Historic Kingston Church Becomes Luxury Residencial Units

Love of family, of community and a passion for preserving local heritage has motivated the principals of BPE Development from the moment they designed and managed their first properties in Guelph a little less than a decade ago.

And these qualities are the motivating force behind BPE Development’s latest, and arguably most significant local project – The Tower, Clergy on Queen. Sales of units began this week, and already a flood of inquiries has come in from folks interested in literally owning a piece of history.

This breathtaking condominium project sees 16 unique residential units on five floors of the former Queen Street United Church, in the heart of Kingston’s downtown at the corner of Clergy and Queen Streets
It is the first phase of an ambitious complete redevelopment of the block, incorporating more residential units, as well as more heritage structures, including one of the oldest stone buildings in the city of Kingston.

The heritage buildings are being completely renovated and restored to their former lustre – including the structure at 151 Clergy St., which has been turned into BPE’s headquarters and sales office for The Tower.
BPE Development, headed by partner Ben Pilon, was thrilled with the opportunity to take an abandoned, but still majestic, 19th century stone structure and revitalize it into a place that not only celebrates its storied pedigree and significance to the community, but also creates living spaces that are modern in design and luxurious in amenities.

Ben Pilon, who learned the importance of hard work, discipline and teamwork as a former OHL and college hockey star, said during a launch event held downtown this past Tuesday that from the moment BPE developed its first properties in Kingston in 2007, the company was drawn to sites that many other developers rejected because of the inherent challenges of dealing with unique, older structures.

“We are known for starting projects that no one else wants to touch,” he said. “Most people looked at the size of the building and the challenges of working in an old church and were a little intimidated. And I was as well, but I also saw that Queen Street United Church provided an amazing opportunity to take something that was important to Kingston and give it a new life. It was just too good to pass up. It’s amazing.”

Carl Bray, of Bray Heritage, who worked closely with BPE Developments to come up with a design for The Tower: Clergy on Queen that enhanced its historic nature as well as provided for the addition of new amenities, said he was thrilled to work with a company that had such a zeal for Kingston as a community, its downtown and it’s heritage.

“To some people, ‘heritage’ is a bad word. It intimidates them, and they think of it as a barrier. Here, you have a developer who sees it as an opportunity,” he said and the launch event. “It’s a fabulous location. There’s excellent craftsmanship, unique design and a ready market. With this project, you have something that is an adaptation of a church in a way that I feel is very respectful. It honours the past of the structure, and provides a sense of continuity.”

Betty Pilon, a partner in BPE Development, can trace her lineage in Kingston back for many generations. She, and all who work at BPE Development, operate as a family, and treat the properties they own, build and revamp as if they were their own.

“Kingston needs people to come in and take something old and refurbish it, not just tear it down and building something shiny and new. We need someone who really loves to do that, and that’s what we really love to do, with our family. That’s our vision of how we see Kingston. We love Kingston and we think it will continue to grow and prosper,” she said. “It’s about pride in ownership. We are so fortunate in this country and in this city. We have so much going for us. In our hearts, we treat this project as if we were going to live there. And we treat people the way we would want to be treated and build homes that we would want to live in.”

BPE Development believes they have created homes in The Tower, Clergy on Queen, that appeal to families and individuals looking to immerse themselves in Kingston’s culture, history and charm. Within easy walking distance are a multitude of dining establishments, shops, galleries and entertainment venues, as well as waterfront parks and trails.

The project also features 9,500 square feet of commercial space, underground parking and spacious, rooftop terraces. The design and construction also conforms to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for sustainability.

BPE Developments invites everyone to visit http://www.bpedevelopment.com/for-sale/tower-clergy-on-queen for more information, or visit the sales centre at 151 Clergy St.E., or Email to info@bpedevelopment.com, or call 613-507-9090.

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Release Source: BPE Development

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