Wonderful Waterloo Archive

This site is maintained by Sam Nabi as a record of the vibrant Wonderful Waterloo community, which was taken offline in 2014. This site is a partial archive, containing some posts from 2009-2013. To read more about the recovery effort and access the data in a machine-readable format, check out the GitHub page.

What Does Downtown Need?

Post #4358 04-10-2010 01:18 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	What Does Downtown Need? So in response to the article that Leaffan posted (Local group looks at new downtown Kitchener retail strategy) I thought I'd see what people on Wonderful Waterloo thought that downtown Kitchener needed. So post the 5 things that you think downtown needs. These can be either general things or specific businesses.
Post #4359 04-10-2010 01:27 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	Here's my list: Grocery Store Movie Theatre Clothing stores you'd typically see in the mall (to draw people out of the mall) More restaurants MEC (my personal choice)
Post #4361 04-10-2010 01:52 PM IEFBR14 Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location H2OWC Posts 379	Originally Posted by Spokes MEC (my personal choice) I've been trying for years to get MEC to open a store in K-W. They don't seem to see the market despite the two universities, community college, high tech employees with time and money to burn, etc. Any idea how well Cindy at Webco Sports is doing with the outdoors department of her store? BTW did you know that Adventure Guide started at about the same time as MEC? They were originally a branch of the Goolaks co-op out of Eganville in the Ottawa Valley. Adventure Guide's first store was actually in downtown Kitchener. Later there were other Goolaks stores in Kingston and Toronto. The co-op failed (for unrelated reasons) at which point the two owners (Shawn and another guy whose name I forget) became Adventure Guide. Their original Waterloo store was on King, just north of University. (IIRC where Bhimas Warung is now located.) They subsequently moved up the street to their current location.
Post #4362 04-10-2010 03:13 PM smably Member Date Feb 2010 Posts 88	1. Grocery store 2. Grocery store 3. Grocery store 4. A proper central post office 5. Some sort of cinema -- preferably an independent one I'm not sure we could support a MEC (though I would really love to have one here, no doubt). There's already one in Burlington and of course Toronto. I think a location in London would make more sense than KW, actually. Also, there is no way Adventure Guide would be able to compete with them if they opened up here.
Post #4363 04-10-2010 03:17 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	Originally Posted by IEFBR14 Any idea how well Cindy at Webco Sports is doing with the outdoors department of her store? Last time I talked to her she said so far it was going quite well. They've got some cool stuff in the upstairs part of the store where all the outdoor stuff is, but I feel like not a lot of people know about it.
Post #4364 04-10-2010 03:19 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	Originally Posted by smably 1. Grocery store 2. Grocery store 3. Grocery store 4. A proper central post office 5. Some sort of cinema -- preferably an independent one I'm not sure we could support a MEC (though I would really love to have one here, no doubt). There's already one in Burlington and of course Toronto. I think a location in London would make more sense than KW, actually. Also, there is no way Adventure Guide would be able to compete with them if they opened up here. Hey smalby, do you want a grocery store? Ya I dont think they'd be able to compete either. I think given our population growth and London's lack of growth, we'd be a better choice. I wouldn't worry about Burlington being close. They never thought they'd get one there because of their proximity to the Toronto location but they did.
Post #4366 04-10-2010 03:32 PM DHLawrence Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Posts 116	The apartments above stores need to be more pleasant to live in. Some property owners are working on this, but apartments in downtown multi-use buildings can certainly be sketchy.
Post #4373 04-10-2010 04:03 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	I agree. I read in an article that the city has a program to entice property owners to fix up the upper levels and convert them to apartments. Not sure how many are taking advantage of that. It looks like the one's next to Centre Block above Casablanca book store are decent.
Post #4392 04-10-2010 06:31 PM UrbanWaterloo Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener-Waterloo Posts 2,134	1. Roof-Top Patios 2. Movie Theatre 3. Boutique Clothing Shops (carrying Parasuco, Ben Sherman, Karv, etc..) 4. Grocery Store (Sobeys Express) 5. Re-establishing A Large Department Store (which I'd love to be Simons). I also realize this isn't practical this decade, but more of a 2020's strategy. In General: Longer Operating Hours
Post #4393 04-10-2010 06:55 PM taylortbb Senior Member Date Jan 2010 Location Waterloo, Ontario Posts 156 Taylor Byrnes	1. Full-size grocery store (Urban Fresh locations are great, but I see them as being like convenience stores, they complement full grocery stores) 2. Movie Theater showing first-run movies (Dinner and a movie is great, but the Conestoga Mall food court is hardly a good dinner) 3. Restaurants to make their presence better known (signage, lighting, etc) There's a lot downtown but you wouldn't know it from looking. 4. Better operating hours. 5. Unique retail attractions, MEC would be an excellent example
