Small Urban Kitchener Construction

[Lens]

It'll be nice to see that end of Downtown finally get some attention in the next few years. It just needs a boost to get it started and attracting new developments and businesses.

[bcwessel]

Kitchener Post just reported on Twitter that the CBC expansion to KW will be locating in this building.

Matter of Taste has a soft opening tomorrow at 10am in their new space.

117 King Street West - June 30, 2012

[EdM]

And an item from the CBC itself: http://www.cbc.ca/revenuegroup/new-cbc-kitchener-waterloo-broadcast-centre-to-be-located-at-117-king-street-west.html

CBC News today announced that its new Kitchener-Waterloo broadcast centre will be located at 117 King Street West in Kitchener, ON. Starting this winter, CBC will provide residents of Waterloo Region with new local radio and digital news services.


The King Street West location for the new broadcast centre places it in the heart of Kitchener-Waterloo's commercial core, close to key city areas including, Kitchener City Hall.


"We are delighted to bring CBC to the Waterloo Region this winter", says Susan Marjetti, Managing Director of CBC for the Ontario Region. "With this new location, we're continuing to demonstrate our commitment to Canadians and our communities. Our team will be in the middle of all the action, covering the Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge area."

[mpd618]

Anyone know what's going on at 765 King St W? It's a small one-storey medical building across from Central Fresh Market, and it looks like it might be facing demolition. That site is zoned MU-3 (high-intensity mixed-use), I believe.

[markster]

Anyone know what's going on at 765 King St W? It's a small one-storey medical building across from Central Fresh Market, and it looks like it might be facing demolition. That site is zoned MU-3 (high-intensity mixed-use), I believe.

I stopped by this one today. It appears that the roof has been completely rebuilt. Nothing terribly exciting.

[RangersFan]

I stopped by this one today. It appears that the roof has been completely rebuilt. Nothing terribly exciting.

I was hoping for something more exciting.

[panamaniac]

I noticed today that renovations are underway at another three locations Downtown - 36 and 24 Ontario St N and 30 Queen Street N. I think someone mentioned recently that one of the Ontario St spots will be the convenience store until recently located on Duke at Queen. The Queen St location is the downstairs area formerly occupied by Heers Camera. That's a nice space that has been sitting empty for far too long and it will be interesting to see who/what moves in. Meanwhile the renovations to the former Somers store for Essential Elements is moving along slowly, as are the renovations to Dandy's restaurant. Downtown seems to be having its best year in decades.

Edit: There are also some indications that something may be happening with the fire-damaged structure on King St East between Queen and Frederick. It would be good to see this cleaned up.

[panamaniac]

It doesn't come as a surprise, but the Country Style bistro at King and Ontario has been closed.

[mpd618]

This isn't "construction", but just an interesting tidbit. The Region is buying or expropriating little slivers of property for the LRT corridor. In the report on the section along Charles Street (part of this agenda) was this:

Regional Staff have been unable to contact the owner of a small vacant strip of land on Charles Street East in the City of Kitchener legally described as Part Lot 14, Plan 262 being PIN 22506-0088. The Region requires a small piece of that property more particularly described as Part 9 Plan 58R-17395, City of Kitchener being approximately 1.5 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep. The owner has been deceased over fifty years, there have been no legal dealings with the property since the owner’s passing, and there is suggestion that the two abutting land owners have acquired prescriptive rights over the property by virtue of its use and occupation. The property does not have a municipal address. Regional Staff continue to search for the heirs of the deceased, if any. Regional Staff are also in communication with the abutting land owners to keep informed of any possessory claims that may be made. There is a possibility that recourse will have to be made to the Superior Court of Justice in order to determine legal ownership.

I believe the property in question is what would be known as 532 Charles Street East if it had an address.

[RangersFan]

It doesn't come as a surprise, but the Country Style bistro at King and Ontario has been closed.

That is too bad I was glad to see that retail space filled in by them, but the cafe competition Downtown has really increased over the past couple of years.

[panamaniac]

That is too bad I was glad to see that retail space filled in by them, but the cafe competition Downtown has really increased over the past couple of years.

True that there's cafe competition, but I had heard some weeks prior to the closing that other factors were having a negative effect on business at that particular corner. If true, it may be a good while before anything moves in to replace the Country Style.

[Lens]

True that there's cafe competition, but I had heard some weeks prior to the closing that other factors were having a negative effect on business at that particular corner. If true, it may be a good while before anything moves in to replace the Country Style.

That's interesting to hear. Did you come across what some of those factors might be?

