A Peek Inside The New Oceanside Apartments In Uptown Saint John
SAINT JOHN – The developer behind converting a former vacant homeless shelter is almost ready to have his first tenants move in.
After almost a year of renovations, Mike Cavanaugh Homes says Oceanside Urban Lofts the first phase of units is now for rent to prospective tenants. The company purchased the vacant property last spring and it will be ready for occupancy this spring, says Jonathon Rasenberg, a real estate agent with Coldwell Bankers, the firm representing Mike Cavanaugh Homes.
“We’re doing the project in two phases. Phase one is 12 units and phase two is eight units. Phase one will be ready for move-in on April 1,” he said. “They are pretty close to done. We’re just finishing up the last four units right now, but we have a fully finished show unit ready to go.”
The building features 20 units in total. The open concept apartments feature commercial soundproofing; all new stainless steel appliances; stone countertops; Sonos compatible sound system and ocean view balconies. The building also offers on-site parking.
Take a look inside the building’s largest unit below:
“A lot of the mechanical systems have been left exposed and all painted black,” said Rasenberg. “Then we went with very modern finishings for the kitchen and the bathroom. It looks pretty sharp when you walk in. When we first went into this building, it was very institutional looking. Eight by eight walls, almost like cells with common bathrooms in the centre. We completely gutted everything out and rebuild it from scratch.”
One-bedroom units start at $1,300 per month and two-bedroom units starting at $,1800 a month. The rent includes heat, lights and hot water. Units in phase two will include units a bit cheaper due to their location in the building. Rasenberg says he got a lot of inquiries since first posting the ad for the units last Friday.
“As of right now, most of the people that have looked are either older than 50 and downsizing or younger than 30 and don’t want to buy a house yet,” he says.
The second phase of the project is expected to be completed this September or October. Besides renovating the rest of the units, there will be work done to the outside of the complex, including repaving the parking lot and refurbishing the building’s exterior. Once the entire project is complete, Mike Cavanaugh Homes plan to sell the complex.
“There already been some interest from a few different buyers, but it’s a great investment building,” says Rasenberg.
The new complex is one of several major development projects happening in uptown Saint John, which includes a three-storey single-family home across the street from Oceanside.
“It’s exciting for uptown. It’s another good conversation project,” says Rasenberg. “Another 20 more higher-income residents in the uptown, which is just a catalyst to drive more development.”
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