Posts Tagged ‘moving in’

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Calhoun “The Hatter”

Monday, September 6th, 2010

It seems as though a lot of vacant storefronts are having their awnings or signs removed as of late. Some of them are for the purpose of refacing the business, and some are just a mystery.

The intrigue behind the sign removal, literally, is what lies behind the modern fixtures that are being taken down.

The old storefront signs and paintings seem to have simply been covered, rather than removed, by the more modern businesses. I wonder sometimes if this was laziness or if it was done on purpose for this very moment of unveiling them decades later.

Either way, this is pretty cool to see. And the most recent uncovered sign of the old days was captured by local photographer, Ron Marston.
This image in the header is where The Men’s Store at 323 Ouellette Avenue used to be. The sign was removed recently to show a gold painted business name, Calhoun “The Hatter”.

If you have any memory or knowledge about this space, please leave a comment below about what you know or have learned.
Below is a video of the property early in 2010 before the sign was removed to reveal Calhoun “The Hatter”. This video was done as part of the Moving In series.



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Posted in video, windsor news | 1 Comment »

Storefront Studios?

Monday, June 14th, 2010

True rumour (“trumour”) has it that the old Inklings Bookstore at 500 Ouellette Avenue has a local artist moving into it shortly.
This won’t be a long-term thing, but it’ll give the artist within that space an interesting (and I think inspiring) perspective otherwise unavailable outside of downtown. Movement, activity, and people of all walks of life scurrying by day after day at all hours of the night.

The talk about transitioning spaces downtown into useful, HEAVILY REDUCED, or RENT-FREE spaces for artists is looking more realistic every day. The spaces, if given to artists on the condition that they look better when they leave than when they begin, offers nothing but an incentive to the land-owner of a stagnant space.

Someone desperate for space comes in, fixes up the place, and creates traffic. Businesses in the area are sure to notice the activity, and the variety of visual stimuli gives a truer sense of how much is actually happening downtown rather than displaying the economic impossibility of artists renting long-empty commercial space (with outrageous property tax rates).

Do you think giving space to creators of new events and art should be considered for downtown?
Will you pop your head into this new art-space to say hello to a local burgeoning artist?

I’m not even going to tell you who is moving in temporarily…I’ll leave it up to you to investigate. In fact, I’ll offer a prize of a Spotvin Creative masterpiece…a  Windsor, Ontario t-shirt to the first person who can tell me who the artist is that’s moving into that space…
Just leave your answer in the comment section, with your e-mail, and if correct, I will arrange to get this amazing new Windsor-branded t-shirt to you.

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Posted in downtown entrepreneurs, windsor news | 12 Comments »

875 Ouellette Avenue – 3rd Floor

Friday, May 28th, 2010

On our first visit to 875 Ouellette (across from the Windsor Public Library), Mark Lalovich of RE/MAX Preferred Realty and I visited the front side of the building on the first floor. But this building has loads of office space available on upper floors. So I took a look at them with Mark Lalovich.

What you’ll see from the video is the great view of Pelissier Street and Elliott Street from anywhere on the west side of the rental unit. It’s close to 1450 square feet. Mark calls this kind of bare location a “vanilla box”, because it’s ready for any kind of renovation. It’s going for between $6.50 and $8.50 per square foot including utilities. So, it’d be about $2000 per month. Gated parking is available to rent-holders.

The other great thing about this space is the limited energy needs in the latter half of the day. Being on the west side of the building, the sun pours in through the large bank of windows, limiting the use for lighting.

Mark Lalovich of RE/MAX Preferred Realty can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.

For those real estate agents who might come across these Moving In segments that would also like to showcase properties in the downtown, please contact Tom here to set up an appointment to film the property(s).

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Moving In: 433 Ouellette Avenue

Monday, May 17th, 2010

This week’s Moving In focuses once again on Ouellette Avenue in the same building that Miller Canfield Law calls home.

433 Ouellette Avenue used to be a Shopper’s Drug Mart eight years ago or so, and now is one large open space waiting for an idea.

I met with Mark Lalovich of RE/MAX Preferred Realty in February, and we slowly made it through all these potential profitable spaces on that cold winter day. In fact, this is the absolute last video from that day of real estate hopping.

The video is below, and I thought the rent levels were going to be mentioned in this tour. Upon further inspection, they are not mentioned. This is why I’ve included Mark Lalovich’s e-mail and phone number below, so you can ask him yourself. I do know that the owners are willing to share the cost of renovations for the space.

Mark Lalovich can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.

For those real estate agents who might come across these Moving In segments that would also like to showcase properties in the downtown, please contact Tom here to set up an appointment to film the property(s).

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Posted in downtown real estate, video | 1 Comment »

Moving In: 875 Ouellette Avenue

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

This week’s Moving In focuses on Ouellette Avenue…near the Main Branch of the Windsor Public Library.

875 Ouellette Avenue is the exact property address, but there are already many tenants in the space.. It’s a multi-storey building…and this rental space is in the bottom front section.

I met with Mark Lalovich of RE/MAX Preferred Realty in April for a fresh batch of property viewings. Mark showed me a collection of spaces all within the same general area, just south of the downtown core.

The video is below, with all the rent details being mentioned during the tour. The area of the space is 2643 square feet. I believe they are asking $10 per square foot, and are willing to share the cost of renovations for the space.

Mark Lalovich can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.

Thanks Mark for taking the time to show me around the spaces of future downtown neighbours.

