48 Ontario St N | 2 fl | Completed

[ijmorlan]

It has a website now:
http://www.48ontario.com/

Looks great. I am wondering how they are going to deal the with mold issues at that location. From my understanding is that the existing building has some serious issues with that.

As others have mentioned, would have been even nicer had they been able to get that building on the corner...but that's asking for way too much. Hopefully the staff over a bylaw and parking aren't too upset about losing their free parking at night.

I’m guessing mould isn’t that big an issue with the level of renovation usually associated with these sorts of projects. The original building will no doubt be gutted down to masonry, especially at and below ground level, and modern drainage, waterproofing, and insulation installed. So existing mould will be removed, and the conditions that allow mould to grow will be eliminated.

Unless you mean there is a problem with its wooden molding in which case I’m sure they can find somebody to fabricate near-identical replacement pieces as needed.

[jeffster]

Looks great. I am wondering how they are going to deal the with mold issues at that location. From my understanding is that the existing building has some serious issues with that.

As others have mentioned, would have been even nicer had they been able to get that building on the corner...but that's asking for way too much. Hopefully the staff over a bylaw and parking aren't too upset about losing their free parking at night.

I’m guessing mould isn’t that big an issue with the level of renovation usually associated with these sorts of projects. The original building will no doubt be gutted down to masonry, especially at and below ground level, and modern drainage, waterproofing, and insulation installed. So existing mould will be removed, and the conditions that allow mould to grow will be eliminated.

Unless you mean there is a problem with its wooden molding    in which case I’m sure they can find somebody to fabricate near-identical replacement pieces as needed.

I need to learn how to spell....mould..mold...meh...

From what I recall, in the past, like 5 and 10 years ago, some looked at the property and to get it up to standards (mould wise) was going to be too expensive.

Being that Voisin is taking care of this, I don't have any doubt they can do the job, as obviously they have a good chunk of money.

[panamaniac]

Am I correct in assuming that the back half of the building, which I think is a later addition, will be demolished as part of this project?

[jgsz]

Am I correct in assuming that the back half of the building, which I think is a later addition, will be demolished as part of this project?

There is no mention of the back part of the building in this Record article.

Redevelopment of the site will include preservation of the façade, the building's lobby and grand staircase.

[panamaniac]

Yes, it was the specific mention of those elements, all in the front part of the building, that made me think that the back half might be slated to come down.

[taylortbb]

Looks like initial permits have been issued for this project:

Permitno 18109398
Issue Year 2018
Work Type Interior Finish - Commercial
Permit Description Permit is for demolition of interior non-load bearing walls, demolition of building services back to shut offs.
Issue Date 6/21/2018

I'm wondering if they're still trying to acquire more property and expand the project, possibly to the corner at Duke. The article announcing the sale made it seem like Voisin was pretty eager to get going on this project, but this permit is just before the one year deadline, and only includes work to prep the existing building.

[tomh009]

There is significant visible progress now. The old windows have been taken out, and the roof is being redone.

   

[GtwoK]

Work continuing on this slowly

[panamaniac]

Is this a renovation only or is the new addition still part of the project?

[KingandWeber]

Is this a renovation only or is the new addition still part of the project?

Unfortunately, I think it has been scaled back to a renovation only. I was walking by today and they were putting in new windows on the Duke St. side (which I would have thought would not be done if they were building the new shell around it as these would become interior walls). Also, sadly, it looks like the newly washed brick facade was the victim of some graffiti over the weekend. 

[Spokes]

Business interest high in renovated Legion building in Kitchener, owner says

The former Legion building on Ontario Street in downtown Kitchener, which has been empty for 18 years, could be open for business as offices as early as June. 

The city-owned property at 48 Ontario St. sat empty from 2001 to 2017, when the city put out a call for redevelopment proposals. 

Voisin Capital was the successful bidder, and closed the deal on the two-storey, red-brick and sandstone building in early July.

The building has undergone "quite a transformation" since then, said Frank Voisin, president of the real estate development company. "When we bought the building, we did so knowing the mechanical systems, the electrical systems, all of that had to be stripped out and brought up to today's standards."
...
The building has attracted a fair bit of interest — with 18 to 20 tours so far for prospective tenants, Voisin said. He attributes the interest to the site's combination of heritage, a free-standing building that a larger tenant can occupy and brand as its own, and location, next to the LRT, and walking distance to a variety of amenities. 

Voisin, who lives downtown, said he is struck by the growing vibrancy of the core. "Every year, there's a palpable difference in the feel downtown. There's more restaurants and things to do. King Street feels like a completely different city than it did even five years ago." 

Voisin plans to develop the building in two phases. The first phase, with the original 1914 building, will be essentially built by late March and ready for occupancy by June. 

The second phase will add 34,000 square feet with a glass-walled lobby and a two-storey addition, for a total of 46,000 square feet. That phase will happen over the next three to seven years, depending on market demand, Voisin said, noting that there are a number of prime downtown office sites coming into the market.

Full Story:  https://www.therecord.com/news-story/914...wner-says/

[Spokes]

A slightly different perspective than was previously seen:  

   

[Rainrider22]

If they actually did the live wall as shown in the rendering, that would be beautiful...

[Lens]

Is someone planning a small tower in the background?

[Spokes]

Is someone planning a small tower in the background?

I hadn't noticed that .I wonder what they think is or might be there