Demolition will soon begin as the Region of Waterloo plans to widen Weber Street in Kitchener.
The construction will have an impact on the community in more ways than one.
The region is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to save and re-use some of the materials from the old houses that are being destroyed.
“We’ll take a variety of materials for these homes,” says Rob Snider from Habitat for Humanity. “We’ll be looking for kitchen cabinetry, bathroom fixtures, doors and windows, some flooring, some trim work, some exterior decking material. That sort of thing.”
CTV News got a look inside one of 34 houses that will be demolished as part of the region’s 50 million dollar plan to widen Weber Street and build a railway underpass at the Via Rail Station.
Four businesses will also be torn down. Any items that are still in good condition will be saved and donated to Habitat for Humanity. The organization will re-sell those goods at its restore locations. The funds are used to support home building projects.
“The first benefit is that it keeps material from the landfill site we want to reduce as much as material going to the landfill site as possible,” says Kari Feldman of Region of Waterloo. “The second win is the ability to help Habitat and their charitable work for the community.”
The region has of course acquired all of the properties it needs for this project. But it still needs to get some paperwork in order before demolition is set to begin next month. We won’t actually see any road construction until early next year.
