TONY Diec, manager of marketing and sales for the Dover Wharf condominium project on Harbour Street at the waterfront, says he is very pleased work on the development is proceeding this winter.
At left: A large crane at the Dover Wharf condominium project lifts precast concrete walls into place. Inset at top right shows one of the walls being lowered into position on the foundations which were poured in the fall.
He reported to the Maple Leaf last week that “barring any setbacks from weather or acts of god” the shell for the project will be complete by early summer.
A second phase of construction will continue after the shell is complete as the plumbing, electrical and finishing work are installed in the project. Mr. Diec was not able to provide a completion date for the project only saying “we will have to see how things go.”
A large articulated crane was moved onto the site that lifts and places the precast concrete walls into position.
Mr. Diec said officials from Norfolk County were initially concerned by the size of the crane. Working like an elbow in the middle of its long reach and using crawler traction, the crane moves back and forth along a solid wooden path parallel to Harbour Street.
The precast concrete comes from Stubbe’s Precast facility near Harley, just beyond the northern boundary of Norfolk County. The company specializes in precast concrete construction including providing hollow core flooring, structural wall panels, double tees, columns and beams produced at its manufacturing facility.
The foundation concrete and rebar installation was completed earlier this winter in preparation for the current work.
For the past week, many of the ground floor walls were being installed. High winds shut down work one day last week.
Mr. Diec described the bare-bones structure as “going together like Lego.”
Mr. Diec’s mother, Nicole Diec, is the developer of this project. He describes her “as the giant force of this project.”
As a young Vietnamese woman, Mrs. Diec immigrated to Canada and as her first job in this country sorted and graded fish at the Henry H. Misner fish processing plant which was located on the site and a major employer in Port Dover at the time.
Through hard work Mrs. Diec went on to pursue other business interests in the area but, as the project’s website explains, always dreamed of turning the Misner fish plant into something greater for the town that she fell in love with.
She purchased the approximately two-thirds of an acre property when the Misner plant moved its operation to Simcoe and put its riverfront property on the market.
The building is designed with 48 condominium units on three floors with covered parking on the ground level. According to the original plans, units range from 871 to 1313 square feet. Individual suites include nine-foot ceilings, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, and luxury features and finishes.
Reid and DeLeye of Courtland is the general contractor for the project.
Mr. Diec says interest in the project has been strong and there are “a few units available.” He “strongly encourages” anyone interested in purchasing one of the condominiums to contact real estate broker Leslie Lee of Chase Realty Brokerage who is in charge of sales at 519-426-6007. The sales trailer at the site at the foot of Main Street is open weekends for limited hours.
