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Applications have been submitted for Phases 3 and 4 at The Barrel Yards, a mixed-use community in Uptown Waterloo. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Auburn Developments and Stonerise Construction, the proposal would deliver three purpose-built rental buildings ranging from 19 to 32 storeys, located near Waterloo Public Square station on the ION LRT, and within its Major Transit Station Area.
The Barrel Yards at 2–8 Father David Bauer Drive and 6 Merchant Avenue, near Erb Street West, traces its origins to planning approvals secured between 2008 and 2009. The masterplan divided the 5.24-hectare site into seven development stages. While the other phases have since been built out, Phases 3 and 4 were left undeveloped, carrying earlier permissions for a retirement residence and office-commercial uses. Covering a combined site area of roughly 0.78 hectares, the Phase 3 and 4 blocks are currently vacant. The site is framed by Waterloo Park, the Trans Canada Trail, and the Perimeter Institute to the north, while to the south and west are a mix of offices, retail, restaurants, institutional uses, and established residential areas.
Completed components include Phase 1’s pair of residential towers with live/work units, a Delta Hotel in Phase 2, twin high-rise rental buildings in Phase 5, and additional residential towers delivered through Phases 6 and 7, together accounting for more than 1,300 homes. Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications have now been submitted for Phases 3 and 4.
Phase 3 calls for a 19-storey, 70.2m-tall purpose-built rental building containing 275 units, positioned along Merchant Avenue. It would be supported by a two-storey parking structure at the rear, along with access to the shared underground garage. Vertical circulation would be provided by three elevators, translating to roughly one elevator per 92 units.
Phase 4 entails two towers at 2 and 8 Father David Bauer Drive, each rising to 32 storeys or 118.07m, and together accommodating 614 units. The towers, with a separation distance of 25.55m, would be linked by a shared podium stepping from six to ten storeys, with 998m² of ground-floor retail. Six elevators would serve the two towers, equating to roughly one elevator per 102 units, requiring moderately high speed motors for adequate response times. Six levels of structured parking would be integrated into the podium, complemented by shared underground parking and indoor and outdoor amenity spaces located at grade and on podium rooftops.
Phases 3 and 4 would frame the site's central public square and finish the extension of Merchant Avenue and Canbar Avenue through the community. Together, the three proposed buildings would contain a Gross floor Area of 77,529m², with 998m² of retail. Indoor amenity areas across the site would total 939m², with a Floor Space Index of 9.51 times lot coverage.
Parking and servicing would build on infrastructure already in place beneath earlier phases of the development. Vehicular parking would be provided primarily through the shared underground garage and new structured parking, accommodating 897 residential spaces overall. Bicycle facilities would be expanded significantly, with 445 long-term and 92 short-term spaces proposed.
Waterloo Public Square station is located approximately 450m from the site, while additional ION access is available to the north at Waterloo Park Station. Grand River Transit bus routes provide surface transit options, with stops as close as 40m from the proposed buildings. Cycling connections include bike lanes along Erb Street and Caroline Street, signed cycling routes on Father David Bauer Drive, and direct access to the Iron Horse Trail, Trans Canada Trail, and Laurel Trail through Waterloo Park.
To the west, applications include 1 Dunbar Road North at 10 storeys and 6–14 Dietz Avenue North at 13 storeys, while to the north, 177–179 Albert Street is proposed at 24 storeys. Southeast of the site, Allen Square is planned at 10 storeys alongside the 30-storey proposal at 207 King Street South. To the east by the station, a cluster of proposals includes The Isabella at 11 storeys, 36–42 Erb Street East at 22 storeys, Strata Condos and 6 Regina Street North, both proposed at 25 storeys, and 33 Erb Street West at 33 storeys.
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: | Turner Fleischer |
