Lethbridge's 1st million-dollar condo listed for sale in historic Acadia Building
The price might seem more suited to Toronto or Vancouver's housing markets, but those dollars stretch much further in downtown Lethbridge.
The historic Acadia Block's penthouse, overlooking Galt Gardens, has just been listed for sale for $1.2 million, a first for the southern Alberta city.
"It's unbelievable and in many ways it's a lot like being near Central Park," said realtor Courtney Atkinson.
"I would say that the amount of activity that we've received has been surprising. I've listed a number of properties over the years north of a million dollars, but they would be, you know, standalone single-family homes somewhere on an acreage … so to see something like this as a condo in downtown Lethbridge is just really impressive."
The 4,200-sq.-ft. condo was originally a lawyers' office when the building was constructed in 1909.
Acadia Block is recognized as a historical building by the city, for its original brickwork and basket-handle arched window and metal frieze.
Atkinson said one of the back rooms of the apartment is a vault from the original lawyer's office, and said on the roof-top patio there's a faded painting on the brick advertising McCready's Drug Store, which was once located on the main floor of the building and is now home to Dove Christian Supplies.
The building's current owners, Wilma and John Gerlock, purchased it in about 2010. They renovated the second-floor residences over the course of three years, and then opened Dove Christian Supplies in one of the main floor retail spaces and leased out the second.
"Now they're just looking toward their retirement … you know, having the business and living in such a large space isn't what they desire at this stage of their life," he said.
"So, they're looking for someone to take over their dream basically."
The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condo boasts 11 skylights and six parking spaces, and is located right on the 600 block of 3rd Avenue downtown.
Atkinson said the average price point for a condo in Lethbridge is about $200,000.
"So, that certainly separates this property from other condominiums."
But, he said it's likely to draw interest from people across all of southern Alberta.
