After 30 years sitting vacant, a piece of property near downtown Kitchener has blueprints for what’s next.
Residents in the area of Margaret Avenue and Victoria Street say there have been talks of redevelopment for years, but in the meantime, they’ve been enjoying it as is.
“We recognize the property has been vacant for a long time, so residents of course have gotten used to it being like a green space,” says the city’s senior planner, Juliane von Westerholt.
The large vacant lot next to the Church of the Good Shepherd once had several grand homes in the 1970s, before the Civic Centre was designated a heritage district.
The lot was re-zoned for high rise apartment buildings. Now, a 234-unit building is destined for the space.
“Two six-storey buildings with about 234 units comprised of one- and two-bedroom units,” von Westerholt explains.
The building will comprise of a central space for amenities as well as underground parking.
The planner says it will take up to eight months for the planning approvals to be in place, meaning ground could break in 2020.
A public presentation is being held on Thursday so the public can ask questions and provide feedback.
