The building next to the old post office is currently on fire with no fewer than three fire trucks attempting to put it out for the last hour or so. A bucket truck is now on site too.
Shops here include the recently opened tattoo parlour as wel as the famed ish&chips
The building in question in the link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=waterl...81.72,,0,-1.73
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Sports & Recreation Moderator
From Kitchener | Member Since Jan 2010 | 1,162 Posts#208-23-2012 04:07 PMA very clear image of the scene, were the surrounding buildings evacuated?
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City Member
From Waterloo | Member Since Jan 2010 | 520 Posts#308-23-2012 04:21 PM
The comic store across the street has been cleared out and Hydro just cut power at the pole in the middle of the pic above.
More pics:
Last edited by metropolis; 08-24-2012 at 09:34 AM.
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City Member
From Kitchener | Member Since Oct 2010 | 791 Posts#408-23-2012 04:22 PM
Via Twitter
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Urban Issues Moderator
Member Since Jul 2010 | 1,321 Posts#508-23-2012 04:25 PMIt is hard to tell, but in the last picture it looks like it was the ish&chips/convenience store building that is on fire. I think there were some renovations going on in the empty space next to ish&chips.
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Village Member
From Waterloo | Member Since Dec 2009 | 76 Posts#608-23-2012 05:40 PM
Traffic in the area is getting very congestive.
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City Member
From Waterloo | Member Since Jan 2010 | 520 Posts#708-23-2012 07:35 PM
Some more shots. I smell like I've been to a campfire.
Erb Street alley outside old Titanium:
Sucking up water that has made it a block south of the fire to Erb and King:
From the South of the fire:
Alley behind King Street beside Jane Bond. There are fire fighters in that smoke...
From the North of the fire. They were pouring from the tower onto the fire for hours.
From the North again. I saw at least 4 fire hydrants in use. There may have been more:
If you look closely in the middle you can see the firemen and the spray of water. Does the car insurance co. let you write off your car for smoke damage?
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Metropolis Member
From West-South-West Kitchener | Member Since May 2010 | 1,278 Posts#808-23-2012 08:14 PM
According to the CTV report, the fire appears to have started at the back of the old convenience store unit and spread into Ish & Chips. The firefighters have minimized damage to the neighbouring units, but the building itself is likely a write-off.
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Moderator
From Kitchener-Waterloo | Member Since Dec 2009 | 5,680 Posts#908-23-2012 08:20 PM
Great photos metropolis! I've got more pics from the afternoon to sort though and see if I have anything to add. Now that the smoke has died down I wanted to get these shots up showing the extent of the damage.
August 23, 2012 - 7:45PM
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Urban Issues Moderator
Member Since Jul 2010 | 1,321 Posts#1008-23-2012 08:26 PMI sure hope the ish&chip owners had insurance. They had worked so hard to get their eatery going and they were finally making a good go at it with their late hours service.
Originally Posted by KevinL
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Village Member
From Kitchener, Ontario | Member Since Jul 2010 | 97 Posts#1108-23-2012 10:33 PM
Noooo. Not Ish + Chips!! I was so excited when these guys finally reopened after moving from the University location (where it was MacDonnell Village). This is just terrible.
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City Member
From Waterloo | Member Since Jan 2010 | 520 Posts#1208-24-2012 12:15 PM
This is around noon the next day, about 22 hours after the fire was first reported. Inspectors are combing the scene and the bucket truck is still there continuing to watch for hot spots. This was one hot fire!
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Town Member
From Kitchener | Member Since May 2010 | 308 Posts#1308-24-2012 04:19 PM
I wonder what`s going to happen to property once it`s cleaned up?
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City Member
From Kitchener | Member Since Oct 2010 | 791 Posts#1408-24-2012 04:48 PM
I suspect at least 3 years of vacancy (with burned out foundations remaining).
Followed by a wholly disappointing rebuild proposal (constrained by onerous cash-in-lieu-of-parking fees). -
Urban Issues Moderator
Member Since Jul 2010 | 1,321 Posts#1508-25-2012 12:39 AMThe owner is the same person who developed the nice HSBC building on William and King, so there is at least some hope. Originally Posted by markster
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Metropolis Member
From DOWNTOWN | Member Since Mar 2010 | 1,465 Posts#1608-25-2012 12:28 PM
With the limited storefront space available Uptown these days, I wonder if Ish and Chips might not take the opportunity to open a spot Downtown? - it seems like very friendly territory for new eateries these days.
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Moderator
From Kitchener-Waterloo | Member Since Dec 2009 | 5,680 Posts#1708-29-2012 12:34 PMDemolition - August 29, 2012
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City Member
From Kitchener | Member Since Oct 2010 | 791 Posts#1808-29-2012 01:26 PMI actually looked it up, and it appears that the square footage that existed on the site on Nov 4th, 1991 is exempt from parking requirements. Apparently that was the day downtown became car dependant. Originally Posted by markster
Only additional square footage, (over and above what stood before) is required to provide parking, at a rate of 2.15 spaces per 100 square metres.
Doing some fun math:
Cash-in-lieu cost the uptown HSBC $37,500 per spot. (page 126)
2.15 parking spaces = $80,625
1 square metre = $806.25
1 square foot = $74.90 in parking fees -
Village Member
From Kitchener | Member Since Nov 2010 | 83 Posts#1908-29-2012 03:52 PMWow that's gross. Originally Posted by markster
So who else thinks we should set up a new remembrance ceremony for November 4th?? -
City Member
From Kitchener | Member Since Oct 2010 | 791 Posts#2008-29-2012 05:14 PM
Considering construction costs are roughly $150 per square foot, it seems tantamount to a moratorium on urban construction in the city.
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08-23-2012 04:01 PM
