Green light given for development on former Schneiders meat plant in Kitchener
There's plenty of optimism surrounding the site of the former Schneiders meat plant in Kitchener.
City council unanimously passed approval for a development Monday night that will see 13 towers, residential units, retail, office, and restaurants go up.
"I really believe it's going to be one of the crown jewels of our city and of that area," said Ward 3 councillor Jason Deneault.
The former plant stood on Courtland Avenue for more than 90 years before moving out of Kitchener in 2015.
Auburn Developments will now build more than 3,300 rental units, with one, two, and three bedroom options.
"This is a win-win from council perspective, from a developer perspective, from staff perspective, and more important a win for our community," said Ward 6 councillor Paul Singh. "Thank you."
The original development proposal included 135 affordable housing units, which would cost 20 per cent less than the market average.
Staff had asked for those numbers to be increased.
The developer propose an additional 10 affordable housing units during the Monday night meeting and says he will build more in the first stage as long as construction can start in July.
The developer also promised to donate $1 million to the Working Centre.
"We go from around 9.5 per cent of our 35,000 unit target by 2031 to 11.5 per cent in just this one project," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
The development will be named The Mets after the original owner John Metz Schneider.
The build is expected to cost roughly $1 billion and create hundreds of construction jobs in the coming years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.