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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.

Originally Posted by leaffan

Downtown Galt faces building boom
March 07, 2010 | Kevin Swayze

CAMBRIDGE — There’s a change underway in old Galt’s skyline that hasn’t been seen for a generation.

Construction cranes are slinging concrete and materials to two new residential projects: a seven story, 66-unit Heartwood Place apartment building on Ainslie Street across from the bus terminal and a 12-storey, 115-apartment Waterscape condominium tower at the north intersection of Water and Ainslie streets.

More changes may be in store in the picture-postcard collection of historic buildings along the Grand River.

“We see and we’ve heard of a need for a meeting and convention hotel facility in the core area,” said Paul de Haas, whose company is building the $30-million Waterscape building, with a twin planned beside it in a few years.

If a hotel becomes a reality in downtown Cambridge, it could go on vacant — and at present, contaminated — land between Waterscape and the mill restaurant at Water Street and Parkhill Road.

“This is one of the options we are actively exploring,” de Haas said.

Aaron Ciacone runs the Ancaster Old Mill and is ready to start a $5 million renovation this spring on the stone mill restaurant he owns in Cambridge. He’s was hesitant to talk in detail about what is in the works, but did say talks are underway with local government officials about redevelopment incentives and tax breaks to bring something eye-catching to the land between the mill and Waterscape.

For now, Ciacone’s focus is finalizing minor land purchases and city zoning to get going on his revival of the old stone Riverbank Mill into a destination for business meetings and family gatherings like weddings. He expects work to get started in spring, with completion in a year or so.

People are expected to start moving into Waterscape by October, about three months behind schedule. Unexpected rock formations delayed installation of the foundation, but everything is now progressing well, de Haas said.

Both he and Ciacone see downtown Galt on the economic upswing, especially with city plans to build a $15 million performing arts centre along Grand Avenue beside Southworks Outlet mall.

The city will pay $6 million, along with similar grants from Ottawa and Queen's Park, to build the city-owned theatre that will be the headquarters for Drayton Entertainment at no ongoing costs to taxpayers. In turn, tens of thousands of theatre goers are predicted to shop and eat in downtown restaurants, leaving millions of dollars a year behind them.

It’s part of a long-term effort by a city council eager to boost redevelopment in each of the Galt, Preston and Hespeler core areas, although there’s ongoing grumbling by some that old Galt is getting more than its fair share of taxpayer incentives and breaks for developers.

The change underway in old Galt rivals the wholesale demolition of riverside buildings in the years after the 1974 Grand River flood. As flood walls and berms were planned, homes and factories were purchased and razed in the name of public safety. Downtown got a riverside trail system that’s the envy of other cities, but you could also argue its urban heart was ripped out in the process.

After three decades of bleeding, downtown looks ready to leave intensive care.

Since 2000, there’s been conversion of a former Tiger Brand factory on Ainslie Street into apartments, the long-vacant Woolco store on Main Street into the hip Cornerstone interior fashion store, apartments and townhouses built at Wellington and Main, and moving the University of Waterloo school of architecture into the former Riverside Silk mill along Melville Street.

Along with a second Waterscape condominium tower and the new Drayton theatre, an upscale seniors residential complex has city approval along Cedar Street at Grand Avenue. Plans are also underway to convert the former Royal Hotel at Main and Wellington streets and the former shoe factory at Concession and Water Streets into condominiums, too.

On Main Street, between Ainslie and Water, David Gibson—a key player in the renaissance of downtown Waterloo—spent $3.5 million to buy up seven storefronts with plans for redevelopment into trendy restaurants and retail within walking distance of the river. His first tenant is modest: a discount department store opened in part of the old Right House store a week ago. It’s not upscale, but it has something long missing from downtown: a hardware

