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  1. Mennonite Central Committee Ontario Head Office
    50 Kent Ave, Kitchener

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    For more project renders: http://www.srmarchitects.ca/project-...office/50-kent

    MCCO Building for the Future

    Oct 19, 2011 | MCCO's website | LINK

    “We are re-visioning our current head office to create a much more active and welcoming centre where people touch, taste and participate in MCC’s practical response to the needs of the world,” says Rick Cober Bauman, Executive Director of MCC Ontario.

    Cober Bauman’s enthusiasm for a full redevelopment of the current 50 Kent site is born of a vision of greater impact and capacity locally and around the world.

    This visionary project plans to combine two current, overcrowded Kitchener and Waterloo thrift shops into one large and innovative shop in an excellent retail location. A Waterloo presence for thrift and volunteer involvement will remain in a different, but meaningful way. Acknowledging the expected increase in income generated from the expanded thrift shop, Cober Bauman adds, “Investing in thrift is investing in the work of MCC.”

    MCCO’s current building was constructed in the 1950’s. Since that time accessibility standards have changed drastically, as has MCCO’s response to needs in international material aid and local programming.

    Several Anabaptist partners, including Mennonite Savings and Credit Union, Mennonite Foundation of Canada, Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, will join MCCO and the thrift shop to create a community of Anabaptist agencies with shared stewardship of physical resources and a collective witness to the local and global community.

    Having acquired adjacent vacant school board land, MCCO will build an entirely new, two-story building totalling 51,000 square feet on its current 50 Kent Avenue location. The $12 million dollar project is expected to be completed in October 2013, with demolition and ground-breaking beginning in mid-2012.
    2. #1
    RangersFan
    06-16-2012 12:13 PM
  2. From DOWNTOWN | Member Since Mar 2010 | 1,462 Posts
    #2
    06-16-2012 12:33 PM
    I was wondering when something would be posted about this - I noticed the ground being cleared when I was in town a few weeks ago. Seems like a substantial project and a nice addition to the area. The render doesn't give an idea of how it might relate to Kent and Charles streets, unfortunately.
  3. From Waterloo, ON | Member Since Jan 2010 | 1,976 Posts
    #3
    06-16-2012 01:05 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by panamaniac
    I was wondering when something would be posted about this - I noticed the ground being cleared when I was in town a few weeks ago. Seems like a substantial project and a nice addition to the area. The render doesn't give an idea of how it might relate to Kent and Charles streets, unfortunately.
    For one, it's clear that the main entrance faces parking.
  4. From West-South-West Kitchener | Member Since May 2010 | 1,278 Posts
    #4
    06-16-2012 01:30 PM
    Having acquired adjacent vacant school board land
    This appears to be a portion of the Cameron Heights overflow parking, which is the property's neighbour to the rear. It would still be good to see what the new site layout will be.
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  5. From DOWNTOWN | Member Since Mar 2010 | 1,462 Posts
    #5
    06-16-2012 02:44 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by mpd618
    For one, it's clear that the main entrance faces parking.
    I'm guessing that that will be facing Kent.
  6. From Kitchener | Member Since Nov 2010 | 83 Posts
    #6
    06-21-2012 10:18 AM
    You can all go there tonight.... The MCCO is hosting a BBQ to say goodbye to the old HQ and celebrate the new construction.
  7. From Kitchener | Member Since Nov 2010 | 83 Posts
    #7
    06-21-2012 10:19 AM
    ....and I was supposed to mention that it was from 5:30-7pm. 50 Kent St.
  8. From DOWNTOWN | Member Since Mar 2010 | 1,462 Posts
    #8
    11-04-2012 02:43 PM
    The new MCC building is now under construction. Hard to tell from my photos, but it looks like it will have a bigger footprint than I had realized. Although the setback is deeper on the Charles St side than on Kent (second photo), it seems like all or most of the parking will be at the rear of the building.

    Edit: I see from the renders that there will be parking on the Charles St side, hence the deeper setback.



    Last edited by panamaniac; 11-04-2012 at 02:53 PM.
  9. UrbanWaterloo's Avatar
    From Kitchener-Waterloo | Member Since Dec 2009 | 5,679 Posts
    #9
    02-08-2013 01:32 PM
    February 4, 2013











  10. From DOWNTOWN | Member Since Mar 2010 | 1,462 Posts
    #10
    02-08-2013 07:37 PM
    The chequered exterior cladding is pretty subdued, but I do prefer it to blank walls. The building is bigger than I had realized.
  11. UrbanWaterloo's Avatar
    From Kitchener-Waterloo | Member Since Dec 2009 | 5,679 Posts
    #11
    04-09-2013 07:09 AM
    April 4, 2013





  12. RangersFan's Avatar
    From Kitchener | Member Since Jan 2010 | 1,161 Posts
    #12
    04-21-2013 04:47 PM
    April 21, 2013

    biggest change since the last set of pictures is that the window installation has begun.

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  13. Trogdor's Avatar
    From Toronto/KW | Member Since Mar 2010 | 233 Posts
    #13
    04-21-2013 05:10 PM
    It's kind of turning out to be an ominous building with its patchwork brown design and small windows, but I'll be lenient in my judgement because I know it is functioning as a warehouse basically. Still, it does not address the street in any way and it could easily have used different materials so that's rather unimpressive. It's a bit of a wasted opportunity IMO.
  14. Member Since Dec 2011 | 202 Posts
    #14
    04-22-2013 03:59 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by Trogdor
    It's kind of turning out to be an ominous building with its patchwork brown design and small windows, but I'll be lenient in my judgement because I know it is functioning as a warehouse basically. Still, it does not address the street in any way and it could easily have used different materials so that's rather unimpressive. It's a bit of a wasted opportunity IMO.
    Yup. Boring.

    At least make the small part that interacts with Charles have some interest