One of Kitchener's oldest buildings gets new life

One of the oldest buildings in downtown Kitchener will be getting a makeover or at least part of it.

StephenLitt, of Revel Development,has purchased asection of the American Blockon the northeast corner atthe intersection of King and Queen streets. He says hewantsto attract high-tech tenants on the upper floors, and eventually, boutique restaurants on the ground floor.

"That, in my opinion, is the key corner in downtown Kitchener," saidLittin an interview with Craig Norris onThe Morning EditionWednesday.

"We dug up into the old history books and what we purchased includes The Cash Store on King Street and all the way up Queen," saidLitt.

Littsays technically the American Block also includes stores east of The Cash Store, up toNikoNikoSushi, but at some point the block wasfractionedand the parcel he bought is limited to what borders Queen Street.

The current ground floortenants include The Cash Store, Civilian Printing, and Caper's Sports Bar.

History of Kitchener'sAmerican Block

"Based on some research it's actually the oldest building in downtown Kitchener, circa 1860, built by theBreithauptfamily," saidLitt."[At that time] that side of King Street was the only side you could develop on, TheWalperside was actually marshy," saidLitt.

"There'shistorically older houses that have existed in that area, but that's the firstbuildingbuilding, three-storey, right on the street."

"It's called the American block, not too sure where the American concept came from, but each of those buildings downtown had block designations," saidLitt.

"The American Hotelwhich is what most lovingly refer to itasoperated from1862-ishto,from what we can tell, themid-1960sat the very least. So [for] a minimum [of] 100 years, a hotel operated there, which is pretty cool," he said.

The building was listed on the city of Kitchener's heritage registry in September2010, and includes the addresses 1 Queen St North and 4-30 King Street East.

According to the City of Kitchener, the oldest building in the city is the JosephSchniederHausand Museum.

Downtown revitalization

Litt'sbuilding is just the latest in a series of downtown Kitchener buildings to attract developers looking to renovate.

A group including Perimeter Development Inc,.ZehrGroup, DavidStruckeand CK Atlantis Ltd, bought the TheWalperTerrace Hotel earlier this year. The group plans to renovate the hotel and lobby.

Perimeter also owns 305 King St. West, which will be home to mobile paymentstartupSquare, along with Gilt, a wine and tapas bar,and Pure, a cafe and juice bar.

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Litthas similarplans for the American Block. He purchased the building earlier this spring and has already started renovations.

"We've actually gone in and gutted the top two floors. The ceilings were about 7'8'' when we went in there,they were dropped, and we removed all that. Now we're glorious 14-footceilings, giant timbers, lots of character, post and beam and we're in the process of replacing the windows, doing some minor structural updates," he said.

Littsays hehope a tenant will move inby the beginning of September.

"We're going to be retrofitting an elevator to make it accessible for everyone," he said.

As for the ground floor,Littsays he has an idea of what he'd like and it includes "smaller retail boutique food spots."

"I frequent the Duke [Street]food block all the timeand there's incredible demand for those boutique, smaller, retail restaurant uses. And this isjust around the corner, so you could actually almost continue that boutique food block up Queen.

Littsaid that Caper's, the bar, would continue to occupy the space for the "time being."

Littnoted that across the street, the building currently housing theCIBCwas once a brewery, and suggested that amicrobrewbrew pub would be a great use of the ground-floor space in his building.