Charles Street Terminal redevelopment process inching forward
The City of Kitchener’s Finance and Corporate Services Committee has approved a next step in the process that will ultimately determine the future for the Charles Street Terminal.
Operations at the former bus terminal in Kitchener’s downtown core wrapped up in 2019. The site was used as COVID-19 testing clinic from December 2020 to March 2022, but has since been empty.
The terminal, which makes up 88 per cent of the block, is owned by the Region of Waterloo, with the City of Kitchener owning a parking lot that makes up the remaining 12 per cent of the nearly three acre property.
At Monday afternoon’s meeting, the committee approved a Memorandum of Understanding that clarifies how responsibilities and cost sharing will be handled going forward.
Among the arrangements it puts in place, city staff will participate in all applicable processes, but the region will lead and pay for all processes and preliminary work, and the region will be the final decision maker on consultant selections.
The report says preliminary work, including extensive community consultations, environmental work, technical studies, urban design briefs, and a heritage impact assessment, is estimated to cost $840,000. City and regional staff will equally split the cost of community consultation, while the other costs will be split proportional to the percentage of land ownership.
Public engagement on the future of the former bus terminal began in 2021. (EngageWR.ca)
The Memorandum of Understanding notes it does not constitute approval for a future development, as any decision on that would be subject to council deliberations.
Ahead of the vote, Ward 9 Coun. Debbie Chapman asked there be further clarity provided to address questions being raised about a potential sale of the property, as the MOU lays out a plan for how the city’s expenses will be deducted at the time the land is sold.
Executive Director of Economic Development Cory Bluhm told councillors: “Semantically, the way it was laid out in the report, could be interpreted that the outcome is sale, when really one of the outcomes is sale, the other may not be sale, so this just clarifies the semantic difference in the report.”
Public engagement on the future of the site began in 2021. Co-founders of Land Back Camp Bangishimo and Amy Smoke have been calling for it to be turned into an Indigenous community hub, even creating a short film about their vision.
More details on the project’s progression can be found on EngageWR.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.