Montrez

The City of Calgary bought this under-conversion building in January of 2008 from its developer, Cidex, and now runs it as a rental building with 23 of the 46 suites subsidized by the revenue from the others. The $10.3 million purchase was part of the city's housing strategy to maintain some affordable suites in a rental pool that's been shrunk by so many condo conversions. It was also an easy all-at-once sale for the developer in a condo market that cooled in the second half of 2007.

The building was formerly the White Haven Manor apartment building, looking like it dates from the 1960s. It's a six-storey concrete building with light-coloured brick cladding, all outdoor parking, with 13 of the stalls (wide ones!) tucked under the back and east side of the building. There are a total of 46 suites; 21 of them at the building's front and enjoying balconies, while the 25 at the back (all one-bedroom suites?) have patio slider doors and a railing to allow in air, but no balconies. There's no basement so mechanicals, the lobby, side and back parking and only one suite occupy the entire ground floor.

Cidex's renovations included entirely new kitchens, flooring and finishings plus granite countertops and new appliances. No mention was made of in-suite laundry, so the builder likely left the coin laundry in place.