Post #4394 04-10-2010 06:59 PM garthdanlor Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location Uglyopolis Posts 158	1. Proper non-chain pubs that serve craft & cask ale. Preferably one moves in to replace the execrable Bobby O'Briens. 2. Indie movie theatre. 3. Decent sized grocery. 4. I'll echo the clothing shop w/ Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, etc. 5. Decent small-mid sized concert venue/club (not bloody country!)
Post #4396 04-10-2010 07:14 PM DHLawrence Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Posts 116	A department store downtown would be nice. Budd's doesn't quite fit the bill. Maybe if The Museum one day moves into a custom-designed building (an idea that's been thrown around before) they can move into the Goudies site. Bonus marks if they keep some of the Museum's atrium intact. Maybe one day Kitchener or Waterloo will be affluent enough to warrant a Holt Renfrew?
Post #4399 04-10-2010 07:25 PM Urbanomicon Transportation & Infrastructure Moderator Date Feb 2010 Location Kitchener, Ontario Posts 437 "Only the insane have the strength enough to prosper. Only those that prosper may truly judge what is sane."	5. Decent small-mid sized concert venue/club (not bloody country!) I would love for Kitchener to get a small/medium concert venue. We used to have Lulu's which closed about 15 years ago near Sportsworld and the Lyric which was a few buildings away from what is now Elements. Both of these were great concert venues. It annoys me that I have to go to Toronto/Hamilton/London to see virtually every concert, save for a few that play at the Aud/Bluesfest/TBRTB.
Post #4403 04-10-2010 08:01 PM DKsan Member Date Apr 2010 Posts 42	Actually, I'm a bit surprised. We do get quite a bit of musical artists that come through KW, but they all end going to Starlight/Elements/Bomber. If we're talking about express grocery stores, the last time I went the downtown Shopper's Drug Mart, it looked like they were trying to implement something to that extent. I agree with the need for a better department store and an indie theatre. Maybe the Princess Triplet? xD
Post #4408 04-10-2010 09:11 PM panamaniac Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Posts 174	1. Grocery store of any description, failing which a butcher, specialty cheese shop and/or fruit and veg shop. 2. Movie theatre (if Capitol, Odeon or Lyric could ever be converted back ...) 3. Hardware store, like a small Home Hardware 4. Murale (in the old Shopper's location?) 5. A department store would be fantastic, although the Bay or Sears would seem more likely than a Simons (I can't see Waterloo Region's ample posteriors squeezing into Simons' Euro-twink fashions!) If I could add others, I'd love to see some art galleries or antique shops open up in some of the empty storefronts - something to make Downtown more of a destination.
Post #4413 04-10-2010 10:11 PM RangersFan Economic Moderator Date Jan 2010 Location Waterloo Posts 516	1)The big one for me is a dream, but a state of the art replacement for the Aud Downtown would be totally awesom. 2) I would also like to see some more afforadble housing/condos in the Downtown area. 3) like others have said a grocery store or an expanded Kitchener Market that was complete to the extent of a grocery store stocked by local suppliers.
Post #4414 04-10-2010 10:15 PM garthdanlor Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location Uglyopolis Posts 158	Originally Posted by leaffan I would also like to see some more afforadble housing/condos in the Downtown area. I think that's a very important point. We need to ensure that there is new housing developments for all income levels, especially those at the lower end as they often get displaced when these new condo developments go up.
Post #4415 04-10-2010 10:16 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	Great ideas! UrbanWaterloo, I didnt even think about roof top patios, but you're right. They should definitely be included! I've always wondered about that little patio on top of the Conrad Centre for Performing Arts. Anyone know anything about it? And I agree with Taylor, while the Urban format grocery stores are nice, I think having a full size, full service grocery store is important. And yes, a downtown that doesn't close at 6pm. Is the general consensus that an indie theatre is better than one that plays "mainstream" movies? I would have leaned towards something that didn't just do indies.
Post #4416 04-10-2010 10:18 PM Spokes Senior Moderator Date Dec 2009 Location Kitchener Posts 2,525	Originally Posted by garthdanlor 1. Proper non-chain pubs that serve craft & cask ale. Preferably one moves in to replace the execrable Bobby O'Briens. 5. Decent small-mid sized concert venue/club (not bloody country!) Yes! (or microbrewery) Yes! Originally Posted by panamaniac 3. Hardware store, like a small Home Hardware Swanson's is already close to downtown and it's very popular and consistantly busy.
Post #4417 04-10-2010 10:19 PM garthdanlor Senior Member Date Mar 2010 Location Uglyopolis Posts 158	Originally Posted by Spokes Is the general consensus that an indie theatre is better than one that plays "mainstream" movies? I would have leaned towards something that didn't just do indies. There is lots of competition for mainstream theatres elsewhere and not so much for the indie/rep. theatres (of course, there is The Princess). Also these theatres are much smaller so probably better suited to Downtown.