From office tower to housing: Frederick Street building to be renovated into 91 rental units
Plan will be to have nine units per floor made up of a mix of one to two bedroom units
What was once an office tower on Frederick Street in downtown Kitchener will soon have a new purpose as a place where people will live.
22 Frederick St. once housed financial businesses and insurance companies like Sun Life. Now, the interior has been stripped back to its basic form and in a few weeks, construction to renovate the space into 91 rental units will begin.
Property owner Europro started looking at what to do with the space after Financial Horizons Group relocated its offices over a year ago and almost half the building was left vacant.
"We were looking at how do we diversify the portfolio? How do we improve the downtown?," said Europro vice president Jesse Nathanson.
"We felt that taking about 100,0000 square feet off the office market and converting into residential, which is definitely a need downtown, would be beneficial for everyone."
The plan will be for the 12-storey building to have nine units per floor, made up of a mix of one and two bedroom units.
"We're going to be upgrading mechanicals, electrical systems, all sanitary is being upgraded throughout and we're going to see bright modern finishes placed here using the existing footprint," Europro construction manager Tom Hearn told CBC News.
22 Frederick ideal for conversion
Converting vacant office space into residential units is a trend many cities across Canada are looking into amid a housing shortage, but that kind of work comes with its own set of challenges — particularly around floor plans, windows and sanitation.
That's not the case with 22 Frederick, said Doug McIntosh, director of projects and a partner with Kitchener's Neo Architecture Inc.
"Sometimes if a building is too long and linear it doesn't work for residential, but because of the size from the core to the outside wall, this building in particular is perfect for residential units," he said.
"A combination of three elevators and three complete walls of windows gives us a great opportunity to create nine units per floor."
McIntosh said extensive plumbing upgrades will need to be done through the property's parking lot to connect the building to services on Queen Street.
Part of the plan is to convert the atrium portion of the building into a space that the general public can also use.
"The connection to the college — to Market Square, those connections can be separated and it'll be a great opportunity to create some assembly space there. A restaurant, amenity space, things for the future," McIntosh said.
Hearn and McIntosh said the building's location, across from Conestoga College and the LRT, makes it ideal for working professionals and students.
This kind of work is a first for Europro, Hearn said, and hopefully not the last.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us and we're excited to make this project happen and see what we can do potentially down the future," he said.
Completion of the renovation work is expected mid to late 2024.
