This project is now complete. Council has approved the revised vision and development principles for the Bramm Yards Master Plan.
The Bramm Yards is a City-owned parking lot in Downtown Kitchener. At eight acres in size, it is the largest remaining parcel of land the City owns that can be used to support future employment.
In the City’s Official Plan, the Bramm Yards are part of the Urban Growth Centre. This means that these lands are expected to accommodate higher intensity, mixed-use development. The Bramm Yards are also part of the Innovation District. This means that these lands are expected to accommodate major office developments.
We are creating a Master Plan that will guide future development at the Bramm Yards site (55 Bramm Street and 130 Park Street). The City’s goal is to transform this parking lot into an urban business park to accommodate hundreds of future jobs.
What is an Urban Business Park?
Not unlike existing business parks, such as the Homer Watson Business Park, the primary purpose is to see the construction of buildings that house new businesses. However, unlike suburban business parks, an urban business park would contain larger buildings with multiple stories. Buildings would be built close together with wider sidewalks and underground parking. It might contain a mixture of uses, such as restaurants, shops and housing.
How would the Urban Business Park be built?
The first step is for City Council to develop a master plan, which identifies how the community would like to see the business park developed. This includes a vision and a set of development principles. The second step is for City Council to determine the best way for this vision to become a reality. This could include, for example, the City selling all or a portion of the Bramm Yards to a developer who would build the business park.
A focus on Health Innovation
As the Canadian population continues to age, health industries are expected to experience significant growth. Bramm Yards is ideally situated to attract businesses focused on health innovation in Kitchener. It is close to:
- University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy
- University of Waterloo’s future Health Innovation Arena
- University of Waterloo’s Velocity Incubator
- MacMaster University’s School of Medicine
- Communitech
The Bramm Yards are also not far from:
- Grand River Hospital
- The Medical Innovation Exchange
How you can contribute
We are seeking input from residents on the proposed Vision and Development Principles for the Bramm Yards. These will form the foundation of the Bramm Yards Master Plan and the future development of the urban business park. Your contributions will help ensure the development reflects the goals and ambitions of our community.