[panamaniac]

That's interesting to hear. Did you come across what some of those factors might be?

Nothing I can verify, but the source believed that the problem was the probation office upstairs and the street life on that particular corner.

[plam]

True that there's cafe competition, but I had heard some weeks prior to the closing that other factors were having a negative effect on business at that particular corner. If true, it may be a good while before anything moves in to replace the Country Style.

That location is just below Probation and Parole Services, as well as a nonprofit on the 3rd floor. Perhaps the owners are hoping for too much rent for the location; I don't know. There hasn't really been much at that corner in the past few years, though; before TCBY there was a church that was meeting there.

[Lugnut]

Nothing I can verify, but the source believed that the problem was the probation office upstairs and the street life on that particular corner.

I wouldn't be surprised if that played a big role. The crowds at the corner are always a little sketchy.

[panamaniac]

I noticed a couple of workers this morning doing something inside the street level space of the old Eatons building at King and Water. For all I know they could have been changing light bulbs, but I wondered whether this fiasco has perhaps finally sorted itself out? It would be wonderful to see some retail/commercial tenants move into this prime location.

[KevinL]

It would be wonderful to see some retail/commercial tenants move into this prime location.

Indeed! High hopes for this.

[The Comeback Kid]

More news on 117 King St. West - from the Record Online

[NEWSQUOTE]Heritage building gets $2 million facelift

Perimeter Development Corp. hopes to attract businesses to Simpson Block

Craig Beattie, a partner with Perimeter Developments Corp., stands on the roof of the Simpson Block, a high-profile heritage building that his firm is renovating. An outdoor patio is planned for the roof.



KITCHENER — Craig Beattie walks up the temporary stairs to the top floor of a building constructed in 1895 and steps into a room flooded with natural light that will soon be another new-economy workplace in the core of the city.

Beattie, a partner with the Perimeter Development Corporation, looks around the space on the fourth floor of 117 King St. West and talks about the restoration and renovations currently underway.

“When we finish sandblasting all this and exposing some of this brick, this will look amazing,” Beattie said. “These floors are actually fantastic floors, wait until we sand and stain these up again.”

Old, arched windows stretch across the front of the room. New floor-to-ceiling windows are being installed at the back and will look onto an outdoor patio with great views of the city.

“This is as good as it gets,” Beattie said.

Beattie is overseeing the $2 million renovation and restoration of the building commonly known as the Simpson Block. The building was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1985.

“Top-to-bottom, it is a huge investment,” Beattie said.

A glass wall that rises from the sidewalk up two floors was installed at the front of the 127-year-old building. The original floors will be restored. Brick walls and beams will be exposed and cleaned. A new elevator shaft was built and washrooms are going in on every floor.
“It is starting to take shape,” Beattie said. “These are challenging projects, but they are highly rewarding when you see it take shape.”

Beattie and his partner David Gibson bought three old factories along Breithaupt Street that have been renovated and restored. They are currently redeveloping seven historic properties in the Galt section of Cambridge as well.

They specialize in bringing new life to old buildings and Perimeter Development will have its offices in this building where Beattie can oversee the company’s growing inventory of properties in this region.

Beattie recently bought a house in the East Ward — one of the nicest residential neighbourhoods in the city.

“There is no duplication for being here day-in and day-out and as you can see, the types of projects we do you can’t do from behind your desk in Toronto,” Beattie said.

Like other old buildings restored by Perimeter, this one had its share of expensive surprises hiding in the walls. Workers found an old dumb-waiter that was completely covered by a wall. There was a freight elevator as well that will be converted into a stair well.

“That’s where the costs come in, you have to bring these buildings up to snuff,” Beattie said. “That’s not a cheap exercise.”

Perimeter is looking for creative-minded tenants who want a bright, urban location — small technology companies, marketing and design firms and traditional media. There has been no shortage of interest from potential tenants, he said.

“We are just seeing so many more companies, even smaller companies, that still want these attributes in a workplace,” Beattie said.

The CBC signed a lease for space on the ground floor and the national broadcaster wants to move in by year’s end.

“For them to be in a historic building like this right in the centre of the whole market made a ton of sense for them,” Beattie said.

The Matter of Taste coffee shop was moved to the other side of the ground floor to make way for a new elevator shaft.
tpender@therecord.com
[/NEWSQUOTE]

I forgot the CBC was moving in there... it'll be fun to see them as I walk by every morning.

[metropolis]

There has been so much written about this project I wish it had its own thread.

[fin2limb]

The new Matter of Taste is really nice. It's a lot brighter than before and I really like the exposed brick.