A 400-square-foot condo is getting a complete makeover this month, thanks to seven local big-hearted businesses.
“This is a renovation unlike any other,” says Taylor Conroy, real estate agent with The Condo Group. “After stripping the unit down to its studs, we’re rebuilding it up as a transforming space, containing a kitchen, dining room, home theatre, bedroom and more. To reveal the different rooms, walls will roll aside, counters will fold away and tables will flip into beds — it’ll really be quite extraordinary.”
But for Conroy and his partners, the best part is the project’s philanthropic ties: after the renovation is complete in November, the Bossi House condo will be put on public display for about a year before being sold. The total proceeds from the condo sale (real estate commission plus the increased value of the unit) will be donated to Free The Children, a charitable organization that works across the globe to improve the lives of youth.
“Our anticipated donation will be between $75,000 and $100,000, with all funds going to benefit the young people of Kenya’s Masai-Mara region,” says Conroy. “This contribution will see to the construction of two schoolhouses, numerous wells and a mobilized healthcare unit and will fund alternative education programs for women as well as teacher salaries. I’m so thankful to our generous partners who have all donated their time, expertize and materials to this cause.”
Partners of the project include The Condo Group (profits from condo sale), CertaPro Painters of Victoria (all flooring and paint), Livtona Interior Design Ltd. (interior design and finishes selections), Elevated Audio Video (a six-foot theatre screen and projector), Resource Furniture BC (two transforming furniture pieces, Ulisse Sofa and Ulisse Dining), Designs 20/20 (the videography of the renovation process) and Swiftsure Woodworkers Ltd. (all kitchen, bathroom and storage cabinets).
{advertisement}“It’s a pleasure to be a part of this project, putting Victoria on the world stage of innovation and philanthropic responsibility,” says Peter McCutcheon, president of Swiftsure Woodworking. “And in a year, one lucky buyer will have the bragging rights of owning one of the world’s most fascinating homes. It’s a great story to tell over the dinner table – which, by the way, seats a whopping 14 people.”
And choosing African youth as the project’s beneficiary was a no-brainer for Conroy, who describes a 2009 trip to Kenya and Uganda as “a turning point.”
“During my time in Africa, I helped fund the construction of two new schools — the delight on the faces of the town’s residents was so rewarding,” says Conroy. “Giving back to the world has always been near and dear to my heart. But being able to use my profession as a vehicle for charity and change? Truly extraordinary.”
For more information about the transforming condo, located in the Bossi House complex at the corner of Johnson and Vancouver Streets in Victoria, contact The Condo Group at 250-382-6636.