Post #9567 12-26-2009 09:43 AM Spokes Senior Moderator	Small Urban Cambridge Construction Downtown Galt, Downtown Preston, Downtown Hespler For general news and/or rumors that are small enough they don't require their own threads. Project List Royal Hotel \| November 12, 2010 Moksha Hot Yoga (20 Ainslie Street North) \| October 30, 2010 Hilltop Manor (42 Elliott Street) \| Rendering Parkhill Dam Powerplant Lang’s Farm Village Association 28 Queen Street West, Hespeler \| July 23, 2010 Hespeler Hotel
Post #9596 02-02-2010 12:35 AM RangersFan Economic Moderator Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 765 posts	Lang’s Farm asks for $10 million from Ottawa for new Preston community complex Record staff CAMBRIDGE — Architects have started working on a new, combined home for Lang’s Farm Village Association and some of the seniors programs at the city’s Allen Reuter centre. Concept drawings of the 40,000 square foot community complex proposed on 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) of land along Concession Road south of Lang’s Drive should be ready by April, said Bill Davidson, executive director of Lang’s Farm. When construction starts will hinge on federal government funding. “We’ll be close to shovel ready soon,” Davidson said. In December, Lang’s request to Ottawa for infrastructure funding was rejected. Jan. 18, Lang’s Farm applied for $10 million from FedDev Ontario, another job creation and community building program with $1 billion to spend over five years. Davidson has no idea when a decision on the funding will be made, so he’s arranging a meeting with Cambridge MPP Gary Goodyear and Mayor Doug Craig “to see how we can move this forward.” Goodyear oversees FedDev as minister of science and technology. Davidson is eager to get out of rented space that’s not big enough to handle growing community needs. Last year, more than 8,000 people attend programs, meetings or received care in the building, provided by 15 different agencies. Lang’s Farm spends $300,000 a year on rent for space in 20,000 square feet in a commercial building at Lang’s and Trico drives. A new building could easily serve double the number of clients it does today, he said. That’s money better spent on a mortgage or programs. Davidson expects some of the agencies now using Lang’s space would partner in the new building, either to help pay for it or to rent space after its open. As Cambridge Memorial Hospital unloads programs to community agencies and health providers, there’s a chance for Lang’s to expand its existing community health clinic. Already, Lang’s is talking about hosting dental clinics for low-income residents. Davidson said expanded diabetes treatment or stroke recovery programs could by hosted by Langs in a new building. Cambridge has $50,000 set aside for the design work in the proposed 2010 city budget, with another $2.2 million for design and construction of a seniors “wellness centre” in 2014-2015. The goal this year is to sort out the best way to co-ordinate the needs of the Lang’s clients and city seniors programs, said Kent McVittie, community services commissioner. Last year, the city rejected a call from some seniors to build a central seniors recreation complex. Instead, seniors programs would remain decentralized, with programs in Hespeler, Preston and Galt. The Allan Reuter Centre — in the former Preston town hall — would be partly replaced by the city’s share of the new Lang’s Farm complex, including a long-wanted large community meeting hall for social functions. Exactly how the city and Lang’s will share construction costs haven’t been sorted out, McVittie said. If Lang’s gets the federal grant “the city’s share would be significantly reduced,” he said.
Post #9639 02-24-2010 01:20 AM Duke-of-Waterloo Senior Moderator Waterloo Joined Jan 2010 1026 posts	Drug treatment centre approved near Cambridge high school THE RECORD \| Tuesday, February 23, 2010 \| http://news.therecord.com/News/Canad...article/674738 CAMBRIDGE — Downtown Galt already has too many social service agencies, Coun. Ben Tucci said before voting against a $10,000-a-month drug rehabilitation centre across the street from Galt Collegiate Institute. He was the only council member to vote against the proposal to create “Caverhill Manor” in the historic Todd House facing Water Street but with an address at 20-22 Haddington St. Cambridge needs drug treatment centres, but not another one downtown — especially across the street from a high school, Tucci said. “I’m a proponent of social services in our community and social housing. I do believe we’ve arrived at a point where the Galt core is being saturated with these kind of services.” Nobody from the neighbourhood spoke against the plan Monday night, but Tucci said there’s public and school opposition to the private addiction care facility proposed by Hatts Off, of Dundas. City staff supported the recommendation for the referral-only drug rehabilitation centre for no more than 10 clients at a time. Coun. Gary Price said he’s spoken with a Dundas councillor whose office is near a Hatts Off treatment centre in that part of Hamilton. There’s no problems reported, Price said. Hatts