For Sale / Sold Feb 2011

My semi-regular look at what's for sale or sold around Winnipeg. (I wrote this three weeks back but am just posting it now - apologies if any links have gone pear shaped).

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My feature building this month is one that over the course of my life I've spent a couple of weeks standing in front of waiting for buses: the National Typewriter Building on Portage. It's vacant and judging by the signage, the retail portion has been empty for a couple of decades.

Perhaps with the U of W expanding to the east whoever owns it thought it was a good time to finally get rid of it.

I've never been inside but the outside has always intrigued me. Great floor to ceiling widows on the main floor, fancy brickwork with great stone accents and even stained glass accents on the upper floors. She's actually quite a nice looking building.

The Voice, 1908

The 'Monte Cassino Court' was built in two phases. The main floor in 1907 & top floors added in 1910. It was built and owned by Benedicto Persichini, a merchant, who also lived upstairs with his wife until the mid 1940s when they sold out. The first tenant was a Tea and Coffee joint, then a series of retail merchants from bike shops to the Elgin Motor Car Co. showroom to Neal's grocery store. National Typewriter moved in in 1967.

An added bonus is that you get a great collection of signs to bring down to the Antiques Road Show. Imagine the awe of listener as you explain typewriters, two way pagers and and other old ancient communications technologies !

FOR A SEPTEMBER 2011 UPDATE ON MONTE CASSINO

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If exclamation points could sell a building (!!!!) then chalk this one up for Jason Cianflone !!!!

With more enthusiasm than an eight year old on Christmas morning (!!!!) he polishes up this listing but it might take a bit more than ! to sell this pile on Maryland (btw it's 'Ellice', not 'ellis' !!!!)

Despite the lack of identification on the brochure, you can't miss that this is Juliana Restaurant with one of the funnest combination of foods in the city: Greek and Jamaican. Gotta love the West End !

If a castle of a home is what you want, check out 22 Edmonton with a price reduction to $499,999. If you're feeling romantic you can do Romeo and Juliette to your lady friend in the tower bedroom !

Short Snappers:

- If you want to go BIG, you can pick yourself up Northgate Shopping Centre on McPhillips ! Watch out, though. Zellers is your anchor tenant ! I wonder if the recent announcement has made the $20m asking price a bit more flexible ?

- Rembrant's Bistro and property just outside Lockport is up for sale for $3.5m. It's a very nice place on the inside but if you do buy it here's a tip: lose the prairie town 'Co-op home centre' look on the exterior !

- If you're looking for something more modern but still in the Exchange, what about the former Cosmans Furniture building at 200 Princess ? Built in 1984 and 1994 it's got a great corner lot. Though, having to stare out at the fugly PSB parkade all day long might cause depression in the medium and long term.

- For any UK readers, sorry I'm a couple of days late. Your chance to put in an offer on your very own tube station is gone.