It took a lot longer than originally anticipated, but an apartment building in downtown Chatham is now ready to welcome its first batch of tenants.
The Boardwalk on The Thames, located on King Street West, is set to start moving in tenants in the coming month.
According to Leasing Agent Lynn O’Brien, an official move-in date has not been verified at this point but she expects it will not be too far in the future.
“It will be sometime in March when we have our occupancy from the municipality. We are days away. The exact day will be announced by the mayor at the time that that happens. But we’re just days away,” she said. “We’re just finishing up certain things then we’ll be off to the races.”
O’Brien said half of the building’s 88 units will be available for rent at first while work continues on the remaining 44 units.
“Floors 7,8,9 and 10 are being worked on as well and will be available at a later date, a few months down the road,” she said.
It’s been far from smooth sailing for the project, which is led by the development company Everlast Group. The plan for the project got initial approvals from Chatham-Kent council in early 2011 and a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the building in April 2013.
However, the project was plagued by several delays over the years including Everlast Group President Victor Boutin threatening to halt the project in 2015 over a union dispute. Boutin had also previously attributed the multiple delays in construction to issues that were out of the company’s control including theft and vandalism.
“There have been many delays but the product speaks for itself,” said O’Brien. “It’s welcome and we’re glad we’re at the finish line and we hope to have it occupied as soon as we can.”
The building was originally intended to be made up of condominiums, but are now rentals only. O’Brien describes the units as “condo living” luxury apartments that feature picturesque views, in-suite laundry, appliances, and individual climate-controlled units.
The building features a mix of one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus den and two-bedroom units as well as two three-bedroom units.
“We have units that are as small as 986 sq. ft. that are around $2,000 a month, it’s a one-bedroom with a small den [and] up to close to 1,400 sq. ft. which is around $2,500 or a little less than that,” said O’Brien. “Because they’re all different sizes, it varies in price.”
The building also features 2,500 sq. ft. of retail space for lease. Anyone interested in learning more about leasing is encouraged to visit The Boardwalk on the Thames’ website.
“It’s a great place to live,” O’Brien said. “It’s especially welcome in Chatham because it is very unique.”