Off says it’s ready to form a neighbourhood advisory committee to ensure any concerns are quickly resolved. To address concerns raised by neighbours at previous public meetings, the rezoning prohibits: methadone clinic, crisis intervention home, family crisis centre, walk-in treatment clinic, home for provincial psychiatric patients, resource centre for criminally sentenced people or a halfway house for ex-offenders. “I have no strong objection to the proposed usage of the building, particularly when a number of the concerning uses have been eliminated,” said Bill Barlow, whose property abuts the site. He supports the former Todd House becoming protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, just like his house is. The motion council approved starts the process to designate the prominent stone building on a 0.8 hectare (two acre) site. Council must vote on that separately in future.
Post #9643 02-28-2010 07:14 PM RangersFan Economic Moderator Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 765 posts	Historic Hespeler hotel’s new owners reflect new future for area By Kevin Swayze, Record staff February 28, 2010 - http://news.therecord.com/news/article/677763 First, it was Hespeler’s seedy massage parlour. Now, it’s the place on Queen Street locals call the “biker bar” that Cory de Villiers intends to transform from eyesore to attraction. “It’s always the lowest denominator that people look at in a downtown – that’s how they judge it all,” he said. That’s not fair, but it’s reality, he said while standing at his living room window, overlooking the heart of Hespeler that’s endured decades of decline. “This is such a wonderful little neighbourhood. You feel like you’re in a small town.” He and his wife Natasa moved from Kitchener to Hespeler in 2007 and bought a three-storey commercial building at Queen and Adam streets. The building was in tough shape and had a dodgy reputation, since it housed a massage parlour on the upper floors. They gutted it, refinished it and rented out the main floor to a coffee shop. The rest become their home, complete with restored pine floors, bare interior brick walls and a rooftop balcony out back. It’s what de Villiers has in mind to bring life back to the grubby Hespeler Hotel just a block down Queen, at Tannery Street. City officials were a big help with converting the property at Queen and Adam and are ready again with advice, grants and loans to help restore the old hotel, de Villiers said. When the couple bought the heritage stone building from Andre Watteel in February, it housed two commercial units below and nine apartments upstairs. The commercial space will stay, as will three or four overhauled apartments. The rest will convert to rental office space. Three tenants remain—for now—as the renovations get underway on the second floor. The couple started swinging hammers last month to chisel away concrete parging covering the inside stone walls. They plan to do as much of the work as they can, when not at their day jobs. He’s a sales manager at RIM and she works at Humber College in Toronto. The building shell is structurally sound, de Villiers said. Most of the rebuilding will be out back, where a badly sloping second floor must be ripped out and replaced as a cathedral ceiling is installed over the new office space. On the main floor a tenant will open the Five-Fifteen music bar. The most visible part of the makeover will likely be out front, where de Villiers plans to rebuild a second-floor balcony overhanging the sidewalk. It’s been gone since the 1940s. “We’ve really got high expectations of what this can become. We’re interested in the historic restoration.” A driveway along the east side of the building leads down to an unusual basement. Beside the door to a one-time laundromat, there’s a brick archway big enough to drive a car through. It marks a wide passage under the main floor and around to a rear yard where a stable once stood to house traveller’s horses. If de Villiers’ dreams unfold as planned, the secluded space beside, under and behind the old hotel will become a restaurant patio. “There’s so much potential for this space.” Restoration may end up costing $300,000 by the time upwards of 15,000 square feet is rejuvenated over the next few years, de Villiers said. “A lot of people have told me I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. It’s a massive project.” He is convinced Hespeler’s renaissance is underway. He sees a few building owners taking the lead to clean up buildings, which encourages others to do the same. There’s also the challenge of bringing the right stores to the area, to serve customers fed up with impersonal big box store shopping, de Villiers said. West along Queen Street, work is underway to refinish the exterior of Ernie’s Roadhouse. Owner Rob Cox also believes in Hespeler’s core after watching five years of improvement. The restoration job shows his confidence to stay. “It’s expensive. It’s either we’re staying for the next 25 years or we’ll get out now.” Kitchener developer Shawky Fahel has city approval to for a $30 million transformation of the old American Standard factory into 140 upscale condominiums and street level stores. Work is expected to start by summer along the Speed River, with people moving in by the end of 2011. “I think Queen Street can turn into a little St. Jacobs. There’s potential of turning the whole village of Hespeler into a very, very big urban renaissance area,” he said “Everybody creates a little ripple and it will create an urban renewal wave.”
