Celebration marks renovations to historic Oshawa building



    OSHAWA, ON, June 29 /CNW/ - The historic former Oshawa House Hotel was
officially opened today after extensive renovations converted the downtown
building into 32 energy-efficient affordable studio apartments. The renovation
of the former hotel at 66 King Street West was a joint venture between owner
Khanna Holdings Inc. and Summers & Co., who oversaw development of the
project.
    The project received federal funding of $250,000 through Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) Rental and Rooming House Residential
Rehabilitation Assistance Program to renovate and upgrade the residential
component of the building.
    "Canada's New Government is committed to making affordable housing
available across Canada for those who need it most," said Member of Parliament
Colin Carrie, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human
Resources and Social Development. "These new units will allow lower income
families and individuals in Oshawa to live in safe, quality housing at an
affordable cost and start a new page in their lives."
    The City of Oshawa provided interest-free loans for façade improvements
and building code upgrades.
    "City Council is committed to redefining our downtown core. Renovations
to existing buildings, such as King Centre, new facilities including the
General Motors Centre and Durham Consolidated Courthouse, and other downtown
initiatives will continue to revitalize the heart of our city," said Oshawa
Mayor John Gray. "King Centre is unique for many reasons. This historic
building houses both commercial and residential units and supports a green and
sustainable community."
    The renovations to the 169 year-old building include kitchen and bathroom
upgrades, new electrical and plumbing systems, insulation upgrades, the
installation of fire code drywall and repairs to exterior walls. The building
is entirely heated and cooled through a new ground-source geothermal heating
and cooling system.
    "The opportunity with CMHC inspired a vision to take a building that was
run-down and of little value and transform it into an attractive, affordable
and desirable place to live. If you build things right, more sophisticated and
trendy, whether it's apartments or condos, you will attract great tenants and
buyers and this changes the downtown environment and greatly improves the
economics of the area," said Rick Summers, Co-Owner, Summers & Co.
    CMHC's Rental and Rooming House Residential Rehabilitation Assistance
Program (RRAP) provides landlords with financial assistance to repair a rental
or rooming house property to a minimum level of health and safety.

    As Canada's national housing agency, Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC) draws on over 60 years of experience to help Canadians
access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes
- homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and
cities across the country.

    For more information, visit www.cmhc.ca or call 1-800-668-2642.

For further information: 

For further information: Rick Summers, Summers & Co., Business Tel:
(905) 436-1977, Cell: (905) 261-0771; Beth Bailey, Communications and
Marketing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Tel: (416) 218-3355; James
Anderson, Executive Assistant, Mayor's Office, (905) 436-5647,
janderson@oshawa.ca

Organization Profile

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

More on this organization

Custom Packages

Browse our custom packages or build your own to meet your unique communications needs.

Start today.

CNW Membership

Fill out a CNW membership form or contact us at 1 (877) 269-7890

Learn about CNW services

Request more information about CNW products and services or call us at 1 (877) 269-7890