Some pictures from the unveiling of the GeoTime Trail and sundial from Oct 21. It was a gorgeous day and we had a huge crowd come out to the edge of the city.

Mayor Halloran and someone on the megaphone
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Sundial
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UW President Johnston (black and yellow), Prof. Alan Morgan (talking sign narrator) and another Prof (?)
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Developer incentives go before councillors
October 29, 2007
KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge and Waterloo Region taxpayers may have to pay almost $4.2 million to help a Richmond Hill developer build two, 12-storey luxury condominium towers on the contaminated site of a former factory.

Approval in principle of the first half of the Waterscape redevelopment on the Grand River will be in front of Cambridge council tonight.

Delegations are welcome at the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in the old city hall at 46 Dickson St.

Haastown Holdings already has approval to build its Waterscape condos at Water and Ainslie streets in Galt.

What's before Cambridge council tonight is the site plan, which lays out in detail exactly how the first phase of the $120-million project will unfold on the one-time Dobbie textile factory site, which has been a vacant for two decades.

Paul de Haas, the Haastown Holdings president, has said in the past that a $1.5-million cleanup is expected to remove 1,200 tonnes of soil laced with coal tar.

Units in the Waterscape project would sell for $125,000 to $400,000 in the first building.

A staff report to council recommends financial incentives and public costs to encourage the redevelopment to proceed and to generate long-term tax dollars.

The incentives break down this way:

$2.3 million: City and region development charges, which would be waived because the site is in a designated core urban area.

$345,000: A city grant based on $1,500 for each of the 230 apartments to help offset contamination cleanup costs.

$641,000: The total of city and region grants over the next decade to offset increased property taxes that the new buildings would create. This would help the developer cover upfront clean up costs.

$467,000: City's share of the $550,000 cost to move a trunk sanitary sewer off the private property and into the Water Street Road allowance.

$440,000: Unpaid property taxes on the property, accumulated by previous owners, would be waived.

City staff recommend council approve the site plan, on the condition the cleanup plan is approved by the Ontario Environment Ministry.

Regional road officials would need to approve the main entrance of the project at Water and Simcoe streets, and the Grand River Conservation Authority would have to approve work close to the flood berm along the western edge of the property.

City staff and the developer tweaked the tower locations to maintain public views of the river. The University of Waterloo architecture school helped with computer simulations to make the site changes.

Haastown is also talking with the city about building a retirement home and "assisted-living facility" on the southern half of the property.

This is not part of the recommendation before council tonight.

City and conservation authority staff say seniors homes are banned in flood plains such as the Water Street property because of problems evacuating residents and dangers to rescuers in a flood.

City staff say any such proposal must ensure "dry land emergency access is available."

Fischer Hallman Business Centre
715 Fischer Hallman Road, Kitchener
Four Storey Retail/Office - estimated 53,000 sf
Kingsley Developments

Render

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October 28, 2007

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More photos from October 28, 2007

David's Gourmet sign. Looks good IMO.
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Inside of David's Gourmet
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New name/sign for 305 King Street West (the older TD Canada Trust Tower)
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University of Waterloo Health Sciences Campus - School of Pharmacy:

up to the 8th floor :cheers:


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October 29, 2007

A purple Waterloo Town Square. When will we finally be rid of that parking lot (:puke:)?

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Channer's

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Bauer Lofts

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UW School of Accountancy

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UW Centre for Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Systems

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UW School of Optometry

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InnoTECH Building

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UW Research Accelerator Centre

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TripleQ: Nice GeoTime Trail pics. Looks like the unveiling had a good crowd. :) I attended, but could only get out there near the end, by which time the group was at the last marker.

Good news for Waterscape. :) Note: both towers are now each 12 stories, 115 units and 10,881.44m2.

Condo project wins city's help
October 30, 2007
KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

Giving $4.2 million in public money to help build luxury condominiums is hard for Jack Connell to swallow.

"Government has no place in such real estate development for private profit," he said last night as council considered plans for a $120-million Waterscape development by the Grand River at Water and Ainslie streets. "How many other developers will want the same considerations for their developments?"

Uwe Kretchman urged council to halve the public money allocated to help bring the project to reality. He called it "one heck of a sweet deal."

He suggested only the $2.3 million in development charges be waived, and said the city should negotiate harder to reduce what appears to be an $18,000 per unit subsidy for each of the 230 condominiums.

But council stood by its incentives, which encourage developers to foot most of the cost of cleaning up contaminated factory sites, like the former Dobbie textile mill, where 230 condominium units are proposed in two, 12-storey towers.

Coun. Gary Price said if developers don't do the cleanup, the city would have to.

"In the end that would cost us a lot more in tax dollars than what we are doing right here."

Waterscape developer Paul de Haas said the project would not proceed without the financial help from the city.

"This type of site is difficult to develop."

Coun. Pam Wolf didn't like all the public money going to help the project.

"This deal seems a bit one- sided.

Coun. Ben Tucci dismissed Wolf's concerns.

"At the end of the day, if this development falls through, you've got zero (tax) dollars collected on this property."

City's founding communities focus of winning sculpture
October 30, 2007
KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

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Indigena Domain, Stephen Cruise

Coun. Rick Cowsill dumped all over the decision last night to pay a Toronto artist $150,000 for art to go in front of Cambridge's new city office building on Dickson Street.

"I think it's a terrible waste of taxpayer money," Cowsill said. "I said that originally, and I'll say it again."

He was the only council member to object to the choice of "indigina Domain" by Stephen Cruise, the work recommended by a jury of artists.

"I doubt the decision tonight will make many taxpayers happy," Cowsill said.

The selection process didn't even help the local arts community because no Waterloo Region artist was shortlisted, he said.

"It's someone away from our community," Cowsill said.

Coun. Gary Price said the decision was made for the good of the community as a whole, and he wasn't worried about displeasing some people.

"If we were to sit here every night and make decisions based on the majority that came forward, I would hazard a guess that nothing would ever get done here," Price said.

Cruise's winning proposal includes four icons representing four founding communities of the city: deer hooves for Blair, grist mill wheels for Galt, trees for Preston, and a beehive for Hespeler.

A stylized river, with a few fish, winds through the work and has three bridges along its length.

The work "really emphasizes the continuity and cohesion of the community," Mayor Doug Craig said.

Coun. Ben Tucci admonished Cowsill for his narrow view of the city.

"I think you've just got to open your eyes, as opposed to tunnel vision," Tucci said.

"There's really nothing wrong with broadening your horizons. (We're) not a community that's just blue collar and sports."

While most councillors said Cruise's work wasn't their first personal choice, they supported the process and the jury's recommendation.

"The signal this sends to the arts community and citizens in the community is very important," said Marilyn Scott, chair of the city arts advisory committee overseeing the selection process.

City council set aside $200,000 for the public art competition. A four-by-24-metre area was set aside in the new public square in front of the $30-million building alongside the historic city hall.

Cruise will receive a $150,000 commission to build a full-size work and install it next summer.

Thirty-seven proposals submitted from across the country were reviewed by a jury of local and national artists.

Three artists each received $2,000 to build scale models of their proposals for consideration in final judging.

Finalist Ernest Daetwyler of Atwood proposed Grand River Spheres, a whimsical, stylized landscape representing the city.

Ted Fullerton of Tottenham, the third finalist, proposed Aristotle's Square, which included an elevated square frame created of human figures.

Scale models of the proposed pieces were on display for three weeks last month in the foyer of the Cambridge Library and Gallery on Queen's Square.

More than 120 people wrote down comments about the work, but it wasn't a popularity contest. The jury made the final recommendation, which the arts advisory committee presented to council.

Council steps closer to new city hall bridge
October 31, 2007
KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

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Corporate property manager Ken Carnahan looks at a green wall of live plants inside the new Cambridge city hall.

Call it a bridge over troubled waters.

After two years of wrangling, a link between the new, $30-million city office building and historic city hall remains a divisive issue for councillors.

In a sometimes chippy debate this week, councillors voted 4-3 to approve the paperwork needed for an enclosed glass walkway between the two buildings.

Costs for the link are higher than the original estimate, and it won't offer easy access between old and new, Coun. Pam Wolf said.

The floors of the two buildings don't line up, requiring an elevator, steps and ramps to move from one to the other, she said.

"This will not be a quick exit from this building to the new building."

"The cost for this convoluted link, which I feel very few peoples would use, is $40,000 over-budget . . . . the estimated cost is now $1.5 million."

Wolf said the money would be better spent to "preserve the beauty of old city hall."

The Ontario Heritage Trust only approved the link on the promise that council would spend millions more to renovate and restore city hall, Wolf said.

Coun. Ben Tucci supported the walkway and said the trust does as well.

"The link is not only crucial to link the two buildings, it's crucial for the preservation of this building."

Wolf wasn't the only one opposed to the walkway, which would be built at the back of the former Galt Town hall building.

Coun. Rick Cowsill said few people would use the walkway, other than Mayor Doug Craig and Tucci moving between council chambers and their offices in the new building.

"I just don't see the need," Cowsill said

Coun. Whetham said the link would force the city to hire more security.

Craig said the walkway is needed for people in wheelchairs who need to get out of the older building.

"Wheelchairs don't work well on the back stairs, the fire escape. That's the bottom line."

Councillors Karl Kiefer and Gary Price joined Craig and Tucci in moving the plan forward. Wolf, Whetham and Cowsill voted against.

Council has not awarded a contract to build the walkway, which is a separate job from the office project.

The new office building is expected to cost taxpayers about $800,000 a year to operate. City staff plan to move into the building in early February.

The building is intended to be a showcase of practical green building techniques that are energy-efficient and easy on the environment.

Rainwater will flush toilets, skylights illuminate most of the interior, and a "green wall" of vegetation will naturally filter the air.

Marks Supply boss high on top 100 list
October 31, 2007
The Record

Robin Todd, president of Marks Supply Inc., has made Canadian Business magazine ranking of the 100 top Canadian women entrepreneurs.

Todd and the Kitchener-based company placed sixth in a ranking of 100 companies across Canada that are run by female entrepreneurs who took risks that led to higher rewards.

The plumbing wholesale business was established in 1962 and also operates now in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning market.

It has about 175 employees and annual revenues of more than $50 million, with locations in seven Ontario cities.

McGuinty puts Milloy in cabinet
Kitchener Centre MPP sworn in as Ontario's new minister of training, colleges and universities
October 31, 2007
PHILIP JALSEVAC - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION

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Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy poses with (right) Premier Dalton McGuinty and Lt..- Gov. David Onley (left) during the swearing-in of the new Liberal cabinet at the Ontario legislature in Toronto yesterday.

On Monday afternoon, John Milloy had no idea whether he would be called to sit at the cabinet table of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.

"I'm in the dark," the member for Kitchener Centre said. "I've had no indication from the premier or anyone."

But the call from McGuinty came later that night and, yesterday, Milloy was sworn in as Ontario's new minister of training, colleges and universities.

In addition to the Milloy appointment, rookie Liberal MPP Leeana Pendergast, the member for Kitchener-Conestoga, was named parliamentary assistant to the minister responsible for women's issues, Deborah Matthews.

In an interview yesterday, Milloy, 42, said his appointment "builds upon a lot of personal interest being an MPP in a community with two first-class universities and a vibrant college . . . so, I'm thrilled. It's a wonderful opportunity."

He declined to cite any single issue as a top priority.

"The goal is to continue to strengthen post-secondary education and training. But I'm not in a position to start talking about specifics."

For one thing, he first wants to be briefed on key issues.

"I do have some knowledge but, obviously, there's a lot more to become familiar with . . . there's a steep learning curve."

"I'll be sitting down tomorrow to be brought up to speed by officials with the ministry," Milloy said.

Milloy was first elected an MPP in 2003 and, while he held no public office before then, his name had been bandied about recently in the media and elsewhere as a possible minister.

That's partly because of a formidable background in academia and as an aide in federal politics.

Milloy is a graduate of the London School of Economics and holds a doctorate in history from the University of Oxford. He worked in Ottawa for eight years, starting as an assistant to former Liberal cabinet ministers John Manley, in industry, and party leader Stephane Dion when he was minister of intergovernmental affairs.

Milloy was also legislative assistant to former prime minister Jean Chrétien from 1997 to 2002, with responsibility for briefing Chrétien on the issues of the day before question period in the House of Commons.

At Queen's Park, Milloy sat as a backbencher his first term, earning his spurs beginning with a stint as a parliamentary assistant to McGuinty.

More recently, he served as chair of the party's policy platform committee in the last election.

In his new cabinet job, he's taking over the portfolio of Chris Bentley, whom he served as parliamentary assistant beginning late last year.

John Tibbits, president of Conestoga College, cited Milloy's work in that role, which he described as a type of apprenticeship. "I think he has quite a good grasp of the issues."

As well, Tibbits said: "It's nice to know someone well enough that you feel you can pick up the phone and call them . . . the guy is open, you can talk to him and he's someone who will listen. And he already has a lot of ideas. Overall, I think it's a good decision."

David Johnston, president of the University of Waterloo, said: "We're very fortunate in Ontario to have a minister of this calibre and this experience and this degree of energy."

While his background includes a PhD from Oxford, "a very lofty achievement for anyone from anywhere in the world," Johnston sees Milloy as an unassuming man who works quietly but diligently in the background.

For instance, he said, Milloy played a key role in facilitating plans for UW's new school of pharmacy and a satellite school of medicine.

"He just doesn't make the nice speeches. He's there doing all the hard work to make it possible."

Max Blouw, president of Wilfrid Laurier University, said he's "delighted" with Milloy's appointment.

"John is a very experienced and thoughtful politician," Blouw said. "He understands the university environment in Ontario and the contributions that the universities in this region make to the local community and, indeed, to the province and the country."

Born and raised in Kitchener, Milloy came back to the area in 2002, when he was hired by John English to serve as director of public affairs of the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo.

English, executive director of the centre and a history professor at the University of Waterloo, said earlier this week: "I think he's superbly well qualified . . . I think he'd be a wonderful cabinet minister. I also think most emphatically that the area would benefit from cabinet representation."

Region gains with Milloy in cabinet
October 31, 2007
THE RECORD

Two days ago, Waterloo Region was shortchanged by the Ontario government because it had no representative in the provincial cabinet. Two days ago, Waterloo Region had the dubious distinction of being the most populous Ontario community to be shut out of the Liberal government's inner power circle. Yesterday, Premier Dalton McGuinty set things right by naming Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy as his minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Good for the premier.

Talent, intelligence, idealism, a basic decency and tenacious work on the part of Milloy have been fairly rewarded. Waterloo Region, as well as the entire province, should reap the benefits.

It's not parochial to say that Waterloo Region has come of age and deserves to be accorded political respect and clout. It's only stating fact. With a population of more than half a million people and an economy bigger than at least two provinces (New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), Waterloo Region is one of Ontario's most important and dynamic urban centres.

Successive Conservative governments from 1995 to 2003 recognized this by consistently awarding Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Elizabeth Witmer some of the most senior cabinet posts. However, the region's stature was not reflected in the cabinets of McGuinty's first term. In his defence, it's worth remembering, however, that in 2003, the region sent three Conservatives to Queen's Park and only one Liberal -- Milloy who was then a newcomer.

There are reasons to believe that even as a rookie backbencher, Milloy kept this region on the premier's radar screen. As the premier's parliamentary assistant for intergovernmental affairs, Milloy had McGuinty's ear. So what happened in the Liberals' first term?

Well, the province approved a health sciences campus and satellite medical school in Kitchener -- though local taxpayers did have to cover the project's capital costs. It came through with a commitment to pay two-thirds of the cost of a new rapid transit system for the region. It came through with a pledge to build a new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph after 19 years of study.

It's not unreasonable to think Milloy had a hand in at least some of this. After all, when the province finally agreed to fund the long-promised expansion of Cambridge Memorial Hospital, one of Milloy's political rivals, Cambridge Conservative MPP Gerry Martiniuk, credited Milloy with helping get the job done.

To be sure, Milloy's job as a provincial politician is to serve all the people of Ontario -- not just those of his riding or region. But the highway, public transit, university and health care projects listed above do advance the greater interests of all Ontarians.

Today, Milloy deserves congratulations as does the premier. In naming the cabinet he did yesterday, McGuinty performed an impressive juggling act, balancing diverse regional interests. That said, filling a cabinet is like naming a hockey all-star team. No matter how impressive the lineup, no matter how jammed it is with heroes, the only thing that matters in the end is the results.


Button your lip, don't forget your riding, Witmer advises Milloy
October 31, 2007
BRIAN CALDWELL - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION

A master of the political message track had some friendly advice for John Milloy after he was promoted to cabinet in the Ontario government yesterday.

Elizabeth Witmer, now in her fifth term as MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo, said Milloy should be prepared to button his lip when the pressure is on as a rookie in the inner circle of the majority Liberals.

"You learn that no matter what question comes your way, you can stay on your message track -- they used to tease me about that," she said. "When you start to talk about all sorts of other things, that's when you get in trouble."

Witmer deftly avoided controversy in a string of high-profile posts in the former Conservative government by saying only as much as she wanted to when reporters and opposition members demanded answers.

Milloy, who was re-elected in Kitchener Centre earlier this month, was named minister of training, colleges and universities by Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Witmer -- a former minister of labour, health, education and environment, as well as deputy premier -- said the "well-deserved" appointment is a good fit in an area with two top-notch universities and a college.

She also said it is crucial for Waterloo Region to have representation in cabinet, something that had been missing since the Liberals came to power in 2003.

"That's where things happen," Witmer said. "That's where the key decisions are made and where you can bring to the table the issues that are important to the people you represent."

She said her influence in cabinet was instrumental in the region, landing projects such as the cancer and cardiac centres at hospitals in Kitchener, funding for a research park in Waterloo and a school of architecture in Cambridge.

"You know what the government is going to be doing with their budget, how they're going to be allocating their money, so you have an opportunity to make sure your community gets a fair share of that money," Witmer said.

Given regular access to people at the top, she said, the key is doing research to build a solid case for the area, then pitching it aggressively.

At the same time, Witmer urged Milloy not to neglect the nuts-and-bolts concerns in his own riding and to make time for those closest to him, since "it's your family that is going to stand by you when all the glory of being in cabinet is over."

Milloy's first surprise in the job, she said, will likely be how many new friends he suddenly seems to have.

"He's going to be overwhelmed with meeting requests," Witmer said. "Everybody is looking for something."

This is the 2nd Bearskin Additional Service Announcement this month. :cheers:

Bearskin Airlines adds 2 more flights to Ottawa
October 31, 2007
Record staff - WATERLOO REGION

Bearskin Airlines plans to bulk up its service between Ottawa and Waterloo Region.

The 44-year-old carrier began regular service out of Waterloo Region International Airport a month ago with two round-trip flights to Ottawa on weekdays, plus a late-afternoon flight Sunday to Friday.

It plans to add a fourth option for travellers as of Nov. 23 and running on a trial basis. A Bearskin plane will leave Waterloo Region at 1 p.m. Monday and Friday.

The new flights help cover two especially busy periods, Bearskin said in a statement: the demand out of Waterloo Region on Mondays and the return demand from Ottawa on Fridays.

Influential physicist joins Perimeter
Waterloo Chronicle - Oct 31, 2007

Waterloo's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) recently announce that Leonard Susskind has joined its faculty as an associate member.

Prof. Susskind is widely recognized as one of the most highly creative researchers in the field of particle physics.

