General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[Diaz]

Are the highrise condo towers out of our control?
https://archive.ph/ijkO8

While I agree with the need to add parkland (potentially to convert city owned parking lots), I don’t see how this has to do with towers. That is on the city to implement. They know the towers are coming, so make a plan.

I also don’t understand why there is so much criticism on condo developers offering affordable units under $368k being an issue that investors can buy and flip them? Please direct me to a non-tower housing development that has units below this price. Why isn’t there scrutiny for single detached developments being unaffordable? Go to a new suburb development in the SW end of Kitchener and I bet you the cheapest home you can purchase is around $1M, yet nobody is complaining there because it matches the status quo of what has been “normal” in Kitchener.

Longtime reader of the forum.  My first time contributing. I think that CP42 brings up a couple of important points.

With respect to affordable housing and single detached developments, I agree that the scrutiny is not the same as for condo developers (especially in the Uptown/Downtown).  The question of how any developer is addressing housing affordability should be asked by Councilors and the public.  There is a difference however.  Some condo developers are including affordable housing measures as part of the 'community benefits' that the project offers when asking the city of increased density or other zoning changes.  When that claim is made, some scrutiny of the benefit claimed is warranted.  In some cases the affordable housing benefit has been a commitment to donate an amount to an affordable housing provider.  In the case of the project at Victoria and Park the development will include 50 units at $368,000. 

While I applaud the contributions to affordable housing from all developers, they have varied widely in a $ per unit proposed or $ per additional unit above current zoning and I can see how it is difficult for staff and Council to score these 'community benefits'.  It seems that there may also be some confusion related to the 50 units at $ 368,000 as indicated by the discussion about keeping them affordable in the long term or investors buying and flipping them for a quick profit.  Also, during the Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting there was discussion that these units have a market value between $450,000 and $500,000.  It is unclear from the application which 50 units will be sold for $368,000, but there are 50 bachelor units (379 sqft) which could be sold at market value ($900 - $1000/sqft) and be in the range of $368,000. From the Community Benefits Letter, attachment F.

"Affordable housing units: 
The Owner is committing to provide dwelling units on-site as part of the proposed development that would meet the definition of affordable home ownership as per the Provincial Policy Statement (“PPS”) and Regional Official Plan (“ROP”). The proposed development includes a total of 1,124 residential units comprised of bachelor, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. The dwelling units will range in size from 376 ft² to 1,098 ft² with a considerable number of units sized that could be purchased at a price considered affordable ownership as per the PPS and ROP, based on current market rates (currently, 50 dwellings meet this definition). 

As noted above, the Owner has also committed to a significant financial contribution to a local affordable housing provider to ensure the effective provision and long-term availability and management of affordable rental housing."

If the 'community benefits' represent value in exchange for density, there should be some accounting of the value received.

My thoughts...

[DK519]

Just received a notice in the mail from the region that the old Edith Macintosh daycare centre (at CHCI) will be opening on the 24th as an overnight homeless shelter. 

It says it will house up to 60 people of all genders, ages, couples and people with pets.

[Acitta]

So, after years of reading approvingly in WRC about all the new condo developments in Kitchener that I couldn't possibly afford to live in even in my wildest dreams, I have decided to become a NIMBY after receiving official notice from my Doctor's office, conveniently located downtown at 550 King St. East., a 7-minute bike ride from home, that due to redevelopment they are moving to Eastbridge Blvd. in Waterloo, a 40-minute bike ride from home.

[clasher]

So, after years of reading approvingly in WRC about all the new condo developments in Kitchener that I couldn't possibly afford to live in even in my wildest dreams, I have decided to become a NIMBY after receiving official notice from my Doctor's office, conveniently located downtown at 550 King St. East., a 7-minute bike ride from home, that due to redevelopment they are moving to Eastbridge Blvd. in Waterloo, a 40-minute bike ride from home.

You could see about switching to the family health team on Benton st, I haven't looked into yet. I am in the same boat and kind of miffed that they chose to move so far away from their current location. At least it's not too hard to stick to the trails to get up there.

[danbrotherston]

So, after years of reading approvingly in WRC about all the new condo developments in Kitchener that I couldn't possibly afford to live in even in my wildest dreams, I have decided to become a NIMBY after receiving official notice from my Doctor's office, conveniently located downtown at 550 King St. East., a 7-minute bike ride from home, that due to redevelopment they are moving to Eastbridge Blvd. in Waterloo, a 40-minute bike ride from home.

Sorry to hear that.

Family Drs. is a huge problem in Ontario. I was on the waiting list for over 3 years, and I only got a family Dr. when we had a child.

