Central Park Manor

2010 update: Central Park Manor was vacated by the City due to concern over the foundation, which was affected by settling. Whether that's due to an on-site problem or the excavation next door for the Centuria On The Park Condos development was not yet determined. As 2010 wound down remediation was under way and construction had resumed on the Centuria project, so in 2011 we hope Central Park Manor owners will be back in their homes and have level floors.

My comments before the building was vacated:

Central Park Manor Condos reminds us not to judge a book only by its cover. Right across from Central Memorial Park and its historic Carnegie-built library is this modest-looking four-storey building of eight suites, the top four of which are 1,377-square-foot two-level lofts with 16-foot ceilings, air conditioning and each with a wood-burning fireplace. Try to find space and location like that on the new-home condo market these days! The first and second-floor suites are also not small, with 1,220 square feet each, and these four all enjoy windows in three directions; 'nice!

Built as a condominium in 1977-78, this frame building suffered some neglect into the 1990s. Leadership among owners since then saw its purple stucco exterior painted with a pleasant muted brown, black railings, and other improvements being made as they can be afforded. Each suite has its own furnace and hot water tank so those energy costs are in each homeowner's control, and condo contributions are thus lower than you'd expect. Parking is drive-under, so while it's not indoors, some stalls are covered and there's fenced security.

Central Park Manor was for many years self managed but owners hired a management firm in 2008, with volunteers still proudly doing much of the maintenance work on site. Exterior windows and doors are common property. Unit factors are allocated to suites in proportion to their floor areas. I keep the Condo Plan on file.