Prosperity through Reuse? Examining the Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Buildings in Kitchener’s Central, Core and Suburban Neighbourhoods

Abstract

Deindustrialization and globalization have resulted in the closure of long-standing industrial employers, while consequently changing the demand for the spaces they once occupied. This study examined the characteristics involved in an adaptive reuse project by focusing on eight (8) former industrial sites throughout the City of Kitchener and the effectiveness of policies intended to promote their redevelopment. More specifically, this study examined which factors encouraged and inhibited the adaptive reuse of former industrial buildings in Kitchener. A completion of the literature review revealed that there is ambiguity in the way adaptive reuse is perceived by developers and in the dominant characteristics that guide their redevelopment. Research methods included: undertaking frequent site visits to measure a building’s change; interviewing eight (8) key informants involved in a respective site’s transformation; a review of policy related to adaptive reuse and brownfield redevelopment; the review of building permits issued as part of an adaptive reuse project; and, the retrieval of archival material. This study found that location served as the catalyst for the redevelopment of former industrial sites in Kitchener. In spite of Kitchener’s success in repurposing its industrial building stock, greater attention must be allocated towards the implications of a rapidly transforming employment base.