The name of the new development project at the former Schneiders plant in Kitchener will have plenty of history behind it.
“The Metz” was picked as the winner on Saturday for the naming contest held by Auburn Development.
Madelyn Braun was the recipient of $10,000 after her submission was selected out of 4,600 entries.
The University of Waterloo student also shares a connection with the site of the meat processing plant that was closed down in 2015.
“My grandparents met at Schneiders,” Braun said. “My sister and a few other family members used to work at the factory as well.”
She says her day one entry to the “My Name Is…Contest” took a little research to come up with.
“I went to the old Schneiders website and looked around,” Braun said. “I was on the Auburn Development website looking at some of their past development names and getting an idea of the type of names that they like.”
“Metz” is the “M” in company founder J.M. Schneider’s name.
It’s also his mother’s maiden name, who is said to have provided the recipe for many of the Schneiders meat products.
“The Metz” is expected to be a mixed-use community of retail and office space, parks, and affordable housing.
“We’re really looking forward to having that vibrant, community feel,” said Auburn Developments President Jamie Crich.
The company is behind the Arrow Lofts and Barrel Yards developments, but “The Metz” will be their most expensive project to date at $500 million.
“We’ll see people living here, playing here, and going to work here,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “It’s really going to be one of the best neighbourhoods, I think. It’s in the central part of the city.”
Auburn Developments hopes the first building will be up within the year and the whole project completed within the next decade.
Amy Furtado and Michael Hogan were each awarded $1,000 for the runner up submission “The Metz District”.
Mike Emrich won $2,500 for coming up with the name “Olde Fashioned Way” for the main street in the development.
David Voogd and Nathan Hause each won $500 for naming the development’s public square “J.M. Schneider Platz.”
