[WaterlooInvestor]

-

[Cambridgite]

^ I hope that beast looks better in colour. And once again, no ground retail. :(

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/Portals/57ad7180-c5e7-49f5-b282-c6475cdb7ee7/CS_CLERKS_Minutes_2008/20080225_Packet_Council_Meeting.pdf

p. 104

this beast is now proposed to be 24 storeys, 181 units (p.104). hard to read but looks like it's still called X-Flats

http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/323KingStWaterloo.jpg

[waterloowarrior]

new tallest? clarica building has fewer floors (at least according to emporis), but could be taller due to higher floors. This building should be up there, at least.

[Cambridgite]

Clarica is 79m, so it's likely close, if not taller. Will there be ground retail with the changes?

[HAMRetrofit]

Lets be honest the design of this building is sickening. I understand that this is a student building but please. At the minimum they could propose something like these McMaster condos. This building is going for LEED status and includes some retail at grade. Mind you they are still not that pretty, they are at least not an absolute monstrosity.

http://www.mainwestvillage.ca/Photos/Website%20Photos/West%20Village%20Jan%202008.jpg

[Cambridgite]

^Yeah, I totally agree. Especially with the ground floor retail. The current proposal is a prototype commie block.

[myfaceisonfire]

Well, at least the updated rendering is slightly better looking than the old one. This building in general is better looking than the POS that's going up next door. In general though I'd say all hope for King between University and Colombia is lost. The feather in the cap of course being that disaster just north of King & Columbia and the plaza beside it.

[jcollins]

Well, at least the updated rendering is slightly better looking than the old one. This building in general is better looking than the POS that's going up next door. In general though I'd say all hope for King between University and Colombia is lost. The feather in the cap of course being that disaster just north of King & Columbia and the plaza beside it.

Where did you see an updated rendering?

I guess it kind of fits in with the building done by andys apartments on the other side of the street.

Is there anything these buildings can be flanked with to take away from their blandness?

[myfaceisonfire]

Where did you see an updated rendering?

I was only looking at the drawings in this thread :)

[jcollins]

I was only looking at the drawings in this thread :)

Oh, ok, I thought there was something out there more definitive, more detailed.
That'd be nice.
It actually doesnt look horible, at least it could be worse.

[WaterlooRegioner]

I don't know, but for some reason I like this "monstrosity". It doesn't look amazing, but it defenitely doesn't look horrible either. Hopefully the colour renderings will justify this when they come out. This represents a great trend of high density we have been seeing happen throughout the region. One defenite backfall is the lack of ground-level retail, but it's not a complete ruin for this design. As for it possible being a new tallest for the region, I doubt it, mind you it will be close. The old design was 57 m, 19 floors, so just for estimation purposes divide 57 by 19. You come up with three, which represents three metres per floor. Multiply 5 by 3 and you get 15, add that onto 57 and you've got 72 metres, 7 short of the clarica building. The top peak also looks similar in height so there is no point in including that. There is always the chance a few more floors will be added(very slight), or that there will be minor fluctuations in height during construction, but nothing that will bring it to 79 metres if you ask me. But as far as I know this will make it the second highest in the region.

[kitchener-lrt]

They can still add ground level retail can't they? Proposals can always change (fingers crossed).

[jcollins]

They can still add ground level retail can't they? Proposals can always change (fingers crossed).

I dont see why not, but what would their reason be to do so if they hadnt done so in the first place?

[jcollins]

I don't know, but for some reason I like this "monstrosity". It doesn't look amazing, but it defenitely doesn't look horrible either.

Do you feel similarly about it's neighbor?
The one going up at 345 King St.

(being discussed in the Suburbs and Townships forum)

[WaterlooRegioner]

I don't know wether you've read that thread already or not, because I already posted my oppinion. I suggested that I like the density it provides, and the fact that it will be cleaner and probably nicer looking than a lot of houses in that area with slum landlords, I never said I liked the design(by nicer looking I mean I prefer a relatively clean apartment over a house providing little density with beer bottles, lawn chairs and trash in the frontyard.) The design of this building atleast in these preliminary renders looks more promising to me.

