Office building, daycare proposed near landfill

WATERLOO Is it OK to put a daycare centre beside the regional landfill?

Regional planners are said to be very lukewarm to the idea proposed by developers of the giant Boardwalk shopping complex.

But developers say theres interest from parents who would work in office buildings planned at the complex on Ira Needles Boulevard.

I think its a great use, said Vince Varga, planning adviser for the Boardwalk. There are a lot of people wanting daycare facilities on the west side of Waterloo.

He expects up to 1,500 people could work at offices at the Boardwalk site, plus others who work in banks, restaurants and retail stores.

The massive development is taking shape beside a sometimes-smelly landfill thats expected to operate for at least two more decades.

Monday, developers unveiled plans to expand the Boardwalk by adding just over two hectares, to the north of the cinema complex. It would be home to an office building, one of two to four office adjacent buildings that could be constructed depending on market demand.

The land is zoned for agriculture but planned for industry. It includes a house that would be demolished. A water tower is under construction at the back.

Waterloo council must approve the expansion.

Developers had agreed not to include a daycare in the current complex because of the nearby landfill. They now figure they could install a daycare over 500 metres from the landfill, putting it just outside a zone that excludes sensitive land uses.

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Office building, daycare proposed near landfill