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| Big plans for historic Genosha hotel |
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| The Genosha is currently being renovated to be used for student housing. |
By Katie Strachan The Oshawa Express Rick Summers has a distinct vision. The co-owner of Summers & Co., the company slated to restore one of Oshawa’s prominent landmarks, wants something more in the city’s downtown core.“We’re going to turn it into something really different,” he says of the Genosha, which is now deemed a historical building in the downtown Oshawa.“With the help from the decorator, we’re going to keep it really authentic.” Summers has had about 15 workers inside the historic site tearing and clearing out the six-storey building.“We have a company coming in to do the demo and abatement,” he says. Awalk through the famous building reveals a small glimpse into Oshawa’s past. The Genosha Hotel opened in 1929 and was visited by many, including the Queen in 1939.“A lot of Canadian bands that are now famous played here,” says Summers. The lobby, which Summers says will be grand, still features a small staircase and is branded with dark wood banding and elaborate moulding. A decorative white tiled ceiling carries throughout the hall towards the old elevators.“That will come down. There is a much nicer one about four feet up that is original,” says Summers, adding new elevators will be installed. A prominent wood fireplace marks the grand entrance into what used to be a banquet room.“This will be a franchise restaurant of some sort,” Summers says standing in the former ballroom. Just to the right of the fireplace stands an ornate long marble staircase.“We’re hoping to restore this,” he says, adding it was damaged a bit when construction crews were removing the debris left behind.“There was magazines, boxes, toilets and just junk everywhere,” says Summers of their initial walk around the building.“The place was just filled with contents. There was about 60,000 square feet of just garbage which had to be removed.” According to Summers, there were about 50 people living inside the building before it was finally vacated in 2003. Just off the grand hall there is a room adorned with decorative mouldings, all of which are going to remain after the renovation.“This may be a coffee shop, like Second Cup,” he says, adding no contracts have been finalized yet. The coffee shop will feature floor to ceiling windows with a view of King Street East. The hotel has a number of historical elements that are still prominent like the mail shoots, which are located on each floor.“We may do a display of all the unique, original features,” explains Summers. The five floors above are currently being prepped for demolition.“All the walls are coming down,” he says. The space will be turned into 103 affordable student-housing units, which will alleviate some of the pressures from the residential areas around Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. For More Details, Pick-Up Your Copy Of The Oshawa Express By Contacting us |
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©2008 Dowellman Publishing Corp, All Rights Reserved
©2008 Dowellman Publishing Corp, All Rights Reserved
