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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20. 1977. PAGE 13 74-year-old building rennovated Former Whitby eyesore becomes"Heritage House" This is 300 High Street today, three years after renovation was begun by developer Steve Agh. Mr. Agh is seeking to turn the building into 24 condominium apartments and has restored it at twice the cost of a new building because he "loves old buildings". The 74-year-old building was once the Ontario Countv House of Refuge, and until 1972 was the subject of muc.h controversy because of the way it was managed as apartments. Free Press Photo By BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer Everyone has heard the expression "to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". If there was ever a sow's ear in Whitby, it .has been the building known as 300 High Street. It was built from 1901 to 1903 as the Ontario County House of Refuge, a combination old age home and poor house. After it was replaced by the modern Fairview Lodge in 1951, it became rental apartments, and from that time it was a subject of contention between the town and its owners over the subjects of health and fire regulations. In September 1972, a fire gutted one of the attic rooms and the building was cleared out. It came up on the market* and was purchased, but the would-be developer was scared off by the prob- lems of the building, and put it up for sale. - In 1973, 300 High Street was purchased by Steve Agh, a Hungarian immigrant who came to Ajax 28 years ago, and went on to become a developer in Toronto. For fine years, Mr. Agh has own- ed property in Whitby. Mr. Agh is presently trying to get approval from the town council to turn 300 High Street into a condominium development, after three years of intensive renovation. It can truly be said by looking at what Mr. Agh has done with the 74-year-old building thatthe has made a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The building lus been totally renovated insideband out, and may well be described as luxury apartments. Mr. Agh hopes they will become adult apartments for the retired or semi-retimed whose children have grown up. Mr. Agh says he has tried to create a "home within a1 home" at 300 High Street, to eliminate the apartment atmosphere. Inside and out, the building is finished in the antique style, with white painted balconies, moulded doors, original antique brass door knobs and replicas of antique chandeliers. Addition- al period fixtures will be available on request. Mr. Agh calls the old1 building "Heritage House", in keeping with his love for old1 buildings, and the age of the structure., Heritage House containsi 24 apartments, 18 with two bedrooms, four with one bed- room and two with an extra den. The building has been restored on the outside to its original condition, with the addition of some small balconies over the entrances, and the conversion of the roof into a floor of penthouse apartments. Mr. Agh has taken great care to provide authenticity in the redevelopment of Heritage House. He obtained 100,000 bricks from the old General Motors plant in Oshawa whichwas built at the same time as 300 High Street, and used them to replace deteriorating masonry. He also has provided interior walls and fireplaces of these antique bricks. According to Mr. Agh these bricks cost five times more than new bricks. He searched fmom Toronto to Cobourg for houses being demlisedwhere he could obtain original moulded doors, and pillars to replace the old rotting balconies on the front of the building. Steel beams covered with exact replicas of the original white painted balconies, treated with wood preservative, have replaced the rotting wood. Mr. Agh dug out under- neath the basement of the old building, laying a new concrete floor, and replacing the cellar stonework where required. Inside there are candy striped carpets, and wall pannelling like one would see in an early hotel or manor house. The staircases have been preserved with, for the most part, their original bannisters. Since most of the window frames were rotted, they were all replaced with new wood, but in many cases the original maple wood floors have been preserved. Ceilings in the old building are 10 to 1I feet high, allowing for extra close t space, and the ceiling in the pent. house apartments is eight feet high. Mr. Agh estimates that it cost him double the amount required for a new building, to renovate 300 High Street. "Originally I1wanted to keep it and rent it, but when I saw the potential in it, I wanted to restore it to its original state", he said. I arn very interested in the past. I love oldbuildings", says Mr. Agh. "They are vanishing, and this way they are definitely going to stay for another 100 years". Mr. Agh admits however that the first time he walked into 300 High Street, he walked outagain,overwhelmed by the problems he would face inrestoring it. A few modern improve- ments may be seen, such a% 668- Hours Mon-Sot. & Evenings 7797 by Appointment Only an elevator, furnace room and garbage chute, but the antique atmosphere prevails throughout the building. There is also a hobby shop, a rec room and a sauna. Mr. Agh has restored smaller buildings in Toronto and an old farm house on Anderson Street in Whitby where he will be moving soon, but 300 High Street has been bis most challenging project. He hopes to have the building ready for occupancy in two months, but there are problems in getting a con- dominium application approval frorn council. The building does not exactly fit into the general categories for buildings to be converted into condominiums, and it needs a legal change of zoning and an official plan amendment according to the town solicitor. It is also within thedowntown special study area for which the reports have .not been cornpleted. Mr. Agh still needs regional concurrance, rezon- ing, and a site plan and/or condominium agreement with the town. However, the mayor has seen the building and Mr. Agh wishes other councillors to see it to allay fears of it becoming another slum. Already he has the residents of the area behind him. Planning only Startng this month, council's administrative corn- mnittee will be handling plan- ning matters only, and all other matters will be handled by the operations committee. Mayor Jim Gartshore said the administrative committee's workload had been increasing steadily during the past three months because of more plan- ning matters coming before it, so he decided to divide up the workload more evenly. RENT A CARI $1495 a day 668-8000 G L 0 B A oppostie Brewers Retai Nutrite's Happy Gardening with Marc Listen to CKLB 1350Morags30 Live Phone In Answers All Questions Marc Thiebaud President of Oshawa Garden Service Limited WATCH For Our Grand Re - Opening April 23 ESHAWA GERVICE THE CETE oNoIA G s NENTR Whereas neighboring residents were sending peti- tions to council to stop the redevelopment of the building after the 1972 fire, council has received a petition of 10 naines of neighbours who are in support of the work Mr. Agh has done on his "Heritage House", and favor- ing his condominium application. GARDEN PLOTS FOR WHITBY RESIDENTS The Parks and Recreation Department of the Corporation of the Town of Whitby has again established garden plots for Community use due to the success of the project last year. The size of the lots will be 25' x 30' at a cost of $15.00 per lot to the user. The land will be tilled by the Town and. water made available. From last year's use, the land is much better prepared for an early planting date. All requests will be on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested, you are invited to apply either in person or in writing to: The Parks and Recreation Department, Municipal Building, 575 Rossland Road East, Town of Whitby. VAN AUCTION SALE by THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM 605 ROSSLAND ROAD EAST WHITBY, ONTARIO SATURDAY, APRIL 23,1977 10:00 A.M. 1975 CHEV. WINDOW VAN V8 POWER BRAKES POWER STEERING AUTO- MATIC REGULARLY MAINTAINED HIGHWAY MILES - USED AS A COURIER VAN REQUIRES BODY WOR K VIEWING - THURSDAY, APRIL 21 FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. MORNING OF SALE TERMS AND 1977 AND -$100 MINIMUM DEPOSIT, CASH OR CERTIFIED CHEQUE, BALANCE, CASH OR CERTIFIED CHEQUE BY 4:30 P.M., APR IL 26,1977. THIS VAN WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY ON AN "AS IS--WHERE IS" BASIS. AT NO TIME SHALL ANY CLAIM BE ALLOWED AGAINST THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM WITH RESPECT TO THIS VEHICLE AND THE MUNICIPALITY WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR ACCIDENT INVOLVING THIS VEHICLE FOLLOWING ACCEPTANCE OF THE VEHICLE BY THE NEW OWNEROR THEIR AGENTS. THAPAR DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC 214 Dundos St. E. Whitby