He earned his bachelor's of science at City College of New York and his PhD in 1965 at Cornell University. He held a number of positions at the postdoctoral and faculty level afterwards before becoming a professor in the department of physics at Stanford University in 1978, where he continues to work as a professor of physics.

Susskind has received a range of honours and prizes, including having been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), receiving the American Physical Society's prestigious Sakurai Award, as well as the American Institute of Physics' Science Writing Award.

Robert Myers, the interim scientific director at Perimeter Institute, said: "Prof. Susskind has been one of the most creative and influential theoretical physicists in the last four decades. He has contributed important ideas to topics ranging from the theory of quark confinement to black holes in string theory." As an associate member, Susskind will spend focused time at PI each year to conduct research activities.

In addition to an outstanding record as a distinguished theoretical physicist, Susskind has a demonstrated interest in communicating science to members of the general public and improving society's awareness of physics, astronomy and allied science fields.

He will participate in a special PI public lecture panel discussion on Dec. 5 on information and reality.

Loblaws' battle goes to the OMB next May
Greg MacDonald - Waterloo Chronicle - Oct 31, 2007

The legal battle over a new big-box grocery store in the centre of the city will begin on May 5.

That's the date when the Ontario Municipal Board hearing on the proposed construction of a Loblaws superstore near King and Weber streets will start.

The date was set last Friday during an OMB pre-hearing at city council chambers. Karlene Hussey from the board oversaw the proceedings and set the length of May's hearing to eight weeks.

The store has sparked outrage from community groups and neighbours from the nearby community. They fear a substantial increase in traffic in the area, as well as noise from loading throughout the day.

The plan has also drawn condemnation from city council, which is backing the fight against the Loblaw corporation.

The main goal of last week's pre-hearing was to set a date and figure out which parties and participants will present evidence during the hearings.

"Participants have the right to address the board, but can't cross-examine witnesses. Parties have full participation in the hearings and have the ability to call and examine witnesses. They also share in the costs of the hearings," Hussey said.

There will be three parties in total: Loblaw Property Ltd., represented by Steve Zakem; the corporation of the City of Waterloo, represented by W.H. White and Mark Kemerer; and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, represented by Debra Arnold. The board will also hear from 13 participants, mostly members of the communities that surround the lot.

Dave Pearson lives on Longwood Drive, just north of the proposed development. He plans to tell the board of the obvious dangers increased traffic will bring to the area.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the traffic problems will be," he said. The main dangers will come from drivers aggressively leaving the parking lot, cutting off other motorists and cutting through lanes.

"Besides, buying socks and sausages at the same store just isn't appealing," he added.

Tom Schell will represent the Winston Churchill public school council at the hearing. The school is across Weber on Milford Street, west of where Loblaws wants to build.

Like Pearson, Schell is also concerned about the traffic the store would generate.

"The bottom line is that our children are too important to risk," said Schell, who has two kids enrolled at Winston Churchill.

No matter what measures Loblaws puts in place to prevent accidents and keep pedestrians safe, Schell will not be satisfied, he said.

"Any of this traffic mitigation will not prevent people from trying to circumvent the rules," he said. "This can only make the traffic worse."

Participants will get the opportunity to give the board a brief statement at some point during the hearings. There will also be a public meeting one evening where members of the public who are not registered participants can voice their concerns. The timing of the meeting will be set once the trial begins.

Now that dates are set, Zakem expects both sides of the debate to ratchet up the intensity.

"Nothing focuses like a hanging," he said.

Build it and they will come
Former university student is building a housing empire in Waterloo
Greg MacDonald - Waterloo Chronicle - Oct 31, 2007

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Entrepreneur Andrew Sukhiani, 25, is working his way up the local housing market, most recently opening a housing unit on King Street North.

No ordinary 25-year-old spends his mornings standing in the penthouse of his nearly completed 10-storey building, simultaneously fielding questions, courting real estate agents and overseeing construction.

But Andrew Sukhiani is far from ordinary. He's had a crash course in multi-tasking over the past few years which have seen him transform from a humble student into a cutthroat businessman laying the foundations for a real estate empire.

Despite these heady aspirations and the flurry of activity around him, the young entrepreneur takes time to survey the view.

Looking out the window of the room that is soon to become his personal movie theatre, Sukhiani scans the horizon and points out his first project, a bungalow on Spruce Street, which he converted into an eight-unit apartment building.

"It pays to work for yourself," he muses.

Even though he's still young, Sukhiani is poised to become the newest university housing baron in a town rich with students. The ambitious builder, not far removed from university himself, recently opened a 10-floor, 118-unit student-housing complex on King Street North to go along with his other building on Spruce Street.

Sukhiani has been working 100-hour weeks in order to get the building ready in time for students from nearby Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo to move in. All the overtime put in by Sukhiani and his crew wasn't enough, however, and students weren't able to move in until Sept. 21.

"We lost a couple of people who were going to move in, but this week has been pretty good and we've had five or six people a day coming through," he said. But Sukhiani takes it all in stride. The setback was just another lesson for an eager young man trying to learn the business.

The building still isn't complete and looks a little rough around the edges. Many walls are still in the process of being drywalled and there's still construction being done throughout the lobby, but Sukhiani hopes it will be done in the next couple of weeks.

"Then I can relax and get back to a normal work week," he said. And what better place to kick back and readjust to normal life than the penthouse of a brand new building in the core of the city? Sukhiani has designed a giant dwelling for himself on the top floor of the King Street residence, complete with a Jacuzzi, movie screen and balconies with glass railings.

It's just a little luxury for a guy who two years ago was living in a seven-by-nine foot "closet" in a dilapidated bungalow on Spruce Street that was retrofitted to pack in as many students as possible.

"When I took over that place, there was water dripping on the electrical panels and there were eight guys sharing two bathrooms and one kitchen. It was a mess," Sukhiani said.

The young business major at Laurier was just looking for a way to "supplement" his income when he took over the old house. Instead of heading down to the campus employment office or flipping patties at one of the many nearby fast-food joints, Sukhiani wrote up a business plan.

The son of a successful restaurant owner in Aaron Township, near Acton, Ont., Sukhiani developed a knack for business early. He grew up learning every part of the family business -- dishwashing, bartending and managing -- before leaving for the city to learn the theoretical side of business.

A veteran of various student slums, he started crunching some numbers and realized how much money could be made by offering a bit of quality to students sick of overpaying for cold showers and shoddy insulation.

He took his plan to Toronto and presented it to private investors. One took the bait, and the next fall Sukhiani was moving in to his first acquisition.

Louie DiMatteo, a psychology major at Laurier, was living in one of the rooms in the Spruce Street home when Sukhiani took it over.

"Our old landlord said that our new landlord would be moving in with us in the fall. We were pretty concerned, thinking it would be some creepy old guy," DiMatteo said.

"Turns out he's just creepy," he joked.

Soon Sukhiani's company, Andy's Apartments, converted the old house into a brand-new building and the owner set his sights on a bigger complex.

To do so, however, would mean leaving his studies behind. The third-year student abandoned his degree for the allure of making some money.

"I could spend a year going to school, or I could spend a year building something," Sukhiani said. "I really had learned all I needed in the first two years of school, anyway."

And now that he has two buildings under his belt, the soon-to-be-seasoned businessman doesn't regret his decision, but he also doesn't want to forget his humble beginnings on Spruce Street - he's hired DeMatteo as manager of the Spruce Street building.

"I act as a buffer between Andy and the tenants. Any silly or small problems, I deal with those," said DeMatteo, who recently graduated with a minor in business.

He's hitched his wagon to a rising talent, and he's thankful for the opportunity. While DeMatteo is unsure of what career path to take, Sukhiani has a suggestion for his friend:

"Someday he could be VP of Waterloo operations for my company."

It's a position that Sukhiani will need to fill if he goes through with plans to expand his empire into other nearby lucrative university markets such as London and Guelph over the next five years.

"One of my professors told me that to be successful, you have to do something you love, something you can imagine yourself doing on weekends. For me, that's real estate" Sukhiani said.

"After that, who knows? But for now, I'm content."

Holmes library open to the public
Waterloo Chronicle - Oct 31, 2007

The John Holmes Library, the largest dedicated collection of materials on Canadian foreign policy, is now available for public access at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo, Ont.

The library attracts researchers from across Canada and around the world including scholars, government officials, media and members of the business and legal communities interested in international affairs.

Named in memory of the celebrated Canadian diplomat and former executive director of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (CIIA), the John Holmes Library contains unique collections documenting Canada's responses to international crises, the evolution of Canadian foreign policy and a broad range of international relations materials. The collection was previously housed at the CIIA National Office in Toronto.

John English, executive director of CIGI and a leading expert in Canada foreign policy comments, "The John Holmes Library represents a tribute to one of Canada's finest diplomats and analysts of Canada's role in the world. CIGI is very pleased to be associated with this distinguished Canadian diplomat-scholar."

American Standard Redevelopment
Guelph Avenue & Queen Street, Cambridge
JG Group
http://www.jggroup.on.ca/

Developer sees bright future for city's industrial relics
November 12, 2007
KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/352649_3.JPG
Developer Shawky Fahel of Waterloo is the new owner of the former American Standard factory in Cambridge. He plans to convert it to condos and retail space.

Hespeler's heart will soon be beating with new life, if Shawky Fahel has his way.

The Waterloo developer is the new owner of the closed American Standard bathtub and sink factory. He wants to turn the industrial eyesore into a environmentally friendly, residential-commercial landmark. Luxury condominiums and apartments for active seniors would be key parts of the project, as would solar power and recycled materials.

"Heritage is close to my heart . . . this has been around for 200 years and can be for another 500 years," Fahel said

The president of JG Group said his companies saved historic buildings in Waterloo, Kitchener and Brantford from demolition and turned them into thriving parts of the local economy. The Hespeler project will be his biggest so far.

Fahel doesn't have firm plans yet for the dirty cluster of buildings at Guelph Avenue and Queen Street. Parts of the complex date from the 1850s, when Hespeler was hacked out of the wilds of Upper Canada.

Fahel's purchase offer on the building closed Nov. 1. He takes possession Jan. 1. By then, he intends to have conceptual plans ready to display at a public meeting at the Hespeler library.

His goal is to have city rezoning approvals in place by summer, with work underway shortly afterwards.

Government money and community support is critical to making the transformation happen, he said.

"Heritage has to be innovative. It means a partnership with everybody, especially the (city) building department."

An environmental inspection of the site found no contamination, he said. And a structural inspection found no problems.

''The place is clean. The place is solid," Fahel said.

Heritage Cambridge president Kathryn McGarry applauded Fahel's plans. She's eager to offer expertise from her volunteer organization to help make it a reality.

Renovation of buildings is key to saving our history while rejuvenating old urban areas like Hespeler, she said.

"This can act like a seed project to have ripple effect through the downtown core," McGarry said.

"Having a huge project right on the doorstep (of downtown) is just superb."

Karen Grant, past chair of the Hespeler business improvement association was more succinct when she heard details of Fahel's vision.

"Oh my God. What a dream come true."

In all Fahel has about 3.2 hectares (eight acres) of land where the factory stands and downstream. There's another 23 acres of landlocked wetland upstream, between the CN rail line and the river, that came as part of the deal.

There's 194,000 square feet of space in the interconnected structures, created to meet the needs of changing production in the factory over the years. Fahel expects to demolish upwards of 40,000 square feet of utilitarian additions opening up space around the three main stone buildings.

It's disconcerting to walk through the factory today. Everything is frozen at the moment 58 workers walked out the door for the last time Sept. 13

Overhead, banners promote plant safety. At the main entrance, a notice on the employee bulletin board reminds workers to pick up severance packages at the office.

Yogin Chauhan was maintenance manger at American Standard for seven years. Today, he's overseeing the emptying of the building.

While closing down the factory isn't easy, Chauhan shares in Fahel's enthusiasm for turning it into a home for hundreds of people.

"Look at that view," he said while standing on the roof, pointing westward, down the Speed River.

"You appreciated it, but you didn't have the time to look at it. You always had to get back to work."


River plan gets kick start
November 12, 2007
KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/352658_3.JPG
A developer has big plans for the former American Standard plant in Cambridge.

Redevelopment of the former American Standard factory is the kick start needed for the city's stalled $9-million Hespeler river activation plan, says Mayor Doug Craig.

"This whole thing comes right to the front burner," he said.

Shawky Fahel, the Waterloo developer who purchased the 19th century factory complex, shares the mayor's vision.

"This is the catalyst for the whole revitalization and rejuvenation of Hespeler," Fahel said. "You have the heart of Cambridge history here. This building is majestic."

But for Coun. Rick Cowsill, who represents Hespeler, the Speed River plan has little future, despite promises of upscale condominiums and retail space in the heart of the old village.

There's little taxpayer money left for the grand scheme of parkland, trails and public squares along a cleaned-up river and mill pond, surrounded by renovated factory buildings, he said. And there's the reality of serious contamination nixing council's purchase of land at the core of the river plan.

"I'm almost at the point of suggesting its pretty well dead in the water. . . it's sad, but true," Cowsill said.

Most of the $3 million set aside for Hespeler was in 2005 was scooped last year to help fund a $6 million plan to bring a Drayton theatre to downtown Galt, along the Grand River.

Cowsill sees little chance of the needed money ever flowing back north, given the budget headaches he expects council to face this year.

Last month, council rejected buying a three-hectare (eight-acre) piece of contaminated former factory property along the east side of Guelph Avenue, north of the Speed River.

The city spent $250,000 on an environmental study of the lands, once owned by Simplicity products.

"The land is quite contaminated. It's one of the reasons the council decided not to go forward," Cowsill said.

"I didn't want to see council purchase that land. I could see we'd have to spend a hell of a lot money for remediation for what isn't really worth it."

The land purchase was merely put on hold, Craig said. "In my opinion, it is the key piece of property . . . what now puts it back on front burner in river activation is American Standard."

It's taken a long time to work with the provincial Environment Ministry about the contamination, which "kicked the life out of the project," Craig said.

There's still about $400,000 in the Hespeler river plan budget than can be used now, to link with American Standard redevelopment, Craig said.

"Rick and I don't share the same vision," he said.

Cowsill has on his own formed an ad hoc committee of Hespeler residents, to suggest a way to best spend the money left in the budget.

There's no suggestions yet, but Cowsill hopes "some little thing" can be done quickly.

"We're just brainstorming."

So far, all that taxpayers can see resulting from the $9-million plan is a $271,000 river lookout in Elliott Landing park on Queen Street East, and flower boxes on the Guelph Avenue bridge.

In case anyone is interested, check out Waterloo Region's New Local Section at SSP: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=295

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/SSPLocalWaterlooRegion.jpg

Region seeks tax hike balance
Costs rise as taxpayers seek more bang for their property tax dollars
November 15, 2007
JEFF OUTHIT - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION

Councillors may hike regional property taxes by up to 3.8 per cent next year to expand public services.

Proposed upgrades include hiring 15 more police officers, expanding transit, collecting more food waste in curbside green bins, and providing more support to the homeless.

Councillors could maintain current services, hire more police and repair more roads, with a tax increase as low as 1.8 per cent.

But some councillors figure taxpayers are willing to pay more, to get more services.

"I get calls from people, 'Can you give money for social services, can you put more police officers on the road, can ambulances get there faster,' " Chair Ken Seiling said yesterday.

Seiling figures council will hike taxes between two and three per cent in 2008, after whittling down a wish list.

"I want to be at the rate of inflation," said Coun. Jim Wideman, of Kitchener. Ontario inflation is currently at 2.3 per cent.

Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig said he will press for tax restraint.

"We're heading down a road here of too many staff, and it has to be curtailed," he said.

Regional budget deliberations began yesterday. Council intends to finalize its 2008 tax increase on Jan. 16.

Council is expected to increase the regional rate for water supply and sewage treatment by 13 per cent again next year.

The increase, the same as in 2007, will be built into retail rates charged to water customers by cities and townships.

Water and sewer costs are soaring to pay for water and sewer upgrades approved in principle last year.

Regional taxes make up half the average residential tax bill of $2,700. The other half is city or township taxes, and school taxes.

A regional tax increase of 3.8 per cent would add $51 to an average residential bill.

Regional government spending will exceed $900 million next year and is on track to top $1 billion by 2009.

You could just post links instead of entire articles...

You could just post links instead of entire articles...

I enjoy reading the posted articles thank you

You could just post links instead of entire articles...

Who even are you??

As welcome as you are, don't start trying to change things. We enjoy reading articles all in one spot (in this thread).

Thanks

Thanks Salmoncountry and thryve for your support. :cheers:

323 King Street North (Student Housing) | 57 m | 19 fl | Proposed
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141332

Student Housing
323 King Street North, Waterloo
Jamesway Construction


City of Waterloo, Committee of the Whole Meeting - October 22, 2007

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You guys do know that the SSC forum has had some bandwidth issues in the past right? In other sections they have rules which mandate that articles must be excerpted with a link instead of posted entirely for that reason. I was just offering a suggestion, but if the administration of the board has no problem with lengthy articles being posted several times a day then neither do I.

None of the administrators have ever messaged me to stop posting articles. Have you ever been to the Canada section where new articles are posted daily?

Westmount Grand Condos | 33 m | 11 fl | Proposed
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141164

City of Waterloo, Committee of the Whole Meeting - October 22, 2007

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Grand House
68 Roseview Avenue, Cambridge
http://www.wacsa.org/grandhouse/


BUILDING INFORMATION

The GRAND HOUSE CONSORTIUM is comprised of university students and professionals from Cambridge, Ontario and beyond, with the main objective to build a Ten-Bedroom Student Residence. We have secured property in Cambridge’s historic downtown, and construction is slated to begin in Spring 2007.

The 4,000 sqft building will provide affordable accommodation, a common kitchen, living space and bathrooms.

http://www.wacsa.org/grandhouse/projecthistory/new%20rendering.gif


PROJECT TIMELINE

The Grand House has undergone many preliminary challenges, and is now preparing for the start of construction. Here is a looked at our milestones, both past and future:

http://www.wacsa.org/grandhouse/images/timeline%20August%2007.jpg


WE ARE BUILDING!!!

We have started construction, both on site and in the shop. See the calendar (http://www.wacsa.org/grandhouse/people/people-volunteers.htm#calendar)below. The spaces in GREEN indicate volunteer spaces available on a first come first serve basis for any given day. Our schedule is currently for weekdays, but this will change over the coming weeks, so stay posted. We request that volunteers interested in volunteering can make a regular commitment - at least once per week or one weekend per month (when available).

To volunteer, you will need WHMIS training and once the floor decks are up (early October) we'll need fall arrest training for all volunteers interested in working on the construction site. Training sessions are also indicated on the calendar below. If you already have WHMIS you can start immediately, and can receive additional training when required.

If you would like to volunteer and start building or need to come for a training session, please contact us here (http://www.wacsa.org/grandhouse/contact/contact3.html).

Your name will go down (in green) on the calendar and we will expect you to be ready to help that day, we start at 8:00am.

If you cannot keep your time spot contact us ASAP, without good reasoning and adequate time, you may not be invited back - just to let you know. But please come out.

We have a great full-time crew and this is a great opportunity to learn some new skills and make a lasting difference in our community.

