Third phase of St. Joseph’s Hospital redevelopment ready
33-unit building seeking tenants; work to begin on fourth phase in Armour Rd.
More apartments are for rent in the redevelopment of a former city hospital after the completion of renovations to another section of the building.
St. Joseph’s Hospital was split into six parcels after the TVM group bought it in 2009.
TVM is a property real estate company that’s been in the property business in Peterborough for more than 20 years.
Workers recently put the finishing touches on the building facing Hunter St. E. and it’s now ready for tenants.
The building has 33 units, ranging from one to three bedrooms.
Each suite is equipped with a washer and dryer, LED lights, independent HVAC systems, smart thermostats, electric fireplaces, high-speed internet and luxury finishes.
Amit Sofer, TVM president, said the suites are perfect for those who’re ready to sell their home and leave home ownership behind, but still want to live in a high-end suite.
The Hunter St. site is the third set of apartments to open on the roughly 5-acre property.
St. Joe’s had been vacant since June 2008 and TVM bought it a year later for
$325,000.
Peterborough Regional Health Centre merged its facilities in the new hospital on Hospital Dr. and St. Joe’s wasn’t needed anymore.
TVM first retrofit the former nurses residence, a freestanding building on the north end of the property.
It has 30 residential suites and the ground floor is occupied by Community Care Peterborough. That was finished six years ago.
Next was the Roger St. building. It has 69 units.
Now that the Hunter St. part is complete, TVM is moving on to the fourth phase of the project. That’s the Armour Rd. facing building.
It’ll have 27 units and should be ready in about 18 months.
When TVM held an open house two years ago, Sofer said he was shocked how many people turned up. More than 2,000 residents were lined up outside the door.
“We were completely overwhelmed. We had expected maybe 50 people,” he said.
While some were serious lookers, many locals were just curious to see what had been done to the former medical institution.
“A hospital is a special place. It forms an integral part of the community and a lot of people have a connection to the building,” Sofer said.
At about the same time as the open house, Sofer spoke at a 50th reunion of St. Joe’s nurses. He then brought them to the building for a tour.
He said it was touching to know how important the bones of the building and the bricks and mortar were to them.
“They were just thrilled that it wasn’t being knocked down.”
TVM owns a wide range of properties in Peterborough, both residential and commercial.
In 2008, the firm redeveloped the former St. Peter School on Reid St., turning it into a 48-apartment complex.
NOTE: For more information about the apartment rentals, contact Tammy Deneault, TVM regional manager, at 705201-1280 or email deneault@tvm.ca