Four city blocks (3 ha) of Uptown Waterloo was Master Planned with a strategic plan to accommodate the growing city core of Kitchener, Waterloo. The project required a plan for the redevelopment of the city’s urban shopping area and business district. With aging buildings and Infrastructure, BNKC’s design envisioned revitalizing the area and creating a dynamic urban street environment through phased redevelopment. This redevelopment includes the addition of new buildings and new public open space, the reconfiguration of a remaining portion of a 1960’s commercial mall, relocation of parking to the centre of the block, and major redevelopment of the existing infrastructure to revitalize the streetscape.

The new plan included 323,000 sq ft of a new retail and offices, a New Civic Square, a new street, improved pedestrian circulation with wider sidewalks and pathways throughout, shared parking along the main streets, surface parking, as well as plans for future expansion along Caroline Street and Willis Way.

This transformational project was a public-private partnership between the developer (First Gulf) and the City of Waterloo. The Urban Land Institute awarded this project as “the top 25 Best Commercial Mixed-Use Developments for the Western Hemisphere”.

BNKC also provided full architectural services for several retail and office buildings along King Street and Willis Way; and created the City of Waterloo Urban Design Guidelines.

Project Awards: 2011 - Ontario Masonry Award, 2009 - Urban Land Institute Finalist