Richmond and Dundas office tower to become apartments

An office building at the heart of London’s core will soon house people, as the City of London announced its first office-to-residential conversion project.

On Thursday, London Mayor Josh Morgan announced the former Rexall/CIBC Building at 166 Dundas St. at Richmond Street will be converted into 15 apartments.

None will fit the criteria for affordable housing.

“14 of those will be two-bedroom apartments, and one of them will be a single-bedroom unit,” the mayor said.

The developer, Maas Group, is taking advantage of a city grant incentive program.

The project has been approved by the city's Office-to-Residential CIP Incentive Program to receive $414,947 in incentive funding.

Maas Group representatives were noticeably absent at the announcement, but Morgan confirmed the project will be complete by fall.

He told CTV News London the first two floors, vacant for more than half a decade, will be home to an unnamed commercial tenant within months.

“The downtown is getting better. Things are improving,” Morgan said.

Coun. David Ferreira believes the project will encourage more investment near Richmond and Dundas.

“That is the hope. We have a lot of history here and a lot of great buildings here,” Ferreira said. “It’s just reconverting and repurposing them so we can bring the people in and bring that use back.”

But returning the corner back to the level of attraction it held until the mid-1980s will be a feat.

But not an impossible one, according to Barb Maly, the executive director of Downtown London.

“This is going to be contributing to creating our downtown community and, as well, supporting our downtown businesses,” she said. 

— With files from CTV News London's Kristylee Varley

London Mayor Josh Morgan announcing the conversion of office space into residential units. May 23, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)