Post #9653 03-08-2010 09:35 AM RangersFan Economic Moderator Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 765 posts	Downtown Galt faces building boom March 07, 2010 \| Kevin Swayze CAMBRIDGE — There’s a change underway in old Galt’s skyline that hasn’t been seen for a generation. Construction cranes are slinging concrete and materials to two new residential projects: a seven story, 66-unit Heartwood Place apartment building on Ainslie Street across from the bus terminal and a 12-storey, 115-apartment Waterscape condominium tower at the north intersection of Water and Ainslie streets. More changes may be in store in the picture-postcard collection of historic buildings along the Grand River. “We see and we’ve heard of a need for a meeting and convention hotel facility in the core area,” said Paul de Haas, whose company is building the $30-million Waterscape building, with a twin planned beside it in a few years. If a hotel becomes a reality in downtown Cambridge, it could go on vacant — and at present, contaminated — land between Waterscape and the mill restaurant at Water Street and Parkhill Road. “This is one of the options we are actively exploring,” de Haas said. Aaron Ciacone runs the Ancaster Old Mill and is ready to start a $5 million renovation this spring on the stone mill restaurant he owns in Cambridge. He’s was hesitant to talk in detail about what is in the works, but did say talks are underway with local government officials about redevelopment incentives and tax breaks to bring something eye-catching to the land between the mill and Waterscape. For now, Ciacone’s focus is finalizing minor land purchases and city zoning to get going on his revival of the old stone Riverbank Mill into a destination for business meetings and family gatherings like weddings. He expects work to get started in spring, with completion in a year or so. People are expected to start moving into Waterscape by October, about three months behind schedule. Unexpected rock formations delayed installation of the foundation, but everything is now progressing well, de Haas said. Both he and Ciacone see downtown Galt on the economic upswing, especially with city plans to build a $15 million performing arts centre along Grand Avenue beside Southworks Outlet mall. The city will pay $6 million, along with similar grants from Ottawa and Queen's Park, to build the city-owned theatre that will be the headquarters for Drayton Entertainment at no ongoing costs to taxpayers. In turn, tens of thousands of theatre goers are predicted to shop and eat in downtown restaurants, leaving millions of dollars a year behind them. It’s part of a long-term effort by a city council eager to boost redevelopment in each of the Galt, Preston and Hespeler core areas, although there’s ongoing grumbling by some that old Galt is getting more than its fair share of taxpayer incentives and breaks for developers. The change underway in old Galt rivals the wholesale demolition of riverside buildings in the years after the 1974 Grand River flood. As flood walls and berms were planned, homes and factories were purchased and razed in the name of public safety. Downtown got a riverside trail system that’s the envy of other cities, but you could also argue its urban heart was ripped out in the process. After three decades of bleeding, downtown looks ready to leave intensive care. Since 2000, there’s been conversion of a former Tiger Brand factory on Ainslie Street into apartments, the long-vacant Woolco store on Main Street into the hip Cornerstone interior fashion store, apartments and townhouses built at Wellington and Main, and moving the University of Waterloo school of architecture into the former Riverside Silk mill along Melville Street. Along with a second Waterscape condominium tower and the new Drayton theatre, an upscale seniors residential complex has city approval along Cedar Street at Grand Avenue. Plans are also underway to convert the former Royal Hotel at Main and Wellington streets and the former shoe factory at Concession and Water Streets into condominiums, too. On Main Street, between Ainslie and Water, David Gibson—a key player in the renaissance of downtown Waterloo—spent $3.5 million to buy up seven storefronts with plans for redevelopment into trendy restaurants and retail within walking distance of the river. His first tenant is modest: a discount department store opened in part of the old Right House store a week ago. It’s not upscale, but it has something long missing from downtown: a hardware
