The Breithaupt Block | 16 m | 4 fl | Complete

[MidTowner]

The original plan had retail on the ground floor of the parking garage, but the neighbours killed that. The original plan had an additional storey, but the neighbours killed that. If there's none in the final building, I would call it a case of lying in the bed they made.

It would be much more accurate to say that the LPAT killed it, in response to objections from some neighbours. Not every single neighbour is opposed to the development, nor to that specific plan.

I'm not really sure I see your logic here anyway. Good planning principles shouldn't be abandoned because they were included in a previous proposal that the neighbourhood (or some portion of it) rejected.

[jeffster]

On the topic of Google -- I recall way back when Google first started with their search engine. My first thought was that, this is the next big thing. The wife (the ex) kiboshed that idea real quickly. Seeing the money they're spending in Kitchener -- now that is something I never expected. Just amazing.

[panamaniac]

Nice!

Google is preparing for a major expansion of its Canadian engineering headquarters on Breithaupt Street in Kitchener

Did I miss an official announcement this week, or did the Record jump the gun?

[taylortbb]

Nice!

Google is preparing for a major expansion of its Canadian engineering headquarters on Breithaupt Street in Kitchener

Did I miss an official announcement this week, or did the Record jump the gun?

Looks like you just missed https://www.therecord.com/news-story/948...expansion/ going up. That doesn't confirm the tenant though, but it's not a mystery who would sign a lease for the whole space.

The release also says they purchased new land for the parking garage, but doesn't specify where that land is.

[ac3r]

If the tenant isn't Google I will be surprised, but it's most certainly going to be. They'd probably just prefer to announce it on their own terms, rather than a local paper breaking the news.

[taylortbb]

If the tenant isn't Google I will be surprised, but it's most certainly going to be. They'd probably just prefer to announce it on their own terms, rather than a local paper breaking the news.

Yep, the Record story has a new render showing the lack of parking garage and a bridge over to phase 2 (which is 100% Google). The bridge is a pretty sure giveaway.

[Square]

Hmm, the record render has these 3 houses missing.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.454604,-8...m2!1e4!1e1

[Momo26]

Based on my calculations per square given current employees in current Google square footage, this 300k sqft= ~950 to 1000 employees.

And with Google shall come more complimentary entities/start ups/overflow.

Just a matter of time until DTK becomes the envy of Uptown Waterloo buhaha

[taylortbb]

Based on my calculations per square given current employees in current Google square footage, this 300k sqft= ~950 to 1000 employees.

I'd estimate more than that. Google hasn't filled their current space yet, they've just projected forward and said it'll be full in a couple years so start building now. I think the estimate was ~1000 in their current 180k sq ft, so the addition will be another ~1650 for a ~2650 total employees in downtown.

[PassTheBruce]

The annoying thing about Google is their catering, it isolates employees from the downtown ~ apart from the visual of having their name on a cool looking building, they might as well be in the ‘burbs.  (I am glad they are here though because of the “eco-system” of other companies they attract).

[ac3r]

Google itself is a bit isolated from anywhere good to eat, though. Of course you can hop on the train and go eat somewhere, but there's not a whole lot in the immediate vicinity. I wouldn't be surprised if many people still do, however, because their food is just from Aramark...the same people that feed prisons and schools. Not exactly high quality.

[BruceAshe]

Google itself is a bit isolated from anywhere good to eat, though. Of course you can hop on the train and go eat somewhere, but there's not a whole lot in the immediate vicinity. I wouldn't be surprised if many people still do, however, because their food is just from Aramark...the same people that feed prisons and schools. Not exactly high quality.

Aramark has different levels of food depending on the client and what they want. So Google's food is much different from what a prison would serve. The reason companies like Google provide free meals is to keep employees in the building (and therefore working) longer. Same reason they offer other amenities.

[taylortbb]

The annoying thing about Google is their catering, it isolates employees from the downtown ~ apart from the visual of having their name on a cool looking building, they might as well be in the ‘burbs.  (I am glad they are here though because of the “eco-system” of other companies they attract).

I wouldn't go that far. Their employees may eat lunch at work, but they still go out after work for drinks with coworkers, or have a team happy hour, and being downtown means they're more likely to do that downtown. Their employees are also more likely to live downtown. 

their food is just from Aramark...the same people that feed prisons and schools. Not exactly high quality.

Last time I had dinner at Google my main was tuna taretare with avocado in a pomegranate sauce, I'd like to see the prison that serves that. The breakfast section was piled high with bread from Golden Hearth, probably the best local bakery. Even if run by Aramark the food quality is quite good.

[robdrimmie]

I haven't eaten at Google since they moved out of the Tannery, but I can say with personal experience that the food served by Aramark there is at least a step above the (perfectly serviceable but not particularly notable) fare served by Aramark in Manulife's cafeteria. At that time they also had guest chefs who would come in to the different offices to set menus and such.

[Momo26]

Are we also talking about daily served hot lunch? Or a once/twice a week thing?