Urban Flats

Dating from the 1940s or 1950s, depending on who you ask, this development consists of two small rental apartment buildings that were condo converted in 2003.

The Urban Flats' L-shaped lot is at the west end of the block where the Estate luxury condo tower was built onto the Ranchman's Club in 1980, and I'll bet that builder tried to buy these little fellows at that time. But they escaped that redevelopment and now house six condo suites in each building for a 12-home condo corporation. These are frame construction with the north building having a brick cladding and the south one having a stucco exterior. The 2003 renovations retained the original exteriors, but all suite interiors were redecorated, including adding laundry hookups for all-in-one machines. Original oak and fir flooring was refinished.

The building's designs are entirely different from each other, although they're both 2.5 storeys, so two suites in each building are half below grade. There are no basements, and a boiler room in the south building serves all 12 suites. The south building has two entrances and addresses. There are no balconies, but there's lawn and garden available, so residents just step outside for a picnic. There's extra storage for only a suite or two and parking off the lane for most suites, but not all. Sizes range from a couple at 554 square feet to seven two-bedroom suites of about 830 square feet and one of 969 square feet. These will never be modern sound-proof buildings, but if you like character and "retro", these are for you. They certainly add a sense of history to the neighbourhood.

Exterior windows and doors at Urban Flats are common property. I have the Condo Plan on file.