Need to find out where we are? Click here for a map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117664674215321532395.00043a6db4e85d6fa4ba8&z=15&om=1)

Dream becomes reality
Ambitious Grand House Student Co-operative takes shape
November 19, 2007
BARBARA AGGERHOLM - RECORD STAFF - CAMBRIDGE

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/358482_3.JPG
Chantal Cornu (left), executive director of the Grand House Student Co-operative project, gathers with apprentice builders (from left) Michelle Hannah, Ben Caesar, Melanie Scott (foreground) and Andrea Horan at the construction site on Ainslie Street in Cambridge.

On a steep slope in Galt's core, a residential building is rising out of the hill like a ship out of the waves.

It's the Grand House -- a project that is testament to the imagination, nerves of steel, sense of adventure, creativity and environmental passion of its young creators.

They've been challenged by soil conditions, a 45-degree slope and reluctant mainstream bankers.

But through it all, architecture graduate Chantal Cornu and fellow members of the Grand House Student Co-operative have never lost sight of the prize.

Today, the Grand House, an unusual, 12-bedroom student residence, is taking shape on a hill that fronts on Ainslie Street, near Water Street, in Galt's core.

The 4,500-square-foot, three-level building is under construction at a location few would have imagined for a residential building.

It's being built, furnished and outfitted with the environment in mind.

It's probably the first building in Cambridge to use straw bale construction.

The Grand House is the brainchild of Cornu, a graduate of the master's program of the University of Waterloo's School of Architecture.

Since she developed the idea from a master's thesis in 2004-05, the Grand House has gone from dream to reality.

"It has been a site that was in disuse," Cornu said. "We're making it part of the neighbourhood again."

It's not a university project, though many of the people involved are connected to UW.

"This is a first project that is built for and by students and has such a strong ecological contribution," Cornu said.

Cornu's group, mostly made up of students but drawing on expertise from professors, city officials and businesspeople, formed an incorporated non-profit housing co-op.

They researched possible sites, and found this rather odd piece of land, an old road allowance that was never opened.

Cornu and students raised the money to buy the property from the City of Cambridge.

A photocopy of a certified cheque for $49,835 is posted on the wall of their crowded, busy office in the School of Architecture, which is walking distance from the site.

That office, filled with charts, timetables, and a large student-made staircase propped against the wall, is the Grand House nerve centre.

There, Cornu and site supervisor Rick Hudspith direct traffic.

They're on the telephone and computer, looking for more building volunteers, reclaimed materials like wooden doors and sinks, as well as donated help from licensed plumbing, electrical and mechanical tradespeople.

They've already found dozens of businesses and individuals who have donated time, expertise and materials.

They're hoping more people will pitch in to work, and donate to their "buy-a-bale'' campaign.

They're raised about $87,000 of a new, second-phase fundraising goal of $180,000.

"We have four mortgages and we're trying to fundraise to pay one of them," Cornu said. "We can carry the debt for all four, but it will be more affordable for rent if we can pay back one."

Neighbours of the property and city building officials are impressed with the co-op's ability to manage the unique project.

It has meant more research and review for the city, to make sure it meets minimum standards and provincial legislation.

But the work is worth it, said Hardy Bromberg, chief building official for the City of Cambridge.

"They've done a great job," he said.

"My hat's off to them."

Rick Haldenby, who is no stranger to launching ambitious projects, is amazed at the students' results.

"No one at the School of Architecture has ever achieved anything like this -- turned their academic thesis directly into a real building," said Haldenby, the school's director.

Cornu and a group of architecture students have designed the building to have 12 bedrooms, six on each of two floors. There's a common kitchen, living space, bathrooms.

"It's a building that takes its position on the hillside," Haldenby said.

"The structure echoes the trees around it and the building has something of the aspect of a tree house.

"It's unique on several levels."

Due to the slope, "it's quite an engineering marvel," said Hudspith, a civil engineer with experience with unique residential building projects.

"For me, this is a fascinating project," he said.

"It's all about sustainability for the future."

"To see people this age committed to this. . . . If this our future, I have a lot of optimism."

Among its features, the Grand House has:


A micro-pile foundation system. Thirty micro piles were installed last month. They anchor 15 steel columns and a steel substructure into the ground.
Post and beam walls filled with 750 straw bales coated with cement-lime plaster which have an R40 insulation value.
Passive solar heating and cooling.
Rainwater harvesting for irrigation and toilets.
Heat-recovery system to extract energy from waste hot water.
Radiant floor heating.
Reuse of reclaimed building materials such as flooring, doors, fixtures.


By Christmas, the co-op group hopes the building frame will be up.

"If that happens, we'll have a huge party because then we can work inside" with apprentices, architecture students and volunteers from the community," Hudspith said.

The pace is dizzying.

"It's crazy," said masters architecture student Laura Knap, who is a lead director of the co-op, along with fellow masters student Andrew Haydon and Cornu. "But it's the area I want to do in architecture, to work in sustainable design."

It has been a lesson in financing, too.

"It's different from what I expected," Cornu said. "I didn't expect to spend a year solid to set up the financing. We had such a solid business plan we thought it would be easy."

But mainstream banks were reluctant to take them on.

"We're students and we have no equity," Cornu said. "The second barrier is we're building a co-op.

"There's no understanding these days in Ontario society about living alternatively."

So they turned to alternative credit lenders which are cooperatives, such as the Canadian Alternative Investment Co-op in Toronto.

The group hopes the Grand House will be ready for students to move in next May.

Before that, Grand House co-op members are asking people to help, in whatever way they can.

To find out what is needed, go to the Grand House website at www.wacsa.org/grandhouse.

Here's a recap of our High-Rise Developments:

Barrel Yards | 76, 76, 64, 64, 54.9, 36, 34 m | 25, 25, 21, 21, 18, 12, 10 fl | Approved
Centre Block | 67 , 46 m | 18 , 12 fl | Proposed
323 King Street North (Student Housing) | 57 m | 19 fl | Proposed
Bauer Lofts | 57 m | 15 fl | U/C
Arrow Lofts | 56 , 32 m | 16 , 8 fl | U/C
Schembri King St Student Apartments | 46 m | 15 fl | Proposed
560 Queen Street South Apartment Building | 43 m | 14 fl | U/C
Auburn Towers Apartments 2 | 40m | 13fl | U/C
Scott/Weber Apartment Building | 40 m | 12 fl | Approved
St. Mary's General Hospital Expansion & Renovations | 39 m | 10 fl | U/C
Waterscape | 38 , 38 m | 12 , 12 fl | Approved
Westmount Grand Condos | 36 m | 12 fl | Proposed
Icon Condominiums | 36 m | 11 fl | Proposed
UW Health Sciences Campus | 36 m | 8 fl | U/C
Andy's Apartments | 31 m | 10 fl | Completed

With 20+ new towers, I can only think of one word: BOOM :cheers:

You guys do know that the SSC forum has had some bandwidth issues in the past right? In other sections they have rules which mandate that articles must be excerpted with a link instead of posted entirely for that reason. I was just offering a suggestion, but if the administration of the board has no problem with lengthy articles being posted several times a day then neither do I.

I can see that being applied for images...but text/news articles aren't taking anymore than 10kb. Not only that, the majority of these articles are from The Record. Our local newspaper doesn't keep articles online too long before they go private and ask for a fee. This way we have them for an extended period of time.


Anyway, I had no clue 323 King Street North was to be 19 floors. Doesn't look too bad considering it's student housing.

Also, what's being expanded at St. Mary's? I work for GRH so I don't know too much about St. Mary's.

Ok, you have my permission to proceed.

Anyway, I had no clue 323 King Street North was to be 19 floors. Doesn't look too bad considering it's student housing.

Along with the 15-storey at 345 King Street North, the completed 10-storey Andy's plus it's 9-storey addition, and all the mid-rise construction around there, that area is becoming fairly dense. What we need though is ground-level retail on King Street. Apparently that's not a possibility right now, because that section of King isn't zoned mixed-use. This needs to change.

Also, what's being expanded at St. Mary's? I work for GRH so I don't know too much about St. Mary's.

St. Mary's Hospital Expansion & Renovations
911 Queen's Boulevard, Kitchener
Built By: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
Parkin Architects Limited
http://www.smgh.ca/~Media/media_news-details.asp?itemID=93
http://www.pcl.com/projects/Active/0900337/index.aspx
Video: http://www.smgh.ca/videos/video_high.aspx

St. Mary's General Hospital is in the final phase of an $89million redevelopment project.
In Phase 1 of the project the Cardiac Catheterization Suites were constructed and the Regional Cardiac Care Centre opened in February 2001.
Phase 2 included the expansion of the Emergency Department, which opened in April 2004.
St. Mary’s first Cardio Vascular Operating Room (CVOR) was built in Phase 3. A second CVOR has since been constructed and will be available for use in April 2005.
The final phase of the project will be complete in the summer of 2008. This phase of the project includes the addition of 100,000 square feet of new space and renovation of 90,000 square feet of existing space.


Patient room in CVICU: http://www.smgh.ca/_uploads/_whatsnew/931patientroomcvicu.jpg

Cardio Vascular Operating Room: http://www.smgh.ca/_uploads/_whatsnew/932April2105%20015.jpg

Emergency Department Lobby: http://www.smgh.ca/_uploads/_whatsnew/933registration2ER.jpg

Expansion Rendering:

http://www.pcl.com/media/files/Projects/09_Toronto/0900337_3_300.jpg

Construction Pic - September 2007 (http://www.pcl.com/projects/Active/0900337/index.aspx)

http://www.pcl.com/media/files/Projects/09_Toronto/0900337_1_300.jpg

Current Progress(as of September 2007):

Phase One - The new space for Nuclear Medicine was turned over to the Owner on schedule. Level 3 ICU/PCI Stepdown Unit is being completed in three stages: Phase 1.C.1, Phase 'No Work', and Phase 1.C.2. Phase 1.C.1 and Phase 1.C.2 were completed on time and turned over to the Owner on September 15, 2006 and October 10, 2006 respectively. Phase 1.C.2 is currently under construction and scheduled for completion on October 5, 2007.

Phase Two – Excavation, foundations, and slabs are 100% complete. The structural steel for the building envelope is ongoing including minor 3rd Floor framing. The north and south penthouse structures are complete including the roof, and mechanical and electrical work is ongoing. The main roof is 30% complete. The interior M&E rough-ins are underway and mockups are under review and/or approved. The block and studs are approximately 80% complete and drywall is complete for all electrical and elevator machine rooms. Phase Two completion is scheduled for April 2008 with the overall completion scheduled for August 2008.


Strike slows hospital renovations
Local officials assessing impact of construction union's job action
ANNE KELLY AND TAMSIN MCMAHON - KITCHENER (Jun 5, 2007)

http://www.therecord.com/images/kwr/kwr1061141_1.jpg
A labourers' strike has halted renovation work at St. Mary's Hospital.

Construction ground to a halt on a $50-million addition to St. Mary's Hospital because of a strike by unionized labourers.

Construction projects across the province were at a standstill after nearly 25,000 members of the Labourers' International Union walked off the job at midnight Sunday.

The strike affects government, commercial and industrial buildings, but not roadwork or residential projects.

About 800 workers belong to the union's Local 1081, which is headquartered in Cambridge and covers Waterloo Region.

The union represents general contractors who perform such tasks as cement mixing and excavations.

Other trade unions working on the 100,000-square-foot hospital expansion honoured the picket line, said St. Mary's president Moira Taylor.

The project is still on track, with occupancy scheduled for February and March.

Across the region, officials were left scrambling to assess how the strike would affect dozens of construction projects.

Only four workers constructing the University of Waterloo's $38-million pharmacy school in downtown Kitchener are involved in the strike, university spokesperson Michael Strickland said.

Work on the school, set to open in January, continued yesterday.

The strike likely affected construction on a new city hall in Cambridge, said Bob Paul, the city's director of facilities management.

He said he wouldn't know the full effect until after a construction site meeting today.

"It will have an impact, but I haven't been able to review that impact," he said.

"Hopefully, things will be settled soon and they'll be back on the site."

There are about 100 people working on the construction project, but Paul couldn't say how many were involved in the strike.

The city still plans to move into the building in December.

The union's contract lapsed on May 1, but officials said the job action stems from an internal dispute over contract language among the six groups that make up the bargaining association.

"We've been waiting for them to resolve the problems, but they've been unable to," said Patrick Little, the union's Ontario business manager.

"We just decided we had no choice but to withdraw our services."

Union leaders said the job action was not timed to follow a provincewide strike last week by crane and heavy equipment operators, which was resolved Wednesday.

Little said the union has planned pickets for one day only, but will reinstate them if they find out their jobs are being performed by other workers.

Having just weathered the weeklong crane operators strike, St. Mary's officials were hopeful the labourers' dispute will be short-lived, so the project isn't delayed. "We're crossing our fingers," Taylor said.

The hospital's addition was delayed earlier by unexpected work in the existing structure such a removal of asbestos and the replacement of the cafeteria roof, Taylor said.

Since then, the lost time has been made up.

The hospital has asked the province to cover the $8 million in unanticipated costs.

The request is based on a change in the provincial funding formula for hospital construction, which changed just a few months after the St. Mary's project began in April 2006.

The province increased its contribution to capital projects to 90 per cent from a historical 50 to 70 per cent.

http://www.kitchener.ca/images/logo_subpage.gif
For Immediate Release
Thursday, November 22, 2007

Large Retail Drug Store To Anchor New Downtown Redevelopment Project

KITCHENER - Kitchener's downtown is in for more exciting changes over the next few months with the announcement today of a new private-sector redevelopment project at the corner of King and College Streets that will feature a 20,000 square-foot Shoppers Drug Mart retail store.

Located right beside Kitchener City Hall, the large retail drug store is expected to open in March 2008 and will be a unique retail endeavor for Shoppers Drug Mart, considering the majority of its redeveloped stores are between 15,000 and 17,000 square feet in size.

The retail drug store on the main floor is expected to feature an expanded food component to meet the growing demand for food and services in the downtown which is a direct result of the influx of residential units currently being developed in the city core.

The new drug store will be a major expansion of Shoppers Drug Mart's presence in the downtown and will replace its current, much smaller downtown store, located at 31 King Street West.

"We are very excited to see this property come back to life and bring new energy to the core," said Mayor Carl Zehr. "It's just another exciting example on a growing list of investors and private-sector companies that are showing confidence in City Council's vision for a re-energized downtown and want to become a part of what we are building here in our core."

According to the real-estate developer and building owner, Bernie Nimer, Shoppers Drug Mart will occupy the first floor of the two-storey project. The second floor will be redeveloped and will feature tall ceilings and mezzanines throughout with the objective of attracting large-scale office uses of up to 25,000 square feet. Massive windows and skylights will allow natural light to pour into the redeveloped building.

The concept for the completely redesigned exterior is the design of local architect, Andrew Bousfield. The contemporary look will feature stainless steel stucco and natural stone elements. The uniquely integrated lighting will allow the building to come alive at night and the window elements will reflect Kitchener's industrial heritage.

The announcement of this redevelopment plan comes on the heels of the recent opening of David's Gourmet, a gourmet - food store that is located on the main floor of a redeveloped building at 179 King St. West.

"From the beginning, the City's plan and vision was to create a downtown where people will want to live, work and spend their free time," noted Rod Regier, the City's executive director of economic development. "We have been successful in creating the right conditions that are now attracting private sector interest and investment in our downtown."

In the coming days, City staff will be working with the two existing tenants of the building to find them alternative space within the downtown.

-30-

Images:

Store front
http://www.kitchener.ca/images/media_release_2007-10-22_store1.jpg

Store side
http://www.kitchener.ca/images/media_release_2007-10-22_store2.jpg

Store back
http://www.kitchener.ca/images/media_release_2007-10-22_store3.jpg

Building Permit:

Permit No 07121658
Site Address 238 KING ST W
Work Description PERMIT IS FOR THE INTERIOR FINISH OF SHOPPERS DRUG MART.
Status Under Review
Permit Category Non-Residential Alteration
Permit Type Commercial
Application Date November 14, 2007
Issued By
Issue Date
Final Date
Roll Number 301202000103600
Legal Description PLAN 374 LOT 151 LOT 152
Parcelid 50000087
Ward 1
Planning Community 1
Work Proposed Interior Finish
Construction Value 700000
Residential Units on Property
Reqrd Rear Yard (m)
Reqrd Left Side Yard (m)
Reqrd Right Side Yard (m)
Special Conditions
Contractor PETRETTA CONSTRUCTION INC
Contractor Contact Info 2504 BINDER CRES KITCHENER ON N0R 1L0 phone 519-737-1292 phone2 519-737-7007
LAND_USE_SUBCATEGORY COMMERCIAL
CENTROID_X 540973.39
CENTROID_Y 4811106.54
OBJECTID

This is exciting! I love surprises!

Is this the building that was King's College cinemas?

Also, it was noted that although two detached homes behind it will be torn down for a parking lot, once the store gains momentum, those parking lots will be replaced with a high-end condominium development.

Amen :cheers:

Thanks for that St. Marys Hospital stuff!

I'm undecided on that Shoppers building. It sort of looks reminiscent of the ugly buildings they built in the 1970's. I suppose it will depend on the materials they use, as in the renderings it just looks far too grey and plain. Nevertheless, it's always great to see development downtown.

A boost for Kitchener's core
Developer says Shoppers Drug Mart part of $6.5M downtown investment
November 23, 2007
MICHAEL HAMMOND - RECORD STAFF - KITCHENER

Shoppers Drug Mart will open a large store in downtown Kitchener in March as part of a $6.5-million redevelopment next door to City Hall.

Bernie Nimer, a local property developer who owns the building at the corner of King and College streets, said the Shoppers store will occupy 20,000 square feet of the existing building's ground level. The developer plans to convert the second storey into office space.

Nimer, who also redeveloped the old button factory at the corner of Victoria and Duke streets, said his latest project shows the drugstore chain believes better days are ahead for Kitchener's core.

"They're certainly taking a huge leap of faith going that big when everyone else tends to go out to the 'burbs," he said.

"They recognized that in the downtown, there was a void and they intend to fill that void."

The pharmacy will have a food section to serve the needs of condominium dwellers and office workers in the area. :cheers:

The building was once the site of the King Street Trio restaurant, which is now in Waterloo. It most recently housed a movie theatre. The structure was last given a facelift in 1987. Nimer has owned the property for 2 1/2 years.

The new Shoppers would replace the existing pharmacy at 31 King St. W.

Nimer said he has been in talks with a developer about relocating the Shoppers since April.

As part of the project, the building's exterior will undergo a major change, with the addition of grey stone features and large, floor-to-ceiling windows.

The announcement of the new pharmacy comes just weeks after David's Gourmet opened its specialty food store across from City Hall.

Two houses on College Street, behind the site of the new Shoppers, have been razed to make way for a parking lot. Nimer said the lot will help the pharmacy establish a customer base in the short term. Eventually, Nimer plans to convert the lot into a high-end condo development.

Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr said the new pharmacy is the clearest sign yet that more people are choosing to live downtown.

"Shoppers wouldn't be opening such a huge store if it wasn't for the increased number of people living here," he said.

"The word I've been using for the last year is momentum."

Zehr said the city needs to continue encouraging housing projects in the core in order to create the demand for businesses.

Mark Pettigrew, owner of the Casablanca Bookshop on King Street near City Hall, said he couldn't recall the last time a retailer as large as Shoppers made a large investment in Kitchener's downtown.

Along with the Centre Block redevelopment on the other side of City Hall, the Shoppers redevelopment suggests there is some sustained growth happening in the core, he said.

"I like the look of (the downtown) in the next five or six years, as long as they maintain the momentum," he said.

