Another Kitchener office building transforming into rental apartments

A former office space in downtown Kitchener has become a place for people to call home.

Developer Denny Cybalski has been working with a team to transform the building at 30 Duke Street West into 128 apartments.

“We are 50 per cent completed, with tenants moving in already,” Cybalski told CTV News.

When the project is complete, eight of the floors will house one-bedroom units.

“They’re designed for the working professional or someone that can utilize the LRT transit system,” Cybalski explained.

The developer said the building will also include 24 accessible units.

Although the practice is still fairly uncommon in Waterloo Region, the transformation is not a new concept. In 2023, a former office building at 22 Fredrick Street was converted into 91 rental units.

Neo Architecture Inc. helmed the project that included a mix of one and two-bedroom units.

“When you actually repurpose an existing building and preserve its main concrete structure, that’s a good thing from a sustainability point of view,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

Real estate expert Tony Johal said changing office space into residential units is no easy feat.

“We’re talking millions of dollars in getting something repurposed from an office to more of a residential dwelling. The nice thing is this – at least the building are already there,” he said.

“Most of these office buildings already have more than sufficient parking and quite often they’re located within very easy reach to public transit,” Johal added.

Find affordable housing options can be a struggle and the mayor hopes this could help alleviate some of that pressure.

“The housing challenges are something that exist in communities across the country, and everybody is looking at creative ways to tackle it. This is just another tool in the toolbox in order to help in that regard,” Vrbanovic said.

Several floors are still under construction at 30 Duke Street West, but rental applications are currently being accepted.