The redevelopment of the historic post office building in uptown Waterloo has been approved by city council.
Council approved a rezoning change for the building at 35-41 King St. N., allowing the developer and city planners to proceed with the site plan process.
The lot directly to the south of the post office building has been vacant since 2012 when a fire destroyed the three-storey building, which included apartments and the Ish & Chips restaurant. The post office was spared in the fire.
The redevelopment, which will host an estimated 60 workers in 20,000 square feet of office space, features “glazing” that will allow people to see the sightlines of the post office building through the glass. The historic building’s interior will also be redeveloped and the two buildings will be connected by a glass hallway.
The development will also include about 10,000 square feet of retail space along the sidewalk facing King Street.
The post office, which features a clock tower, was built in 1912. The ground floor of the three-storey building is sandstone, while the two upper floors are clad in red brick. The design symbolizes a Romanesque style of architecture and it is one of the landmarks of uptown Waterloo.
It is a designated heritage building under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Prior to the First World War, cadets occupied the large rear portion of the building for training. The post office was located on the first floor of the building, the customs office was on the second floor and quarters for live-in caretakers’ were on the third floor.
The clock tower is not original. However, it has been rebuilt to original specifications. The original tower was removed due to decay in 1956 and the “sympathetic clock” was installed in 1987.
The developer requested a number of zoning changes, including a variance to the number of parking spaces required for the site. Under current zoning, the building is required to have 29 parking spaces, but with the size of the property and the new footprint, only five can fit.
On the south side of the new building, there is a gap between the exterior wall and the wall of the neighbouring building, as is required by building code. This was a traditional walkway and provided access to the building next door.
Coun. Melissa Durrell raised concern about the alleyway to the south side of the new building. She said other alleyways have become an eyesore in the core.
Carol Wiebe of MHBC planning, which is acting for the developer, responded that the passage way will benefit from the glazing on the building, making it more open and welcoming.
“We want to make sure it’s designed well and does not become an area that becomes unused and unwanted,” said Joel Cotter, the city’s director of planning approvals. Specifics about the use of that alleyway will be determined during the site plan process.
Coun. Mark Whaley said he’s happy to see a visually attractive building go up that will fill in a gap in the uptown streetscape.
“It really has been like a missing tooth in the smile of uptown for far too long,” said Whaley.
Wiebe said the developer is looking to get the project started as soon as possible.