For these new businesses to succeed, the city has to ensure the Centre Block redevelopment doesn't get bogged down like the Kaufman Lofts project, where buyers have faced delays of up to a year, said Pettigrew, who has operated his business in the core for more than 20 years.

Besides being within walking distance of the Kaufman Lofts and Centre Block, the new Shoppers will be next door to the Eaton's Lofts.

Is this the building that was King's College cinemas?

Yes. I can't find a close-up of the building, I'll try to take a picture this weekend, but for now here is Cambridgite's (from Skyscraperpage) photo of King Street. The building we're talking about is on the right hand side with blue squares on the 2nd floor:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb210/Cambridgite/City%20Centre%20District/Picture225.jpg

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't stress enough how big of a deal this is for the downtown. Along with David's Gourmet, and the Market, we will now have a decent level of grocery services downtown. I personally plan to spend hundreds of dollars extra every year downtown as a result of this single store. I know I won't be alone. Take a look at the amount of food Shoppers Drug Mart sells:

http://shoppersdrugmart.flyerservices.com/cached_images/pages/SHOPR_e1b820e0-ac7e-4a44-9903-30ce65206b73_101_01_ff_z01_ont_nov17.jpg

http://shoppersdrugmart.flyerservices.com/cached_images/pages/SHOPR_bb1c0a1a-28d1-45c2-a5c0-512fe1db086f_101_02n03_ff_z01_ont_nov17.jpg

http://shoppersdrugmart.flyerservices.com/cached_images/pages/SHOPR_8df0d0fe-33cd-4863-ba53-8ab31b6181e3_101_04_ff_z01_ont_nov17.jpg

For lunch I had a salami sandwich and Brian ate some samosas. The food was good, and I can see myself spending $250-$500 per year at this store. In the future, I'll stop by here to grab a snack and pick up some bread and pasta, head down to the Wine Rack, back up to Shoppers for a few other groceries to cook at home, and then enjoy my meal on Kaufman's Roof-Top Patio. David's Gourmet is definitely a cool addition to King Street. :cheers:

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/DavidsGourmet-November242007.jpg

Compare that to a Pre-Construction Pic taken by Flar - June 2007

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k28/segaert/kitchener/00014.jpg

This article was displayed prominently in today's paper. There was a banner at the top of A1: "BUILDING CORE STRENGTH - Downtown Kitchener is enjoying a renaissance, with several stylish cafes and shops opening in recent months" :cheers:

Discovering core values
Downtown shops and eating spots a promising sign in Kitchener
November 28, 2007
MICHAEL HAMMOND - RECORD STAFF

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/365473_3.JPG
Vanja Lazic-Sikman and her husband, Alex, have opened the Maestro Cafe, a cosy, European-style cafe on King Street in downtown Kitchener. Several years ago, the couple operated the same kind of cafe in Bosnia.

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/365474_3.JPG
Exhibit Cafe staff members Lindsay Gamester (left) and Blair Hatch display menu items from the cafe, located at The Children's Museum.


There's something brewing in downtown Kitchener.

In recent months, King Street has welcomed a number of cafes and specialty shops to the much- maligned core, signalling to some that a revival has finally begun to gain momentum.

Jodi Koberinski's Exhibit Cafe is a good example. The organic, street-front eatery on the ground floor of The Children's Museum, opposite the Walper Terrace Hotel, opened a little more than a month ago.

Koberinski also runs an organic food business with partner Jay Carnahan in Millbank, northwest of Wellesley in Perth County. Echo Oils (Millbank Foods) produces oils, non-dairy frozen deserts and non-dairy milk products.

Koberinski and Carnahan initially considered opening a cafe in Waterloo to capitalize on the growing demand they saw for locally grown, organic food. When Koberinski noticed the children's museum was looking for a business to fill its former gift-shop space, she saw potential in Kitchener's core.

A few blocks away on King Street West, the Kaufman Lofts residential condominium project is nearing completion. The University of Waterloo's health sciences campus is also taking shape at King and Victoria streets.

With the Centre Block site near Kitchener City Hall expected to bring more condominiums to the downtown, some investors are betting that a revitalized King Street will fuel demand for everything from coffee to fresh flowers.

Last week, developer Bernie Nimer announced Shoppers Drug Mart will open a 20,000-square-foot store next March at College and King streets. It will replace the Shoppers store near the Walper hotel.

Koberinski says she is most encouraged by the fact the city isn't just trying to lure suburbanites to downtown shops. The focus seems to be on getting people to live downtown, she says.

And since the Exhibit Cafe opened, she says, she has seen an encouraging response from people looking for healthier food options.

"We test-marketed at the Hillside Festival in Guelph and the Kitchener Blues Festival to see if people were prepared to put their money where their mouths were . . . We really felt like we were coming into a community that was ready."

Koberinski says the cafe is an extension of her food business since it caters to those who want to eat healthy but don't have the time to cook. It specializes in healthy meal options with an emphasis on locally grown, organic food when possible. Since opening day, the cafe's non-dairy smoothie has been a popular seller, she says.

The cafe plans to add washrooms. It also hopes to obtain a liquor licence and extend its hours into the evenings.

EUROPEAN STYLE

A few steps away from the Exhibit Cafe, across Queen Street, a European coffee house called Maestro Cafe has also opened recently. Just below street level and reached by way of a winding staircase, it specializes in premium blended coffees, lattes and cappuccinos. Its stylish retro 1950s decor reflects a European flair.

Vanja Lazic-Sikman and her husband, Alex Lazic, opened the cafe in July, trying to recapture the feel of the cafe they operated in Bosnia 15 years ago.

Lazic-Sikman says the decision to open the cafe was influenced by the fact the downtown appears to be turning a corner.

"I think what's happening is really good for the downtown," she says.

"In Europe, everything happens downtown."

In addition to premium coffees, the duo serve desserts and lunch fare, plus wine and spirits for the evening crowd.

So far, Lazic-Sikman says, she and her husband have relied on word of mouth to build a customer base. She is encouraged that condo developments, like those planned for Centre Block, will encourage more people to stroll about the core and discover the Maestro.

SPECIAL FOODS

It's not just cafes that have opened in recent months. Across from Kitchener City Hall, David Ehrenworth opened his second David's Gourmet grocery store two weeks ago.

So far, he says, the response has exceeded his expectations.

"We're understaffed," he says with a chuckle. "We didn't think it would be as busy as it has been."

In the coming weeks and months, Ehrenworth says, he intends to increase the staff to 20 and adjust his product offerings to better suit the needs of downtown shoppers.

He also owns a gourmet food store on Northfield Drive in Waterloo and plans a third shop.

Ehrenworth is practical about doing business in the core. He says he began looking into opening on King Street mainly because the downtown had no grocery store.

"You have to come down here with a good idea and do it right," he says.

Since Kitchener's core still has a long way to go, Ehrenworth says there are a number of opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to tap unserved needs.

He has begun improving the exterior of the building that holds his 5,500-square-foot store. The exterior has been repainted and fitted with black granite tiles at ground level. Spotlights have also been installed.

The store stocks premium food items and offers catering. It also prepares fresh food items such as lasagna and deli sandwiches for lunch.

A self-described serial entrepreneur, meanwhile, is working on plans to open an indoor golf training facility on the ground floor of the Market Square retail-office building at King and Frederick streets.

Stephen Southern wants to open a Parmasters golfing centre with driving range simulators, sand trap practice areas, putting greens, a pro shop and a cafe.

When he unveiled his plans this summer, Southern said his biggest motivation in locating in Market Square was offering a golfing "health club" for the thousands of people who work in the core.

ENTREPRENEURS

The recent flurry of upscale businesses opening in the core is a signal that conditions for a revival are falling into place, says Bob Sharpe, an urban geography professor and associate dean of arts at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.

Sharpe, who has used downtown Kitchener as a model for study in his classes, says entrepreneurs are usually the ones who kick-start revitalizations.

"In the end, it's about getting investment in the downtown," says Sharpe, who lives near Victoria Park in Kitchener, just west of the downtown.

"That's a really good barometer of what is happening in the core."

Sharpe says Waterloo Region's hot real estate market is being fuelled by two demographic shifts, both favouring the downtown. Baby boomers are downsizing from their suburban homes, looking for smaller residences. And young professionals are looking for affordable, entry-level housing options.

Since downtown Kitchener has retained a good portion of its heritage buildings, there is an esthetic appeal to the core that draws the creative classes, Sharpe says.

A city's creative class is one factor that Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class, believes is the key to its economic success.

Sharpe says Kitchener has the necessary elements, such as a strong music scene and the potential for a vibrant theatre scene with venues such as the Registry Theatre on Frederick Street and the King Street Theatre on King, next door to The Children's Museum.

He recalls attending a play recently and being amazed at the atmosphere later as the crowd spilled onto King Street .

"It's almost as if I didn't recognize the place," he says.

SOME RECENT NEWCOMERS IN THE KITCHENER CORE:

DAVID'S GOURMET - 173 King St. W.
Food store with deli items, lunch bar, fair trade coffee, European chocolate, organic foods.

EXHIBIT CAFE - 10 King St. W.
Organic food cafe offers locally grown food options. Storefront location in The Children's Museum.

KRAVE - 25 Frederick St.
In the food court at Market Square. Freshly-prepared salads, stir-fries, pitas, fruits, smoothies and shakes.

LES FLEURS FLORAL BOUTIQUE - 10 King St. E.
Full-service floral shop with a French spin. "Contemporary" approach to floral design.

MAESTRO CAFE - 24 King St. E.
European-style cafe offers premium blended coffees, lattes and cappuccinos with lunch items and desserts.

TIME CAFE - 24 Eby St. N.
Sandwiches, soups, vegetarian dishes, Romanian and Greek pastries and desserts, all prepared without additives.

PAGE A1
T.O. groups invest in Kitchener district
Two Toronto investment groups see the potential for some "funky" developments in Kitchener's warehouse district, and put their money where their mouths are. SEE FULL STORY PAGE F1


Lang Tanning building sold
Toronto developer hopes to attract retail, restaurant and office tenants
December 01, 2007
MATT WALCOFF - RECORD STAFF - KITCHENER

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/367334_3.JPG
The former Lang Tanning building is located at Charles and Victoria streets in downtown Kitchener and covers most of the block.


Reflecting the revitalization of downtown Kitchener's Warehouse District, Toronto companies have agreed to buy the former Lang Tanning building and also the former Interior Hardwood Co. factory across Victoria Street.

Cadan Inc. , a real-estate developer specializing in converting properties to new uses, is to buy the old tannery, a warren of connected buildings dating to the 1890s that houses several dozen small businesses.

Although no plans have been finalized, Cadan hopes to attract retail, restaurant and professional office tenants to the 5.6-acre site, said Lana Sherman, managing director of the company.

Meanwhile, Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust announced yesterday it is to purchase the century-old former wooden-seat factory at 72 Victoria St. S. for $13.9 million.

The seller, Waterloo Warehouse Equities (Victoria) Ltd., spent $4.5 million turning the building into office space in 1999. It now houses eight tenants in 85,610 square feet of retro-trendy surroundings featuring hardwood floors and exposed beams.

Sherman said her company hopes to attract similar tenants to the 400,000-square-foot Lang Tannery building.

"People like designers, lawyers or accountants -- people who want funky office space, people who have interesting retail space," she said. "People who want open spaces so the restaurants can spill out into the courtyard."

Allied Properties said it expects its purchase to close in January. The sale of the Lang building from the current owners, construction company Ball Brothers Ltd., should close around New Year's, said real estate agent John Whitney of J.J. Barnicke Whitney Ltd.

Sherman and Whitney declined to say how much the Lang building is selling for.

The tannery, once the largest in the British Empire, closed in 1954. Ball Brothers bought the building, which fronts onto Joseph Street, 29 years later.

In its maze of walls, staircases and dead-end corridors, it houses a motley collection of small businesses, including martial arts studios, artists' workshops, and wood shops.

While Sherman said she cannot make any promises, Cadan has no plans to evict any of the building's current tenants.

"We don't have a plan to kick people out," she said. "We really want to develop around the people that are there."

Cadan's first move will be to clean up the building and improve access to it for both current and future tenants, Sherman said.

"Our initial focus is just going to be on clearing it up and restoring it and unlocking its inner beauty," she said.

More details about Cadan's plans for the building will come in a formal announcement in the next few weeks, she said.

Cadan also owns the Palisades Kitchener retirement residence on Benton Street. Although the company has not ruled anything out, Sherman expressed skepticism about putting residences in the Lang building.

"In the city right now, I'm not sure people need any more lofts," she said.

The 72 Victoria St. S. building will be Allied Properties' only holding outside of Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec City.

In a statement, Michael Emory, chief executive officer of Allied Properties, said Kitchener's Warehouse District is a promising market.

"It's an emerging urban neighbourhood with the same historic character and mix of uses that have made our current target markets so successful."

Because Allied Properties is in a regulatory quiet period, Emory declined to speak further on the building purchase.

I know this is last minute notice, but a few people from SSP are getting together for lunch today at the Fox and Fiddle, Uptown Waterloo @ 12 Noon. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join us.

SATURDAY (Tomorrow) there is going to be a demonstration at Kitchener City Hall in support of War Resisters who are in Canada seeking safety from the American government.

2-4:30pm

Come on out!

BOOOO. Kick them out back to America where they belong. We don't want them here.

Because they have a conscience?

Because when they joined the army they made a COMMITMENT to do whatever they were ordered to. They knew full well they might be sent to fight in dangerous places and yet they still CHOSE to join. You can't join the army thinking you're only gonna stay safe in your own country, then when the shit hits the fan suddenly bail. I don't want Canada to become a haven for those kind of people. They should go back to the US and face the consequences of their choices.

SATURDAY (Tomorrow) there is going to be a demonstration at Kitchener City Hall in support of War Resisters who are in Canada seeking safety from the American government.

2-4:30pm

Come on out!

How did things turn out? Any pics?

It was great... although the weather cut it a bit short.
I'll post pictures in a bit.

It's been a while since I've been in this forum, but that Shoppers Drug Mart building will blend in nicely with downtown Kitchener.

BTW, did any of yous know and hear on the news, that...

Kitchener is Ontario's happiest city and fourth in Canada. I'm not at all surprised by that, with all the good things have been happening in Kitchener (and Waterloo and Cambridge) over the last two decades!

Student Housing
323 King Street North, Waterloo
Jamesway Construction


Has this project been approved and when is it scheduled for completion?
Is it all for student rental or are the units being sold as condos?

http://transitea.region.waterloo.on.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=15

Re: High-speed transportation project

It baffles me that people aren't outraged about spending so much money on a project so expensive with so little gain for the community. To me this is a legacy project that politicians have jumped on to to have their names associated with it. Even the cheapest solutions will be overkill for fifteen years.

What we have now serves our community adequately at worst.

IMO better uses would be.


Building a rapid transit system to Pearson International Airport.
At least an eight lane bridge across the Grand River between Fairway Rd and Sportsworld immediately with a HOV lane
Wrap the expressway around the city. It should have been done a long time ago and planned originally.
Better city traffic flow. There is no long term plan to prevent traffic jams
A decent welcome sign on the 401. Welcome to the Worlds Smartest Community!
Better train station
Go! service
Rapid transit from King and University to King and Frederick St.


This community has a lot to offer but rapid transit from the rural town of St. Jacobs to South Cambridge is a terrible use of limited resources, not to mention what it would cost in additional taxes. We are a community of drivers, not riders.

I swear it's political greed. You're welcome to disagree. :)

Kitchener is Ontario's happiest city and fourth in Canada. I'm not at all surprised by that, with all the good things have been happening in Kitchener (and Waterloo and Cambridge) over the last two decades!

Heh, if they included Waterloo in the Kitchener ranking then the happiness value should be depressed by all the stressed out UW students (like myself)? :lol:

It baffles me that people aren't outraged about spending so much money on a project so expensive with so little gain for the community.

Yes, residents do sure love to sit in endless red lights. :nuts:

To me this is a legacy project that politicians have jumped on to to have their names associated with it.

The same can be said with any significant public project. Everyone needs an excuse to hog the limelight.

Even the cheapest solutions will be overkill for fifteen years.

Chances are this project will be complete in fifteen years as well, by which time the cost of not easing congestion in one of the fastest growing cities in the country become obvious.

What we have now serves our community adequately at worst.

So what about in 15 years, when the region has another 100,000 residents and the cost of driving becomes expensive?



Building a rapid transit system to Pearson International Airport.
At least an eight lane bridge across the Grand River between Fairway Rd and Sportsworld immediately with a HOV lane
Wrap the expressway around the city. It should have been done a long time ago and planned originally.
Better city traffic flow. There is no long term plan to prevent traffic jams
A decent welcome sign on the 401. Welcome to the Worlds Smartest Community!
Better train station
Go! service
Rapid transit from King and University to King and Frederick St.



1) We need a dedicated high-speed rail line from Kitchener to Pearson? Okay...

2) Highway 8 is already being widened.

3) Good luck overcoming the immense civic opposition in doing so.

4) The only solution on the horizon is to coax more people out of their cars, which this plan should do.

5) That's a few million at most, which is basically spare change.

6) No disagreement there.

7) No disagreement there. Ideally there should be an intermodal terminal where the CN line and King intersect, but it doesn't look likely. :(

8) That corridor is within walking distance of the proposed line.

This community has a lot to offer but rapid transit from the rural town of St. Jacobs to South Cambridge is a terrible use of limited resources,

Of course, the solution is to expropriate homes and properties to pave it all over.

not to mention what it would cost in additional taxes.

As opposed to the additional taxes that will be necesary to build and maintain miles and miles of new highways, and the economic and social costs of congestion.

We are a community of drivers, not riders.

Yes, yes, yes, we've heard that again and again. If we're going to project ourselves as the world's smartest community, we at least need a workable transport system.

I swear it's political greed.

And politicians who propose massive highways are doing so out of alturism.

You're welcome to disagree. :)

Thank you. :)

It's been a while since I've been in this forum, but that Shoppers Drug Mart building will blend in nicely with downtown Kitchener.

Yeah it's an awesome project. Shoppers is a very successful retailer averaging $974/sq ft in sales. As an estimate, the Downtown Kitchener store should pull in $19.5 million. :)

Interior Construction - December 26, 2007
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Shoppers%20Drug%20Mart%20Redevelopment/260KingStreetWestKitchener-Shopp-1.jpg

BTW, did any of yous know and hear on the news, that...
Kitchener is Ontario's happiest city and fourth in Canada. I'm not at all surprised by that, with all the good things have been happening in Kitchener (and Waterloo and Cambridge) over the last two decades!

Just call us Happytown, Ontario
Region ranks #1 in the province, and #4 in Canada, for satisfaction
December 29, 2007
LUISA D'AMATO - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION

Do you catch yourself smiling for no reason?

Whistling while you work?

Skipping instead of walking?

Then you probably live here.

The people who live in the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area -- which includes all 451,000 people in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, North Dumfries and Woolwich Township -- are actually the happiest people in Ontario, and the fourth-happiest in all of Canada.

That's according to University of British Columbia economics professor John Helliwell, who analyzed 100,000 responses to surveys taken by Statistics Canada in 2002 and 2003.

People were asked: "How satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?" and gave a response from zero (not satisfied at all) to 10 (ecstatic).

Responses from the Kitchener census area scored 8.2 out of 10, higher than the 7.8 score for Ottawa, Hamilton and Toronto.