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Moving In: 479 & 481 Ouellette Avenue

Friday, April 30th, 2010

This week’s Moving In focuses on two properties that are considered one.

479 & 481 Ouellette Avenue, the former home of Visions of Canada.

I met with Mark Lalovich of of RE/MAX Preferred Realty in February. Mark showed me a collection of properties that I am still making my way through now. In fact, I even reference that Dr. Disc will eventually be moving to their new home…which, of course, has already happened. Now, this property has a heavy-hitting neighbour to boost its value.

The videos are below, in two parts, thanks to batteries dying in the middle of our tour.

Mark Lalovich can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.

Thanks Mark for taking the time to show me around the spaces of future downtown neighbours.

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Posted in downtown real estate, video | 1 Comment »

Moving In – 85 Wyandotte Street West

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

The feeling of downtown entrepreneurship has begun to evolve for me in the past few weeks.
Walking down the street these days, I run into potential business owners, curious idea people that ask about downtown real estate. E-mails trickle in with inquiries about rent averages and condition of rental spaces.
They’re familiar with the Moving In segment, and they are wanting me to scope out different spaces on streets all over downtown. Not only has this enhanced my enthusiasm for this segment, but it has left me excited to see what kinds of people take the fulfilling plunge into entrepreneurship.

I met with Mark Lalovich of of RE/MAX Preferred Realty in February. Mark showed me a collection of properties then that I am still getting to posting today. Trying to cycle between different agents, as they show me new spaces, means leaving older footage until the future

We took a look at a ground floor vacancy at 85 Wyandotte Street West, steps away from the intersection of Wyandotte and Pelissier. It’s actually the property next door to 75 Wyandotte Street West that was featured in this segment recently. Everything about the property is on the video, including costs etc. Take a look.

Mark Lalovich can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.

Thanks Mark for taking the time to show me around the spaces of future downtown neighbours.

And here’s a property preview, with some idea of cost shown per square foot. Also, I believe that Mark said the landlords were willing to negotiate this price.

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Moving In – 323 Ouellette Avenue

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Yet another space on the busiest downtown thoroughfare.
323 Ouellette used to be a retail space for Pelee Island Winery, and a clothing store, and several other incarnations.
It sits across the street from The Palace Theaters.

This space is uniquely sized for only certain kinds of businesses…and that might be YOUR potential new business.

The video is a little bit dark, particularly when I maneuver to the back of the space, and into the mezzanine located upstairs.
Hydro is off in this unit, but we didn’t let that stop us from taking a look around.

Watch the video to see the inside of 323 Ouellette Avenue, and if you have any interest or questions about it, contact Neil R. Jones at neil@jonesrealty.ca or call him at 519.980.7126.

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Posted in downtown real estate | 2 Comments »

Moving In: 75 Wyandotte Street West

Monday, April 5th, 2010

I was able to meet with Mark Lalovich of of RE/MAX Preferred Realty in February. Mark was a great host, taking time to show me a few spaces he’s listing. He knows what used to be in the spaces, what they were outfitted for originally, and what kind of use they would accommodate with little or no infrastructure overhaul needed.

I wanted to post all of the video we took on the day we embarked to capture this footage, but in order to keep a regular feature, I’ve been slowly rolling them out. There are more Moving In segments to come from Mark in the near future.

We took a look at a ground floor vacancy at 75 Wyandotte Street West, steps away from the intersection of Wyandotte and Pelissier in what was Hair by Martina in past years. Everything about the property is on the video, including costs etc. Take a look.

Mark Lalovich can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.

Thanks Mark for taking the time to show me around the spaces of future downtown neighbours.

And here’s a property preview, with some idea of cost shown per square foot. Also, I believe that Mark said the landlords were willing to negotiate this price.

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Posted in downtown real estate, video | 6 Comments »

Moving In: 511 Ouellette Avenue

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

This property shocked me.

I expected a massive price tag. I admit that I’m guilty of buying into the talk that properties downtown, on the main strip, are too expensive.

Neil R. Jones and I walked through a stunning space, which proved to me that there are amazing deals in the downtown waiting for entrepreneurs to transform.

We moved next door to the previous property we highlighted on Moving In. It’s 511 Ouellette Avenue. It’s an upper floor space, with floor to ceiling windows all along the Ouellette Avenue side of the property. It stands above the vacant 515 Ouellette Avenue, Bistro 507, and Speedy Money Mart.

This space stands over Maiden Lane which has always been intriguing to many of my entrepreneurial contemporaries. Looking out the north-facing windows, toward the neighbour (Lazare’s Furs) there are several murals depicting Windsor’s past peering back. If there ever was a wall you had to look at through your office window…this is the one I’d choose.

This property is renting for a mind-boggling price of only $1800 per month plus utilities. The landlord is willing to help with renovation costs also, which can come in handy for someone with a complete vision of the space. I realize now that I quoted 515 Ouellette, in the last Moving In segment as $1800, but it’s actually only $1150! For a ground level, Ouellette Avenue frontage!? I’m shocked all over again.

Also important to note…the building, in it’s entirety, with three current tenants and two vacancies is for sale. Details on the video.

Watch the video to see the inside of 511 Ouellette Avenue, and if you have any interest or questions about it, contact Neil R. Jones at neil@jonesrealty.ca or call him at 519.980.7126.

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Posted in downtown real estate, video | 2 Comments »

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