BMO
Senior Member
Waterloo is going to be so different once this is finished. I'll hardly be able to recognize it since I went there for University.
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Markster
Senior Member
When did you go there for University? For anyone who finished prior to 2004, I guarantee that the City and University are already nearly unrecognizable.
The towers of King St N, the massive infill of the University grounds, 4-laning and redevelopment of Columbia Ave, Waterloo Town Square Mall redevelopment, and now towers springing up in the Northdale area have already radically changed the town over the past 10 years.
muller877
Senior Member
Waterloo (and to a lessor extent Kitchener) has really encouraged high-density and commercial development only along King St (plus the University). They have also prohibited it or strongly discouraged it elsewhere.
Schedule A: http://www.waterloo.ca/en/government/officialplan.asp
http://kitchener.ca/en/businessinkitchener/resources/PLAN_KGMP2013-2015SummaryMap.pdf
By allowing intensification for the last few years along King St it has grown this corridor sufficiently to allow for the light rail hopefully to be successful.
BMO
Senior Member
Went there until 2013. During my time there it went from a city with almost no high-rises to one with quite a few around the University and Uptown areas.
ShonTron
Moderator
Getting a bit off-topic, but a lot of those new highrise towers, especially around University and King, are butt-ugly private student rental buildings. The condos closer to Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener will drive ridership a lot more (and on the whole, they look better too).
mpd618
Active Member
Those are the old ones before Waterloo fixed the zoning. Here's an example of the buildings now going up in the University District: one- and two-bedroom rentals with commercial at ground level, parking rates of 0.25 per bedroom, and interesting design.
Komiksulo
Active Member
Man, when I was at Waterloo, it was just Cockroach Towers on the south side of University Avenue... 
MafaldaBoy
Senior Member
Don't really want to throw the thread too OT, but I definitely agree; The Barrel Yards just south of Waterloo Park is a good example of one of the better projects:
Unfortunately, I will be living in those ugly student rental apartments this coming September, though one thing I am looking forward to is a view
BMO
Senior Member
I also think there are some design requirements now in place to ensure builders actually attempt to build something half-decent looking. Unfortunately the towers by Laurier and UW are already a lost cause in terms of design, it'll take a while before some of the newer ones hide them.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
April 25 construction update for the Waterloo Spur segment between Uptown Waterloo and the University of Waterloo.
It looks like grading is well underway to accommodate the new double-track electrified railway that will replace the current single-track freight spur (which is in terrible condition anyway, as you can see from these photos).
From Waterloo Park, looking south toward Uptown:
The black freight car on the siding says "DO NOT HUMP", presumably in reference to hump terminals.
Further north in the park, looking south again toward Uptown and the aforementioned Barrel Yards development:
Looking north from the same spot:
From University Avenue, looking north through the University of Waterloo:
In the university, looking south:
On the right are a bunch of concrete blocks, I have no idea what they're for.
In the university, looking north toward Columbia Avenue:
It looks like grading is well underway to accommodate the new double-track electrified railway that will replace the current single-track freight spur (which is in terrible condition anyway, as you can see from these photos).
From Waterloo Park, looking south toward Uptown:
The black freight car on the siding says "DO NOT HUMP", presumably in reference to hump terminals.
Further north in the park, looking south again toward Uptown and the aforementioned Barrel Yards development:
Looking north from the same spot:
From University Avenue, looking north through the University of Waterloo:
In the university, looking south:
On the right are a bunch of concrete blocks, I have no idea what they're for.
In the university, looking north toward Columbia Avenue:
D
Duck
Guest
The concrete blocks are for a berm/embankment to build up a vertical surface.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
Ah, that makes sense!
dowlingm
Senior Member
I see there is anger that the province is letting Mississauga weasel out of contributing to their LRT when KW put up nearly a quarter of a billion.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
It happened when toronto got 100% with their lrts, not unheard of.
In the end Mississauga is still going to be paying for a lot of side infrastructure, just like how Toronto had to pay $100 million for Georgetown South.
In the end Mississauga is still going to be paying for a lot of side infrastructure, just like how Toronto had to pay $100 million for Georgetown South.
ehlow
Senior Member
How does the Hurontario LRT compare to the Waterloo LRT in terms of ridership projections?
I'd guess Hurontario would have a stronger case since the population (and I'd think density) of Peel Region is much higher than Waterloo Region.
Job wise I'd think Mississauga would win as well, despite Waterloo's tech sector.
I'd guess Hurontario would have a stronger case since the population (and I'd think density) of Peel Region is much higher than Waterloo Region.
Job wise I'd think Mississauga would win as well, despite Waterloo's tech sector.