Saint John, N.B., was highest with a score of 8.6, followed by Quebec City and then Charlottetown.

Helliwell said it's no coincidence that the happiest cities are also the medium-sized and smaller ones.

"In general, in Canada, the rural areas are happier than the urban areas," he said in an interview yesterday.

Big cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver may seem glamorous, but people living there are less likely to know and trust their neighbours -- and that has a big influence on their sense of well-being.

"The single biggest factor (into why people are happy) is the extent to which people think their neighbours can be trusted," said Helliwell.

By contrast, folks who live in the Kitchener census area are more likely to trust their neighbours than the average Canadian is, Helliwell said.

Residents of different cities were asked if they lost a wallet with valuables inside, and it was found by their neighbours, what were the chances of it being returned intact?

They were offered a scale of zero (no chance of return) to one (absolutely certain to be returned).

Waterloo Region residents gave a score of 0.75, higher than the Canadian national average of 0.65.

Across Canada, Montreal dwellers are least like to trust their neighbours, and people in Saint John, Charlottetown and Moncton are the most trusting.

There's also some truth to the old saying that money can't buy happiness.

Calgary, one of the richest places in Canada with an average household income of $85,000, is also one of the unhappiest cities. Charlottetown, Moncton, St John's and Halifax, all in the top 10 of happy locations, also all have household incomes of less than $50,000 a year. Waterloo Region's average household income is $68,000.

If your neighbours get richer, but you don't, you can actually become more unhappy, said Helliwell.

In the end, life satisfaction is about being connected to other people, he said.

Lots of local people could tell you that without doing a study.

Carl Norg, owner of Carl's Choice Meats in Brantford, is at the Cambridge Farmer's Market every Saturday, where his staff make a point of joking and chatting with more than 100 regular customers each week.

They don't just come to the market for meat, they come for a smile, to see other people they know, maybe stop for a coffee and a chat.

"It's an experience in their life that they need," Norg said.


HAPPY'S TOP TEN

1. Saint John, N.B
2. Quebec City, Que.
3. Charlottetown, P.E.I.
4. (tie)Kitchener; Moncton, N.B.
6. St. John's, N.L.
7. Saskatoon, SK
8. Regina, SK
9. Winnipeg, MB
10. Halifax N.S.

Source: University of British Columbia study


Happy to be here
December 29, 2007
THE RECORD

In the never-ending quest for that elusive holy grail called happiness, people have traversed heaving oceans, sweated in gold fields and scaled treacherous mountains to ask sages the meaning of life. Perhaps they should have come to Waterloo Region.

It turns out this is the happiest community in Ontario and the fourth happiest in Canada, according to a new University of British Columbia study. After sifting through the results of two recent national surveys, economics professor John Helliwell concluded that in the entire country, only the citizens of Saint John, N. B., Quebec City and Charlottetown, PEI, were more satisfied with life than the residents of this region -- and only by a bit.

Why we in this region are so overwhelmingly content tells us a lot, not only about this community, but about the meaning of happiness itself. Sure, there a far richer cities in Canada -- like Calgary. There are bigger, more cosmopolitan cities, like Toronto.

There are cities with more beautiful settings, like Vancouver, or milder climates, like Victoria. There are even more stylish, culturally vital cities, like Montreal. But none of those communities, overall, come close to being as happy as Waterloo Region.

To be sure, this region is very prosperous; it holds out great opportunity for those who aspire; it has great schools and is safe, with a crime rate that is low even by Canada's low standards. But happiness involves more than even these things rolled together.

It's not surprising that the happiest communities in Canada are small or mid-sized cities. Those places boast most of the job and educational amenities found in bigger urban centres; but they lack the stresses, inconveniences and annoyances that accompany living, working and getting around in the truly huge metropolises.

Beyond that, mid-sized urban areas have not grown so big that their citizens feel out of touch with or alienated from their neighbours and their community at large.

Prof. Helliwell's happiness study does more than just reflect well on Waterloo Region. It reminds us that, in our search for better lives, we should look beyond income levels, productivity, real estate values and the kind of car parked in the driveway.

We should look to the human connections that make us feel valued, watched over and even loved. We need money to put clothes on our backs and food on our tables. We need a healthy, working, livable community with lots of people we know to be truly happy.


The region's happiness rating is no surprise
January 02, 2008
Anbrin Naqvi

The fact that the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area (basically Waterloo Region) has been classified as number one in terms of happiness comes as no surprise to me.

Being a new immigrant to the area, after arriving 14 months ago, and experiencing the general contentment of the people, my young son made the comment that this is living proof of Einstein's E=MC-squared theorem, meaning that there are "many contented" people living in Canada's Technology Triangle.

It would be unjust not to mention some of the local initiatives that have been contributing factors toward this end. One such event is the Festival of Neighbourhoods, which encourages people to leave their front porches and socialize, and also to get acquainted with their neighbours at the same time -- hence contributing to our general well-being.

When we first moved here, there were many who said that, "This is a very close-knit community" and therefore we were a little concerned on the issues around integration and being accepted. But the process has been fairly rapid, primarily due to the open-hearted attitude of the people. Everyone here loves to pitch in and help whenever needed. People here seem to be strong advocates for an "all-inclusive community."

As a child I was taught that, "no man is an island" and that, "man is gregarious specie." We should never stop building the human connections network.

Let's keep it up.

Anbrin Naqvi, Kitchener

Student Housing
323 King Street North, Waterloo
Jamesway Construction

Has this project been approved and when is it scheduled for completion?
Is it all for student rental or are the units being sold as condos?

It was approved on October 22, 2007 and is geared to student rentals.

urbanfan89: Good job defending LRT :) We've been having a discussion on the project over at: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=127784 In fact we have our own local section on SkyscraperPage: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=295 Everyone should check out those links if you haven't already.


Is region on the right track?
A new study ranks 94 possible options for better public transit in Waterloo Region. Leading the list is a rapid-rail system with a first-phase cost of more than $300 million
January 08, 2008
JEFF OUTHIT AND KEVIN SWAYZE - RECORD STAFF - WATERLOO REGION

Costly electric trains are strongly favoured over cheaper buses in the latest study on a proposed rapid transit system.

Planners have now ranked 94 options for dozens of possible routes still under review in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.

Trains are favoured in six of the seven top options.

"The advice from others is that the light rail is probably the preferred route to go," Regional Chair Ken Seiling said yesterday. "It gives you a higher degree of ridership. It has a better track record of attracting investment."

Planners who took part in the regional study are pitching rapid transit as a way to lure buildings to neighbourhoods near transit stations.

This is to help meet a provincial demand that 40 per cent of new homes be built in urban areas by 2015.

"Rail has a better ability to focus development around stations," said Yanick Cyr, rapid transit project director. "It's seen as more permanent.

"Even if it's a more expensive system, it brings more benefits to the community."

Rapid transit has yet to be approved, and construction remains several years away at the earliest.

It's estimated rail transit would cost up to $306 million to build for just a first phase in Kitchener and Waterloo. That's in 2004 dollars.

Planners contend rapid transit will draw the riders it needs to be viable, even though few residents use public transit today.

Cambridge residents offered support but also skepticism in interviews near Hespeler Road.

Hans Hansen grew up in Toronto and laments the lack of rapid public transit in Cambridge.

"Here, I'm trained to drive because transit isn't developed," he said, while pumping gas into his truck at a filling station.

He doesn't like driving on Hespeler Road to head south into old Galt because "it really looks junky," traffic is thick and Grand River Transit service isn't convenient to his house.

Guy Weatherston agrees Hespeler Road is "pretty congested" with traffic but isn't convinced there's much government can do to change it.

He's indifferent to rapid transit plans -- he wouldn't use it.

Of the options, a rapid transit route "down the middle would be good," he said. "I don't know how much it would be used."

Christina Lahey sees little hope for rapid transit on car-centric Hespeler Road.

"They're dreaming," said Lahey, who walks the busy road after work. "I won't be around to see it."

It has not been determined if a Cambridge rapid transit route should travel along Hespeler Road, through Preston, or through both areas.

In the latest findings of a $2-million transit study, 94 bus and train options are ranked by 21 criteria, including ridership, cost, environmental impact and community benefits.

The only place where buses outperform trains is in the Sportsworld area of south Kitchener and north Cambridge. There, buses have the edge because they would draw more riders at much less cost.

In most other places, planners contend trains will draw more riders and also outperform buses in other ways, despite costing more.

Later this year, planners intend to narrow rapid transit options to five complete routes. These would include train routes, bus routes, and possibly a route mixing both.

"The next step is to do a cost-benefit analysis on complete systems," Cyr said.

The provincial government has pledged to pay two-thirds of construction costs for an approved first phase in Kitchener and Waterloo.

Regional council wants the federal government to pay the remaining one-third of costs but has yet to secure a commitment.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


To answer the question "Is region on the right track?" YES!

"The advice from others is that the light rail is probably the preferred route to go," Regional Chair Ken Seiling said yesterday. "It gives you a higher degree of ridership. It has a better track record of attracting investment."

"Rail has a better ability to focus development around stations," said Yanick Cyr, rapid transit project director. "It's seen as more permanent.

"Even if it's a more expensive system, it brings more benefits to the community."

Our politicians and planners have things right. :cool:

No crabby comments please. :cheers:

Crabby Joe's
70 King Street East, Kitchener
http://www.crabbyjoes.com/locationsall.htm

(COMING SOON!)

January 12, 2007:

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/2008%20Singles/CrabbyJoes-70KingStKitchener-Januar.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/2008%20Singles/CrabbyJoes-70KingStKitchener-Jan-1.jpg

It's great to see Uptown businesses doing well. :cheers:

In terms of the parking issue, what we have here is the 'old guard' who want to protect surface parking spaces, but the new businesses recognize they need to go. It's a transitionally time, but as you can see, the new views in Uptown are winning. :)

will.exe: since you're from London, would you be able to tell us a bit about Channer's?

Creating a 'destination'
Willis Way merchants are bullish on plans for the Waterloo core
January 16, 2008
MICHAEL HAMMOND - RECORD STAFF

http://news.therecord.com/images/assets/389520_3.JPG
Waterloo retailer David Boyes stands in front of his home decor boutique, which fronts on Willis Way and is attached to the Shops of Waterloo Town Square mall. The building on the right will be home to the new Channer's clothing store at King Street South and Willis Way. It's to open April 1.


A year after opening a home decor business on Willis Way in downtown Waterloo, David Boyes can't wait to see what will happen next.

He's not the only one eagerly watching development plans for Waterloo's core.

Teresa Huegle, co-owner of Angie's Kitchen on Erb Street West, is also waiting to see where development is headed, although with less optimism.

Boyes, who operated a home decor store in the Belmont Village shopping area in Kitchener seven years ago, admits he took a chance when he opened David Boyes Home Concepts on the south side of the Shops at Waterloo Town Square mall. The store fronts on a newly created extension of Willis Way.

The move has paid off. Willis Way is now almost fully occupied with specialty shops offering spa packages, gourmet pizza, specialty pet foods and clothing. More stores are set to open near King Street, including Channer's, a family-owned retail clothing business, which is branching out from its London, Ont. store.

Boyes is a big believer in the Waterloo core. He's seen his customer base steadily grow in his first year on Willis, but he's also thrilled, he says, to be attracting customers from Toronto, London and other cities.

"Even with some missing facets, we've become a terrific destination," he says of Willis Way. "We've seen progressive growth in business."

Looking out the front windows of Boyes' store, customers will notice the south side of Willis Way has yet to be developed and is currently being used for parking.

A number of these parking spots along Willis will continued be needed when the city's proposed civic square takes shape around the corner in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart on the King Street side of the mall.

While there is some enthusiastic support for the concept of a civic square -- with green space, a water wall, an amphitheatre-style seating area and a skating rink -- there are also questions about where Waterloo's core is headed.

As parts of the downtown, such as the south side of Willis Way, are being primed for more growth, some question whether it's too much too soon.

Huegle, who's been involved with her family's diner for 35 years, says the civic square idea is the "wrong project at the wrong time."

She sees the parking spaces as crucial to attracting customers to the core. Since there are still few high-density housing developments close to the downtown, eliminating parking is a crucial mistake, she says.

And, she adds: "It's tough to get into (parking) lots for some of these places. People are strategizing before going to the downtown."

Since the civic square site is also being proposed for a future light rail station, Huegle fears the city is wasting money on a beautification plan that could be short-lived.

She also wonders why so little has been said about replacing parking spaces that will be lost to the civic square and future developments along Willis Way.

Despite her concerns, Huegle is a big believer in Waterloo's core.

For his part, Boyes says he's keen to see how the rest of Willis Way will be developed, not to mention the civic square.

"It will give it more of that destination strip feel," he says.

Although Boyes sees downtown development from a different point of view, he says he shares some of Huegle's concerns about parking.

"I think that they have to consider moving away from ground-level parking to some manner of a raised structure. If they do go in that direction, they'll have to maintain that architectural esthetic."

While no decisions have been made about a new parking garage, the City of Waterloo has explored the issue with a consultant and identified the project as a long-term priority.

Boyes knows something about esthetics. His spacious 4,400-square-foot store has soft lighting that creates a subtle ambient touch. A loft perched over the retail area gives the store a sense of home.

Boyes knows that Waterloo's core is gaining a reputation that draws comparisons with The Beaches area in Toronto. And if the core is to continue attracting people who otherwise wouldn't come here, he says, the parking issue must be addressed soon.

Another issue Boyes is aware of is the "high-end" reputation that Waterloo is gaining in some circles.

"There's this impression that we are probably costly and high-end. And that's just not true," he says.

In many respects, Boyes says, the core is simply responding to the same economic changes that Waterloo as a whole is undergoing as a result of its booming knowledge-based economy.

In his own store, Boyes not only does interior design consulting, but heads a team that scours the globe, he says, for unique home decor pieces. It also designs custom furniture.

Boyes insists that he doesn't strive to be a high-end shop. He prefers the term boutique. It would be hard to imagine a dog roaming the shop, but Boyes' own dog, a three-kilogram chihuahua named Javier, greets customers daily. And Boyes will let customers bring their dogs in as well.

Still, Willis Way -- the name honours the late Jim Willis, a City of Waterloo engineering director -- clearly has taken on an upscale feel. The Waters Spa bills itself as an urban spa retreat. And a few doors down, pedestrians can eat at Gourmet Pizza or the Thai Sun restaurant.

Donna Swinson, co-owner of the Lilies White flower shop on Willis Way, moved the shop to Waterloo's core from the hamlet of Mannheim, just west of Kitchener, in July of 2006.

Swinson has a pragmatic outlook when it comes to downtown Waterloo.

Few of her customers have complained about not being able to find parking, she says. Most seem to understand what to expect when visiting a bustling core.

"People will always complain about parking. You can't expect to find a spot unless you drive around a bit."

While there are people who oppose the civic square because of the inconveniences it will cause, Swinson says those inconveniences are simply a sign of a successful downtown.

Right from the get-go, she says, her store has seen steady traffic, which she credits in part to people living nearby at the Seagram lofts, on Caroline Street near the west end of Willis Way.

Like Boyes, Swinson says she is looking forward to the next phase of Willis Way's development. She's not concerned about the future loss of parking spaces on the south side of the street.

Craig Beattie, director of development for First Gulf Corp., the company overseeing Willis Way's transformation, says the company has "exciting" plans for the south side of the street but that they are not at a point where they can be made public.

Construction of the civic square is to begin in April. The job should be complete by November.

This is an awesome opportunity to showcase our area. :okay:

Liberal caucus set to descend upon Kitchener
January 09, 2008
PHILIP JALSEVAC - RECORD STAFF - KITCHENER

Amid increasing speculation about a federal election, as many as 160 Liberal MPs and senators will gather for a brainstorming session in Kitchener this month. :D

Karen Redman, the party whip and member for Kitchener Centre, said she suggested the Kitchener meeting more than a year ago.

More recently, "we were bouncing around places to go," she said. "And we know there is going to be an election sooner or later, and southwestern Ontario has been traditionally a stronghold for the Liberals.

"So, people were keen on coming to Kitchener."

The caucus meets weekly in Ottawa when the House is sitting. But MPs and senators venture out twice a year across the country for more in-depth sessions.

The intensive meetings deal with issues, strategy and "themes and overarching issues," Redman said.

The caucus will meet in private session Monday, Jan. 21, and Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the Holiday Inn on Fairway Road in Kitchener.

Party Leader Stephane Dion is expected to speak to the media at the end of the Jan. 22 session.

He will also speak at a Liberal party rally and reception for the caucus and members of local riding associations on Jan. 21 at the Concordia Club in Kitchener.

As well, the visit will allow some "community outreach" by various caucus members after the session ends sometime around noon on Jan. 22.

For instance, Kitchener-Waterloo MP Andrew Telegdi is helping organize a visit to the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo.

Members will also visit the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics before going to a meeting at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. :)

Telegdi said he's inviting senior administration officials, faculty association and student union members at the UW, Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College to attend the event at the centre, which will involve a roundtable discussion on post-secondary education, research and development.

Redman said Saint John MP Paul Zed and members of the Liberal urban communities caucus plan to meet municipal government leaders.

"I'm thrilled," Redman said. "Andrew and I are pleased to showcase Waterloo Region and to show what our cities and the region has to offer. There is a lot of attention being given to our community because it is so innovative. And we're on the cutting edge of so many things."

However, the one topic that will likely be uppermost in everybody's minds is the prospect of a looming federal election, she said.

"Clearly, election readiness is on everybody's radar screen."

As we excitedly await the redevelopment of the big field in the centre of the Seagrams Lands, where the Balsillie School of International Affairs (and possibly a law school)* will go, it's a shame to see that the three luxury apartments in the 7 Father David Bauer Drive building haven't been bought yet. Strange, considering what a beautiful building it is in a cute location which is set to take off in the next few years.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/686/jan138ud5.jpg

I love the classic streetscape, with wooden hydro poles and wires hanging right outside the dormer windows on this building. A very classic streetscape. :) The developer is now building a covered garage behind the building perhaps for the apartments' future owners to park their cars. Had I the money (I'm too young), I would live in that building in an instant.

Cool news though- a new cafe called CASA MIA is coming to the base of that building, fronting the sidewalk. It will open this spring.

Meanwhile, something very exciting is in store for the other side of Willis Way, we've heard. Although the public cannot know for a few months (a guesstimate) it will probably consist of something like a very high-end hotel, with some special feature. Not sure what that feature is... but something unique and civic... maybe a small parkette? A green roof? Can't say for sure. Unfortunately, the city has refused to give financial help to the endeavour.

*which would have been much more exciting had First Gulf been given a chance on these lands... they were interested and were going to put money down... but the city council made a poo poo decision.

Awesome news on the cafe, Thryve. That area needs it and I will be a frequent customer.

Update:

The entire ground level will be the home to that cafe.

What? I think I just found my future hangout.

Cool news though- a new cafe called CASA MIA is coming to the base of that building, fronting the sidewalk. It will open this spring.


Hopefully it's good and not a typical overpriced, pseudo-urban cafe full of pretentious university goers.

Hopefully it's good and not a typical overpriced, pseudo-urban cafe full of pretentious university goers.

That's actually what I was hoping for.

^^ Me too.

What I pay for a small coffee at some of those places could get me a 6-pack. :cheers:

Cool news on the cafe, but why haven't the three luxury apartments sold? Where are they being advertised (I haven't seen anything in the Real Estate books)?

