Condo project moving ahead

Final plans for the River Walk Condominium project were unveiled Tuesday afternoon and the town now is taking the next step in constructing the Front Street development.
“The big news is that we received the architect’s final drawings and we’re going to be inviting tender, with tenders to close on Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.,” said Fort Frances CAO Bill Naturkach.
Naturkach said four companies will be invited to tender for the development and that the contract for the condominium project should be awarded by the end of that day.
“It’s just great. It’s been a year in serious mode and now it’s coming to the end of the process,” he noted. “Now we can finally see the results.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, the Fort Frances Non-Profit Housing Committee reviewed final blueprints for the condominium. A copy of those plans will be on display in the lobby of the Civic Centre for anyone interested in seeing exactly what the new units will look like.
Naturkach said there were a few changes in these final plans from previous designs, including a reconfiguration of the underground parking lot and larger patios for each suite.
“The ramp going to the garage is going to be heated so it won’t be a slippery surface,” he added.
A number of buyers were on hand to see the plans yesterday.
“They were very excited to see the final details,” Naturkach said. “So far they have only seen concepts. These are room by room measurements. Now they can start planning their furniture, etc.”
So far, 19 of the 32 units in the building have been sold.
Initial plans called for the condominium to have 36 units, but that was scaled back to 32 when the project didn’t receive enough down payments to continue with construction.
Residents who paid $3,000 to reserve one of the units now will be required to pay the remainder of their $10,000 down payment by the time the tender is awarded.
Those tenants are expected to move into their new homes Oct. 1, 2002.
Naturkach said he is excited the project is finally moving ahead. “There is no other project like it in the community with the same comfort level, all the amenities,” he noted.
“There were three previous efforts to do one and they were not successful,” he recalled. “This one is going to be a success. It’s going to be a first.”