It’s one of the most prominent intersections in Waterloo’s once-sprawling BlackBerry campus – but for some time now, it’s been far from a hub of high-tech activity.
When the smartphone maker began shedding local jobs as it grappled with a declining market share, it also started leaving properties behind.
Some of those properties were turned over to the University of Waterloo, while others continued to be occupied by BlackBerry.
Another group of buildings, at the corner of Columbia and Phillip streets, eventually found its way into the hands of Michael Wekerle.
The celebrity investor pledged to turn them into the centrepiece of his Waterloo Innovation Network (WIN), an envisioned beehive of high-tech activity just steps from Waterloo’s campus.
“For so many years, we’ve been waiting for the rebirth of this area,” Brenda Halloran, the former mayor of Waterloo and current CEO of WIN, tells CTV News.
That rebirth is finally underway, with buildings like 180 Columbia only weeks away from occupancy.
Halloran says she’s still hearing from people that hadn’t realized the buildings were sitting empty, and now might be interested in setting up shop there themselves.
“There’s a lot of excitement,” she said.
According to real estate broker Ginger Whitney, the six buildings purchased by Wekerle’s firm have managed to fill 78 per cent of their space since December.
The new occupants include businesses relocating from places like Guelph as well as startups expanding into larger space – but all fit Wekerle’s vision for the campus.
“There’s tech, there’s software, there’s some environmental – there’s a variety,” Whitney said.
Elsewhere in the neighbourhood, some former BlackBerry buildings on Phillip are being renovated with space for restaurants, retail operations and larger commercial tenants.