Post #9658 03-09-2010 10:47 AM Urban_Enthusiast86 Town Member Joined Mar 2010 336 posts	Originally Posted by leaffan Downtown Galt faces building boom March 07, 2010 \| Kevin Swayze CAMBRIDGE — There’s a change underway in old Galt’s skyline that hasn’t been seen for a generation. Construction cranes are slinging concrete and materials to two new residential projects: a seven story, 66-unit Heartwood Place apartment building on Ainslie Street across from the bus terminal and a 12-storey, 115-apartment Waterscape condominium tower at the north intersection of Water and Ainslie streets. More changes may be in store in the picture-postcard collection of historic buildings along the Grand River. “We see and we’ve heard of a need for a meeting and convention hotel facility in the core area,” said Paul de Haas, whose company is building the $30-million Waterscape building, with a twin planned beside it in a few years. If a hotel becomes a reality in downtown Cambridge, it could go on vacant — and at present, contaminated — land between Waterscape and the mill restaurant at Water Street and Parkhill Road. “This is one of the options we are actively exploring,” de Haas said. Aaron Ciacone runs the Ancaster Old Mill and is ready to start a $5 million renovation this spring on the stone mill restaurant he owns in Cambridge. He’s was hesitant to talk in detail about what is in the works, but did say talks are underway with local government officials about redevelopment incentives and tax breaks to bring something eye-catching to the land between the mill and Waterscape. For now, Ciacone’s focus is finalizing minor land purchases and city zoning to get going on his revival of the old stone Riverbank Mill into a destination for business meetings and family gatherings like weddings. He expects work to get started in spring, with completion in a year or so. People are expected to start moving into Waterscape by October, about three months behind schedule. Unexpected rock formations delayed installation of the foundation, but everything is now progressing well, de Haas said. Both he and Ciacone see downtown Galt on the economic upswing, especially with city plans to build a $15 million performing arts centre along Grand Avenue beside Southworks Outlet mall. The city will pay $6 million, along with similar grants from Ottawa and Queen's Park, to build the city-owned theatre that will be the headquarters for Drayton Entertainment at no ongoing costs to taxpayers. In turn, tens of thousands of theatre goers are predicted to shop and eat in downtown restaurants, leaving millions of dollars a year behind them. It’s part of a long-term effort by a city council eager to boost redevelopment in each of the Galt, Preston and Hespeler core areas, although there’s ongoing grumbling by some that old Galt is getting more than its fair share of taxpayer incentives and breaks for developers. The change underway in old Galt rivals the wholesale demolition of riverside buildings in the years after the 1974 Grand River flood. As flood walls and berms were planned, homes and factories were purchased and razed in the name of public safety. Downtown got a riverside trail system that’s the envy of other cities, but you could also argue its urban heart was ripped out in the process. After three decades of bleeding, downtown looks ready to leave intensive care. Since 2000, there’s been conversion of a former Tiger Brand factory on Ainslie Street into apartments, the long-vacant Woolco store on Main Street into the hip Cornerstone interior fashion store, apartments and townhouses built at Wellington and Main, and moving the University of Waterloo school of architecture into the former Riverside Silk mill along Melville Street. Along with a second Waterscape condominium tower and the new Drayton theatre, an upscale seniors residential complex has city approval along Cedar Street at Grand Avenue. Plans are also underway to convert the former Royal Hotel at Main and Wellington streets and the former shoe factory at Concession and Water Streets into condominiums, too. On Main Street, between Ainslie and Water, David Gibson—a key player in the renaissance of downtown Waterloo—spent $3.5 million to buy up seven storefronts with plans for redevelopment into trendy restaurants and retail within walking distance of the river. His first tenant is modest: a discount department store opened in part of the old Right House store a week ago. It’s not upscale, but it has something long missing from downtown: a hardware I feel hard pressed to call what's going on in old Galt as revitalization. Most of the growth is just residential, with a substantial amount of that residential being affordable rental housing. The UW School of Architecture is nice, but it was not the silver bullet it was promised to be. The retail is possibly in worse shape now than it was 5 years ago. Since city hall moved out of Cambridge Place, no one has come to fill the gap that was made since, which speaks to the current weakness of the Cambridge economy. Above all, what I think needs to be addressed is why Cambridge can't seem to attract high quality, white collar jobs. Downtown Galt has some great bones, but without the economy of our neighbours to the northwest, it will go to waste. What downtown Galt needs is more of a professional class living and working there. This is an ingredient that Kitchener, and Waterloo in particular, have, and why there is genuine revitalization going on there.
