Condo Profile: Ambassador Court

Think heritage condos and Ottawa’s distinguished Mayfair Apartments on Metcalfe Street is what likely comes to mind. In the same vein (and in a rare move), in 2009 the city approved the conversion of the prestigious Ambassador Court building at 612 Bank Street from rental apartments to condominium units.

Local architectural buffs will already know this Ottawa landmark as the work of W.E. Noffke, one of Ottawa’s most profilific architects in the first half of the 20th century. A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Noffke is best known for his work along the Sparks Street Mall including the Central Post Office at the corner of Elgin St. His career success led to handsome commissions building historically significant homes for Ottawa’s elite, and he is equally known for his gracious residential designs which remain hallmarks in The Glebe to this day.

Built in 1928, Ambassador Court was designed to overlook Central Park to the west of Bank St, back when The Glebe was a “streetcar suburb”. Noffke was clearly enamoured of this enclave, designing a number of noteworthy homes that surround Central Park, including his own, and influencing the development of this beautifully landscaped oasis which has now been proposed as a heritage conservation district. Writers, artists and professors have all called Ambassador Court home over the years, easily drawn by both the choice location as well as the choice views.



A total of 31 units are housed in this 4-storey building, complete with an ornate, two level entryway, central marble staircase, stone embellishments, elegant balconies, 9ft ceilings, original hardwood floors and original crafted faux fireplaces. Heritage fans will pleased to note that most of the building has been left intact with just a bit of “refreshment” here and there, most notably in the kitchens and bathrooms, along with an update of all wiring, plumbing and new windows.

The drawbacks? Limited underground parking, which is reserved for the larger units, and shared laundry facilities, a frequent objection of those considering older condominiums (which isn’t to say that some owners haven’t installed their own washer/dryer when no one is looking). Nevertheless with the recent rejuvenation of Bank Street out of the way, Ambassador Court is that rare urban haven for those who appreciate the heritage and history of Ottawa’s most distinguished burgh.

Condo of the Week: The Parkdale Market Lofts

KRP Developments must be commended for having done a particularly nice job on the units and common elements of the Parkdale Market Lofts, two buildings that straddle the divide between Wellington Village and Hintonburg (also called The Quad in arts circles).

Phase I at 45 Spencer St was originally built in the 1940s and had had a number of industrial uses including the manufacturing of gyroscopes during WWII. The original 3-storey property was converted into 19 lofts, keeping its hardwood floors and exposing the building's post and beam structure where possible. A steel frame penthouse was added onto the structure and made room for two extra large penthouse units, along with meeting and exercise rooms. The project earned KRP an Architectural Conservation Award.

Phase II is an 8-storey project of 39 additional lofts built from the ground up and is addressed at 320 Parkdale Avenue. While some of these floorplans are too open and "lofty" for many buyers, my favourite is easily the 'B' layout that KRP used for their model suite and one that is currently for sale on the 6th floor:

Click here to view more details

Bright and airy with 12ft ceilings and 1057sqft of space, this layout features a generous master bedroom with walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom, and then a second bedroom and second full bathroom on the other side of the unit. Both bedrooms feature sliding barn doors which offer a very sleek look to the unit, if leaving something to be desired when it comes to privacy. That said, this is the trade-off of a "loft" and still better than nothing when family and friends pay a visit.

In the market for this kind of space? I have sold in this building before and would be happy to arrange a visit if you're not already working with a realtor; please feel free to get in touch by phone or by email.

Condo of the Week: Hudson Park I by Charlesfort

Phase I of Charlesfort's art deco masterpiece, Hudson Park, is now completed and it is very much a byword for opulence as evidenced by the entrance lobby pictured at left.

This project caused much ado for the residents of Domicile's Everett condos immediately next door (more on this later), but to give credit where credit is due, the end result is quite stunning: 17 floors housing a total of 123 condos, with 9' ceilings, a rooftop lounge and BBQ terrace, reading lounge with fireplace, and a fully appointed exercise room.

While there has been some noise about size and pared down quality—2cm granite countertops, apartment sized appliances, no iron globe in the garden!—the building itself is arguably the most glamorous high-rise in town with some rather Manhattan-esque views of the Ottawa cityscape:

I have already started to receive inquiries about units for resale, but buyers should note that owners are unable to sell until one year from closing, or until all the other units are sold. That said, some of the larger (1205sqft+), pricier ($550,000+) units still remain, and I would be happy to represent anyone looking to buy new in either Phase I:

http://www.charlesfort.ca/hudson-park/price-list.pdf

or Phase II, which is currently under construction with an anticipated completion date of fall 2009:

http://www.charlesfort.ca/hudson-park-ii/price-list.pdf

(Photo credit: Rakerman)

Condo of the Week: Wallis House at 589 Rideau St

"Often imitated, never duplicated" best describes Wallis House, both a city landmark and an award-winning historical redevelopment that has become Ottawa's benchmark for genuine loft living. Aside from being the city's first loft conversion, Wallis House further served to revitalize the east end of Rideau Street as well as preserving a significant federal heritage property.

