King Street FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
King Street Reconstruction Project FAQ's
Q. When will 2010 construction begin?
Q. What kind of work is being done on King Street?
Q. What part of King Street will be affected?
Q. What is the duration of the King Street streetscape reconstruction project?
Q. Could construction be delayed for any reason?
Q. Why is the City reconstructing King Street?
Q. How much is the City paying for this project?
Q. Did the City solicit public feedback on this project?
Q. How can I obtain details about the construction?
Q. Will King Street stores and shops remain open for business during the reconstruction project?
Q. Will special events like Tooney Tuesdays, Cruising on King and Kitchener Downtown Blues Festival still be held downtown this summer?
Q. How will traffic along King Street be affected by this construction?
Q. How will bus service be affected by the streetscape reconstruction?
Q. Will on-street parking still be available to downtown visitors during the streetscape reconstruction?
Q. Who can I contact to get more information about construction?
Q. When will 2010 construction begin?
A. Construction is scheduled to begin April 5th, depending upon weather.
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Q. What kind of work is being done on King Street?
Diagram of Type of WorkA. The diagram above outlines the step by step process of how construction will proceed along King Street.
Step 1
A portion of the existing sidewalks, interlocking brick, and all trees and lighting are removed so that work can begin on the underground utility installation.
Step 2
The next step involves digging soil trenches for the storm water management planters, as well as installation of the planter walls.
Step 3
The next step is the installation of the concrete curbs.
Step 4
The concrete base will provide the foundation for the paving stone sidewalk
Step 5
The trees can be planted in the sustainable planters.
Step 6
The remaining existing sidewalk section next to the building will be removed and replaced with concrete sidewalks.
Step 7
The final step includes the installation of the decorative paving stone sidewalks and parking spots.
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Q. What part of King Street will be affected?
A. The 2010 construction, which will be done in stages, will take place between Young Street and Francis Street. It is anticipated that the reconstruction work will begin in April, in front of City Hall, from Young Street to College Street. The reconstruction work will be done one block at a time and during construction each block will be closed to traffic.
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Q. What is the duration of the King Street streetscape reconstruction project?
A. Construction started in April 2009 and is expected to be completed by 2010.
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Q. Could construction be delayed for any reason?
A. As with any construction project of this scale, the timelines that the city has set out on its construction staging map - located at www.downtownkitchener.ca - are best estimates at this time. These timelines may need to be adjusted throughout the project as the result of circumstances beyond our control (i.e., bad weather). It is the city's intent to make every effort to meet these timelines at a minimum. The city will implement various mitigation strategies to follow this proposed schedule as closely as possible or, if the opportunity arises and construction can be completed quicker, this schedule could be advanced.
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Q. Why is the City reconstructing King Street?
A. There is significant interest from private businesses and residential developers in downtown Kitchener, now it is the city's turn to show our commitment to improving and rejuvenating the core.
The new streetscape will create a pedestrian-first environment that is lively and attractive. It will include wider sidewalks, flexible parking, improved lighting and added street trees and sustainable planters. The new streetscape will provide an urban, vibrant, modern place where people can gather for dining, arts, culture and entertainment, while at the same time helping to attract new businesses and private sector investment into the downtown.
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Q. How much is the City paying for this project?
A. The City of Kitchener approved the pedestrian-first design for the King Street reconstruction project in December 2007. In 2008, city council approved an $8.8 million budget for the King Street project. In March of 2008, the City received a one-time grant of$3.2 million through the Provincial Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII) for this project. The city's portion of the funding - $5.68 million - will be allocated from the Economic Development Investment Fund and existing road resurfacing and parkette budgets.
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Q. Did the City solicit public feedback on this project?
A. The new pedestrian-first design of King Street is based on feedback received from hundreds of citizens during 2005 and 2006. The streetscape concept builds on several public processes which asked citizens to share their views on how downtown Kitchener should look in the future. These processes include:
- Downtown Strategic Plan (2005-07)
- CulturePlan II (2005)
- Environics Survey (2005)
- Centre Block Redevelopment consultations (2005-07)
- A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener (2006)
- Who-are-you-Kitchener public consultations (2006)
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Q. How can I obtain details about the construction?
A. Detailed information about the King Street reconstruction project, including a map showing the stages of construction, is available at: www.downtownkitchener.ca. Once construction begins, weekly construction updates will also be posted here. Additionally, there will be a construction site office located at 156 King Street, right next to the Artery Gallery.
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Q. Will King Street stores and shops remain open for business during the reconstruction project?
A. Yes, it will be business as usual in downtown Kitchener - downtown businesses will remain open throughout construction. The construction along King Street will be done in stages, the crews will take a "get in, get out" approach with construction being completed one block at a time. Crews will ensure that activity in front of businesses is limited in order to maintain pedestrian access.
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Q. Will special events like Tooney Tuesdays, Cruising on King and Kitchener Downtown Blues Festival still be held downtown this summer?
A. Plans for all of the City's exciting downtown summer events are currently underway. While some adjustments may have to be made to accommodate construction, it is anticipated that these events, which annually draw more than 350,000 visitors to Kitchener's downtown, will be back and better than ever! Watch for event details coming soon!
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Q. How will traffic along King Street be affected by this construction?
A. During construction, drivers will be encouraged to use either Duke or Charles streets as alternate routes. Through traffic cannot be accommodated in the section that is under construction, however local access for deliveries will be allowed.
Please visit www.kitchener.ca/road_closure/road_closure.asp for a complete listing of road closures.
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Q. How will bus service be affected by the streetscape reconstruction?
A. Due to construction along King Street, there will be detours for some of the Grand River Transit routes. Please visit www.grt.ca or call 519-585-7555 for a complete list of route detours and maps.
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Q. Will on-street parking still be available to downtown visitors during the streetscape reconstruction?
A. Due to safety issues, when a block is under construction, visitors to the downtown will not be able to use the on-street parking within that section of the street. However, more than 3,000 off-street parking spaces located in various downtown parking garages as well as more than 300 on-street spaces will continue to be available for visitors to the downtown to use. For a complete list of downtown parking opportunities, visit www.kitchener.ca/parking/
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Q. Who can I contact to get more information about construction?
A. For more information regarding this project, please contact:
- Eric Saunderson, the city's project manager at (519) 741-2304 or email eric.saunderson@kitchener.ca
- Kelly Cobbe, consultant project manager for IBI Group at (519) 585-2255
- Jeff Fisk, project manager for Steed and Evans at (519) 744-7315
- Mark Garner, executive director of the Downtown Kitchener BIA at (519)744-4921
- Visit www.downtownkitchener.ca or www.kitchener.ca
- Visit the construction site office located at 156 King Street, right next to the Artery Gallery.
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