General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[panamaniac]

Which one was the Cineplex door?

It's in the Eatons Loft building - the unused door with stairs going up to the raised ground floor - I think the stairs down to where the Cineplex was were closed off when the parking was built in the basement.

[Section ThirtyOne]

The Perimeter Development website has some very nice renders of the Eaton Lofts building (276 King St W), with much more glass on the street façade and what looks suspiciously like a Schreiters-like furniture store inside.  I can't wait to see it done - that corner has been sad, sad, sad for far too long.   http://perimeterdevelopment.com/projects...reet-west/

Maybe it IS Schreiter's? I believe their building is up for sale if i'm not mistaken?

[panamaniac]

The Perimeter Development website has some very nice renders of the Eaton Lofts building (276 King St W), with much more glass on the street façade and what looks suspiciously like a Schreiters-like furniture store inside.  I can't wait to see it done - that corner has been sad, sad, sad for far too long.   http://perimeterdevelopment.com/projects...reet-west/

Maybe it IS Schreiter's? I believe their building is up for sale if i'm not mistaken?

That is why I speculate.  I got shot down a few weeks back when I said I thought it would be a good location if Schreiters were to move (too small, it was said).  In any event, I've seen nothing to indicate that Schreiters plans to move or close, apart from the recent post that the building is up for sale.  (Also insider made mention of the Schreiters Building in his first post about the alleged redevelopment plans at Charles and Gaukel).

By the way, as long as I'm speculating/fantasizing about where things should go, how about the LCBO for the Queen/King corner of the American Hotel Block if the owner's idea of an urban food store doesn't work out?   Is 7,000 sq ft (I think it was) too big/too small for a Downtown LCBO?   Maybe we should start a letter writing campaign - anything would be better than that sorry excuse at the future Kings Crossing site! 

[MidTowner]

Please don’t take my liquor store away… Isn’t it bad enough that our convenience store was turned into a loan shark, and Big General Pizza was torn down to make way for condos?

I do think 7000 square feet is too small for the LCBO, additionally. Best case for that somewhat sad store in the plaza: brand-new space in the transit hub one day.

[panamaniac]

Please don’t take my liquor store away… Isn’t it bad enough that our convenience store was turned into a loan shark, and Big General Pizza was torn down to make way for condos?

I do think 7000 square feet is too small for the LCBO, additionally. Best case for that somewhat sad store in the plaza: brand-new space in the transit hub one day.

You are far more patient than I am!

[Spokes]

Please don’t take my liquor store away… Isn’t it bad enough that our convenience store was turned into a loan shark, and Big General Pizza was torn down to make way for condos?

I do think 7000 square feet is too small for the LCBO, additionally. Best case for that somewhat sad store in the plaza: brand-new space in the transit hub one day.

Anyone have an idea of how big the current mid-town LCBO is?  What about the Uptown Waterloo location?

[MidTowner]

I’ve no idea of the square footage of either, and I also have to correct myself: the new LCBO in Jackson Square in Hamilton is apparently ~5,500 square feet. It’s not big (a lot more spacious than the one it replaced), but apparently LCBO decided it was a sufficient size for the only outlet in downtown Hamilton, so 7,000 square feet may be a very reasonable size.

The transit hub is probably wishful thinking on my part: the outlet is going to move when King’s Crossing is redeveloped, and I presume they won’t want to move twice.

[Viewfromthe42]

I seem to remember being in Schreiter's recently during a floor model sale, and in speaking to one of the staff, they will be moving, but still seeking to stay close to the core, as was mentioned about Descendants and TWB's locations.

[panamaniac]

Geez, I am going to feel so smart if my speculation turns out to be correct!

[panamaniac]

Yesterday, I noticed a small sign reading "Manulife Square" above the King St W entrance of the old King Centre. Is this a "rechristening" as part of the renovation work, or did I just not notice it before? The work being done on the second floor of the Water St side is interesting - the wall has been blown out to the beams, I assume for the installation of large windows. Should be a much nicer office environment when they are done. I wonder if the first floor will get the same treatment?

[KevinL]

Yesterday, I noticed a small sign reading "Manulife Square" above the King St  W entrance of the old King Centre.  Is this a "rechristening" as part of the renovation work, or did I just not notice it before?  

Been there since at least 2009.

[panamaniac]

Yesterday, I noticed a small sign reading "Manulife Square" above the King St  W entrance of the old King Centre.  Is this a "rechristening" as part of the renovation work, or did I just not notice it before?  

Been there since at least 2009.

Wow, the things you don't notice while out strolling!  I think it caught my eye only because there were a couple of workers outside the front entrance doing something yesterday.

[mpd618]

The work being done on the second floor of the Water St side is interesting - the wall has been blown out to the beams, I assume for the installation of large windows.  Should be a much nicer office environment when they are done.  I wonder if the first floor will get the same treatment?

I think there's also interior work being done in the overpass over Charles St.

[Spokes]

Yesterday, I noticed a small sign reading "Manulife Square" above the King St  W entrance of the old King Centre.  Is this a "rechristening" as part of the renovation work, or did I just not notice it before?  The work being done on the second floor of the Water St side is interesting - the wall has been blown out to the beams, I assume for the installation of large windows.  Should be a much nicer office environment when they are done.  I wonder if the first floor will get the same treatment?

Does Manulife own this building now?

[KevinL]

Yesterday, I noticed a small sign reading "Manulife Square" above the King St  W entrance of the old King Centre.  Is this a "rechristening" as part of the renovation work, or did I just not notice it before?  The work being done on the second floor of the Water St side is interesting - the wall has been blown out to the beams, I assume for the installation of large windows.  Should be a much nicer office environment when they are done.  I wonder if the first floor will get the same treatment?

Does Manulife own this building now?

They've owned it for at least a decade, I think - the majority of the time they've occupied it.