Two restaurants on Fairway Road will be demolished to make way for a new terminal for buses and light rail vehicles.
Waterloo Region councillors voted Tuesday to approve the expropriation of the two properties – one housing a Burger King, the other a Crabby Joe’s.
Coun. Tom Galloway said the expropriation process is necessary to ensure that the properties are turned over to the region in time for the start of the ION LRT service next year, but may not be completed in full.
“Hopefully we’ll come to negotiated settlements without having to go through the entire expropriation process,” he said.
Expropriation is a process by which governments can force land to be turned over in exchange for financial compensation.
It is typically used when governments and property owners can’t settle on a figure for the compensation themselves.
A bus terminal already exists in the area, on the property of Fairview Park Mall.
According to Galloway, mall owners Cadillac Fairview didn’t want the terminal on their property any longer, and were concerned about customers using the mall parking lot to hold their cars while they travelled via transit.
About 200 parking spaces will be included at the new terminal. Further down the line, Galloway said, “transit-oriented development” could spring up on the restaurant sites as well.
“We see other potential for these properties,” he said.
“It’s not just to put a bus terminal on.”
According to a report prepared for regional councillors, the new terminal on Fairway Road will feature bays for about a dozen buses, as well as a space for drivers to use during lunch breaks and shift changes.
The existing bus terminal at the mall will be paved over and turned into parking.
