The Windsor Arms Apartments is an historic five-storey, 42-unit apartment building located at 150 Argyle Avenue in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

History

The Windsor Arms Apartments, designed by architect

Cecil Burgess Cecil Burgess (1888–1956) was a Canadian architect. He was born in Walkden, Lancashire, England on 8 July 1888. He was educated Walkden, Lancashire, England. He articled to Henry Kirkby, an architect in Manchester, England. Cecil Burgess arrived ...

, was completed on April 1, 1930, at a cost of $300,000 (in 1930 dollars). The builder claimed this cost to be 85% above the average cost of construction because of conveniences incorporated into the structure. The building's design features a detailed entrance portico, stained and leaded glass windows, and wood-burning fireplaces in some units. Upon its initial occupancy, the building offered lobby and parking attendants, as well as maid services. In June 1984, the then landlord informed tenants that the building would be sold for conversion into a form of condominium. Under this plan, purchasers would buy units as tenants-in-common, meaning each owner would have a stake in the property without owning a specific part of the building. This approach bypassed a municipal by-law that prevented apartment-condominium conversions at the time. However, in November of the same year, tenants successfully resisted the conversion scheme. The owner at the time confirmed that the condo development deal was "up the flue", stating it would be more profitable to convert the ground floor units into offices instead. The current property management, Andrex Holdings, has returned all units to residential occupancy.

Designation & Restoration

The building is a designated Category 1 heritage building within the Centretown Heritage Conservation District. In 2009, the City of Ottawa awarded a 'Certificate of Merit – Restoration' to Keystone Traditional Masonry Inc. and Andrex Holdings Ltd. for the rebuilding of the staggered brick and stone parapets.

References

{{reflist Apartment buildings in Canada Residential buildings in Ottawa Residential buildings completed in 1930 1930 establishments in Ontario