Six-storey apartment building proposed for historic Kitchener lot
Posted Jan 9, 2026 06:01:18 AM.
Last Updated Jan 9, 2026 09:38:24 AM.
A vacant lot in a historic Kitchener neighbourhood could soon be the site of a six-storey apartment building.
VanMar Constructors Inc. is looking to develop the lot at 30 and 40 Margaret Ave., a site that has been empty since a cluster of homes located there were demolished in the 1980s.
The site was nearly developed by Waterloo Region-based developers Activa in 2019 after having a heritage application approved, however, the development never came to fruition.
On Tuesday, VanMar and MHBC presented its plans to build a 261-unit building on the lot.
“There’s virtue in having a blank slate, which I think we’ve got with this property,” said Heritage Committee member and councillor Debbie Chapman. “You can be as creative as you want, and keep the design close to the guidelines in the Heritage District Conservation Plan.”
The committee was critical of some design elements of the build, including the roof, the building’s proposed three-metre setback, the 75 above-ground parking spaces that present a potential eyesore to the neighbourhood, and the length of the building.
The proposal will come back before the Heritage Committee for approval at a later date.
The build is still a long way from being move-in ready. VanMar is eyeing a potential completion date in either 2028 or early 2029.