Actually, since then I've learned that one or two have indeed sold. It'd be a great place for profs at the new Balsillie school to live in, or someone who works at CIGI.

They'll sell, don't worry. I am dying to see what they are like inside.

Two of the apartments are currently being offered for rent on the MLS system. The one bedroom is $1550 per month and the two bedroom is $2600 per month.

Here's the scoop: http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=6414810 and http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=6414811

Why hasn't this thread been updated lately, are there no new developments going on?!

In today's "Record" there is liquor license post for the former Passions Lounge on King St. downtown Kitchener...the new establishment will be called "Lucky's Wings." Lets hope it draws a different crowd than the seedy Passions did.

Any updates on the Icon lofts where the Sammys Garage used to be?
Has anyone been to the new Stages club called "Dallas?"
I'm really hoping "the block that rocks" gets cleaned up soon...

The K/W/C forumers have migrated over to SSP b/c of the SSP:Local page they got (beats this single thread). http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=295

Yeah, but you can't use a web-based email address to sign up there, which I think is really unfortunate. Way to cut out a BUNCH of us who would be good contributors.

I have sooo much insider info. or news I could post there but I'm not a member so... I can't. :nuts:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Anyways, here is a Bauer Lofts update:


From King Street:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8066/march22200829dg0.jpg

From Allen Street:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4430/march22200822qz7.jpg

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4411/march22200825hb6.jpg

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/587/march22200826er6.jpg

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8976/march22200828jd9.jpg

^^ just create a canada.com account, it works for ssp
you only have to give your name, username, and password
https://members.canada.com/registration.aspx?ReturnUrl=http://webmail.canada.com&track=email

Here's a picture of the skyline taken from the East End. Unfortunately all I had was a 18-55 lens on me at the time of the picture, so it's not too close. On top of that, it was -16 out, I had no tripod, and was using a pile of dirt and snow as some form of level surface. Nonetheless, it's nice to see K-W at night time. I'll take another one next time I have a better lens on me, this was kind of spontaneous. Also, if anybody has any notable vantage points to take a skyline shot from, let me know. In the next coming weeks I want to get a nice one for the Wikipedia page on Kitchener. :nuts:

http://i25.tinypic.com/107m0ja.jpg

Btw, feel free to post this on the SSP boards (I couldn't bother waiting 24 hours for activation).

From Highland and Queen's Boulevard, or Highland where they are building that big infill development/subdivision.

Awesome viewpoint that makes the skyline look much denser.

Take that, Thunder Bay.

I'd love to take some night photos of KW but any night photos I take look really bad. Is there a special type of camera you have to use?

You'll need a tripod to steady the camera. ;)

I'd love to take some night photos of KW but any night photos I take look really bad. Is there a special type of camera you have to use?

Anything that can take at least a 15-30 second exposure and a tripod. I believe the one I took above was taken on a Nikon D40 (with no tripod).

Ont. to receive $6.2 billion to repair infrastructure
Updated Thu. Jul. 24 2008 10:51 AM ET
The Canadian Press
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080724/Ontario_infrastructure_080724/20080724?hub=Canada

Video: http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/cash-for-ontario/#clip68930

LONDON, Ont. -- Ontario's battle to wrest more funds out of the federal government yielded a victory today with a multi-billion dollar commitment from Ottawa for infrastructure.

Federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon says more than $3 billion in funding will help the province repair its aging roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

The Ontario government will match that amount to raise the total investment to about $6.2 billion.

Cannon says substantial infrastructure funding for Ontario was long overdue.

Deputy Premier George Smitherman says today's announcement shows the two levels of government are working together for a stronger Ontario.

The spending is expected to create much needed jobs in the province, which has been hit hard in recent months by cutbacks in manufacturing and the auto sector.

Initial priorities include improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway in northwestern Ontario, rural broadband coverage in parts of Ontario and rapid transit in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.

The funding arrangement will run until 2014.

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :nocrook::nocrook::nocrook: :cheers: :cheers:

:dance: :dance:


It's worth repeating:

Initial priorities include improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway in northwestern Ontario, rural broadband coverage in parts of Ontario and rapid transit in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :nocrook::nocrook::nocrook: :cheers: :cheers:

:dance: :dance:

If rapid transit translates into more buses, I'm moving to another city.

I was at Casa Mia when I was Uptown the other day... awesome grilled sandwich.... better than a Vincenzo's IMO. I loved it!

Great place :) I wish them all the best success and will spread the word.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

GLASS HAS STARTED GOING UP ON THE KING STREET FACADE OF THE BAUER LOFTS!!!

The leafiest windows in town
BOTANICAL IMAGES ON GLASS DESIGNED TO SEND A MESSAGE
July 02, 2008
Holly Featherstone
http://news.therecord.com/article/381342

http://media.therecord.com/images/43/86/c7e032a04f1987b09abc54f58bd7.jpeg http://media.therecord.com/images/14/ff/16b035bc499bb56ea0563dd44de7.jpeg

THOSE BOTANICAL IMAGES on many of the windows at the University of Waterloo's nearly completed pharmacy school are the latest in commercial glass.

They're so fresh and colourful you might think it would be nice to have some in your home.

However, with prices starting at $70 a square foot, those windows aren't for everyday picking.

For sheer comparison, residential glass can cost as little as $2 a square foot.

Todd Herniman, general manager of Merit Glass Ltd. in Guelph, says such custom-designed windows are for high-end commercial use. They're not feasible for the standard homeowner "unless you have a monumental home."

Herniman said the pharmacy school windows cost about $4 million to manufacture and install. His firm co-ordinated the final assembly of the window panels.

Michael Boxer, an associate with the Toronto-based design firm of Hariri Pontarini Architects, describes the creation of the floral motif for the pre-glazed "curtain wall" as an organic process. "It wasn't an idea we had at the onset."

Designers originally planned an acid-etched floral pattern to appear on exterior metal panels.

After hiring a graphic designer, however, the full-colour glass concept emerged, stemming from a desire to communicate with passersby.

"(We) wanted to create discourse to educate the public and students," Boxer explains.

The design attempts to demystify what Boxer claims are public misconceptions of the pharmaceutical industry and its products.

People think of drugs as manufactured from a host of chemicals. To try to correct that misunderstanding, Herniman says, "a lot of the flowers (in the window design) are from plants utilized to make pharmaceutical drugs."

The size of the botanical images was an important and challenging element in creating the design.

Rendered from textbook pictures, the images are supposed to be powerful, so they needed to be legible at a range of distances, not just to pedestrians.

Box is satisfied that "from a car you can read the images."

Besides engaging motorists, pedestrians and students, children were also a consideration. As a visual enticement for them, insects -- "some the size of a football" -- were incorporated into the design.

Once drawn, the images were meticulously resized by the graphic artist to match the glass dimensions and sent to DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions.

DuPont Glass digitally printed the images on clear laminate film to be sandwiched between two sheets of glass from Barber Glass in Guelph, thus protecting the designs from the elements.

Merit then assembled the windows, which are hung as separate units in metal frames to create what Boxer calls "a constellation of pieces."

Glass-made buildings require at least 40 per cent insulation for safety, UV protection and solar and thermal control.

"We couldn't have transparent glass everywhere," Boxer says, "so we developed this mosaic to achieve that 40 per cent."

The botanical designs are not visible from the inside, but the school is developing an indoor herb garden to complement the medicinal plant theme.

:cheers:

Province increases spaces for local medical students
October 09, 2008
Record staff - KITCHENER
http://news.therecord.com/article/426787

The region's fledgling medical campus is expanding. The province has increased the spaces for first-year students at the Kitchener campus of McMaster University's Michael G. Degroote School of Medicine to 21 from 15. The University of Waterloo-affiliated program started last year. It will move to UW's new downtown health-sciences campus next September. Within two years, 63 students will be in the three-year program.


Training more doctors
Waterloo Region Record - October 14, 2008
http://news.therecord.com/article/428999

Doctors and patients in Waterloo Region will be delighted that Kitchener's medical school is expanding even before it moves into its permanent home.

The medical school will have another six first-year students, bringing the total first-year enrolment to 21. The school expects to be in the health-sciences campus in downtown Kitchener next September.

Many doctors in the region already have a full list of patients and can't take more. In the long run, the new medical school should encourage more doctors to practise here.

The school's expanded enrolment is wonderful news -- it is just what the doctor ordered.

Pharmacy school nearly ready
November 01, 2008
Terry Pender, RECORD STAFF - KITCHENER
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/437684

http://media.therecord.com/images/25/37/de916e244a5699cff8e96ae82f59.jpeg
First-year pharmacy students Emily Lamantia (left) and Noah Bates (centre) tour the new school with Jake Thiessen, the school’s director.

http://media.therecord.com/images/69/16/bc5790d6450fa9b54e7e112d7bd3.jpeg
Workers put finishing touches yesterday on the school of pharmacy’s main lecture hall, which has windows that look out onto King Street West in downtown Kitchener.


Dr. Jake Thiessen walks through a muddy parking lot in a busy construction site and steps into a signature building in the city's core -- the University of Waterloo's school of pharmacy.

At King and Victoria streets, the $52-million building is the most visible and tangible sign of progress in the City of Kitchener's long-running campaign to bolster the downtown.

Thiessen is the founding director of the school, and these days he walks around the site with a feeling of exhilaration.

"It is a terrific thing to be part of something from the ground up," he said yesterday during a tour of the building. "I was blessed with the privilege of starting with a blank slate and dreaming of what could be."

On Monday, workers will start moving in laboratory equipment and furnishings. Faculty and staff will also start moving in. Classes, which have been held temporarily on the main campus of UW, will switch to the Kitchener campus in January.

The building is more than a year behind schedule, but those who walked through it yesterday gazed slack-jawed at light-filled spaces, wonderful views of the city and state-of-the-art teaching facilities.

The pharmacy school, designed by Robbie/Young + Wright Architects and Hariri Pontarini Architects, both of Toronto, is the first part of what's called the University of Waterloo's health sciences campus.

On three sides, the building is covered in glass, decorated with colourful images of plants famous for their medicinal qualities.

On the inside, the patterned glass panels appear clear, allowing light to flood into lecture theatres, laboratories, classrooms and meeting rooms.

"Things like this don't come out of a can," Thiessen said. "You have to work very hard."

Two first-year students -- Noah Bates and Emily Lamantia -- were the first in the school's vanguard class to get a look at the new building.

"It's great to have new equipment in all the labs, the lecture halls are great," Lamantia said.

Added Bates: "You can actually feel the excitement in the air from just walking through and seeing the difference between what we are used to on campus, compared to a building that was designed specif-ically for us."

The school is on the site of a former rubber factory, and it took 10 years to remove contaminants from the ground. The former owner gave the property to Kitchener for a dollar, and the city gave it to the University of Waterloo, along with $30 million. It was the largest, single expenditure in the city's $110-million program to improve and diversify the downtown.

From the seventh floor in the pharmacy school's tower, the plan appears to be working. As Thiessen looks over the downtown, he can see $70 million in private-sector investment within 100 metres of the health sciences campus.

To his left is the Kaufman building, where Brampton-based Andrin Homes spent over $40 million to create 270 condominiums. To his right is the 100-year-old Lang Tannery building, where Toronto-based Cadan Inc. is spending $30 million on renovations for businesses, offices, services, restaurants and retailers.

When Thiessen looks at the former Lang Tannery, the possibilities come thick and fast -- small pharmaceutical development companies in the old tannery could use the expensive equipment at the school of pharmacy.

"By linking these small companies with universities you create this ideal partnership of discovery, innovation and development," he said.

Next door to the pharmacy school, construction is underway on a $21.5-million building that will house a medical school for family doctors, along with a clinic and research space.

A public courtyard will link the medical school with the pharmacy school, which will have a coffee shop and outdoor café near the main entrance. Public lectures on health-related topics are planned.

"What we want to do is be of the community," Thiessen said. "We want to engage with the community, we want to demonstrate to people that this place brings you care that is unmatched. That is one of the things we are trying to do here."

In a few years the school will have 480 undergraduates, the equivalent of 30 full-time faculty and 20 full-time staff. None of this would have happened without the "pivotal and heroic" move by the city to donate the land and $30 million, Thiessen said.

He has spoken about the project across Canada, the United States and Europe, and said audiences are amazed by the city's support.

"I keep saying this is a community that works together and gets things done, and they would inevitably shake their heads and say, 'It would never have happened here.' "

Staff moving into Pharmacy building
by Martin Van Nierop, UW Daily Bulletin - Monday, November 3, 2008
http://www.bulletin.uwaterloo.ca/2008/nov/03mo.html

Staff will start moving into the new home of the School of Pharmacy at UW's Kitchener health sciences campus today.

The unique building, at the corner of King and Victoria Streets, is still undergoing final touches and including landscaping, readying for the arrival of staff who will move in throughout November, and for students at the start of the January winter term. There are currently 90 students already enrolled, out on co-op terms. They return in January, along with an additional intake of 120 students.

The building cost comes to approximately $48 million, not including completion of the fourth floor, which will become faculty research labs and is still being tendered. Total budget for the campus site to date is $78 million.

Siamak Hariri, of Hariri Pontarini Architects, said that the Pharmacy building and the site in general will be a campus of which the whole community will be proud. He said the building is unique, from its glass curtain depicting various medicinal herbs, to its interior use of tall windows allowing lots of light, to its extensive use of space for common areas where students and faculty can meet and interact. It is designed to be an exciting addition to the downtown area that will establish a connection with the community.

"A great school of pharmacy should have the capacity to lift your spirits. It's important that it not be just a building that solves a functional problem, but it actually has something that you feel as if you've come to this school and you want to be here. That's something that has a lot to do with being able to attract talent, but mostly makes you aspire to excellence." Hariri said.

The School of Pharmacy is also known as Building A on the health sciences campus site. Building B is the one currently rising next to it that will house the satellite medical school and an Optometry Clinic. The Pharmacy building is comprised of 120,000 square feet of space, in a seven-story tower, four-storey wing, finished basement, plus mechanical penthouses on top.

Building B totals 66,000 square feet and will have three storeys and a finished basement. A "quad" area between the two buildings will be a space for meeting, interacting and resting.

Inside the Pharmacy building workmen are putting finishing touches on labs, teaching spaces, reception areas and a small café. Anyone who walks into the building is struck by the amount of light that pours in. Hariri said it has been purposely designed with lots of light, in part to lift the spirits of everyone who enters, studies or works in the structure.

At full capacity, the pharmacy school will have 30 faculty members — 16 in the pharmaceutical sciences or "wet bench" fields, and 14 clinical or "dry science" — plus 20 staff members. Plans for the pharmacy school also call for about 70 graduate students working on master's degrees and doctorates.

Pharmaceutical lab opening centre in core
HPR says UW pharmacy school was big attraction
November 08, 2008
Michael Hammond, RECORD STAFF - KITCHENER
http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/441130

http://media.therecord.com/images/2c/77/06d1772549eca9c790943af0a235.jpeg
Peter Kalra (left), Klaus Schaffler and Cindy Graham of Human Pharmacodynamic Research stand inside the space in downtown
Kitchener the company is renovating for its new laboratory and offices.


The University of Waterloo's health sciences campus in downtown Kitchener hasn't opened yet, but it has already attracted a pharmaceutical company to the core.

Klaus Schaffler, a veteran scientist who has devoted 30 years to pharmaceutical research, is set to begin research trials at Human Pharmacodynamic Research's new laboratory above the Shoppers Drug Mart, next door to Kitchener City Hall.

Schaffler, president of HPR, is preparing the lab to be the company's North American hub. Schaffler is working with a staff of two, but has plans to grow the operation.

His decision to locate here wasn't just about business. It was UW's school of pharmacy that lured the German scientist to town. "This is a chance for me to work with academics," he says.

Schaffler will split his time between HPR's Munich laboratory and the downtown Kitchener location. He will also take on the role of research professor at the school of pharmacy.

Schaffler first considered opening in downtown Kitchener after he was introduced to Jake Thiessen, director of the pharmacy school that will be part of the health sciences campus. Schaffler had already worked with researchers at McNeil Consumer Healthcare in Guelph for several years and was looking to establish a permanent lab to serve his growing North American client base.

Not only can he serve the growing demand for his services here, Schaffler says being part of an emerging health-sciences cluster in Kitchener offers his business another advantage. "Our goal is to fill the pipeline, but it's also in our best interest to get the best people," he says.

In return, the pharmacy school's students can tap into Schaffler's extensive experience in commercial research. Thiessen says Schaffler will play a key role in the school's mandate to innovate.

"It might not be entirely appreciated by most people, but these schools are the leading centres for research," he says. "He will fit dead centre into the ambitions of the school."

Thiessen says Schaffler will provide guidance to student research projects and teach when the Kitchener campus opens in January.

HPR specializes in research delving into the brain's response to pain; it tests and assesses the effectiveness of compounds being developed by drug makers.

This area of specialization could pay big dividends because the market for pain-treatment drugs is growing dramatically.

HPR occupies 11,000 square feet of space in part of the old King's College theatre complex. A mezzanine level has been added, to take advantage of the high ceilings.

The space includes laboratory facilities, open-concept offices and recreational areas where those taking part in trials can relax.

Peter Kalra, HPR's managing director, says the building could become the focal point for health sciences businesses in the downtown. "I think this can be the hub of the health-care cluster," he says. "There's space for even more here."

Next door to HPR's office, pieces of the old movie house remain, including the shell of a theatre, which Kalra says could serve as lecture hall.

Rod Regier, Kitchener's director of economic development, expects that the health sciences campus, promoted by UW around the world, will bring more development to the core.

"I would suggest that there is a huge upside for us, and it's going to come from companies like HPR."

Regier says he isn't expecting big investments from multinational pharmaceutical companies, due to the state of the economy. However, UW's progressive policies regarding ownership of intellectual property, could bring new companies, started by UW faculty, to the core.

He says he knows of several startups already interested in setting up in the downtown.

There also are hopes that more companies will be lured to a redeveloped Lang Tannery complex, just west of the UW campus along Victoria Street.

During Oktoberfest, Regier said the city welcomed a business delegation that was specifically interested in the UW campus. "I think this is just the beginning," he says.

Thiessen says he has spoken to "a variety of companies" interested in locating near the school, which he hopes will act as a magnet for emerging companies.

Mark Garner, who is approaching the end of his first year as director of the Kitchener Downtown Business Association, says the arrival of HPR is proof that the city's $30-million investment in the UW campus will generate a long-term economic impact.

"This shows you this model can work," he says. "People are seeing that we are at a point of change."

November 7, 2008

Schembri King St Student Apartments | 46 m | 15 fl | Construction - View from Uptown Waterloo (King & William)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Waterloo/345%20King%20Street%20North/345KingStreetNorth-ViewfromUptownWa.jpg

Shoppers Drug Mart | 10 m | 2 fl | Construction

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Shoppers%20Drug%20Mart%20Redevelopment/ShoppersDrugMartRedevelopment-Novem.jpg


The building actually looks pretty sharp at street-level. :tup: It's not perfect, but you have to remember this is a redevelopment project (rather than starting off with something entirely new).


