<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Good evening,<div><br></div><div>The Region of Waterloo has released the Central Transit Corridor Draft Community Building Strategy. It is a detailed document which has been broken down into 7 sections downloadable from the internet:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://centraltransitcorridor.ca/?cat=5">http://centraltransitcorridor.ca/?cat=5</a></div><div><br></div><div>The document is very colourful with lots of photos, graphs, maps and charts. It makes for interesting reading with tons of facts and statistics about our community.</div><div><br></div><div>As well, three open houses have been announced as follows;</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Wed, Feb 20th - Knox Church, 50 Erb St W., Waterloo</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Thurs, Feb 21st - The Tannery Event Center, 151 Charles St. W., Kitchener</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Mon, Feb 25th - Cambridge City Hall Lobby, 50 Dickson Street, Cambridge</div><div><br></div><div>Hopefully there will be strong attendance, dialog, and community engagement on how we can help ensure that the LRT will build our community in addition to moving people.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Kevin.</div><div><br></div><div>P.S. Paige Desmond at The Record has written the following article on the strategy development and upcoming open houses.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/877975--region-cities-develop-strategy-for-lrt-corridor-development">http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/877975--region-cities-develop-strategy-for-lrt-corridor-development</a></div><div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: 12px; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>-------------------------------------</div><div><br></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div class="td_page_info" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; overflow: hidden; "><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; "><li class="infoitem" style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border: 0px; display: block; float: left; "><span class="td_page_author" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; ">Paige Desmond, Record staff</span></li><li class="infoitem" style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-style: none dotted none none; border-right-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); display: block; float: left; "><span class="td_page_date" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; ">Wed Jan 30 2013 08:30:00</span></li><li class="infoitem" style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border: 0px; display: block; float: left; "><div class="tdCounter tdCounterDefault" id="counter_79fb7450bbd4421c8b47895a40e74ae2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; "><div class="topsCn1Rec" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; "><div data-container="inside" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; "><span class="topsIcon" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: block; float: left; background-image: url(http://static.mmgdailies3.topscms.com/Content/images/icons.gif); width: 16px; height: 16px; position: relative; top: -2px; background-position: 0px -32px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; "></span><span class="topsNumRecs" data-container="count" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; display: block; float: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(0, 66, 118); ">0</span><span class="topsRecommend js-recNoVoted" data-container="label" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: block; float: left; "><a class="topsBtn" href="http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/877975--region-cities-develop-strategy-for-lrt-corridor-development" data-button="recommend" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; outline: none; ">Recommend</a></span></div></div></div></li></ul></div><h1 class="tdH1Article" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 24px; ">Region, cities develop strategy for LRT corridor development</h1><div class="pageBody" style="margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; "><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">WATERLOO REGION — The region plans to spend $650,000 on a strategy for development along the rapid transit route, but the heavy lifting will lie in the hands of local cities.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The strategy, released Tuesday by the Region of Waterloo, speaks to how cities can best capitalize on rapid transit to guide intensification in their cores and shape neighbourhoods.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">An accompanying report said moving the plan forward may require public-private partnerships and notes that money for many of the improvements suggested in the strategy isn’t in cities’ budgets.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran said she isn’t worried about the costs.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">“It’s in our best interest,” she said. “The redevelopment that’s going to happen along the corridor really is going to benefit the city.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The region has authority to implement the rapid transit plan, but cities will decide on development along the route from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park mall in Kitchener.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Coun. Jim Wideman, chair of the rapid transit working group, said it’s entirely up to local cities to fund buildup of the corridor, other than station construction. “That’s their responsibility. We need to be very careful not to step on that.”</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The strategy was prepared in consultation with the three local cities and community representatives, including businesspeople and transit advocates.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">According to the draft document, the vision for the strategy is a corridor that’s lively, well-connected and inviting. It divides the 23 proposed station areas into 13 market corridors. Each considers the current character of the area, development assets and future development potential.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It also lays out key community building opportunities, including:</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; ">•</span> fostering investment;</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; ">•</span> creating high quality urban places;</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; ">•</span> strengthening employment opportunities;</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; ">•</span> greening the corridor and creating a great place to visit.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The draft strategy can be found at <a target="_blank" href="http://centraltransitcorridor.ca/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-weight: bold; ">http://centraltransitcorridor.ca/</a></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; "><a href="mailto:pdesmond@therecord.com" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(0, 66, 118); text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-weight: bold; ">pdesmond@therecord.com</a></em></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; ">Public consultation</strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Three public consultation centres have been scheduled to hear feedback on the development draft strategy.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; ">•</span> Feb. 20, Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. W., Waterloo, 4 to 7 p.m.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; "> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 13px; ">•</span> Feb. 21, The Tannery Event Centre, 151 Charles St. W., Kitchener, 4 to 7 p.m.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">Feb. 25, Cambridge city hall atrium, 50 Dickson St., Cambridge, 4 to 7 p.m.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; "><br></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: relative; z-index: 0; ">--------------------------</p><div style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: relative; z-index: 0; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div>Kevin Thomason</div><div><br></div><div>1115 Cedar Grove Road</div><div>Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 3Z4</div><div><br></div><div>Phone: (519) 888-0519</div><div>Mobile Phone: (519) 240-1648</div><div>Twitter: @kthomason</div><div>E-mail: <a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com">kevinthomason@mac.com</a></div><div><br></div><div>-----------------------------------------</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></div></body></html>