://www.engagewr.ca/525-to-565-conestogo-rd-w

The pedestrian bridge now seems to connected to the wooded area of the ION OMSF, which is pretty far from the ION station. I don't really see the point of it as it's currently shown, seems like a bridge to nowhere that will never be used. They need to bridge to actually meaningfully connect to the ION station, without an extremely circuitous route.