UW Health Sciences Campus | 36 m | 8 fl | U/C

Looking down King Street
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7-6.jpg

Medical School & Lang Tanning Smokestack
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7-5.jpg

Pharmacy & Medical Schools
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7-4.jpg

Medical School
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7-3.jpg

City Hall Overview - 1
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7-2.jpg

City Hall Overview - 2
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7-1.jpg

King & Victoria
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW%20School%20of%20Pharmacy/UWHealthSciencesCampus-November7200.jpg


Bauer Lofts | 57 m | 15 fl | U/C

Bauer & SunLife
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-1.jpg

Bauer Buildings
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-2.jpg

Caroline & Allen
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-3.jpg

South down Caroline (@ Allen)
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-4.jpg

Old meets New on Allen Street
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-5.jpg

Banner
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-6.jpg

King Street
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-7.jpg

Close-Up #1
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-8.jpg

Future Courtyard
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-9-Adjusted.jpg

Close-Up #2
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-10.jpg

South Side
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-11.jpg

King & John
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-12.jpg

King Street looking North
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-13.jpg

^those are great photos.

I especially like this one:

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Bauer%20Lofts/BauerLofts-November72008-13.jpg

Ont. to receive $6.2 billion to repair infrastructure
Updated Thu. Jul. 24 2008 10:51 AM ET
The Canadian Press
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080724/Ontario_infrastructure_080724/20080724?hub=Canada

Video: http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/cash-for-ontario/#clip68930

LONDON, Ont. -- Ontario's battle to wrest more funds out of the federal government yielded a victory today with a multi-billion dollar commitment from Ottawa for infrastructure.

Federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon says more than $3 billion in funding will help the province repair its aging roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

The Ontario government will match that amount to raise the total investment to about $6.2 billion.

Cannon says substantial infrastructure funding for Ontario was long overdue.

Deputy Premier George Smitherman says today's announcement shows the two levels of government are working together for a stronger Ontario.

The spending is expected to create much needed jobs in the province, which has been hit hard in recent months by cutbacks in manufacturing and the auto sector.

Initial priorities include improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway in northwestern Ontario, rural broadband coverage in parts of Ontario and rapid transit in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.

The funding arrangement will run until 2014.

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :nocrook::nocrook::nocrook: :cheers: :cheers:

:dance: :dance:


It's worth repeating:

Initial priorities include improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway in northwestern Ontario, rural broadband coverage in parts of Ontario and rapid transit in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region.

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :nocrook::nocrook::nocrook: :cheers: :cheers:

:dance: :dance:



Wow. You really need to include more smilies. Looks like a used-car saleslot.

http://www.kitchener.ca/images/logo_subpage.gif
For Immediate Release
Thursday, November 22, 2007

Large Retail Drug Store To Anchor New Downtown Redevelopment Project

KITCHENER - Kitchener's downtown is in for more exciting changes over the next few months with the announcement today of a new private-sector redevelopment project at the corner of King and College Streets that will feature a 20,000 square-foot Shoppers Drug Mart retail store.

Located right beside Kitchener City Hall, the large retail drug store is expected to open in March 2008 and will be a unique retail endeavor for Shoppers Drug Mart, considering the majority of its redeveloped stores are between 15,000 and 17,000 square feet in size.

The retail drug store on the main floor is expected to feature an expanded food component to meet the growing demand for food and services in the downtown which is a direct result of the influx of residential units currently being developed in the city core.

The new drug store will be a major expansion of Shoppers Drug Mart's presence in the downtown and will replace its current, much smaller downtown store, located at 31 King Street West.

"We are very excited to see this property come back to life and bring new energy to the core," said Mayor Carl Zehr. "It's just another exciting example on a growing list of investors and private-sector companies that are showing confidence in City Council's vision for a re-energized downtown and want to become a part of what we are building here in our core."

According to the real-estate developer and building owner, Bernie Nimer, Shoppers Drug Mart will occupy the first floor of the two-storey project. The second floor will be redeveloped and will feature tall ceilings and mezzanines throughout with the objective of attracting large-scale office uses of up to 25,000 square feet. Massive windows and skylights will allow natural light to pour into the redeveloped building.

The concept for the completely redesigned exterior is the design of local architect, Andrew Bousfield. The contemporary look will feature stainless steel stucco and natural stone elements. The uniquely integrated lighting will allow the building to come alive at night and the window elements will reflect Kitchener's industrial heritage.

The announcement of this redevelopment plan comes on the heels of the recent opening of David's Gourmet, a gourmet - food store that is located on the main floor of a redeveloped building at 179 King St. West.

"From the beginning, the City's plan and vision was to create a downtown where people will want to live, work and spend their free time," noted Rod Regier, the City's executive director of economic development. "We have been successful in creating the right conditions that are now attracting private sector interest and investment in our downtown."

In the coming days, City staff will be working with the two existing tenants of the building to find them alternative space within the downtown.

-30-

Images:

Store front
http://www.kitchener.ca/images/media_release_2007-10-22_store1.jpg

Store side
http://www.kitchener.ca/images/media_release_2007-10-22_store2.jpg

Store back
http://www.kitchener.ca/images/media_release_2007-10-22_store3.jpg

Building Permit:

Permit No 07121658
Site Address 238 KING ST W
Work Description PERMIT IS FOR THE INTERIOR FINISH OF SHOPPERS DRUG MART.
Status Under Review
Permit Category Non-Residential Alteration
Permit Type Commercial
Application Date November 14, 2007
Issued By
Issue Date
Final Date
Roll Number 301202000103600
Legal Description PLAN 374 LOT 151 LOT 152
Parcelid 50000087
Ward 1
Planning Community 1
Work Proposed Interior Finish
Construction Value 700000
Residential Units on Property
Reqrd Rear Yard (m)
Reqrd Left Side Yard (m)
Reqrd Right Side Yard (m)
Special Conditions
Contractor PETRETTA CONSTRUCTION INC
Contractor Contact Info 2504 BINDER CRES KITCHENER ON N0R 1L0 phone 519-737-1292 phone2 519-737-7007
LAND_USE_SUBCATEGORY COMMERCIAL
CENTROID_X 540973.39
CENTROID_Y 4811106.54
OBJECTID

WOW! I MEAN, WOW!!!!


:dance::dance::dance::applause::applause::cheers1::cheers1::fiddle::fiddle::banana2::banana2::banana2::banana2::banana2::banana2::omg::omg::omg::omg::omg::righton::righton::righton::righton::righton::righton:

So I see that WI is also continuing his SSP tantrum here.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3286355524_46ab084aee_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3480/3286353626_a974c4d691_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/3286357580_e8b6bfb95e_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/livinginacity/

Uptown Waterloo Public Square
Courtesy of Duke-Of-Waterloo on skyscraperpage

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9329/p1130345aj8.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1881/p4280304.jpg

That square will be great for the Busker Festival. Now if they could erase the mistake behind it...

Great to finally see a photo of the completed square. Now if only the Shoppers and Scotiabank became cafes. Still, at least people will pass by the square to get their meds and money.

I drove through Waterloo last week downtown, and Waterloo is absolutely BUSTLING!!! They did an amazing job with that town square, although I hate there's big box stuff there.

I just discovered this forum today, and was surprised to find there was no mention of the new highrise condo at King and University. Does anyone have any information regarding the details of the development? From what I understand from the Record article, http://news.therecord.com/article/415571, it will be one of the tallest buildings in KW, and certainly in that area.

edit: I should add that development was approved, something the article left uncertain.

most of us waterlooians have migrated over to SkyscraperPage. We have an entire subforum there dedicated to KW (including a 5 page thread on this development).

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=157850

:D

http://www.studentspace.uwaterloo.ca/_images/student.jpg
Students propose a building on H lot


UW student leaders are inviting comments on a proposed plan to erect a $47 million student services building on the site of the present parking lot H, at the south end of the main campus, and expand the Health Services building beside Laurel Creek at a cost of another $8 million.

Both projects would be paid for through student fees, with an addition of $49.50 per term for the student services building and $10.00 for the Health Services addition. Subject to final approval by students’ council, a referendum will likely be held in mid-November, with undergraduate and graduate students voting separately on the plans and the new fees.

The university administration hasn’t said anything publicly about the plans, but Federation of Students leaders explain that the university will pay the operating costs for the student services building, estimated at $1 million a year, if students themselves cover most of the construction cost.
The Health Services addition could be ready in 2010-11 and the student services building a year later, if the vote this fall gives the go-ahead.

“After more than a year of planning,” says Feds president Allan Babor, “the Federation of Students has established a framework agreement with the University of Waterloo to better serve student needs for health, social, study, and spiritual support services. Student leaders are asking for feedback about the proposed project and would like students to submit their comments. Following consultations early this Fall, Students’ Council will consider calling a referendum.”

A web site that went public this week discusses both the financial arrangements and the perceived need for the two projects. Here’s some of what it says about the proposed student services building:

"The new building will have a different emphasis on student life than the Student Life Centre. This building will focus on the support services for students to succeed academically while the Student Life Centre will remain the social centre for students on campus.

“The proposed three to four storey, approximately 135,000 square foot centre will house most of the main student services departments, in addition to increased study space, study, social, and meeting space for students. Where possible, some of the space vacated by the Student Services departments will be used to enhance student service e.g. more space in Needles Hall devoted to OSAP support.”

Counselling services, the writing clinic, study space, the UW visitors centre, the student life office, a prayer room and offices for the GSA and Federation are among the facilities the new building — slightly larger than the present SLC — would include.

Students would cover 80 per cent of the cost through a fee that would begin when the building is “substantially complete” and continue until it’s paid for. UW itself would provide about $5 million, with another $4 million coming from the self-supporting food services and retail services departments, which would both have facilities in the new structure.

“University of Waterloo students have consistently indicated their desire for enhanced space on campus,” the web site says. “In the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement, the top response for what needs to be addressed outside the classroom was more study space, while the expansion of support services and a better social environment ranked in the top five.

“Understanding that these concerns would only become greater as the student population grows over the coming years, the developers of the updated Campus Master Plan recommended that a new campus life centre
is required on the South Campus to meet the growing demand for facilities.

“Representatives from the Federation of Students and the Graduate Student Association approached the University administration in 2008 about collaborating on and sharing the financial costs to make this project a reality. This specific proposal was developed over the past year by these representatives and tried to address current space limitations and enhance areas of student concern.”

It says the location on parking lot H “was deemed ideal for many reasons. Its prominent location at the front of campus near several major bus routes, the primary student parking lot, and the probable location of a rail station for the Region of Waterloo's new rapid-transit line are obvious advantages. The location is also at a central position between multiple faculties and near many existing campus life functions. More functionally, the location allows for the preservation of current green space, is one of the few available locations on campus with easy road access for delivery of food and retail supplies, and can be constructed with little disruption to current campus functions. Locating the Student Service Complex at the entrance to the University also demonstrates to everyone coming on campus that students are the highest priority at UW.”

The Student Life Centre “will continue to be the 'living room' of campus and the hub of student life,” the site notes. As for the Schweitzer farmhouse, currently the Graduate House, it will continue to be available to the GSA at least until the lease expires in 2017.

http://www.studentspace.uwaterloo.ca/_images/student/map.jpg

UW Faculty of Environment/Proposed

Posted by waterloowarrior at SkyscraperPage

"The design/build teams submitted proposals to the University yesterday afternoon and as of today the designs are posted on bulletin boards outside of the MAD computer lab. Please take a trip down to view the images and leave comments on the forum under this post. The decision will be made on Thursday so we have very little time for feedback. Please don't wait to go see them.

Niki

diego posted a few of his favourites"

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/diegoalm/CIMG7914.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/diegoalm/CIMG7922.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/diegoalm/CIMG7919.jpg

Edit

As far as mall foodcourts (new addition along with 30 new stores) are concerned, it puts the Eaton's centre and SQ1 foodcourts to shame...
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/20091020008.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/20091020006.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/20091020005.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/20091020002.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/20091020007.jpg

This roundabout replaced a four-way stop and it's a huge improvement for both cars and pedestrians.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/20091020013.jpg

Sure it looks nice, but at the end of the day... it's a suburban shopping mall food court. Woop dee do.

http://www.dailycommercialnews.ca/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=836324b626dda3c3acb28452515c117d86406bea&projectid=9087893&region=ontario

INSTITUTE EXPANSION AND RENOVATIONS Proj: 9087893-4
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON NEGOTIATED/START
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline St North, N2L 2Y5
$22,000,000 est
Start: July, 2009 Complete: June, 2011
Note: All Trades are secured.
Project: structural steel frame, fuel fired heating system, environmentally friendly project; proposed 55,000 sq ft addition and renovations to the existing building. Building envelope is a combination of curtain wall and zinc metal panel; roofing is a two-ply mod.bit. This project will aim for LEED Silver Certification.
Scope: 55,000 square feet; 4 storeys
Development: Addition/alterations

May come in handy as I live in Mississauga but work in Waterloo.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/621481

October 29, 2009
Record staff
WATERLOO REGION — The first GO bus from Waterloo Region east to Toronto will leave the University of Waterloo at 6:55 a.m. Saturday.

GO Transit officials say they’ve been getting dozens of calls about the new Waterloo-to-Mississauga service. They expect 800 to 1,200 riders a day over the first two years of service.

On weekdays, there will be 11 eastbound and 12 westbound trips. Two eastbound buses daily will stop at the GO Train station in Milton, to provide rail connections to Toronto’s Union Station. On weekends and holidays, seven trips in each direction are planned, but only between Waterloo and Square One transit terminal in Mississauga.

GO buses will stop at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, the Kitchener transit terminal, the iXpress bus stop in the Wal-Mart power centre in Cambridge, the Aberfoyle commuter parking lot at Highway 401 and Highway 6 south, and the Milton commuter lot at Regional Road 25.

Tickets and passes for the Waterloo-Mississauga service are for sale now at GO terminals and stations. On Saturday, GO tickets will go on sale at University of Waterloo Student Life Centre and the Kitchener transit terminal.

A one-way ticket from Waterloo to Mississauga will cost $12.30.

The new bus schedule is available on the websitewww.gotransit.com . Or call the GO information line at 416-869-3200.

http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=c6ee974b54aaccc6eab08c3032c91a155e4b90bb&projectid=9093994&region=ontario

RETIREMENT HOME, SENIOR'S CENTRE ADDN/ALTS Proj: 9093994-5
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON PREPARING PLANS
Pinehaven Retirement Home, 229 Lexington Road, N2K 2E1
$30,000,000 est
Start: September, 2010
Note: Owner's Rep is seeking City Council rezoning approvals. The project scope has not been finalized. No schedules have been determined for Working drawings, tender for Gen Cont or construction. Further update Spring, 2010.
Project: proposed redevelopment of an existing nursing home. The project will include rennovation for the existing three storey building and construction of two five storey wings. The number of units is undetermined.
Scope: 5 storeys; 3 structures
Development: Addition/alterations

I live in Mississauga but work in Waterloo.

You should move to waterloo or find a job closer to home.

You should move to waterloo or find a job closer to home.

Considered moving to Waterloo but since I'm able to work from home 2-3 days a week I abandoned that idea.

I just noticed this in "The Record", it's an article that talks about development and future growth in Waterloo Region, specifically downtown.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/630480

http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=c11d0064d6385ca54e6c66ad482008367c131c82&projectid=9105347&region=ontario

UNIVERSITY BUILDING Proj: 9105347-2
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON CONTEMPLATED
Centre for Global Innovation and Exchange, University Ave on St Michael's Campus, N2L
$27,510,000 est
Note: Request for Proposals from Architectural and Engineering Services has closed at the Owner. Selection process is underway. Schedules for design, tender and construction are undetermined. Further update early 2010.
Project: proposed environmentally friendly construction of a Global Innovation and Exchange Building on Campus. This project will aim for LEED Silver Certification.
Scope: 210,000 square feet
Development: New
Category: Educational bldgs

First report Mon Jul 27, 2009.
This report Wed Nov 25, 2009.

Perimeter Institute addition/expansion...
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009006.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009007.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009008.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009009.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009013.jpg

New church
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009014.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009018.jpg

New office
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009020.jpg

http://www.dailycommercialnews.ca/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=5d76c7fc413b6d89244c85da88421fc403bc03a5&projectid=9094231&region=ontario

EDUCATION BLDG Proj: 9094231-3
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON NEGOTIATED/START
Balsillie School of International Affairs, 57 Erb St W, in Uptown Waterloo, N2L 6C2
$40,000,000 est
Start: May, 2009 Complete: April, 2011
Note: All Trades are secured.
This project was publicly tendered and awarded.
Project: proposed construction of academic buildings associated with The Balsillie School of International Affairs. The internationally acclaimed institution will share a high profile campus setting in Uptown Waterloo.
Scope: 65,000 square feet; 3 storeys; 2 approx hectares
Development: New

http://www.dailycommercialnews.ca/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=612eb245a1b7c1dd0e441a10ecc3c61c66b6b6c6&projectid=9098700&region=ontario

LIBRARY ADDN & ALTS, UNDERGROUND PARKING Proj: 9098700-4
Kitchener, Waterloo Reg ON PREPARING PLANS
Central Library, 85 Queen St N, N2H 2H1
$20,000,000 est
Start: September, 2010
Note: Owner is finalizing scope of work. Schematic designs are complete. This project is in design development. Working drawings are scheduled to begin early 2010. Tender for the General Contractor is anticipated June 2010. Construction is anticipated Fall 2010. Further update early 2010.
Walter Fedy Partnership is the LEED Consultant.
Project: environmentally friendly project; proposed 25,000 sq ft library addition with a three level underground parking structure. This project will aim for LEED Gold Certification.
Scope: 25,000 square feet; 2 storeys; 3 storeys below grade; parking for 412 cars
Development: Addition/alterations
Category: Public bldgs; Parking bldgs

centre block development is still moving along, will be finalized in one month.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/646379

^^
http://www.therecord.com/images/kwr/kwr1082952_1.jpg

first posted by Spokes on WonderfulWaterloo.com
8336733

Any render of the PI extension?

Uptown Waterloo Public Square
Courtesy of Duke-Of-Waterloo on skyscraperpage

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9329/p1130345aj8.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1881/p4280304.jpg

well that is certainly an improvement, but unfortunately the shoopers dog mutt still remains, along with Scrotumbank.

http://www.uwaterloo.ca/profiles/viewImage.php?id=154

Taking a many-faceted look at the world

When shovels bit into the ground in June 2009 to mark the start of construction on the new Balsillie Campus in uptown Waterloo, it was the newest visible sign of a unique initiative that had been building since Jim Balsillie founded the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in 2002.

When finished, the pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined mini-campus will include understated brick buildings with green roofs, a public auditorium, and a central courtyard. The project is to be built in three stages, with the first stage projected for completion in fall 2010.

The governments of Canada and Ontario each pledged $25 million for the project; Balsillie matched them with a donation of $50 million. Land valued at $5 million next to the historic Seagram Museum, home of CIGI, was donated by the City of Waterloo. The new campus is part of Balsillie’s vision to build capacity in international affairs in Canada, and to make CIGI one of the most innovative think tanks in the world.

The Balsillie Campus will be the home of distinctive graduate schools and programs, including the already-established Balsillie School of International Affairs, a joint initiative of the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and CIGI. Three degree programs are based in the Balsillie school: a master’s in international public policy administered by Laurier, a master’s in global governance (Waterloo), and a joint Laurier/Waterloo PhD in global governance.

The programs are the only ones in Canada with a specific interdisciplinary focus on issues of global governance and international public policy. They draw on a range of disciplines, including economics, political science, geography, environment, business, and history.

