Village of Hespeler: Municipal News and Events

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Village of Hespeler

In 1973, Hespeler amalgamated with the City of Galt and the Town of Preston to form the City of Cambridge, however it is still very much a community on its own. This thread will be a place to post news and events that are shaping this community on the river that is finally undergoing a revival after decades of neglect.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&mrt=all&aq=&sll=43.431236,-80.31036&sspn=0.011064,0.01929&ie=UTF8&ll=43.430858,-80.310359&spn=0.022127,0.038581&z=15

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Hespeler core projects could get last of upgrade funds
Kevin Swayze | January 05, 2011 |Record staff | LINK (http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/309111--hespeler-core-projects-could-get-last-of-upgrade-funds)


CAMBRIDGE — A decade ago, the talk was all about a nearly $10-million vision of pedestrian plazas, boardwalks and playgrounds around the Hespeler mill pond, surrounded by old factory buildings converted into upscale homes and shops.

Now, as work is about to start on the renovation of the former American Standard factory into 125 condominiums overlooking the Speed River, there are only crumbs left in the city budget to attempt any big part of the scheme.

“We came up with a $10-million pipe dream,” said Ken Boyle, who sat on the Hespeler River activation committee and continues to push for spruce-up projects in the smallest of Cambridge’s three downtowns.

On Tuesday, city council was asked what to do with the $283,500 left of the $3 million that council allotted to the project in 2003. That original pot of money came from the privatization of Cambridge North Dumfries Hydro.

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City baulks at buying land to expand river park

| Kevin Swayze | Record staff | January 25, 2011 | LINK (http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/477932--city-baulks-at-buying-land-to-expand-river-park)


CAMBRIDGE — Dreams of a spectacular park expansion along the Speed River in Hespeler won’t come easy or cheap.

City staff urge caution, since the one-time American Standard site is contaminated and the whole of the site hasn’t been thoroughly investigated yet. They also say it will cost at least $1.8 million to buy, cleanup and turn the site into a public park, as a Kitchener developer wants.

If purchased and an existing building rented out for industrial uses and parking, the cost is more like $1.4 million because the province doesn’t require as extensive a cleanup.

Unless city council cuts something from its construction budget, council would have to borrow money or raise taxes to buy and clean the land.