Charlie West (Charles & Gaukel) | 31 fl | Complete

[jeffster]

Understood! This might help?
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/heic-t...-on-a-mac/

Or you can switch your phone to use JPEG (which is what I do), using the camera settings.

Just switched it to JPEG. I'll see how that works.

Actually, on second thought, I'll just convert it, seeing that I can do it fairly easily. Something about HEIC having better qualify than JPEG.

[robdrimmie]

HEIC files are typically smaller than JPEGs too (often around half the size according to wikipedia). There isn't broad browser support for it yet though so you need to convert.

If you're able to open the HEIC file in Preview on the Mac, you can use File -> Export to save it as a JPEG.

[taylortbb]

The ground floor retail space is currently up for sale, looks like the plan is 4 units along the Charles St side. Full details are in https://www.coupalmarkou.com/assets/uplo...-st_24.pdf , but I've attached the floorplan below. Bit of a missed opportunity with the pedestrianization of Gaukel St to not have more retail on that side.

   

[westwardloo]

The ground floor retail space is currently up for sale, looks like the plan is 4 units along the Charles St side. Full details are in https://www.coupalmarkou.com/assets/uplo...-st_24.pdf , but I've attached the floorplan below. Bit of a missed opportunity with the pedestrianization of Gaukel St to not have more retail on that side.

At least there is retail space. Surprised we haven't already heard of the dentist office and bank that will be taken up the space. In all seriousness I hope that a nice restaurant takes some of this retail space. Kitchener has some great restaurants, but it feels like uptown has a better selection. I find myself biking to uptown more times than not if I go out for dinner (Pre-pandemic).

[taylortbb]

At least there is retail space. Surprised we haven't already heard of the dentist office and bank that will be taken up the space. In all seriousness I hope that a nice restaurant takes some of this retail space. Kitchener has some great restaurants, but it feels like uptown has a better selection. I find myself biking to uptown more times than not if I go out for dinner (Pre-pandemic).

I feel like 1 Vic ended up not terribly. Yes, it has a bank and realtor, but those are at least ground-level things people walk in to. The Garment St development will struggle with retail being so far from King St, so the sleep clinic is less surprising.

I actually have the opposite opinion of DTK vs uptown for restaurants. I'll head up to uptown for Princess Cafe, Loloan, sometimes Jane Bond, but that's tiny compared to the number of good restaurants in DTK.

[westwardloo]

At least there is retail space. Surprised we haven't already heard of the dentist office and bank that will be taken up the space. In all seriousness I hope that a nice restaurant takes some of this retail space. Kitchener has some great restaurants, but it feels like uptown has a better selection. I find myself biking to uptown more times than not if I go out for dinner (Pre-pandemic).

I feel like 1 Vic ended up not terribly. Yes, it has a bank and realtor, but those are at least ground-level things people walk in to. The Garment St development will struggle with retail being so far from King St, so the sleep clinic is less surprising.

I actually have the opposite opinion of DTK vs uptown for restaurants. I'll head up to uptown for Princess Cafe, Loloan, sometimes Jane Bond, but that's tiny compared to the number of good restaurants in DTK.

Those are 3 great choices I also enjoy the huether(mostly because of arguable the best patio in the region), white rabbit, owl of Minerva, king st. trio and Kentucky bourbon. 

I know a pandemic has probably shifted how a lot of the bigger retailers intend to expand their businesses in terms of brick and mortar, but I would love for some Mall or strip mall oriented retailers to open up urban shop in downtown. I am thinking of a lululemon, Urban outfitters, the Gap (i know they plan on closing most of their mall storefronts for off mall locations so maybe a move to downtown), a sportscheck, or with all that money Gamestop made maybe they can open a downtown location instead of having 2 along fairway rd. Or maybe adventure guide could move into downtown. I used to go there all the time until they moved out to the boardwalk. 

Obviously I am living in dream land, unfortunately right now chain retailers don't see the need to invest in urban storefronts in KWC. Don't get me wrong I like the mom and pop shops feel our downtown and uptown have, but I think that the retail environment as a hole would feel a boost from a bigger name retailer opening up.

[Coke6pk]

Bit of a missed opportunity with the pedestrianization of Gaukel St to not have more retail on that side.

How is this pedestrianization going to look?  Would we not still require two lanes of traffic still to get to/from parking garage?

Coke

[ijmorlan]

Bit of a missed opportunity with the pedestrianization of Gaukel St to not have more retail on that side.

How is this pedestrianization going to look?  Would we not still require two lanes of traffic still to get to/from parking garage?

Coke

The Charlie West parking garage?

No — I believe the entrances are on Hall’s Lane, which connects to Water St. and Ontario St. Anyway Hall’s lane is one-way, so all entering traffic will already have to use Water St., so even if exiting traffic were to be allowed to use Gaukel St., a single one-way lane from Hall’s Lane out to either King or Charles would be amply sufficient.

I will say this illustrates why we should have more long-term planning: as it is, the slightly more inconvenient access might give rise to complaints; if we had a long-term plan to close Gaukel St., the design of the tower could have explicitly taken into account the change.

But all that said, the answer to this is to make sure Gaukel is permanently closed to vehicular traffic, and rebuilt in that configuration, before the first people move in to Charlie West.