[jcollins]

I just re-read what you posted, must have slipped my mind.
I'd definitely agree with you. While some may think this is bland, or have other problems with it, I think it (both buildings for that matter) will look good on King st. Sure there are other things that might add to it, we've all seen buildings that look far worse. I have a feeling that once done, we'll see some minds being changed.

[rapid_business]

Hmmm... Well, the latest design looks about 14% better, but my opinion still holds as mentioned in the other thread.

[WaterlooRegioner]

And you can hold that, everybody has their own oppinions. I just don't understand what you are looking for... a luxury aparment building with glass all over? As long as it's a private developer in this market(universities), we will not see that. The demand is not there for an up-scale building, where-as it is there for an apartment building with cheap rates. The one part I do agree with you though is addresing the street front better, which can be accomplished through ground level retail, something that this unfortunately does not have.

[rapid_business]

Addressing the street is the most important. But, no, not a 'luxury' tower as you put it. Good design doesn't have to me glass-curtain wall, nor does it have to mean more expensive. Good design does mean avoiding stucco and bargin-bin blueprints. It also means having a design control board at a municipal level to protect areas of importance from discount designs dominating our skyline for the next 50 years.

Like I said before, look to the new Laurier residence just up the street. Far from perfect, but a building that will age better, and already looks 200% then this. And it was built with institutional/public money where they always like to keep it cheap!

[WaterlooRegioner]

I can see where you are coming from, especially with the stucco part. It is a finishing method that can go either way, but more often than not it goes the wrong way. I also agree with your reference to the new Laurier residence, it is a nice looking building. But I'm still not convinced it would be as cost effective... As for the blueprint itself, I oddly enough do not mind it.

[jcollins]

Hopefully future developments can address the need for ground level retail that this building and it's neighbor lack.

If that were the case this block I think would be pretty nice!

[Brenden]

http://www.the-market.ca/user_images/5612337.jpg
http://www.the-market.ca/user_images/4018175.jpg
http://www.the-market.ca/user_images/9940449.jpg
http://www.the-market.ca/user_images/2035816.jpg
http://www.the-market.ca/user_images/1447001.jpg
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4269/xflatsyl5.jpg
the X-flats were to be build by the WLU on King St. It was to be a 82-unit luxury condominium offers three-, four-, and five-bedroom suites, an on-site superintendent and student-tailored amenities such as a multi-media room, games room, group and private study rooms as well as an elevated patio and underground parking. It was to be opened in May 2007... so it looks like they missed the mark... www.x-flats.com is no longer up and running... so I am wondering if anyone knows what happened? with over 50% sold I am sure they could have started building?

[waterloowarrior]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141332

[Brenden]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141332

ok but that dose not say why they stopped

[BusyBerliner]

Not certain exactly what the status of x-flats is, but if it has been delayed or scraped, it could have something to do with the rumoured tower that may be proposed at the corner of King and University.

[Waterlooian4Life]

Ok So I know the low-down on this from bits and pieces I have heard from my various sources. This is the deal

The original Owners of X-Flats had a very innovative idea for student housing and thought they would be able to implement it. However they soon learned that they could not afford the project and thus sold the project to a company we all know and love....... Jamesway Construction.

When Jamesway Bought the project they saw that there was no profit in condos so they fired the architect and used their own in-house staff to create "X-flats" as an appartment building. They also saw no profit in building a 8-storey building in a MR-25 zone so they bought 5 additional properties to the north and south of the current site so that they could make the project 18 or 21 storeys I am not really sure.

The project spent a ton of time in site plan review because it is f*cking ugly (excuse my language but there is no other word). at this point they have received a demo permit for the additional 5 houses but has yet to completely tear them down.

