From castle to condos - Barra Castle on Queen

Developer hopes to save Barra’s exterior as part of new project

This drawing shows a developer's plan for a condominium project at the site of the Barra Castle on Queen Street South.

The Bara Castle on Queen Street, Kitchener. A developer planning a condo project on the site plans to save the front exterior.


KITCHENER — Demolition of the Barra Castle on Queen Street South is scheduled to begin today as the owner prepares the site for high-end condominiums.

Polocorp Inc. wants to retain and renovate the original part of the 1930 landmark at 393 Queen St. S. and add a six-storey building to the back with 36 units.

In as little as three weeks all but the front section of the building will be gone. Following that, engineers must take a close look at the remaining wing that faces Queen Street South to determine if it can be saved. “We originally thought the front of the building was solid and the back was a problem, but on closer inspection we have found serious structural deficiencies in the front,” Mike Puopolo of Polocorp Inc. said.

The original part of the castle will be replicated if it can not be saved.

Preliminary marketing has already started on the condominiums, branded as The Barra Castle on Queen, that will range in size from 1,100-square-feet to 1,300-square-feet. Depending on the features and size the prices may range from $275,000 to nearly $400,000.

Polocorp is targeting couples, 50 to 65, who want to sell their existing home and move into the central part of the city.

“I think this is a niche market,” Puopolo said.

“People who want to be part of the Barra Castle, and the size of the units are fairly large.”

Puopolo is working with his father, veteran developer Paul Puopolo, who believes the downtown area of the city can absorb all of the condominiums and apartments now under construction or in the planning stages.

Andrin Homes of Brampton has plans for 385 condominiums for the western half of Centre Block, which is bounded by King, Young, Duke and Ontario streets. Auburn Developments of London is working on the Arrow Lofts on Benton Street, which includes 134 units in the old factory and 184 in a 16-storey building next to it.

Marketing will begin in earnest this fall for The Barra Castle on Queen. When about half of the units are pre-sold, construction will start.

If all goes well, the building could be completed and occupied in late 2012. Preliminary interest on Polocorp’s website has been positive.

“We’ve been getting some good feedback,” Paul Puopolo said. “We had a couple of inquiries for bigger units with three bedrooms and 1,400 to 1,500 square feet.”

What concerns the elder Puopolo more than anything at this stage is the coming HST on July 1. The residential housing market has been strong, but some speculate a lot of buyers are getting into ownership now to beat the HST, and sales will slow after the harmonized sales tax takes effect.

“I am a little worried about what happens after July 1,” he said. “My gut feeling is there is still a market and it is still a go.”

The redevelopment of the site will likely be the final chapter in the 80-year history of a unique building that was allowed to deteriorate beyond saving in a Heritage Conservation District. The exteriors of all buildings in those districts are protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, but that legislation afforded no protection to the Scottish baronial castle that graced Queen Street South.

A former owner of the building, Elite Capital Inc., had started renovations and repairs in 2007, but inspectors with the city, fire department and electrical authority shut the site down for numerous violations.

Under previous owners the Barra Castle had fallen into neglect. The inspectors acted in 2007 after a complaint was made by a tenant.The inspectors did not inform Heritage Kitchener or the city’s heritage planner.

The building, already in rough shape, suffered even more damage as pipes burst during the winter of 2007-2008. Former tenants were outraged as many retained a lot of affection for the building that featured large apartments, hardwood floors, archways and old trim and baseboards.

Mathew McCarthy, Record staff