Redevelopment of The Boathouse in Kitchener delayed

The reopening of a key venue in Kitchener’s Victoria Park appears to have been pushed back.

In December, the City of Kitchener approved a redevelopment proposal for The Boathouse, including plans to add a patio over Victoria Park Lake.

The waterside restaurant and live music venue has been closed since 2019.

At the end of last year, the city said construction was planned to start in the spring, ahead of a summer reopening.

But now Walkinshaw Holdings, the group selected to take over operations of The Boathouse, says construction is expected to start this summer.

“We are looking forward to sharing more about the build and expected timelines via the website and on-site signage as we progress with development plans,” Walkinshaw Holdings told CTV News in an emailed statement Monday.

It’s not clear what’s behind the delay.

A rendering shows the proposed cantilevered patio over the water. (City of Kitchener)

Park-goers who CTV News spoke to on Monday are eager to see The Boathouse reopen.

“I feel like this is a really great space, a really great location,” one person said. “So it is missing, I thinking being able to come together and connect and network with start-up artists.”

"I would love to see a lot more live music. It'd be awesome to see three to seven nights a week of music promoting local artists, local bands, bringing in some exciting new artists from out of the area, and just creating a sense of community,” another person said.

In a statement, the city said it continues to work with Walkinshaw Holdings to finalize details and will provide an update when available.