[rdaner]

I find this interesting as it will be among a growing number of towers that will create a new node along the 401. The days of a really high density linear corridor stretching from Galt to St. Jacob’s is approaching! In addition I can see more of the large projects along the 401paralleling what is happening in the GTA.

From ZEBbuilder on SSP:

This is a two tower development in the Sportsworld area of Kitchener being developed by LJM Developments of Burlington.

The project itself is located at 4611 King St E which is the property between the 401 and the existing appliance store. It will contain 2 towers on a 6 floor podium, the tallest tower will be 30 floors and front King St, with the 25 floor tower being to the rear of the site next to the existing residental properties on Limerick Drive.

The project will include retail at grade fronting King St (650sqm/~7000sqft), it will also contain a large office space in the podium (1242sqm/~13360sqft). The building has 20659sqft of indoor amenity areas, the 7th floor of both towers is solely amenity areas with the remaining being in the podium of tower B. Their is also 7578sqft of outdoor amenity on the podium roof between towers A and B.

In terms of unit break down there is 500 1bdrm units, 73 1bdrm+den, 132 2bdrm and 21 3bdrm units proposed for a total of 726 units. There is a proposed 501 parking spaces (zoning requires 795) the vast majority is within 3 underground levels, the remaining is surface parking for the commercial space. There is also a proposed 404 bike spaces which will be included in the 3 underground parking levels.

 

[ZEBuilder]

When I originally posted that I hadn't had time to read the TIA but now that I have there's certainly reasonable objections that the city and regional transport staff are going to have for it. The developer is banking on the fact that it's "close enough" to the Sportsworld MTSA to get this kind of density, the main issue that transport staff are going to have is this absolutely destroys the LOS on King, as it currently stands the LOS on King is reasonable its like a C which is typically what you design for. Now the issue is with all the new industrial going in around Maple Grove and a couple of other developments down here it creates some horrific situations, this area of Kitchener only has 2 main ways to enter, King, and then Sportsworld Dr/Maple Grove. So if everything gets built as is its going to be a traffic bottle neck, the driveway for this has a LOS of F which means you're not getting out of the driveway.

Now the TIA does recognize that once the 401/8 interchange is fully built out the traffic on King will drop, as it current stands anyone coming from KW wanting to go to London needs to get on the 401 at Homer Watson or get off hwy 8 take King to then get on to the 401 so it can be a bottle neck at certain times, so the developer is definitely going to use the future build out of that interchange to get this approved.

Kitchener staff have also been very receptive to new planning applications both in and outside of the core, in the core however they are holding firm to the new rules they've approved through Growing Together, so if a developer has reasonable asks they'll allow it but otherwise you're getting a fat rejection from planning staff especially since Growing Together was a multi year process that involved the public and developers, overall this will probably go through without issues the only potential bottle neck is the TIA.

 

[Matt.R.WR]

If you can't get out of the driveway, that'll encourage transit and active transportation use lol

Wish they'd apply this design language (and some height variation) to their 193 Water St S project.

 

[ZEBuilder]

If you can't get out of the driveway, that'll encourage transit and active transportation use lol

Wish they'd apply this design language (and some height variation) to their 193 Water St S project.

You're forgetting that it was a fight to just get 193 Water approved because Cambridge despises height at all costs, if they want any higher the existing neighborhood would've had more of a issue then they already did.

Sure it would encourage active transport but connections down there are horrible, there isn't a sidewalk under the 401 and it's a horrible road to walk on with all the commercial. The LRT as well is still years away so people aren't going to use public transit if their commute is quicker than taking the bus which in most cases it is from down there.