Ontario Table and Chair, 19 fl, Proposed

[myfaceisonfire]

I've lived uptown Waterloo for 8 years, always near William & Park and have rarely found traffic to be a problem. The only troublesome point is making a left from Park onto William, that can sometimes be a bit annoying. I have to wonder though, if we can't densify here then where can we densify?

I hate the Catalina developments. It's full of old foggies who have nothing better to do than complain that their "retirement community" is being over run by the downtown core. Well guess what? YOU LIVE IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE!!

Where exactly is the chippendale complex? Is it the one on Allen at Park? I used to live on Norman and my house backed onto that development's pool. It was nice, very quiet but hardly anyone ever used the pool

[notmyfriends]

Originally Posted by Bauer_buyer

LOOK!

I HAVE LIVED IN THE CHIPPENDALE COMPLEX FOR TWENTY YEARS AND TRAFFIC IS A PROBLEM...WHERE DO YOU GET OFF SLAMMING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC.
JUST YESTERDAY THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AT PARK AND ALLEN AND A WEEK EARLIER A CAR RAN INTO A HOUSE AT THE END OF PARK ON WILLIAM.
PLEASE DON'T COMMENT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!

Did you, and do you now, agree with similar concerns over the Bauer Building?

[smably]

Originally Posted by metropolis

Unfortunately the parking between Clarica and the hospital is owned by... Clarica and the hospital. Building here would likely require massive concessions in the form of providing parking to both those operations while also making sure there was enough parking for whatever the developer was actually building.

I should have mentioned that I'm not laying the blame on the city, not the developers. As for parking concessions, once the rapid transit line is built I expect that those institutions will require much less parking. Hopefully the city will recognize that.

Originally Posted by metropolis

The site between William and Alexandra is owned by everyone's favourite developer: Auburn Developments.

That's too bad.

Originally Posted by Bauer_buyer

PLEASE DON'T COMMENT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!! (etc.)

I live on Alexandra, just a few blocks away from there. I know what the traffic is like. Please calm down.

[myfaceisonfire]

Same old song and dance in the chronicle this week.

http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news/article/142456

Neighbours blast new condo plan
By Greg MacDonald
News
Sep 10, 2008


A plan to erect a 19-storey condominium building at the corner of Allen and Park streets drew more fire Monday, with neighbours blasting the development as it was presented to city council.

Concerns ranged from traffic impacts to shadows to the safety of children as residents pleaded with the city to do something about the proposed development on the current site of the Ontario Table and Chair building.

Developers are asking the city to rezone the site to allow for a 157-unit condominium complex that will require twice the density than the site is currently allocated.

But neighbours are worried that this complex, coupled with the nearby Bauer lofts, will destroy their quiet community. The size of the structure is among the chief concerns.

"We're not against development, but development has to be reasonable," said Becky Shaw, who lives on Park Street across from the site.

Shaw and 10 other concerned citizens voiced their complaints about the development, which will also feature townhouses along its frontage.

And though residents living in the uptown are aware of the need for intensification, this is taking it too far, said Marcia Macks Edwards, who lives in the Catalina townhouse development just off Allen Street.

"We expect development, we expect mixed use but we also expect respect," she said.

When the Catalina townhouses were approved by the previous council, they were envisioned as the new benchmark for environmentally friendly living in the uptown, Edwards said.

Now they're going to get boxed in by high-rises.

"We want you to respect your vision of uptown Waterloo and the official plan," she said.

John Ardnt, president of the North Waterloo Region branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, is also concerned about intensification.

He's afraid that the "Manhattanization" of the core could lead to a loss of the city's built history -- something that's already ongoing with the potential loss of the Ontario Table and Chair building, which was built in 1913. The structure is typical of industrial facilities built before the First World War and is one of Waterloo's last linkages to that era.

"Only a few buildings still stand that still represent the Golden Age of industry in the city," Ardnt said.

All of these concerns are going to become more common as developers start to intensify, said Carol Wiebe, a consultant with MHBC planning.

Wiebe, who presented council with some of the plans for the development, said she heard the community's concerns and will take them into account. But it's not only developers who will have to deal with these worries, she said.

"I think that in the next 10 years we're going to see some tremendous change " she said. "Council, staff, developers and the neighbourhoods are going to have to deal with issues as the (intensification) policies are implemented."

[WatDot]

"He's afraid that the "Manhattanization" of the core could lead to a loss of the city's built history -- something that's already ongoing with the potential loss of the Ontario Table and Chair building, which was built in 1913. The structure is typical of industrial facilities built before the First World War and is one of Waterloo's last linkages to that era."