Wallis House circa 1900 courtesy of the Bytown Museum

Built in 1873, Wallis House started life as the County of Carleton Protestant General Hospital, designed by Ottawa architect Robert Surtees who also designed the Arts Court building at the corner of Nicholas and Daly. Its long and colourful history continued from there as a training institute for nurses and a seminary for the Catholic Archdiocese before it was purchased by the federal government to serve as headquarters for the Women's Royal Naval Service.

It was at this time named Wallis House after Provo William Parry Wallis, a Canadian-born Admiral of the British Fleet. Wallis House carried on in service as a refuge for post-war squatters, a recruiting centre for the Korean War, and lastly a storage depot for military weapons until until 1990 when it was decared surplus by DND and put up for sale for a cool $4.2 million.

Although the City of Ottawa had originally hoped to develop non-profit residential units on the property, there was no interest from the private sector at this price for a building that the federal government had classified as an environmental hazard. Rumours abounded that the building would be demolished.

A public and media outcry ensued. With the objective of preserving Wallis House, the City negotiated a partnership with Andrex Holdings headed by Sandy Smallwood, a developer specializing in the renovation of heritage properties, and the site was purchased from the federal government in 1994 for $320,000.

The City developed 60 non-profit units at Lady Stanley Place, but for Mr. Smallwood the hard work was just beginning as he related to the Ottawa Citizen earlier this year: "The roof had leaked and collapsed in areas and there was water damage everywhere, not to mention asbestos and other hazards... It was appalling how they'd just let it go... [But] what was remarkable was that for all the damage, the structure was sound. It was made from massive virgin timbers, stone and brick."

With an estimated cost of $2 million for the envrionmental cleanup alone, Mr. Smallwood raised initial capital by selling off part of the property's 2.5 acres of land to Domicile, who subsequently developed Brigadier's Walk, an enclave of 24 freehold townhouses facing Macdonald Gardens.

The next year was spent on masonry repair and detailing, restoration of the original glassworks and flooring, and tearing down plaster to uncover the brick and stone walls, to name just some of the work done in conjunction with the ReDevelopment Group. In fact, each of Wallis House's 46 lofts was designed around the unique features originally found within the building and the original purchasers in 1995 were further allowed to customize their own units.

The result was a ground breaking loft conversion with the first release of 20 units selling out in one weekend. The building now features some of the most stunning architectural space in Ottawa with interior courtyards, a rooftop garden, sunrooms, exposed beams, walls of brick and stone in all units, wrought iron staircase railings, 9' windows, 14" ceilings, restored hardwood flooring, and some very clever design work courtesy of local impresarios 2H and Urban Keios.

In every sense Wallis House is unique, distinct and historic: truly, how many other condo projects boast a former morgue in the basement?

Click here to view details and photos of loft currently for sale

Condo of the Week: 100 Bruyère St in The Market

I am sometimes asked what condo options are available for those who don't like high-rise buildings. Ottawa is fortunate to have a number of smaller, intimate condo projects peppered around the city, but for a buyer these are catch as catch can as they don't come up for sale all that often.

A number of such condos are tucked away in the Golden Triangle, but there are also quite a few of these boutique units in the northern part of The Market such as the one currently for sale at 100 Bruyère St:

Click here to view photos and details

Built in 1986, this award-winning building is a red brick low-rise just off Sussex Drive, with a common courtyard at the back, underground parking and 17 cozy units with large principal rooms, woodburning fireplaces and large balconies.

There are certainly pros and cons of small scale developments, such as the cost of potential maintenance work being spread over relatively few owners. That said, there are clearly those who appreciate the tranquility of being part of a smaller condo project as these units tend to sell fairly quickly.

Condo of the Week: Archive Square at 174 Stanley

Genuine loft conversions don't happen in Ottawa very often, but the few we have are quite impressive and compare more than favourably to similar projects in Toronto and Montreal. A great example is Archive Square, the conversion of the former St. Aloysius School in New Edinburgh. Originally built in 1936, this building was reborn into 11 stylish lofts in 1999 courtesy of the Redevelopment Group that also graced Ottawa with Wallis House on Rideau Street.

The largest and most impressive loft at Archive Square is currently for sale, with a breathtaking 1944sqft of space on offer:

Click here to view photos and details

Priced at $569,900, this works out to less than $300 per square foot which is an absolute steal for the location and this calibre of construction, not to mention 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 balconies and 2 parking spots. This is simply a must see for anyone looking at new construction in this price range, even more so if you're a fan of great design.

Condo of the Week: The Galleria at 200 Besserer

I recently had a chance to visit this new building and my first impression was favourable, mostly because of the location of this project.

Straddling the Market and Sandy Hill, The Galleria is well situated to offer the flavour of an established neighbourhood alongside the buzz and bright lights of urban life. Nestled on Besserer St between King Edward and Cumberland, this 12-storey building fits nicely along the northern perimeter of Sandy Hill, and the south facing units offer serene, residential views with a feel good vibe.