New condominium tower to overlook Victoria Park
‘Charlie West’ to feature 25 storeys, central location in heart of downtown Kitchener
KITCHENER — A condominium with 25 floors, providing views of Victoria Park and the central part of the city, is planned for the corner of Charles Street and Gaukel Street.
Charlie West, as the development is called, is a partnership between two local companies; Momentum Developments and the Zehr Development Group. The corner property is currently occupied by an auto repair business and a coffee shop. After the land deal closes this fall, those two buildings will be demolished.
“We are really excited,” said Brian Prudham of Momentum Developments. “We think it is a slam-dunk site.”
The veteran real estate agent who brokered the land deal, Peter Benninger of Coldwell Banker, called the proposed development awesome. It is across Charles Street from an LRT station. It is one short block away from the city’s premier urban park, and the public square in front of city hall.
“A great, great location,” said Benninger. “I think the success they had with One Victoria and 100 Victoria, they will do very well with pre-sales for this one.”
Momentum developed the condo at King Street West and Victoria Street called One Victoria that is now 98 per cent occupied, said Prudham, and the coffee shop Settlement Co. recently opened on the main floor of that building.
Then Momentum partnered with the Zehr Group for 100 Victoria St., which will have two towers and about 300 units. Construction started last fall and concrete will be poured in the coming weeks for the first tower’s foundation.
About 95 per cent of the first tower is already sold, and 85 per cent of the second, said Prudham.
Charlie West is the third development for Momentum in downtown Kitchener since 2012.
“We are still very active in downtown Kitchener,” said Prudham. “That’s where we intend to stay active for the next five to 10 years, and beyond that ideally.”
Prudham’s enthusiasm is shared by Zac Zehr of the Zehr Group.
“The Zehr-Momentum partnership is working, and hopefully will continue to work and we can provide more of these cool, new projects,” said Zehr. “We are very excited.”
Charlie West will have one or two levels of underground parking. The parking garage that rises above the street will be wrapped in retail units on the first floor, and residential units above.
It is designed to attract people into the building at street level, and promote a vibrant sidewalk instead of having passersby looking at the blank wall of a parking garage.
“It creates a nice streetscape,” said Zehr.
Charlie West is designed by ABA Architects of Toronto, which has done several new buildings in Kitchener-Waterloo, including — 100 Victoria, One Victoria and the Red Condominium on King Street South at Allen Street.
Representatives of Momentum Developments and the Zehr Group met Tuesday evening with members of the Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association to brief them about the development. Coun. Frank Etherington, who represents that part of the city, said the plans were well received.
“Long before those trains arrive you can see the development creeping along the LRT rails into the very heart of the city core,” said Etherington.
“I think that’s exactly what the city wanted to happen.”
Etherington calls the Charles and Gaukel intersection a major part of the downtown development puzzle.
The city plans to turn the former post office at 44 Gaukel St. into a hub for creative arts and technology. The historic building that houses Schreiter’s Home Furnishings at 27 Gaukel St. was sold last year to a local developer. And the site of the Charles Street Terminal for Grand River Transit could be redeveloped after a new central transit station is built at King and Victoria streets.
Etherington said the western half of downtown Kitchener is experiencing a development boom, and Charlie West is the fifth condo building for that neighbourhood in the past 10 years.
“It has just been crazy lately, all around the Tannery, the Breithaupt Block, all around the west end,” said Etherington. “There are going to be others in the west end.”
Etherington said he would like to see some of that in the east end. Last week, the city issued demolition permits so Londonbased Drewlo can take down the buildings that remain on the block bordered by Madison, King, Cameron and Charles streets. There are preliminary plans for two apartment buildings on that block.
“And we really need that, some kind of development that will serve as a nice entrance to the east end of the city,” said Etherington.