This is Part 1 of a series on the changing face of Princess Street in Williamsville. Read Part 2 here.
A decade ago, midtown Kingston was often referred to as the forgotten section of Princess Street, but now that’s changing as it is slowly turning into a central hub of development.
Most of the growth can be traced to the Williamsville Main Street Study that launched in 2010, designed to breathe new life into the Princess Street Corridor between Division Street and Bath Road.
The study included relaxed new rules for height and density, and has since drawn developers to the area like never before.
Developer Jay Patry was one of the first to cash in on the opportunity as he chose to cater to students at nearby Queen’s University that are always in search of clean, affordable housing within walking distance from the campus.
He built The Edge at Princess and Victoria streets.
“I think it’s good for the city to develop along the central corridor. It keeps people from continuously taking over houses and keeping students in a core place where they have a lot of purpose-built activities for them,” Patry said.
Darryl Firsten, the developer behind the downtown’s Capitol condo project, also wants in on the action.
His proposed Sage Prestige building would also cater to students, though he insists his building won’t transform the area into a student “ghetto in the sky.”
“So it has retail with an active street frontage right along the main street. It’s a podium tower building. It’s 10 storeys which is actually within the guidelines within the official plan for that area, ” Firsten said.
It’s not just developers who stand to benefit from the revitalization in midtown Kingston, new businesses are also taking root ahead of the proposed projects.
“It’s an up-and-coming area with a bunch of new development coming with students and apartments so we wanted to get ahead of the game and get our spot before someone else stole it,” Krystyn Weber, co-owner of Mutiny Tattoo said.
The owner of a longtime auto shop welcomes more business but admits it’s a slow moving process.
“Business is OK. We’re not too much worse. Not too much better,” Erik Fielding from Fielding’s Tire & Auto said.
According to a Queen’s urban planning expert, the upcoming changes will be beneficial to all who live, work and shop in the area.
“The developments, a couple already built and the one proposed for the next few years are excellent projects. They’re going to be very attractive. They’re going to drive a lot of pedestrian traffic which is good for businesses both current and future,” John Andrew, a professor of urban planning and real estate at Queen’s University said.
The city encouraged new growth and that’s what it’s getting.