We too were fortunate that they were easily bikeable. FWIW...I do think that there is also a lot of demand for commercial real-estate of various forms, but especially of the small office form. We have a lot of large expensive developments, but very few of the kind that spur small businesses.

The Netherlands is kind of interesting that way...somehow there are tons of smaller businesses (even if many are chain businesses). It seems like they do prioritize creating small footprint stores.

[ac3r]

So, after years of reading approvingly in WRC about all the new condo developments in Kitchener that I couldn't possibly afford to live in even in my wildest dreams, I have decided to become a NIMBY after receiving official notice from my Doctor's office, conveniently located downtown at 550 King St. East., a 7-minute bike ride from home, that due to redevelopment they are moving to Eastbridge Blvd. in Waterloo, a 40-minute bike ride from home.

Is there a development planned for that location? Or is this just part of the unfortunate trend of medical facilities and practices moving out to bizarre suburban locations (like all the ones at The Boardwalk)?

[taylortbb]

So, after years of reading approvingly in WRC about all the new condo developments in Kitchener that I couldn't possibly afford to live in even in my wildest dreams, I have decided to become a NIMBY after receiving official notice from my Doctor's office, conveniently located downtown at 550 King St. East., a 7-minute bike ride from home, that due to redevelopment they are moving to Eastbridge Blvd. in Waterloo, a 40-minute bike ride from home.

Is there a development planned for that location? Or is this just part of the unfortunate trend of medical facilities and practices moving out to bizarre suburban locations (like all the ones at The Boardwalk)?

Yes, they've already started work on the parking lot half of the property. It's the property we discussed a few pages ago in this thread, starting back at https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/...#pid102297 .

[Rainrider22]

My Dr is in the Conrad Medical Centre with about another 14 Dr's. Just learning that they are moving to the Boardwalk !!! That is the worst place to get to for me..... People just assume that everyone has a car and that everyone is prepared to drive 45 minutes for an appointment... ( I have a vehicle but I feel for those that dont)

[Bytor]

Quick question approximately how much does it cost to build one of the 25 storey towers?

[dtkvictim]

My Dr is in the Conrad Medical Centre with about another 14 Dr's.  Just learning that they are moving to the Boardwalk !!! That is the worst place to get to for me.....  People just assume that everyone has a car and that everyone is prepared to drive 45 minutes for an appointment... ( I have a vehicle but I feel for those that dont)

I'm sure there are some reasons, probably being able to share equipment and facilities in a large suburban footprint provides better care at a lower cost. But we should be able to dish out the funds to locate facilities like this in more urban settings. Though I have no idea how the healthcare system is structured that leads into these decisions.

It was really frustrating when the only remaining vaccination clinic was at the Boardwalk... Very inaccessible for a mandatory vaccine.

[Rainrider22]

It is the whole team relocating.... 14 Doctors... I am fine, but many wont be.

[ac3r]

Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital will be collaborating on building a new state of the art hospital in the region. The plan also aims to renovate the Freeport Hospital site as well as repurpose the existing midtown KW General Hospital site. They are hoping to get the hospital started ASAP, though it will take anywhere from 10 to 15 years to complete it and open the facility. By then we'll probably have about 800'000-825'000 people living in the region so I imagine this would be a pretty big hospital.

Not much info on it yet, but there is a website for it here: https://futureofcaretogether.ca/

[Rainrider22]

I hard they are looking at land up around North Waterloo, My sister is a nurse at St Marys. This would be crazy dumb. The length of time to get people in South Kitchener to North waterloo when minutes count is ridiculous. I hope this ends up not being the case. It needs to be middle ground. Kitchener has almost 300k people and growing.

[westwardloo]

I hope they seriously consider the AUD lands for the Hospital. Still a central location, easy access to the highway and although not right beside the LRT it is relatively close. I am happy they are finally realizing St. Marys and Grand River can not serve the regions hospital needs for the future 50 years. The region has had to rely on london or Hamilton for any major surgery, which might have been ok when we were a region of 250,000 people but we will be a metro of 1 million soon after this hospital is built. A red flag on the little information we have is the Hospital is looking fo 60 acres of land. So I would assume they will land in either the industrial lands of north cambridge, south kitchener or near rim park. with a sea of parking surrounding the hospital instead of a parking garage and no reasonable transit connection.

[TMKM94]

I think they should just buy/expropriate the Sunlife parking lot across the street and expand the existing Hospital. I'm sure the property would cost a fortune but It would be better to keep the Hospital centrally located and probably save alot of money in the long run.