Extreme Makeover

01/29/2004

Former Harding Carpets site just keeps looking better and better

BY MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION
EXPOSITOR STAFF / BRANTFORD

The transformation of a former brownfield building on Morrell Street into a bright, state-of-the-art warehouse continues apace.

In his latest tour of King & Benton Development Corp.'s remodelling job on the former Harding Carpets site Friday afternoon, president Steve Charest showed Brant MP Lloyd St. Amand, Brant MPP Dave Levac, city politicians, staff and area residents how the sprawling 300,000-square-foot structure is quickly filling with tenants.

As he was talking, officials from Mitten Vinyl were busy moving inventory into the centre of the facility, which, after selective demolition and renovations now resembles a huge backward "C" of warehouse space and bay doors with a major courtyard truck entrance.

FULL OF JUNK

When King & Benton bought the long-closed building/for $100,000 following a tax sale by the city a little more than a year ago, the whole place was crammed full of junk, chemicals and scrap tires, and was a haven for squatters, an automobile chop shop busted by the cops, and other illegal activities.

The company has since spent close to $4 million on a massive refit.

Mitten Vinyl is occupying a cavernous spot with a glossy grey floor and gleaming white walls and ceilings. It's where the producer of plastics and vinyl products is consolidating its growing operations from Paris and the Mohawk Business Centre on Mohawk Street in Brantford.

Above a vast space rapidly filling with product is a mezzanine distribution office that shortly will oversee trucking and shipment of product lines to points as far away as the U.S., Australia and Russia.
"It's going from a derelict squatters' space to a productive tenant space," said Charest.

FOCUS STEEL

In another part of the building, a crew from Focus Steel, a division of New Brunswick-based Chapelstone Developments, was busy forging metals wall panels and studs for prefabricated buildings. The latest product is replacing wood structural elements that Chapelstone had been producing for decades.

"This space here is ideal in every aspect," manager Ray Twyne told the tour. Since setting up shop in September, "we've been going gang-busters."

Focus Steel is taking advantage of a burgeoning Ontario market for construction materials. While Twyne was talking, on the wall were drawings for a new Days Inn that will emerge from the hammering and welding.

The company was also fashioning parts of what will be a guard house for the front of King & Benton's main entrance.

In another part of the building, renovations are in progress for a history room and museum, where artefacts of the former Harding Carpets will be on display.

"The community has been an important part of this project," said Charest.

Levac, who, like most politicians, was on fourth progress tour Friday, said he continues to be impressed by King & Benton’s work.

“In the amount of time since they took possession, the transition from a hell hole to a going concern with employment, taxes and safe operations has been tremendous,” he said.

“This company deserves all the credit it gets for doing what it said it would do. They’re a credit to the neighbourhood.”