Like many other people, I am glad that the Huck Glove Factory will be preserved.\u00a0 That does not mean that I agree with the plan.\u00a0 There are many ways of preserving heritage in proximity to new buildings.\u00a0 In the case of Huck Glove, it appears that the new part is “eating up” the old.<\/p>\n
Although the architects are very proud of their blending of old and new in the atrium space, this works mainly for people inside the building and the clear glass will obscure one corner of the heritage building (\u201cOld and new at Huck Glove,\u201d The Record<\/em>, April 6, 2018).\u00a0 If you are inside that space, fine. Also, increasing the setback of the second floor would expose more of the heritage building from the street.<\/p>\n There is a trend in new development and architecture to avoid destroying a heritage building. There might be a public outcry that would add time and money to a development.\u00a0 So, the architects add the new to the old.\u00a0 In many cases, the designs overburden the heritage we have come to love. Keeping the building will preserve it since it will avoid \u201cdemolition by neglect\u201d.<\/p>\n City of Kitchener planners accept this new heritage concept.\u00a0 For the Huck Glove development, a higher condo tower behind the office space has been achieved through heritage conservation and other measures.\u00a0 The current zoning regulations contain bonusing provisions whereby changes to the normal zone regulations can be exchanged for heritage preservation, public parking, transit infrastructure, renewable energy systems, etc. Such bonusing provisions allowed a 25-storey building to be built behind Huck Glove.<\/p>\n In discussing the Huck Glove development with both staff and developers, I was told that there is a provincial requirement to intensify.\u00a0 Density targets identified by the Province are not fixed, however.\u00a0 Planners do have targets for certain areas of the City of Kitchener.\u00a0 Accepting high rise development is one way to achieve that goal. There are other ways to increase density without having high rise buildings, but staff only respond to developers\u2019 requests.<\/p>\n Planning staff has been quoted as saying that: “\u201cRight now, this property, as well as many others in the downtown, are exempt from providing parkland dedication\u201d (\u201cPark space a concern of residents near proposed Huck Glove redevelopment,\u201d The Record<\/em>, Jan. 26, 2018). That does not seem to square with the\u00a0Design for Tall Buildings<\/em>\u00a0recommendations passed by Council in December 2017. It also does not conform to other documents from the City and Province on how to create attractive and walkable neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n With 300 residential units in that high-rise tower, there will be additional needs for public amenities.\u00a0 The same developers for Huck Glove believe that amenities in their adjacent building at 100 Victoria will be for the community (\u201cShared spaces, amenities part of new approach to condos,\u201d The Record<\/em>, April 6, 2018). However, the space for the Huck Glove tower will be on the pedestal and for residents only.<\/p>\n The 300 units at Huck Glove are a drop in the bucket: There are actually 13 towers in various stages of planning within a fifteen-minute walk of Victoria Park.\u00a0 Here is a list of what is planned:<\/p>\n