Construction will soon begin on a 53,000 square foot, five story office building in Kitchener according to Ontario Construction Report. The site was once occupied by the Mayfair Hotel. The building will be called One Young Street and will include retail, office and a rooftop entertainment/restaurant space and will be located at King and Young Streets. A building permit will be issued as soon as all the conditions are approved.
"We're really excited to be moving forward with this project. Our design team has spent a tremendous amount of care, time and effort in designing a stunning, high-quality structure that captures the essence of the former building in unique and interesting ways. The curtain wall glass building will feature Frit glass which will reflect a permanent image of the historical hotel. It pays respect to the site's history and we hope it will stand as a new marker on this important corner of the downtown."
WalterFedy, Developer | Bernie Nimer
Construction is expected to take a year and will be started by spring of 2019 according to the City of Kitchener.
Per the Global News, the rooftop restaurant will be 5,000 square feet including 3,500 square feet of patio space and fantastic views of Victoria Park and downtown. Three of the five floors will offer modern post and beam office space which is badly needed in the downtown core.
A massive facelift is currently happening in the downtown area of Kitchener and 20 projects are in development right now. By the spring of 2019, there will be approximately $1.2 billion of new investment under construction which will include 2,500 residential units.
According to Exchange Magazine, the three floors of office space will attract Class A tenants and contribute to the vibrancy of the downtown area.
"The quality and design of this building will no doubt attract the kind of enterprises, both retail and commercial, that are eager to be a part of Kitchener's downtown transformation. It is both exciting and rewarding to see private partners showing their commitment and confidence in this transformation through these types of investments."
Mayor | Berry Vrbanovic
Per CBC, the lot where the Mayfair Hotel was demolished sat empty since the summer of 2015. The Mayfair Hotel and the building next door, the former Hymmen Hardware building, were both demolished due to significant structural issues. Both buildings shared a common wall.
This is one of many downtown projects now in construction which will more than double the number of people living in the downtown according to the City of Kitchener. Mixed use developments like this one, will ensure that these residents have access to amenities like shopping and restaurants as well as great employment opportunities which is what they expect to see in a vibrant, urban environment.
