King Street News
King Street News
For more information regarding the construction along King Street please view the following articles:
King Street to be transformed into an inspiring destination
Tree Canada recognized streetscape design
Downtown open for business during reconstruction
Streetscape will link downtown successes
UW School of Pharmacy
UW Health Sciences Campus
The Tannery District
New entrance to Victoria Park
Digital-Media Convergence Centre
Centre Block redevelopment
500-space parking structure
Consolidated provincial courthouse
Shoppers Drug Mart development project
King Street to be transformed into an inspiring destination
Not only is the redesign of King Street in downtown Kitchener predicted to breathe new life into the city's core through a modern, vibrant street atmosphere when it's complete in 2010 - it's also aiming to create an inspiring destination for people to live, work, visit and play.
"There is nothing more personal or reflective of a community than its downtown," said Eric Saunderson, the city's project manager of the King Street streetscape reconstruction - a process that will begin this spring.
"Visitors and investors are often evaluating Kitchener based on King Street - our downtown - so every citizen has a stake in how it looks," said Silvia Di Donato, the city's manager of downtown and community development.
Based on the city's urban vitality strategy - which centres on the belief that people create a downtown - and on the need to draw people back to the core, the new streetscape will create a high-quality, pedestrian-friendly design that is lively and aesthetically attractive.
The finished product will include:
- Wider sidewalks and flexible parking that will improve the city's capacity to hold special events in the core, and allow for more outdoor cafes, restaurant seating and retail in the warmer months - while maximizing on-street parking opportunities in the winter;
- Improved lighting for pedestrians;
- Environmental features including street trees and planters, new bicycle racks and improved transit stops and shelters.
These new amenities will help to attract new businesses and private-sector investment into the downtown; while simultaneously framing an urban, contemporary destination where people can gather for events, dining, arts, culture and entertainment.
"People can rest assured the special events that take place downtown each year - such as Cruising on King, Tooney Tuesdays and the Kitchener Blues Festival - will still run this summer - despite the construction," Saunderson said. "In fact, these events will provide the perfect opportunity for the city to showcase the new streetscape, and for visitors to enjoy the new pedestrian-friendly downtown."
The streetscape design - which was approved by Kitchener city council in 2007 - is based on the results of the Help Design Downtown Kitchener survey, as well as many public open houses and meetings held with downtown businesses.
The outcome of those processes indicated that the public wants King Street to be redesigned in a way that puts the needs of pedestrians first - a wish the city used to aptly name the approved design the "Pedestrian First model."
As well, the city will be encouraging downtown businesses to make use of its downtown façade grant program to improve the exterior designs and overall aesthetics of their facades and storefronts along King Street, in keeping with the streetscape theme.
By investing in the core, citizens can look forward to a modern, visually appealing streetscape - made from quality materials that will withstand the test of time.
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Tree Canada recognized streetscape design
In recognition of the new streetscape's contribution, dedication and leadership in the promotion of environmentally sustainable design, Tree Canada has designated King as a ‘Green Street'.
Just a few of the sustainable design features include:
- Doubling the number of street trees;
- An enhanced growing environment for trees, using planter beds that collect and filter storm water;
- Existing road materials (asphalt, paving stones, etc.) will be recycled;
- Recycled materials will be integrated into new road materials;
- Future improved waste management;
- Furnishings (benches, bollards, etc.) that use recycled materials.
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Downtown open for business during reconstruction
King Street reconstruction crews may be on site this summer, transforming the streetscape into a contemporary gathering place for pedestrians in the city's core -- but it will be business as usual for downtown businesses through the duration of the project.
The city and its partners -- including the Downtown Kitchener BIA (formerly Kitchener Downtown Business Association) -- will make every effort to minimize the construction impacts on downtown businesses.
Part of that will involve the construction crews working in stages -- one block at a time, one side of the street at a time, with a get-in-and-get-out approach.
Construction crews will do their best to limit activity in front of businesses and maintain pedestrian access to businesses. That means people will still be able to do everything they normally do downtown -- whether it's banking, shopping or dining at the many restaurants, despite the surrounding construction work.
"We hope the community will come downtown during this project, witness the transformation of the core and shop with our downtown retailers," said Mark Garner, executive director of the Downtown Kitchener BIA. "It's a great opportunity to see the transformation of the core firsthand -- as well as support the local economy."
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Streetscape will link downtown successes
There's no denying that downtown Kitchener has been a hub of activity over the past couple of years, with new and exciting developments sprouting up all over the core.
The reconstruction of the King Street streetscape, which will get underway this spring, will be the linchpin - the common bond that will link all of these modern success stories together -- as well as others that are currently underway.
"The city is not simply building a street; it's building a vibrant urban environment -- a place of creative energy -- that will attract entrepreneurs, innovators and creators of tomorrow," said Rod Regier, the City of Kitchener's executive director of economic development. "It will complete the downtown's transformation into a place that Kitchener residents will be proud of."
The reconstruction of King Street, between Frederick and Francis streets, will complement the vibrant, contemporary flavour that many new developments have added - or will add to the downtown once they're complete over the next two years.
