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Project no longer under wraps
Historic building in central Halifax getting makeover
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Wed. Mar 3 - 4:53 AM

THE people behind an intriguing renovation of a landmark building at the intersection of Windsor and Almon streets in Halifax are about to take the wraps off a labour of love that began more than six months ago.

A protective enclosure that went up to allow a painstaking reconstruction of the two-storey building at 2810 Windsor St. to continue during winter months is expected to be taken off any day now.

"It’s understandable that many people in the neighbourhood are curious about how the renovation has turned out. The old building has been a landmark for the neighbourhood and for the entire city for decades," Louis Wolfson, president of Peppermint Properties, said Tuesday.

The building is across the street from the parking lot for the Halifax Forum and opposite the Brooklyn Warehouse restaurant. It was built in the 1930s and originally housed a Dominion grocery store and adjacent pharmacy.

Up until renovations started last fall, the location was also home to Almanac Used Furniture and Antiques, a wonderfully eclectic shop that has long been something of a neighbourhood institution in its own right. That business has moved five blocks to 2820 Isleville St.

The completely rebuilt structure is to be called the Windsor & Almon Building. The main floor features about 6,500 square feet of commercial space, mostly with street frontage and four-metre ceilings.

Almon Lofts is the name of a second-floor residential component with eight units of various shapes and sizes, and slightly upscale rents ($1,100 per month for a one bedroom).

There are oversized windows at every turn, and refinished hardwood floors, exposed timber trusses and refinished radiators throughout. There are many stylish touches such as period-design bathrooms and slick-looking kitchens to compliment heritage features.

The exterior brick facade has been completely reappointed with new windows and custom moulding.

The complex will be ready for occupancy in May.

A precursor company to Peppermint Properties, started by Wolfson’s grandfather, has owned the building at Windsor and Almon since the 1950s.

Rapid residential and commercial growth in the neighbourhood prompted the owner to begin considering options for the site.

Wolfson saw potential in the large basement, with its high ceiling and many solid, if dated, original construction features.

"It was very rough, but the basics were there to put together a unique development," he said.

He studied some other reconstructions of old buildings elsewhere in Canada and the United States before deciding to proceed with the conversion of this underutilized building into a heritage-style property.

"It’s always been a focal point in the neighbourhood and we wanted to build on that," he said.

Kassner-Goodspeed Architects Ltd. handled design, while Martin Developments Ltd. is the general contractor. DTZ Barnicke is the leasing agent for the ground-floor commercial component.

Peppermint Properties is managing the Almon Lofts.