[taylortbb]

The Charlie West parking garage?

No — I believe the entrances are on Hall’s Lane, which connects to Water St. and Ontario St. Anyway Hall’s lane is one-way, so all entering traffic will already have to use Water St., so even if exiting traffic were to be allowed to use Gaukel St., a single one-way lane from Hall’s Lane out to either King or Charles would be amply sufficient.

You're correct that the Charlie West parking access is off Hall's Lane. It's right beside the King Centre garage exit, in the back corner of the building.

Hall's lane is however (at least currently) two way from Gaukel to Water, as Hall's Lane is closed alongside the Charlie West construction site. So I think the most likely outcome of pedestrianizing Gaukel is that Hall's Lane isn't continuous across Gaukel, and everyone at Charlie West has to access parking from Water St.

[tomh009]

Charlie West with a snowy Victoria Park.

   

[dtkvictim]

The Charlie West parking garage?

No — I believe the entrances are on Hall’s Lane, which connects to Water St. and Ontario St. Anyway Hall’s lane is one-way, so all entering traffic will already have to use Water St., so even if exiting traffic were to be allowed to use Gaukel St., a single one-way lane from Hall’s Lane out to either King or Charles would be amply sufficient.

You're correct that the Charlie West parking access is off Hall's Lane. It's right beside the King Centre garage exit, in the back corner of the building.

Hall's lane is however (at least currently) two way from Gaukel to Water, as Hall's Lane is closed alongside the Charlie West construction site. So I think the most likely outcome of pedestrianizing Gaukel is that Hall's Lane isn't continuous across Gaukel, and everyone at Charlie West has to access parking from Water St.

I could definitely see a world where Halls lane continues across Gaukel after pedestrianization. A number of businesses between Gaukel and Ontario get deliveries from the laneway, including with full sized trucks, and since half of Halls lane on that block is a one way, technically their only option is to go in one end and out the other. Although in practice it's more of a free-for-all right now so the city could maybe formalize that somehow, but that would still have problems. There is a significant amount of parking on the western half of the block, where people could get blocked by delivery trucks for 10+ minutes if they can't exit out across Gaukel.

[ijmorlan]

I could definitely see a world where Halls lane continues across Gaukel after pedestrianization. A number of businesses between Gaukel and Ontario get deliveries from the laneway, including with full sized trucks, and since half of Halls lane on that block is a one way, technically their only option is to go in one end and out the other. Although in practice it's more of a free-for-all right now so the city could maybe formalize that somehow, but that would still have problems. There is a significant amount of parking on the western half of the block, where people could get blocked by delivery trucks for 10+ minutes if they can't exit out across Gaukel.

That’s what I would expect. I mean nobody would suggest that a pedestrianized Gaukel St. implies King, Charles, or Joseph would be closed at Gaukel.

I would like to see signals that default to green for non-motorized traffic on Gaukel, with detector loops to give a green to vehicle lanes crossing Gaukel. With two sets of detector loops, one right at the crossing and one in advance, it should be possible to allow traffic at a chosen speed to continue without stopping at low-traffic times.

[LesPio]

Charlie West with a snowy Victoria Park.

Looks like Charlie West topped out a while ago. So when is occupancy expected?

And....How soon could the commercial space expect occupancy?

ie.Can Commercial space be sooner....and at what stage of completeness does the building have to be in?

[taylortbb]

Charlie West with a snowy Victoria Park.

Looks like Charlie West topped out a while ago. So when is occupancy expected?

And....How soon could the commercial space expect occupancy?

ie.Can Commercial space be sooner....and at what stage of completeness does the building have to be in?

https://www.instagram.com/zehrgroup/ has some walk-throughs of almost-completed podium units in their story today. They look pretty close to done, still needing appliances, light fixtures, and telecom cable terminations internally, plus railings on the balcony.

But the ground floor is nowhere close to done, and the construction elevator is still in place. Ground floor + upper floors still don't have exterior walls installed, and the podium cladding still isn't done. The 31st floor still has some precast wall panels to install.

I'd assume it's at least a few months until occupancy. I've got June 1 as my tentative occupancy date, but being near the top I'm sure that'll be delayed (they've done nothing but pour the concrete for my unit).

Given how unfinished the ground floor is I expect the commercial space will be the last thing to be finished. Until they have a buyer I doubt it's a priority.

[Coke6pk]

How is this pedestrianization going to look?  Would we not still require two lanes of traffic still to get to/from parking garage?

Coke

The Charlie West parking garage?

No — I believe the entrances are on Hall’s Lane, which connects to Water St. and Ontario St. Anyway Hall’s lane is one-way, so all entering traffic will already have to use Water St., so even if exiting traffic were to be allowed to use Gaukel St., a single one-way lane from Hall’s Lane out to either King or Charles would be amply sufficient.

I will say this illustrates why we should have more long-term planning: as it is, the slightly more inconvenient access might give rise to complaints; if we had a long-term plan to close Gaukel St., the design of the tower could have explicitly taken into account the change.

But all that said, the answer to this is to make sure Gaukel is permanently closed to vehicular traffic, and rebuilt in that configuration, before the first people move in to Charlie West.

Yes, thank you for the clarification.  I thought they entered onto Gaukel.

Coke