Corner stores are part of the fabric in any neighbourhood. As the go-to spot for grabbing late-night snacks, missing recipe ingredients and last-minute ice for house parties, corner stores are a handy community amenity whenever you need them.
In East Vancouver’s Norquay Village, a 100-year-old corner store is getting a second life as a boutique collection of single-family and townhouse residences.
Situated on East 34th Avenue and Nanaimo Street, Century House reimagines the intersection’s century corner store as four new residences and a heritage storefront space. Blending the old with the new, this development incorporates the building’s original architecture with new modern elements.
Built in 1918 by Harry Bridge, the corner store first opened its doors as Smith’s Grocery in 1922. Over a 40-year period, dozens of British and European grocers occupied the building until Chinese immigrant B.K. Mah opened B.K. Grocery in 1968, the project’s website explains. Mah and his family lived in the corner store’s upstairs unit while operating the grocer. Until 2014, the store remained under the B.K. Grocery name.
Century House’s four new suites — two townhomes and two single-family residences, according to BuzzBuzzHome — will range from 860 to 1,534 square feet with two- to three-bedroom layouts. Each home caters a range of modern features and comforts, including low-maintenance laminate flooring, matte black plumbing fixtures, white hexagonal bathroom wall tiles and ceilings up to ten feet high.
Century House will be walking distance to local schools, businesses along Kingsway, and Norquay Park, which features playgrounds and walking trails. Developed by Domus Homes, construction on Century House is expected to wrap up in March.
According to the latest pricing data from BuzzBuzzHome, sales for Century House range from $760,000 to $1,296,800.
