The City of Waterloo approved zoning and official plan changes that open the door for some significant development at a shopping plaza at the intersection of Erb Street and Ira Needles Boulevard.
Waterloo Commons JV Inc. has plans to expand into the vacant lands adjacent to the plaza that holds Chuck’s Road House, PetSmart, and more.
The plans were discussed at a City of Waterloo council meeting in March, before the zoning and official plan amendments were approved at a meeting this week. The developers, the Voison family, are the same who were behind the development of The Boardwalk in Kitchener and Waterloo.
Plans for the plaza include 4,905 square metres of new commercial space, with space set aside for a grocery store.
The developers also plan on creating “a consolidated stormwater management pond in the northwest corner of the property,” according to the report.
There are also plans to create a road adjacent to the proposed development, which could act as a bypass from Thorndale Drive to Erb Street West, allowing drivers to avoid the busy roundabout at Ira Needles Boulevard.
There are no concrete timelines in place for this project.
Erb Street West will be undergoing road reconstruction this year. The Region of Waterloo is investing $7.2 million into roadwork on that street between Ira Needles Boulevard and the Waste Management facility. That work is set to begin this spring.