Post #9659 03-09-2010 12:16 PM jay Senior Moderator Bauer Lofts, Waterloo Joined Dec 2009 734 posts	Originally Posted by Urban_Enthusiast86 I feel hard pressed to call what's going on in old Galt as revitalization. Most of the growth is just residential, with a substantial amount of that residential being affordable rental housing. The UW School of Architecture is nice, but it was not the silver bullet it was promised to be. The retail is possibly in worse shape now than it was 5 years ago. Since city hall moved out of Cambridge Place, no one has come to fill the gap that was made since, which speaks to the current weakness of the Cambridge economy. Above all, what I think needs to be addressed is why Cambridge can't seem to attract high quality, white collar jobs. Downtown Galt has some great bones, but without the economy of our neighbours to the northwest, it will go to waste. What downtown Galt needs is more of a professional class living and working there. This is an ingredient that Kitchener, and Waterloo in particular, have, and why there is genuine revitalization going on there. I agree with what you are saying. I used to live in Galt before I moved to Waterloo and I worked there all my life until now. It's a VERY blue collar town and these people love suburbia. I used to joke with my girlfriend that the only thing that survives in Cambridge is a Walmart. Downtown Galt would need more Universities first and I doubt that is going happen especially since they are not getting LRT. I think if Kitchener and Waterloo do merge then Cambridge will never get another school or anything from the two cities and the mayor knows it. Downtown Galt has a lot of old buildings but it's in a real state right now and I can't see that changing for a long time. Hopefully the Drayton Theatre helps it out, but if you ask 10 residents in Cambridge 8 of them would oppose it. Heck all my neighbours and workers used to complain that Cambridge had to give money to Conestoga for the new college. Of course I know everyone in the city doesn't think this way but in all my years there the one thing I noticed is that they have a different mentality then most people in KW. I don't know why they can't attract any white collar jobs but it must be something because they have a lot of buildings for sale and empty in Cambridge, with a lot of them with 401 access and advertising. But one problem is most of the buildings are factory style and are not really practical for office jobs and also they are owned by huge corporations who just let the building sit there and then they white it off. My dad owned a tool & die shop beside Nova Steel on the 401, and before he got bought out he said the way manufacturing is heading in North america my building will be worth nothing only the land which would be sold at a fire sale price. Nova Steel and Venture Steel across the street have been empty for years and those are big buildings on a lot of land. I still wonder what Kitchener plans to do with Budds.
Post #9660 03-09-2010 03:29 PM Urbanomicon Senior Moderator Kitchener, Ontario Joined Feb 2010 1000 posts "Only the insane have the strength enough to prosper. Only those that prosper may truly judge what is sane."	Originally Posted by Bauer123 I still wonder what Kitchener plans to do with Budds. The last rumour I heard was that Samsung may take it over and use it to help build 200 wind turbines for the big wind turbine contract they won from the provincial government. More information on the deal can be found here: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/0...m-ontario.html
Post #9662 03-09-2010 09:23 PM jay Senior Moderator Bauer Lofts, Waterloo Joined Dec 2009 734 posts	That would be great news but it would be temporary lease, and it would still leave a huge building on a lot of land with contamination issues.
Post #9663 03-10-2010 09:58 PM Brenden Village Member Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 77 posts	Originally Posted by Urbanomicon The last rumour I heard was that Samsung may take it over and use it to help build 200 wind turbines for the big wind turbine contract they won from the provincial government. More information on the deal can be found here: http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/0...m-ontario.html I have heard the same rumour, I kind of dismisted it I am glad to hear someone else say it... Hope its real.
Post #9700 04-08-2010 07:29 PM RangersFan Economic Moderator Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 765 posts	Someday this may require it's own thread, but for now I think it works here. Dream of power plant at Parkhill dam moves forward — slowly — in Cambridge April 08, 2010 By Kevin Swayze, Record staff CAMBRIDGE – Parkhill dam could start earning its keep again within five years, the Grand River Conservation Authority hopes. Thursday, authority board members voted to call for proposals to from hydro power experts. Whoever is hired would, at first, determine if the concrete dam is structurally sound and able to take a dynamo at the western end. “We do want to get this moving,” said Dave Schlutz, spokesperson for the conservation authority. In 1999, a power