Dawson Court to become student housing
Jeff Walters | CBC News | Posted: June 7, 2017 11:00 AM | Last Updated: June 7, 2017
Asanhul Habib purchased former home for the aged
A former home for the aged in Thunder Bay, Ont., will have some much younger tenants come September.
Ahsanul Habib purchased the former Dawson Court on North Algoma Street for just under half a million dollars. The purchase was ratified by Thunder Bay city council on Monday.
Habib plans to convert the building into a student housing complex, he said.
"There's a lot of international students coming in," he added.
"Students from outside Thunder Bay [are] looking for a good place to live. And then there's the college. Plus Aboriginals need a good secure place to live in Thunder Bay."
The secure building would have kitchenettes and a dedicated wing for Indigenous students, Habib said.
A shuttle service would be set up so students would have reliable transportation to Lakehead University, Confederation College and Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, he added.
"Some repairs, painting, cleaning, some alterations to the washrooms and shower area – we're going to add kitchenettes and kitchen areas to each pod," he said.
Habib wants to do more work to the building at a later date, which could accommodate an additional 40 students.
That work includes building more rooms and converting existing space to individual rooms, while also making improvements to the building's appearance.
The secure building would have staff on-site to assist students, Habib said, adding, "We have to work out the details, but our intention is to have a supervised student centre to enhance their education first, and safety."
Other projects ongoing
Habib owns a number of properties that he has purchased from public groups, including the city and Lakehead Public Schools.
The Royal Edward Arms building on May Street was purchased by Habib in 2015.
That sale included a commitment to 'substantially renovate' the building, which was sold for $500,000.
Habib said the building will be converted back into a hotel, after being used for decades as an apartment building.
He told CBC News that a hotel franchise is in place, and he is awaiting confirmation of financing.