I am guessing the reason that they haven't started is that they are using a lot of their crew on the Schembri Project just up the road on King Street. Also a project of this magnitude would take about 2 years or slightly less to complete (I work in the industry so this is an educated guess) and they would like to have the project completed sometime in august. Since it is student housing, they would want students to move in right away so that it doesn't sit empty for long.

Based on this analysis I would expect that around the time the Schembri project has most of the structural work done maybe late September or mid fall you may see the so called "X-Flats" starting.


I hope that clears the air a little

[Waterlooian4Life]

Just as an add on from my last post here

I spoke to one of my sources of information today and found out that X-flats is actually still going to be a condo project so there is a potential that there will be a presale of condos too. Although I have not found anything regarding the presale for the current project just the old one.

[Tony]

AFAIK, X-Flats was always intended to be condos for students, or should I say condos for students with wealthy parents? The whole project was a little too decadent for students. I don't even think rich parents would buy their kids a condo when regular housing is probably a better buy and can be kept and rented out for years.

[KW4Life]

I figured they should have built it, rented it out for cheap and put webcams everywhere. Don't they know the profit of the internet? Haha.

[WatDot]

Looks like the X-Flats is becoming a "22-Storey Apartment Building"... unless there is another project that would affect Spruce Street in the works.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

August 14, 2008
RECORD STAFF
Web edition

WATERLOO REGION — A bungalow that sat on a lot in Waterloo until this morning is on the move.

It¹s being hauled by trailer — very slowly under police escort — from Spruce Street to a site about a kilometre east of Baden, where it will be eased onto a foundation and used as a staff residence for Jacob's Well Ministries.

Columbia Street, Erbsville Road and Snyder's Road make up the route.

After a delay due to soft ground this morning, the trip began just after noon today and is expected to take two to four hours.

The now-vacant lot between Columbia and Hickory streets lies in the middle of a neighbourhood that is rapidly shifting to student housing. The lot will be become part of the site for a 22-storey apartment building.

[kwoldtimer]

[QUOTE=WatDot;3735683]Looks like the X-Flats is becoming a "22-Storey Apartment Building"... unless there is another project that would affect Spruce Street in the works.

[/QUOTE

If so, stay tuned for more tragic renderings (born optimist, I know)

[Waterlooian4Life]

yup look at the elevations on page 1 of this thread

[myfaceisonfire]

Does anybody have any updates on this project? I noticed that the site as well as a few houses to the north and south are fenced off now but it doesn't seem like anything is being done.

I can't imagine why they need to have such a huge parcel of land fenced off unless they intend to add a massive amount of surface parking (which wouldn't surprise me).

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

I drove by the site yesterday, and noticed that the construction fence has a tarp wrapped around it, so you can't see in at all. I remember a few weeks ago when I went by, it was quite different with only a make shift snow fence type thing and vehicles parked all over the site. I have also heard from insiders in the construction industry that construction is set to begin in the spring by Jamesway. Who knows...:shrug:

[bauer123]

Ya i heard it was starting soon also. When i was at the 45 Degree on king presentation center the guy who was working said it was going be starting soon

[WatDot]

This morning I noticed action on the site.

There's a bulldozer (moving earth already) and an excavator on the property. They've also parked a large office trailer there. A number of workers/engineers present.

[koops65]

Work has definitely started. Foundations have been poured. We need pics.

[Waterlooer]

It's exciting. Do you know when it's planned to be complete?

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

It's exciting to see a tall building be built along the Central Transit Corridor, but not so much when we know its going to be another hideous multi-coloured stucco beast. :yuck:

[koops65]

They are now working on the second floor.

[Lugnut]

This project has been renamed "Luxe" and it's 17 stories.

Looks like they're working on the exterior. Likely pushing for the September opening.

While they have 3, 4 and 5 bedroom units, this is clearly still marketed for students and students only. Sad.

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50514_166261773395295_8153902_n.jpg