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Categories: Windsor

1989 Ontario Street

This 1925 built Tudor Revival, listed on the heritage inventroy but not designated, sold last summer. It’s one I’ve always been fond, of, but it’s usually overshadowed by it’s neighbour to the east, the Low-Martin House.

The new owners slapped a giant Lapico Renovations sign on the front lawn. [be warned if you click the Lapico link, the site is built with flash and has annoying music that loads with each page – turn off your speakers first, before cliciking]

The place has been gutted. Roof removed, and the inside reframed. Seeing as Lapico specializes in “new” homes, they along with the new owners, hopefully have the sense to restore the tudor elements, and allow it to continue to blend in with the neighbourhood.

I have heard that many people in the neighbourhood are nervous & concerned about how it will look once it’s done.

Hopefully the finished product looks like it did before, and not like a stucco clad suburban cookie cutter. We’ll definitely have to keep an eye on this one.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Andrew

View Comments

  • Edward:
    I would guess if the house was immaculate they would not have started this renovation.
    Historical Vandalism? That's your opinion. And you know what opinions are like.

  • Joe, you must work for Lapico. There are hundreds of houses in Toronto that are immaculately "restored" that meet this same fate every year. Someone with too much money and no respect for history that likes the neighbourhood either guts them or demolishes them so they can have their charmless new monstrosity in an otherwise charming neighbourhood. And you are entitled to your opinion too but Lapico could have built them a very nice new house in LaSalle. IF YOU WANT A NEW HOUSE, BUY A NEW HOUSE. I will be one of their new neighbours and trust me, most of their neighbours here in Walkerville will never speak to them.

  • Edward:
    With your thinking all houses would have coal fired boilers and knob & tube wiring.
    They are taking an old house and renovating it. What's wrong with that?
    You don't know what the place is going to look like, so what are you slamming them for?
    I am sure if you do not talk to these folks they won't lose any sleep over it.

  • I really wonder how much experience Lapico has doing renovations and home restoration. I would expect that an experienced contractor would have covered the house with a tarp and have the roof rebuilt as soon as possible, The trusses at sitting out in front of the house waiting to be installed. The house is getting damaged from the having no roof and all the rain we have had in the past few weeks, this is causing the wood the rot and other structural damage to the house.

    From what I have seen of Anthony Lapico, his only specialty is building new homes, And about 95% of these new homes seem to be built of the same plan with different exteriors, Drive around Lasalle, It is easy to spot a Lapico home.

  • Joe, judging by how closely you are monitoring and rebutting on this thread, *someone* is losing sleep over it!

  • Joe, My 1927 house no longer has knob and tube wiring and the coal fired boiler is long gone. But it does have full plaster construction, beautiful gumwood trim, leaded glass windows, and character that does not exist in new houses. The woodwork in that house would cost more than the entire amount of Lapico's modernization to replicate. Their drywall and MDF looks good at first but is just cheap junk that will not last. Like I said, if that's what you want, buy a new house. There's nothing wrong with that. It just turns my stomach when someone thinks that stripping and RENOVATING an old house can improve it. What is their track record in historic restorations? Speak up Joe, what is it?

  • I am not sure what the outcome of this project will be but it sure looks like a way to build a new house without going through the formality of getting a demolition permit on existing structures.

  • Edward:
    You put new stuff in your house?
    WANT A NEW HOUSE BUY A NEW HOUSE.
    You must work for Lapico if you know what is going to go into this place.

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Andrew

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