Downtown Kitchener, Ont. office building being turned into rental units
For the first time in the City of Kitchener, a downtown office high-rise is being converted into rental units.
The building at 22 Frederick Street housed City of Kitchener administration for years but now the building is undergoing a transition to housing, making it the third time the building has been recycled for a new purpose.
“I think it’ll bring a lot of good value for the community,” said Josef Jakubovic, co-owner of the building’s property owner Europro.
The vacant office building will be turned into 91 rental units with a restaurant on the ground floor which will be accessible to residents and the public.
“22 Frederick is an ideal point tower configuration that the distance between the core and the window is a responsible distance to be able to provide residential units,” said Laird Robertson, president creative director at Neo Architecture Inc.
According to Europro, it will take 12 to 18 months to renovate the space into 91 rental units. The plan for the 12-storey building is to have nine units per floor with a mix of one and two bedroom units.
“I think it’s harder to do than people give it credit for because when you have a blank slate, you have to make sure you are maximizing space,” said Jesse Nathanson, vice president of Europro. “This building…worked very well for the conversion. We’re in for a tender right now, we’re estimating north of $20 million.”
A look inside the building at 22 Fredrick Street in Kitchener on June 5, 2023. (CTV News/Hannah Schmidt)
How much it will cost per unit is still up in the air, according to Europro, as they’re waiting to see what the market looks like at the time they are complete.
Additional parking spaces will also be offered to renters of the units.
“So there’s ample parking now and in the future, paid parking obviously,” Nathanson said. “So we’ll be able to accommodate residents’ needs with parking especially with Market Square Right across the street.”
Robertson said the building was left vacant for over a year, making it a perfect opportunity to convert into housing as demand for office space remains low.
“There’s a housing crisis, we all know about the housing crisis…an incredible demand for housing,” he said. “So conversion allows to sort of advance the time frame of getting housing on the market.”
While this may be the first office to housing transition in the area, the City of Kitchener believes it’s likely more vacant spaces will be converted into residential units amid shortages.
“It’s certainly something we are seeing a growing interest in and from an environmental perspective, it’s a great opportunity to reuse an existing building,” said Garrett Stevenson, director of planning at the City of Kitchener. “It’s repurposing existing floor area to a much needed use which is housing.”
Europro said the completion of the renovation work is expected mid to late 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.