plant feasibility study by the authority and Cambridge-North Dumfries hydro found a power plant possible, but financially impractical at the time. Today, the province is encouraging “green” power by paying a premium rate for electricity generated by dams on 40 year contracts. It’s estimated to cost $4.8 million to install a generating station at Parkhill. With the sweetened power rates, the project could pay for itself in five to seven years. The authority already runs power plants at the Conestogo, Shand and Guelph Lake dams. Parkhill would be the largest, generating about 1.3 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power about 2,000 homes. The Parkhill Dam was built in 1837 to create a mill pond along the Grand River at the village of Galt. That supplied a steady flow of water to power grist and textile mills along the east side of the river. The Riverbank Mill and Mill Race Park are the only remnants of the water-powered industries that employed hundreds in old Galt until the middle of the 20th century. Thursday’s approval is the first of many steps to install an electrical generation station Parkhill. Once the conservation authority confirms the dam is sound and the final costs of installing a power plant, then a purchase-of-power contract must be negotiated with the Ontario Power Authority to confirm a guaranteed revenue stream to replay loans to build the dynamo. Along the way, an environmental study must be completed to produce final details for the power station. “Notification and consultation” with First Nations communities would be part of the approval process, an authority report says.
Post #9701 04-08-2010 09:29 PM DKsan Village Member Joined Apr 2010 95 posts	How far down the Grand River is this? I'm not too familiar with Cambridge geography.
Post #9702 04-08-2010 10:59 PM RangersFan Economic Moderator Kitchener Joined Jan 2010 765 posts	Its in Downtown Galt so pretty far down if your in Waterloo.
Post #9761 06-21-2010 02:33 PM UrbanWaterloo Senior Moderator Kitchener-Waterloo Joined Dec 2009 3576 posts Groundhog Day Meet-Up \| February 2nd 7-9PM @ KW Art Gallery	SITE PLAN APPLICATION SP10/10, PEOPLECARE INC., HILLTOP MANOR, 42 ELLIOTT STREET To: COUNCIL \| Date of Meeting: June 21, 2010 Prepared By: Rosa Bustamante, Planner \| Department: Planning Services Report No.: P/10-48 \| Pages 33-57 Recommendation(s): THAT Cambridge Council approve in principle, the site plan application by PeopleCare Inc. to permit the development of a four-storey expansion to the Hilltop Manor Nursing Home at 42 Elliott Street, to accommodate an additional 96 long-term care beds as detailed in planning report P/10-48; AND THAT the Commissioner of Planning Services be authorized to sign off on the site plan agreement when all outstanding technical matters have been addressed to the satisfaction of the Site Plan Control Committee and the Commissioner of Transportation and Public Works. LOCATION AND PROPOSAL The site is located on the north side of Elliott Street, west of Centre Street, is municipally known as 42 Elliott Street, and legally described as Part of Lot 12, Plan 445. The applicant is proposing a four-storey addition of 5,602.97 m2 (60,309.87 ft2) to provide accommodation for 96 additional long-term care beds (see Appendix A). The addition is proposed to have between 23 to 26 beds on each floor bringing the total number of beds to 148. The existing two storey nursing home on the property will remain and will be refurbished upon completion of the addition. The existing driveway to the site will be relocated to the west to accommodate additional parking near the entrance of the site. There will be one loading area on the site on the south side of the building. Currently: 42,294 sq ft \| 52 beds Expansion: 60,611 sq ft \| 96 beds New Total: 102,906 sq ft \| 148 beds
Post #9762 06-21-2010 05:29 PM van Hemessen Village Member Kitchener, Ontario Joined Jan 2010 74 posts	I like everything except the fence. Is it keeping people out or residents in...?
Post #9763 06-22-2010 12:24 AM Urban_Enthusiast86 Town Member Joined Mar 2010 336 posts	The above look is very much characteristic of senior's housing in Waterloo Region. That said, I like it, especially if it's in the right location.
Post #11062 07-19-2010 10:26 AM Spokes Senior Moderator Kitchener Joined Dec 2009 5291 posts	I was surprised there wasn't a thread for this...but how are things going over at the Royal Hotel conversion? Coffee Culture was going to open up shop there if I remember correctly.
Post #11109 07-19-2010 06:33 PM DHLawrence Town Member Joined Mar 2010 417 posts	Frozen by all indications. They still have ads on the building for apartments, but construction hasn't shifted in a year.
Post #11433 07-23-2010 04:26 PM UrbanWaterloo Senior Moderator Kitchener-Waterloo Joined Dec 2009 3576 posts Groundhog Day Meet-Up \| February 2nd 7-9PM @ KW Art Gallery	Anyone know what the plans are for this property? 28 Queen Street West, Hespeler - July 23, 2010
Post #11443 07-23-2010 06:31 PM DHLawrence Town Member Joined Mar 2010 417 posts	I don't know, but they've really cleaned it up! That building used to be a total dive.

Small Urban Cambridge Construction