City staff propose pop-up park to fill empty lot in downtown Kitchener

The City of Kitchener wants to clean-up a vacant lot in the downtown core to create a pop-up parkette.

The empty lot exists at 11 Young Street in downtown Kitchener after the Mayfair Hotel was torn down last summer. There are plans by the property's owner to develop the area, but not immediately, said Cory Bluhm, manager of downtown development from the city.

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Bluhm said they've heard from residents and business owners that they'd like to see the lot, which iscurrently sitting empty except for storing kiosks from the Christkindl Market,developed into a usable space.

"Everybody realizes that the ultimate goal is to redevelop the site," Bluhm said in an interview Monday morning with CBC Radio'sThe Morning Editionhost, Craig Norris. "The message we've been hearing is, is there something we can do in the interim?"

Four options for space

Councillors will review a staff report Monday night looking at four options for the lot. One option is to do nothing at all. A second option is to putdown grass, but leaveit as an owner-controlled space. The third is the pop-up park which the city would maintainand is the option staff is recommending. The fourth is to fully develop the area as a city-operated space.

That fourth option would cost more than $100,000 depending on what is done to the space. Staff are not recommending this option because the park may not last longer than two years.

The pop-up park would cost approximately $60,000 to $70,000, but Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said in an interview that much of what would be purchased for the park such as chairs and planters could be reused in other areas of the city.

"Those aren't sunk costs. They will continue to benefit the community for years to come," Vrbanovic said.

Park could be used for special events

The Downtown Kitchener BIA has agreed to allow the city to use the five wooden Christkindl Market huts in the park for pop-up shops or for use during events. The space could also be used for special events.

Vrbanovic added the middle-of-the-road suggestion fits with what the staff would like to do to encourage people to come downtown.

"It speaks well to the kinds of things we talk about in terms of creating great places, creative spaces, neighbourhoods for citizens to enjoy," he said.