Adventures in heritage renovating Kurt Peacock Owner, Saint John News Building

So you want to renovate an old building? Get your finances in order Talk to a good architect or engineer Plan for the long term Find a good ‘crew’ of skilled trades Be patient, but have fun

The Story of 56 Canterbury Built after Great Fire in 1877 In heart of Uptown Saint John Purchased the building in 2005; top floor a clean slate Have kept same tenants since becoming landlord

The plan for development To develop 3rd floor loft apartment Restore exterior windows over time Unveil architectural features, such as exposed brick or tin ceilings

Finding the right trades Ask around Be patient Take advantage of any heritage help that is available Keep close tabs on capital costs

Be prepared to get dirty

…and do lots and lots of work.

Remember when I said work?

I wasn’t kidding.

Life sometimes gets in the way Our construction plans were changed with arrival of our daughter It took longer than planned, but the loft apt. became a family affair My 2 kids now both say they want to live at the apt. when they are adults

The finished product

Are all the sweat and tears worth it? Purchased the building for $122K Latest assessed value $293K Property value has increased 140 % in roughly ten years Lived rent free while on site; in years since building has always returned a profit

Another way to look at the value of the Saint John News Building

Thanks for caring about heritage!