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Waterloo, in the West of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, is transforming in a way not all that different from cities more central within the Greater Toronto Area, to meet the housing and community needs of the population growth occurring across the entire region. With Waterloo City Council's pledge to accommodate an ambitious 16,000 new housing units by 2031, the City is facing with taking significant steps towards sustainable urban development.
Amidst this backdrop, a major redevelopment proposal for the Kraus Carpet Mills site in the north end of the city was approved in December, 2023. Promising not only to expand the local housing supply, but also to introduce a vibrant mixed-use community within Waterloo's Conestoga area, the site is situated between two ION LRT stations and within Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA). Spearheaded by Northfield Properties Inc and Hilco Capital, and designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the project marks a significant milestone as it includes the tallest buildings ever approved in Waterloo, with two towers that will reach 35 storeys.
Situated at 525-565 Conestogo Road West, the site historically served as the home of the Kraus Flooring factory. Spanning a substantial 10.7 hectares immediately east of the Conestoga Parkway and south of Northfield Drive, the two existing buildings onsite standing one and four storeys were previously used for manufacturing and warehousing. The site is positioned in an industrial zone, but is close to residential and commercial areas, which its proponents argued made it a prime candidate for redevelopment.
The redevelopment plan includes a dozen mixed-use, high-rise towers ranging from 18 to 35 storeys surrounding a central green space.
The development is phased over eight blocks, each with its unique blend of residential, retail, daycare, and over a hectare of POPS (Privately-Owned Publicly accessible Space). At the south end of the site, the green space below a hydro corridor could be used to expand recreation opportunities.
To promote a vibrant community life, the design calls for approximately 8,000m² of non-residential Gross Floor Area (GFA), complemented by the expansive parks and POPS network.
Initial plans proposed 3,980 dwelling units, but through revisions, that has been scaled down to 3,353 units. Similarly, parking provisions have been adjusted from 3,249 to 2,675 spaces, including 2,515 resident and 160 non-resident spots, both underground and in podium structures.
Central to the development's planning justification is its location between two ION LRT stations – Northfield station to the west and Conestoga station to the east. Only Conestoga station beside the major regional shopping centre of Conestoga Mall, however, can be reached on foot without having to cross over the Conestoga Parkway at its interchange with Northfield Drive. The Kraus Carpet Mills location within the MTSAs associated with the stations, however, where the Province has mandated redevelopment that will ease the housing crisis, eased the acceptance of a major change to the land use here.
The Kraus Carpet Mills Redevelopment is part of a larger trend of urban intensification within Waterloo. To the south, the landscape is dotted with significant developments, including proposals at 475 - 485 King Street North and 435 King Street North, featuring towers up to 28 and 35 storeys, respectively. Additionally, the nearby Steelcraft Lands Redevelopment would introduce towers ranging from 8 to 30 storeys, further contributing to the city's evolving landscape.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, Turner Fleischer Architects |