Funny thing about the Catalina Townhomes. Where they sit once was "old industrial". Labatt's had large warehouses there I believe, that today would probably have been redeveloped.

[WatDot]

Originally Posted by myfaceisonfire

Where exactly is the chippendale complex? Is it the one on Allen at Park? I used to live on Norman and my house backed onto that development's pool. It was nice, very quiet but hardly anyone ever used the pool

It's just west of Park Street on Allen. Not even one block west and on the right (north) side.

[KW4Life]

I was at the Empire State Building on Tuesday and I must say that it is a beautiful building. I'd be proud to be in it's shadow. haha. On the tour they talked about the law that passed to keep buildings from becoming sun blockers based on the Empire State Building's shape, proving you could have sun at street level when surrounded by sky scrapers.

Tell people they will build a copy of the new abomination on King St and that might fire a few misguided rockets off.

I must say, after getting back from New York City yesterday, we have a ways to go to catch up.

Originally Posted by KW4Life

Tell people they will build a copy of the new abomination on King St and that might fire a few misguided rockets off.

I'd become a NIMBY pretty quickly if that piece of — was built in front of me too.

Originally Posted by KW4Life

I must say, after getting back from New York City yesterday, we have a ways to go to catch up.

Yeah, I'm sure that makes the NIMBY's fears of "Manhattanization" seem that much funnier to you now.

By the way, did you take pictures of NYC while you were there? If so, you should post them under "My City Photos" in the main menu of SSP. I'd be really interested to see them.

[rapid_business]

hmmm... the proposal actually looks half decent. I'm quite impressed to be honest.

I'll have to keep my ear on this one.

EDIT: As I've yet to write on this thread yet, I should comment I am sad to see the existing building being torn down. I really like it, and even dreamed of a loft conversion and owning a place there. Oh well... at least it's replacement isn't a behemoth like Auburn's developments or the like.

[DHLawrence]

They're giving condos away at prices like that? Geez, there goes the neighbourhood!

Holy moly!!!

A million dollars here can still get you a large-lot McMansion in Deer Ridge Estates or Townline/Avenue! I mean, I know uptown is desirable and all, but that's a huge price and I'll be amazed if there's a market for it. Even in downtown Toronto, $1 million will still get you a pretty nice unit in a top-notch location, so I'd imagine the penthouses in this development will be nothing short of glorious.

Originally Posted by DHLawrence

They're giving condos away at prices like that? Geez, there goes the neighbourhood!

Yeah, we don't want "those people" moving in . Surely they're going to turn our low density utopia into a crime-ridden slum .

[notmyfriends]

Ghetto indeed.

[Elmira Guy]

I've registered as I've decided to win the lottery between now and then.

[jcollins]

Wow...thats quite the price tag!
They're definitely doing everything they can in that marketing campaign to show that it's going to be an upper class type building, none of this "ghetto" that people are concerned about (for some unfounded reason)

[notmyfriends]

Originally Posted by jcollins

Wow...thats quite the price tag!
They're definitely doing everything they can in that marketing campaign to show that it's going to be an upper class type building, none of this "ghetto" that people are concerned about (for some unfounded reason)

LOOK!

WHERE DO YOU GET OFF SLAMMING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT GHETTOFABULATION.
JUST YESTERDAY THERE WAS A BLACK GUY AT PARK AND ALLEN AND A WEEK EARLIER A CAR RAN BY PLAYING SOME RAP MUSIC.
PLEASE DON'T COMMENT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!

[Section ThirtyOne]

NOT IN MY BACK YARD. SOUNDS LIKE MY PROPERTY VALUES WILL DROP BECAUSE OF THIS.

WATERLOO DOESN'T NEED ANY LOW INCOME HOUSING. SEND THEM TO KITCHENER.

[metropolis]

Originally Posted by notmyfriends

LOOK!

WHERE DO YOU GET OFF SLAMMING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT GHETTOFABULATION.
JUST YESTERDAY THERE WAS A BLACK GUY AT PARK AND ALLEN AND A WEEK EARLIER A CAR RAN BY PLAYING SOME RAP MUSIC.
PLEASE DON'T COMMENT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!

I opened a whole bunch of windows on my laptop today before taking off for Vancouver and did not read that until I was on the plane. I laughed out loud and people looked at me funny.

[rapid_business]

So who is the developer here? Randy Kinat? Or is he partnered with someone?