A parking garage located at the intersection of Ontario and Duke streets in Downtown Kitchener is set to receive a heritage designation.
Kitchener City Council approved this move last week, along with the Heritage Committee. However, it’s not the garage itself that has captured their attention. The spiral ramp that elegantly ascends the six-story structure is regarded as an impressive engineering feat for its era.
Originally opened to the public on June 14, 1968, this parkade was designed to link drivers to the downtown area for shopping purposes. At that time, the Duke and Ontario parking garage was connected to Goudie’s Department Store, which now houses The Museum.
As noted in a post on Instagram from the Kitchener Public Library, funding for this project came from both local government and Goudie’s Department Store.
During a non-recorded meeting on January 12, council members voted in favor of granting heritage status and also decided to pursue similar designations for six other locations.
The city already owns the parkade, situated at 33 Ontario St. N., just a short distance from city hall.
The Duke and Ontario parking garage under construction in 1967. (Courtesy of the Waterloo Historical Society collection.)
Rick Haldenby, an architect and professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture, expressed mixed feelings about this designation but acknowledges its importance. He has fond memories associated with it since moving to the tri-cities back in the 1960s.
”There were no architects involved in the construction of this building; the designs and construction were by engineers. But there is no getting around the fact that that parking ramp is an urban artifact and a kind of monument,” said Haldenby.
While appearing on The Mike Farwell Show this week, Haldenby remarked that while he doesn’t believe the building itself has architectural value, “it’s all about the ramps.”
“To think that it would be designated as a building of architectural merit is almost funny because it has no architectural merit whatsoever. Its flat floors, balustrades and a grid.”
Haldenby further explained that there was no architect involved; it was largely an ambitious undertaking by engineers at that time.
“It actually is a historically significant building; it was one of those first generations of buildings that was trying to adjust the nature of the downtown core to be more accommodating to automobiles.”
The Heritage Act offers limited protection against immediate demolition for designated buildings but doesn’t provide permanent security. Instead, it extends timelines for potential reuse of such structures.
“The ramp is an icon in downtown Kitchener; I mean people remember it when they see it, which is why I ended up saying I have mixed feelings about all this,” said Haldenby. “I would be very sorry to see that ramp go; I wouldn’t be so sorry to see the parking garage go.”
A survey posted by City of Kitchener back in 2012 sought public input on paint colors for the helix-shaped ramp-this explains why it’s green today.
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