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The Boardwalk |
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a people place |
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It all began in 1985 when Paul Dietrich and
his partners began assembling a 100 acre parcel of
land on the west side of Kitchener and Waterloo.
A retail study had concluded this area was severely
under-serviced for many of the amenities required
for the burgeoning subdivisions. Paul had previously
worked on projects, like the Sunrise Shopping Centre,
with his friend Greg Voisin, so it was natural for
them to team up for an exciting new development. |
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The Boardwalk is a large multi-use commercial
development based on an outdoor campus
concept. The Boardwalk brand represents the
quality one would expect from such a name
and it sets a high standard for every detail
of the project. Real boardwalk people-paths
link all aspects of the development including
retail shops, banks, restaurants, an athletic
club, a movie theatre and office towers. |
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Foundation |
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The Dietrich and Voisin families have been in
the Kitchener Waterloo area for generations and
Paul and Greg are determined to do an outstanding
job on this project as it will be a legacy for their
families. Greg’s father, Frank Voisin, began building
houses in the K-W area in 1946. He developed one
of the most popular subdivisions in the region:
Forest Hill Village and part of Forest Heights.
“Dad is a perfectionist,” Greg says proudly, “and
will spend whatever time is necessary to make sure
everything is perfect. The Boardwalk continues that
tradition to ensure it will stand the test of time.” |
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Teamwork |
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One of the biggest challenges for the new
partners was to build a quality team that included
planners, engineers, lawyers, architects, and a
retail leasing consultant. With years of input from
these specialists coordinating with the municipal
staff at the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and the
Region, a mixed-use development was conceived. |
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Now that Ira Needles Boulevard has been
constructed with its many efficient roundabouts, The
Boardwalk is being developed in phases starting with
the initial anchor tenants: Walmart, Lowe’s
and Empire Theatres. 2011 will see the opening of
a 65,000 sq. ft. athletic facility together with three
banks, three restaurants and a sub-anchor block
including eight national tenants. This year the
partners will also begin constructing a 14-tenant
Fashion Village which will feature apparel and
accessories. Naturally, a strong project manager
was called for: Steve Voisin, Greg’s son, is perfect
for the job. He’s an environmental engineer with
the experience, energy and knowledge to make
these plans a reality. Steve has already contributed
many environmental initiatives to the project
and has ensured that The Boardwalk will be
an intriguing people-focused destination. |
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The heart of the matter |
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Both Paul and Greg were raised in the spirit
of community and have contributed whenever
there was a need. Presently they are on the
building committee for the new 45 bed Women’s
Crisis Centre, Anselma House, in Kitchener. As
Paul says, “It’s extremely rewarding to see the
Anselma House dream come to fruition just as
our vision for The Boardwalk becomes reality.” |
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It’s been five years of hard work and collaboration
since the first set of preliminary plans were submitted
to local and regional planning departments and
now that Phase 1 is built, everyone is welcome
to experience this amazing achievement. It’s a
journey containing many fascinating stories that
Paul, Greg and Steve would love to share with
you when you see them walking the boardwalk. |
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