W
hen you first see this building there's no
question of what it once was. The red-bricked,
rectangular structure has "Boys" engraved over
the east side doors and "Girls" over the west-facing doors.
The large white windows along the street are tall and
skinny and there is a stone cross on the roof. Everything is
neat and in order, as if it was still the first day of class.
"That's all I can tell you about it showing any signs of
being a school because the way they constructed things
with drywall and that, they changed it all around," said Al
Greguol, 77.
A few years ago Greguol was looking for a place to live
that had character, history and something to satisfy his
interest in architecture. When he found out that the
repurposed Ste. Genevieve's building had a vacancy he had
to take a look. Giving new purpose to this old space has
kept it alive and thriving, allowing history to be seen
through a new lens while meeting modern needs.
The former school on Irvine Avenue in Windsor is now
a modern loft-style condominium. As listed on the
exterior, the building was designed by architects
Pennington and Boyde and constructed in 1930. In 2001
the Valente Development Corporation restructured the
interior, creating St. Genevieve Place Lofts.
Reuse generates architecture that
is unique
October 2013 - The HUB 23