Global governance and international public policy are areas of study that inevitably cross disciplinary boundaries, says Gerry Boychuk, director of the global governance programs. “Our programs are highly distinctive by virtue of their multidisciplinary nature. This has allowed us to recruit world-class faculty members and students.”

http://www.uwaterloo.ca/profiles/profile.php?id=154

http://www.uwaterloo.ca/profiles/viewImage.php?id=141

The next big (very small) thing

The most sophisticated building on Waterloo’s main campus will be, appropriately, a crucible for research in areas of knowledge predicted to shape the 21st century: quantum information and nanotechnology.

Quantum information exploits the behaviour of matter at the level of the atom, where classical laws of physics do not apply. Ultimately, this research will produce vastly more powerful computers, more sensitive measuring instruments, and unbreakable data encryption — just for starters. Nanotechnology deals with the fabrication and behaviour of materials, devices, and systems the size of atoms or molecules, bringing innovations such as cell-targeting drugs, powerful thin-film batteries, and printable flexible electronics.

The seven-storey, 284,000-square-foot Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC) broke ground in 2008; completion is expected in 2011. It will house the Institute for Quantum Computing — one of the world’s top three centres of quantum information research, with a projected roster of more than 200 researchers. It will also include the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, a growing locus of nano-scale research, and Canada’s largest nanotechnology undergraduate degree program.

QNC will be the only research space anywhere that bridges the quantum and nano worlds. Hundreds of mathematicians, computer scientists, chemists, physicists, and engineers will have opportunities to mingle and collaborate. The building was designed specifically to encourage idea-sparking interaction, and not only in the six-storey atrium’s colloquium space. Hallways and other areas will include back-painted glass whiteboards, for capturing spontaneous ideas.

The building features a 10,000-square-foot clean room with state-of-the-art fabrication facilities for quantum and nano devices, advanced teaching and research labs, office space for faculty and grad students, and seminar rooms. To protect tiny particles from vibration and electromagnetic radiation, labs are built below grade on heavy steel floors supported by one-storey trusses. The honeycomb-like steel lattice on the exterior will also reduce vibration.

Funding for the $160-million project designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects comes from a personal donation from Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis, from Industry Canada’s Economic Action Plan, from the Province of Ontario, and from the University of Waterloo.

http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=b03bdd28ecfc1bf86b375c5ee046ae0a39588f4e&projectid=9101657&region=ontario

CONDOMINIUM APARTMENT BUILDING Proj: 9101657-3
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON NEGOTIATED/PLANNING
144 Park - Uptown Waterloo, 144 Park St & Allen St, N2L 1Y6
$21,000,000 est
Note: Sales and marketing are ongoing. Architect has completed Preliminary designs. Working Drawings are expected to begin April/May 2010. Sub trade Tender is expected to be issued Summer 2010. Further update Spring 2010.
Project: cast-in-place concrete structural frame, fuel fired heating system, proposed construction of a 143-unit condominium apartment building.
Scope: 187,000 square feet; 143 units
Development: New

First report Tue May 26, 2009. Last report Wed Oct 07, 2009.
This report Fri Feb 05, 2010.

http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=c11d0064d6385ca54e6c66ad482008367c131c82&projectid=9105347&region=ontario

UNIVERSITY BUILDING Proj: 9105347-3
Waterloo, Waterloo Reg ON PREPARING PLANS
Centre for Global Innovation and Exchange, University Ave on St Michael's Campus, N2L
$27,510,000 est
Note: Architectural Services have recently been awarded. Scope of work, schedules for design, tender and construction are undetermined. Further update May 2010.
Both Architectural Firms are working on this project.
Project: proposed environmentally friendly construction of a Global Innovation and Exchange Building on Campus. This project will aim for LEED Silver Certification.
Scope: 210,000 square feet
Development: New
Category: Educational bldgs
First report Mon Jul 27, 2009. Last report Wed Nov 25, 2009.
This report Mon Feb 08, 2010.

Any render of the PI extension?

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php/185-Perimeter-Institute-Expansion

http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/images/mo_frontpage/oct17_ext-2.gif

taken by leaffan February 22, 2010

http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/PI%20Expansion/PIFEB22.jpg

UW Math 3

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5216/math3main.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5216/math3main.jpg

UW Quantum-Nanotechnology Centre
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UW%20Quantum-Nanotechnology%20Centre/UWQuantumNanoCentre-March112010-5a.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UW%20Quantum-Nanotechnology%20Centre/UWQuantumNanoCentre-March112010-5a.jpg

UW Engineering VI
http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/Images/ENG_VI_building%20v2.jpg
http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/Images/ENG_VI_building%20v2.jpg

UW Math 3
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWMath3-Webcam-March152010-2.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWMath3-Webcam-March152010-2.jpg

Bauer Lofts
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Waterloo/UptownSkyline-March12010-3a.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/Waterloo/UptownSkyline-March12010-3a.jpg

144 Park
http://www.madycorp.com/graphics/144park1.jpg
http://www.madycorp.com/graphics/144park1.jpg

Balsillie School of International Affairs
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4440647835_b7afc8de19_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4440647835_b7afc8de19_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4440648603_c9234a227b_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4440648603_c9234a227b_b.jpg

Inspire change. Push the boundaries of traditional practice.
http://www.environment.uwaterloo.ca/sustainable/greenbuilding/deans_plat.html
With the support and input of UW administrators, Plant Operations, as well as our contractors and key alumni and industry advisors, the possibility of making our new EV3 Environment Building a LEED Platinum building is now well within reach. If we succeed with this ambitious goal, EV3 will not only be the first LEED Platinum building on campus, but the first public building within the region of Kitchener-Waterloo, and one of only a handful of public buildings in Canada.

In the next few months you will hear much more. We will be reaching out to all of you – our alumni, friends, corporate partners, faculty, staff and retirees to help us make Platinum a reality. A new fundraising campaign is planned for the coming year that we hope will rally everyone together to achieve not only LEED Platinum status, (the highest certification level possible), but also enable us to incorporate additional ‘green’ features into EV3 (as well as EV1 and EV2) that will contribute significantly to our teaching and research excellence. Green features being explored include: an energy-efficient envelope, smart monitoring and measuring systems for energy, water and waste, a large solar roof system, a fully-functioning green roof with native species, a two-story bio wall with air filtering capabilities, constructed wetlands, innovative new environmental technologies (some developed right here at UW), renewable materials, sustainable landscaping and much more. Thomas Mueller, a School of Planning graduate, and the President of Canada Green Buildings Council, has agreed to Chair this special campaign.

It truly is an exciting time for the Faculty of Environment! I urge you to get involved in whatever way you can and to stay tuned to our homepage for more news. We plan to update our homepage regularly with news about the building progress, new programs and research and more.

http://www.environment.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/ev3/rendering/images/18.png

Sure it looks nice, but at the end of the day... it's a suburban shopping mall food court. Woop dee do.

:lol::lol:

What's going on with that big crane on King?

^^ more student housing.



Council agrees to accelerate funding for successful downtown incentive program
http://www.kitchener.ca/news/MediaDetail.asp?tid=18822

KITCHENER - This afternoon, Kitchener City Council agreed to give a boost to downtown business property owners who want to make a significant contribution to the look and feel of the city's core.

At its regular meeting of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, council agreed to accelerate the funding for the city's popular Façade Improvement Grant Program (FIGP) - increasing the funding for 2010 by $75,000. The increase will enable the city to grant up to nearly $200,000 this year to downtown businesses that want to improve the exteriors of their storefronts.

''There has been great interest in the incentive programs and they are proving to be an excellent investment in terms of the private sector investment they're leveraging in our downtown,'' said Cory Bluhm, the city's manager of downtown community development. ''It's really encouraging to see that the transformation that is happening with the King Street reconstruction project is also encouraging building and business owners to bring new life to their storefronts.''

''On behalf of downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area, we're all very pleased with the positive impacts the grant programs have had on the downtown - both on the businesses taking part in the incentive programs, and on the businesses that surround them,'' said Mark Garner, executive director of the downtown BIA.

The City of Kitchener administers both the FIG program and a second financial incentive program - the Upper Storey Renovation Program which offers incentives for converting under-used upper storey floor space into residential units. Today, Cory Bluhm, the city's manager of downtown development, shared with Council details of the success of both programs.

Façade Improvement Grant Program

A five-year program, the façade improvement grants enable business owners to apply for grants to assist with exterior façade improvements - including fascia, signage, entryways and windows. Applicants can receive up to $10,000 per storefront or façade, where the applicant covers a minimum 50 per cent of the total costs. Buildings with multiple storefronts can received up to $30,000.

Council approved $200,000 worth of façade grants in 2009 with $175,000 actually granted to business owners with the following results:
12 approved applications

5 applications completed to date
3 applications commenced by not yet complete
2 applications to being in 2010
2 applications withdrawn
$65,000 invested by the city in the first few grants to business owners has leveraged $252,000 in private sector investment in storefront improvements.
When all of the 2009 projects are complete, the city will have granted $175,500, while leveraging an estimated $547,000 in private sector investment.
For 2010, city staff is reviewing nine more applications for the Façade Improvement Grant Program. These projects will receive $114,500 in grant incentives from the program which is ultimately anticipated to result in an investment totalling $395,000 by the private sector.

The additional $75,000 in funding approved for the program today by Council will come from the 2013 Façade Improvement Grant Program allocation. Coupled with nearly $25,000 left from the 2009 program, the city will be able to provide nearly $200,000 in façade grants in 2010. Currently, the city has an additional six potential applicants who have expressed an interest in completing façade enhancements in 2010.

''We're soon going to be undertaking a business attraction strategy to try and attract new retailers and restaurants and these incentives may play a significant role in helping us to attract these businesses,'' added Bluhm.

Upper Storey Renovation Program

Since its initiation in 2005, the city's upper story renovation program has. Progress to date includes:

7 applications with 6 completed to date
3 units still to be created
26 new residential units created downtown
38 new downtown residents
When all of the current project applications are complete, the city will have granted 244,625, while leveraging an estimated $1.7 million in private sector investment.
A five-year program, the Upper Storey Renovation Program finished on December 31, 2009. City staff will be re-evaluating the program to determine whether it will continue in the future. It is anticipated that a recommendation will be presented for council's consideration in early 2011.

nice! Thank you :)

Got some nice things going up in hurr.

It's at ground level...
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426024.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426003.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009014.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426008.jpg

I believe this is student housing
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426001.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426002.jpg

Balsillie School of International Affairs
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426005.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426010.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426013.jpg

UW Quantum-Nanotechnology Centre
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426019.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426020.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426021.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426022.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426023.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426017.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426018.jpg

PI expansion
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426012.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426014.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-2/12012009020.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426015.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga-3a/20100426016.jpg

Thanks for the updates :cheers:

Center Block, Downtown Kitchener
http://www.benjaminbach.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/City-Centre-Condominiums-October-2-2010-Rendering-Resized246.jpg

Where did you find those pictures? I've looked on the development website but I didn't see them.

I found them posted on SkyscraperPage.

The BarrelYards, Uptown Waterloo
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/UrbanWaterloo/Waterloo/Barrel%20Yards/BarrelYardsWaterloo-April2010.jpg

Kitchener, reconstruction of King Street
http://www.kitchener.ca/city_hall/departments/downtown/images/reconstructing_king_st_4.jpg

http://www.kitchener.ca/city_hall/departments/downtown/images/reconstructing_king_st_3.jpg

http://news.therecord.com/article/733191
Waterloo Region courts coming together under one roof
By Melinda Dalton, Record staff

KITCHENER – It will be seven storeys of sleek glass, state of the art security and enviro-conscious design.

And, all in, it will cost the taxpayer about $766 million to construct and maintain for 30 years.

An artist’s rendering of the new Waterloo Region consolidated courthouse, one of the largest construction projects in downtown Kitchener in recent years, was released Tuesday morning during an official groundbreaking ceremony at the Frederick Street site.

When it’s complete in 2013, the consolidated courthouse will bring together superior and Ontario courts spread across the region into one 420,000-square foot building.

“Our court system locally has been fragmented in different buildings that are cramped, that are not readily accessible,” said Kitchener- Centre MPP John Milloy. “We are a growing community, we’re a very important community here in the province of Ontario and we deserve state of the art court facilities.”

The cost of the project will be borne out over 30 years through an alternative financing and procurement agreement. Integrated Team Solutions – comprised of Fengate Capital Management/LFP Infrastructure Fund, EllisDon Corp., Norr Limited/Aecome Services, SNC Lavalin Profac and CIT Group Securities – was awarded the contracts to build, design and maintain the new facility.

The province will start making annual payments to that consortium once construction work is completed. ITS will be responsible for building maintenance and life-cycle repairs, like roof or boiler replacements, over the 30 years. After that, it will be turned back over to the province.

The new courthouse will have 30 courtrooms, five of which will be barrier free. It will also meet environmental benchmarks in design and have the latest technology for hearing assistance.

Demolition and excavation work on the site started several months ago, but a building permit for the building’s foundation wasn’t issued by the city until yesterday.

The construction value for that permit alone is $10.5 million. Because of the extent of the work to be done, the city will issue a series of building permits for different elements of the building.

The permit issued this week includes the construction of two underground levels – one to be used as a detention area and another built as an 84-space parking structure.

The city’s new parking garage at Benton and Charles streets, constructed in part to accommodate increased parking demand, is expected to be completed this fall.

http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/7e/94/f1993f48429f883921f485debec5.jpeg
http://media.therecord.topscms.com/images/4a/82/6d1f3cb943448b76391e0c017679.jpeg

Tannery lures Google from Waterloo
570 News Jun 18, 2010 03:31:44 AM
Be the first to Comment 0 Recommendation(s) For the second time since first establishing a foothold in Waterloo Region, Google is on the move.

The internet giant set up shop on Dutton Drive in Waterloo in 2005 before moving into Tech Town in late 2007. But it appears as though Google has outgrown that 9000 square foot space as it prepares to make a move into downtown Kitchener.

570 News has learned that Google will become one of the new high tech tenants in Kitchener's new Tannery District. Developer Cadan Inc. has already announced the imminent arrival of Communitech and Desire 2 Learn later this summer.

The $30 million redevelopment project in the former Lang Tannery will also include close to two dozen other businesses, such as a child care centre, a health care clinic and a pharmacy.

The Communitech "Hub" was made possible in part by a $26 million investment by the provincial government announced last fall. Ontario’s Minister of Research and Innovation John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener-Centre, said at his November, 2009 news conference that “Ontario is already recognized as a global leader in the digital media sector and we are sending a clear signal to digital entrepreneurs everywhere – Ontario means business. The Hub will strengthen our ability to support innovators right here in Waterloo Region and across the province, as they work to turn new ideas into new jobs and globally-competitive businesses.” Communitech announced in March that it would be setting up The Hub in 30,000 square feet of space in the Tannery at Charles and Victoria. It expects to use the space to collaborate with such companies as Research in Motion, Agfa Healthcare and Christie Digital.

When Google made the move to Tech Town in 2007 it had 12 employees in its Waterloo office. There's no word exactly how many employees are working here today and no official date has been given for Google's move into the Tannery building. Google's first foothold in Canada was established in 2002 with the opening of a Toronto office.

The Lang Tannery Redevelopment/Kitchener

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/10740_1_tannery1big.jpg
http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/10740_2_Tannery2big.jpg
http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/10740_5_tannery5big.jpg

one50 King / Uptown Waterloo
http://one50king.com/images/stories/rotateMe/PWD_0000_1.jpg http://one50king.com/images/stories/rotateMe/PWD_0003_4.jpg

Density :D

133 Park St looks really good...an excellent design...very urban...the word

"classy" comes to mind...Kudos to Nick...I knew he wouldn't let me down...
...site plan posted on Park St. fencing...

https://cid-b3c419cad3ed3ecf.photos.live.com/browse.aspx/New%20album1?uc=1&nl=1IMG00312-20110325-1615.jpg.zip

Wow things are changing.
I'd never move back though...

Waterloo was always ok, but in the tri-city, Guelph was always my fave.

Tannery does look pretty sweet though.

Wow things are changing.
I'd never move back though...

Waterloo was always ok, but in the tri-city, Guelph was always my fave.

Tannery does look pretty sweet though.

guy... guelph was never part of tri-city... it's waterloo, kitchener and cambridge... just to clarify....

guy... guelph was never part of tri-city... it's waterloo, kitchener and cambridge... just to clarify....

It was always explained to me that Guelph was. K-W is essentially 1 city and then you have Cambridge.
But ya, I know Guelph isn't part of the K-W region.

Always sounded funny to me though.

Guelph is sort of an extra pole. They stand on their own but there is a lot of traffic between the two.

Mayfair Hotel to be transformed into boutique hotel, spa

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/542823--mayfair-hotel-to-be-transformed-into-boutique-hotel-spa
KITCHENER — A Brampton-based developer is unveiling plans to transform two historic properties along King Street West — the Mayfair Hotel and the Hyman Hardware Building next door — into an upscale boutique hotel and spa.

Because of the historic significance of the properties Andrin Investments Limited will appear before Heritage Kitchener next Tuesday to explain the plans in detail.

Glass and steel additions will be built on top of the existing buildings, bringing the height to nine floors. The inside of both buildings will be completely rebuilt. Three floors will be added to the Mayfair Hotel at 11 Young St. Six floors to the building next door at 156-158 King St. west.

http://media.mmgdailies.topscms.com/images/c5/b7/0bf8c11f470f994070944af54e8a.jpeg

larger rendering
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k55/smably/mayfair_render.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k55/smably/mayfair_render.jpg

Epic Mixed-Use Developement coming to Kitchener, Ontario:

(Link found on: http://twitter.com/#!/urban__dreamer)

http://www.audax.ca/architecture#!__architecture/projects/vstc2=kitchener-mixed-use-development

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7563/kitc4.jpg

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/1516/kitc3.jpg

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3267/kitc2.jpg

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/1947/kitc1.jpg

It was going to be coming to Kitchener; the land went on to someone else.

Waterloo, Ontario development news

http://theimprint.ca/archives/3379

Developer floats massive student apartment complex

Jun 30 2011 in News by Greg Beneteau, Editor-in-Chief

Proposed project on Phillip Street would include retail space, house 2,255 residents

According to plans submitted to the Federation of Students by Markham-based JD Development Group, the proposed
complex at 256 Phillip Street would consist of five multi-storey buildings arranged around a central courtyard.

The two street-facing buildings, each 20 storeys high, would have retail and commercial space on the ground floor, with the possibility of more in the basement. Two additional 24-storey buildings and a 25-storey building would be constructed behind them.

The buildings, targeted primarily at students, would accommodate up to 2,255 occupants. If constructed, it would one of the tallest and most populated apartment complexes in the city.

Matthew Colphon, president of the Federation of Students, said he was contacted by UW Housing Services at the beginning of June because the developer was looking for information about “what kinds of amenities students might want to see in that space.”

The subject was brought up at the Feds student council meeting June 12, and councillors have been making inquiries with constituents through Twitter and Facebook, Colphon said.

Based on the replies received, “things like a coffee shop, pharmacy or grocery store were all top options,” he said.

“Having some high-density corridors—like along King Street, like along University and perhaps like along Philip Street—if someone wants to do that, it’s not exactly surprising, because that’s what city policy has been for six years,” he said.

He added that, under current zoning bylaws, buildings up to 25 storeys tall could be built in the area, provided the developer demonstrates that it can accommodate parking, landscaping, sewage and other service requirements.

The proposal comes amidst a sell-off by local landlords angered by recent changes to rental housing bylaws, and raises questions about whether the future of student housing in the city will be focused more on large-scale projects.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4834/lood.jpg