Higher density housing is not the just the story of Toronto these days, but also of other cities of the Golden Horseshoe that we normally associate with low-rise living. The high-tech hub of Kitchener-Waterloo is experiencing growth pressure too as that sector of the economy powers onward, sweeping the local universities and their student housing needs along for the ride. With the University of Waterloo to the west, and Wilfrid Laurier University to the southeast, and a tech sector optimistically dubbed "Silicon Valley North" continuing to transform the region, Waterloo's Sunview Street is at the heart of a rapidly evolving stretch of the city. Adding to the raft of new mid-rise housing that intermittently lines the street—as well as Albert and Lester streets to the east and west—local developer Prica Global Inc. is introducing another project to the area, marketed as Sunview Suites.
Sunview Suites, image via Prica Global Inc.
Meeting the street with 6- and 13-storey volumes, the three-building, 298-unit development features architecture by PG Design Studio. Fronted by a series of retail spaces and new landscaping, the project is poised to invite at least some street-level activity to the area, in contrast to most of the neighbourhood's slightly older developments, many of which were built to serve as privately-run student dormitories.
Street-level retail and landscaping, image via Prica Global Inc.
Unlike a number of Prica's previous Waterloo-area projects, Sunview Suites caters to young professionals, as well as the student population exclusively targeted by much of Waterloo's recent development. At Sunview, the compact five-bedroom configurations that make up much of the area's new housing stock give way to a selection of studio, one-bedroom, and one-bedroom + den suites.
An isometric view of a one-bedroom suite. image via Prica Global Inc.
The investor-oriented condominiums will come fully furnished, promoting a hands-off management strategy for owners. Designed as turnkey investment properties (priced from the low $200,000s), the rented suites will be centrally managed by KW4Rent. While the more private suite configurations also target working professionals, the site's proximity to Waterloo's University campuses (both of which are less than a 10-minute walk away) means that a large and transient student population is also likely to call Sunview Suites home.
Aerial contextual view of the project, showing both university campuses, image via Prica Global Inc.
For Prica—and other local developers—the student-oriented projects look to capitalize on the relative lack of dedicated student housing provided by the universities. Like most Canadian universities, Waterloo and Laurier's residences are almost exclusively offered to first-year students, leaving behind a housing gap for the city's steadily growing upper-year student population.
A closer look at the urban context, image via Prica Global Inc.
Replacing a series of single-family homes, the project will introduce three new buildings to Sunview Street, with a pair of 13-storey towers—fronted by six-storey volumes—neighboured by a smaller six-storey volume to the north. Unlike Toronto's protected residential neighbourhoods, Waterloo's single-family homes are—for better or worse— giving way to sporadic spurts of density.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the project continues to advance. In the meantime, more information is available via our Database file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment on this page, or join the conversation in our associated Forum thread.