Uptown Waterloo Public Square | Approved

[mackeast]

The bell is lopsided because humans are in motion? riiiiiiight...

[bauer123]

It being lopsided is probably the reason Double R is pretty much extinct as a business now and just leases out that building . I was actually surprised that they still fabricated stuff there...Thought it shut down years ago.

Waterloo definitely doesn't have any industrial now. So it is nod to the past.

[notmyfriends]

For $3million, how long exactly does it take to pour a cement slab? I could have it done in a couple weeks if you're going to pay me that much.

[razzie13]

Hey everyone! long-time lurker first-time poster..

anyhow, i found this in The Record today:

"Waterloo councillors will decide in a month whether to grant a request for a $10,000 grant to help the Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener and Area (CAFKA). CAFKA wants the money to help install a multimedia display by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. The display would be shown in the new public square on King Street during the forum, Sept. 18-Oct. 4. The square is to open on May 30."

[notmyfriends]

"grant a request for a $10,000 grant"

I love Record writers.

[waterloowarrior]

Plans begin for civic square grand opening in May
By Greg Macdonald, Chronicle Staff
News
Apr 01, 2009

he City of Waterloo’s civic square won’t officially open until May 30, but programming has already begun for the space.
The square’s big opening at the end of May will feature performances by local musicians including the Waterloo concert band, speeches by Mayor Brenda Halloran and other city officials and an interactive marketplace.

City staff is mum on the rest of the details, but are promising a big show and a good time.

“I’m very excited about the opening of the square,” Halloran said. “This is an opportunity for this community to have a public meeting space. It’s a chance for the to go and sit for a while and be a part of the city.

“I think it will be a real focal point for people to gather.”

A week later, on June 5, the square, located in front of Waterloo Town Square, will host the opening ceremonies of the Spotlight on Arts festival.

That’s when the square’s first piece of public art will be unveiled.

The Bell for Kepler, designed by Royden Rabinowitch, will celebrate the city’s heritage in science, technology and innovation, said Tracy Suerich, public square and open spaces program co-ordinator.

The unveiling will also feature a performance by jazz musician Diane Nalini.

Most of June will be what Suerich calls a “soft opening” --not a lot of events, but plenty of time for visitors to enjoy the new square.

“It will give us some time to work out of all of the kinks,” she said.

In July, programming will pick up, with events happening almost daily, Suerich added.

“I don’t want to say that it will be daily, but there will be stuff going on most days of the week,” she said.

The square will also be outfitted with some greenery, thanks to a donation by the 10,000 Trees Project.

Last Monday, the tree-planting local organization presented council with a cheque for $5,000 to purchase trees for the civic square.

The city will use the money to plant six semi-mature honey locust trees.

“All of us at 10,000 Trees look forward to the day when others will sit in the shade of the trees planted this year,” said Barbara Larke, a board member with the organization. “The civic square marks the start of that new beginning and we are delighted to be part of that new beginning.”

[urban!ty]

Hello all,

I am not in KW at the moment because of school.

Can someone post photos of the square in its current form? I'd love to see how it's shaped up.

[onishenko]

Pretty bland right now. I'm hoping the trees will do good things for it. Same with the future reflecting pool. (if it ever gets built...)

[metropolis]

FYI: The developer building the 25 storey condo on on King and University is contributing $165,000 towards the public square.

[notmyfriends]

Originally Posted by urban!ty

Hello all,

I am not in KW at the moment because of school.

Can someone post photos of the square in its current form? I'd love to see how it's shaped up.

Take this


Now expand it to somehow cost over $2million and you're there.

[urban!ty]

No photos to be seen of it?

I am eager because I fought for it-- editorials in The Record, word of mouth promotion, and speaking as a delegate at the final meeting and really feeling like I got my ideas across-- and I really hope what I fought for shapes up nicely.

However, when something is brand new (!) it can seem a bit out of place or even awkward. But I think planting trees (I think trees in HUGE, bright planters would look playful and cool) will soften the effect and age will add another dimension to the square.

If no photos are posted, I will be back in Waterloo this weekend for about a week so I'll definitely see it then.

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Originally Posted by urban!ty

No photos to be seen of it?

I am eager because I fought for it-- editorials in The Record, word of mouth promotion, and speaking as a delegate at the final meeting and really feeling like I got my ideas across-- and I really hope what I fought for shapes up nicely.

"Last week we finished sandblasting the courtyard cement to give the ground some interesting texture, and they capped off all of the railing and benches, it is really starting to look like our drawings!"

This photo is from the City of Waterloo's website, taken on March 24. I was also a delegate at the council meeting where it got approved in April 2007. This was before council realized that it was over budget though.

http://waterloo.ca/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=2373

[urban!ty]

Thanks for the photo! It tied me over.

I just walked over to the square to check it out, as I arrived in Waterloo today.

I think it's really cool. My hopes are that they put big, coloured planters along the Rude Native side of the square (the north end of the square.) This would also divide the train tracks in a sense, while adding a whimsical feature and a splash of colour-- and of course, greenery.

The lamp-posts they used along King Street for the square look very 1960s or Frederick-Mall-like, but upon further inspection, I decided I really like the touch. It's rather retro though, but it works. I also like how the posts are a light grey colour so that they don't stand out or punctuate the square. Very good.

It's so nice to see the King Street sidewalk extend back, on and on from the street, and form a public square. It's about time.

Bring on those planters and I will love it! (And a new facade for WTS, which in a few years will definitely have been done.)

[onishenko]

Without something to draw people (like the reflecting pool does for Kitchener City Hall) I'm afraid it will be a barren, glorified, concrete square.

[DHLawrence]

That leads to a mall

It wouldn't be too bad if the mall had a few more stories on top. After all, ground floor retail is a good thing when there's more than the ground floor to a building!

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Originally Posted by urban!ty

The lamp-posts they used along King Street for the square look very 1960s or Frederick-Mall-like, but upon further inspection, I decided I really like the

Exactly what I thought when I saw them a few weeks ago, even down to the Frederick Mall relation!


As a side note, I heard that the City just recently hired an event coordinator for the the public square, and it's an $80,000/year job!

[notmyfriends]

$80K/yr?

How much did they save by only roughing in the rink instead of going ahead with it right away?

[Bauer_buyer]

Originally Posted by onishenko

Pretty bland right now. I'm hoping the trees will do good things for it. Same with the future reflecting pool. (if it ever gets built...)

I take back some of the criticism as the project is looking a lot better than I had hoped; the patterned plaza, the semi circular rotunda, just to point out a few areas that are visually pleasing.

Unfortunately the number of trees for the new town square will be few compared to the massive slab of concrete.
However, I'd like to see trees that can be enjoyed all year round; namely evergreens that will add substance, colour, shade, height and most of all be easier to maintain. Locusts ?

[urban!ty]

Originally Posted by DHLawrence

That leads to a mall

It wouldn't be too bad if the mall had a few more stories on top. After all, ground floor retail is a good thing when there's more than the ground floor to a building!

I wasn't aware that cities are built in a day!

Just wait... there is a new King Street facade in the works for the old 75 King building. Yes, another new one. I think the economy must be the reason for its delay, as well as waiting for the public square to become more popular-- but it will happen. As horizontal as it is, the facade of the old mall building could really become something sleek or a unique backdrop to the square.

The process and anticipation is what makes cities' development so interesting.

[DHLawrence]

I never said cities were built in a day--just saying that it's rather tacky.