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UW School of Pharmacy
Starting at King Street West -- the University of Waterloo's (UW) School of Pharmacy has added a jolt of colour to the ridge of the core -- especially with students now attending classes there.
This landmark facility -- which the city supported through a $30-million contribution from its $110-million Economic Development Investment Fund (EDIF) -- represents an innovative and collaborative partnership between local government and the university.
The pharmacy school is aimed to energize the core; bring new, dynamic dimensions to the downtown community; meet the health-care needs of the region; and advance the health-care agenda for the province.
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UW Health Sciences Campus
Hand-in-hand with the pharmacy school is UW's Downtown Kitchener Health Sciences Campus -- which is expected to be one of North America's most innovative and robust new teaching and health-care facilities.
When complete, the campus will house the leading-edge UW Primary Care Clinic, the School of Optometry Clinic and the Centre for Contact Lens, and the McMaster University medical program -- bringing more than 1,200 students, faculty and staff downtown on a daily basis.
The health sciences campus will address the need for professional expertise in a variety of health-care fields by attracting more health professionals -- including doctors -- to the area; and it will strengthen the region's position as a biotechnology centre.
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The Tannery District
A short jaunt south of the health sciences campus, at the corner of Charles and Victoria streets, new life is being given to an age-old building once known as the Lang tannery.
Cadan Inc. -- a Toronto development company -- is in the midst of transforming the building into a mix of corporate and social space.
The "Tannery District" will be filled with new restaurants and retail uses, landscaped courtyards, and office space that caters to the emerging technologies, multi-media, financial and health-sciences industries in the downtown.
Once the developer's $30-million renovation process is complete later this year, the site will feature two buildings -- one will offer space for local artisans while the other will house new office and retail space.
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New entrance to Victoria Park
A short walk from the Tannery District, toward the heart of the downtown, is the brand-new Victoria Park entrance off Gaukel Street -- featuring stone masonry gates, walkways, flower gardens, a pond -- complete with waterfalls, and a sculpture created by a local artist.
Construction of the new entrance, as well as additional upgrades to Gaukel Street, cost the city $2.4 million -- with $1.2 million provided by the Province of Ontario's Superbuild program.
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Digital-Media Convergence Centre
From pharmaceutical researchers studying virtual 3D models of molecules as they develop new drugs, to the latest innovations in 3D animation on the big screen - in the very near future, these things and many more in the realm of digital media may be originating in Kitchener's core at a Digital Media Convergence?Centre.
The $65million project -- which would link the downtown Kitchener centre to a similar one in Stratford -- has also received funding commitments from industrial partners in the Waterloo region, academic institutions, Communitech, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada and the City of Stratford.
As well, Kitchener city council has earmarked $500,000 from EDIF to be put toward specialized equipment and technical resources to operate a digital media hub in the core.
Kitchener's digital-media convergence centre is expected to be a place for innovation where business people, researchers, students, artists and entrepreneurs can come together to generate new digital media products, applications and businesses.
Together, the Kitchener digital media convergence centre and the similar Stratford institute will be part of a network called the Corridor for Advancing Canadian Digital Media, which links Canada's digital-media clusters from coast to coast - creating a digital convergence corridor and enabling collaboration between researchers, implementers and entrepreneurs.
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Centre Block redevelopment
Quite possible, some of the creative minds who will converge to the downtown digital-media hub will also be interested in the plans for the prominent Centre Block site, just steps from Kitchener City Hall.
Development company Andrin Limited's multi-million-dollar redevelopment will knit together condominium and live-work units, new retail space, a café and gallery, a boutique hotel and spa, and public and private parking.
Once complete, the redevelopment is expected to generate approximately $1.3 million annually in property taxes to the city, the region and the province.
The city's portion of that annual revenue is approximately $400,000.
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500-space parking structure
The Centre Block redevelopment won't be the only option when it comes to added parking in the core. The city has broken ground on its new six-storey, 500-space, above-ground parking garage at the northwest corner of Benton and Charles streets.
The $16-million garage -- which will be partially funded by the province in the amount of $6.475 million in cash in lieu for parking -- will help meet the growing demand for parking in the downtown when it opens next winter.
The garage will also include new retail space on the main floor, facing Benton Street.
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Consolidated provincial courthouse
Last year, the province committed to building a new provincial courthouse in the east end of downtown Kitchener, on the block bordered by Frederick, Duke, Scott and Weber streets.
The courthouse will consolidate three of the province's regional court facilities into the new downtown building, while simultaneously attracting new jobs to the core through the courthouse itself, as well as associated businesses such as law firms.
Construction of the courthouse will begin in 2010.
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Shoppers Drug Mart development project
Located beside Kitchener City Hall, this multi-million-dollar private-sector redevelopment project includes a 20,000-square foot Shoppers Drug Mart on the main floor with a large grocery component.
According to the real-estate developer and building owner, Bernie Nimer, the second floor of the project will include upscale office space with tall ceilings, massive windows and skylights, and mezzanines throughout.
A 250-person theatre or lecture space will also be located on the second floor.
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