The lofts feature spacious interiors with soaring ceilings (top) and a beautiful patio.
It was a serendipitous event that realtor Luke Wiebe considers a foreshadowing of what was to happen years later in his real estate career.
"A while back, I was in the city’s Exchange District with my wife," he recalls. "I happened to glimpse some of the loft-style condos that realtor Bill Thiessen was selling there at the time and I said to her, ‘I’d sure love to live in a unit like that.’ I really liked the loft concept and what it had to offer."
Then — several years later — it happened: a unique property came up for sale in Roland, Man.
"I was on Facebook and happened to see this church for sale. I told my mom (who Luke partners with at Royal LePage Riverbend Realty) and said we should look at it just for fun. My attitude was, who knows, maybe we can do something with it."
Turned out, the former home restoration expert fell in love with the property the moment he laid eyes on it. He quickly determined he would indeed try to do something with it.
"The original plan was to turn it into an apartment building. Then, we changed our mind. It was a truly special building, so we decided to do 12 loft-style units to take advantage of all it had to offer," Wiebe says of the church, which was rebuilt in 1912 (in only one year, a rarity back then) after a fire destroyed the former Roland Methodist Church.
Sometimes, there’s local opposition to projects looking to repurpose an historic building. That wasn’t the case in Roland.
"Everyone in the town and surrounding community was very supportive," he says. "In their mind, it was an abandoned church that was going to get a new lease on life."
That it has.
Today, the church is fully restored. Its brick facade looks fresh and its beguiling variety of huge windows (rectangular, oval, arched) look stunning and make for bright, airy interiors. Not surprisingly, the church’s interior has also been transformed.
"It’s a really nice mix of old and new design features. We put in (medium brown) laminate plank flooring (some original oak hardwoods remain), along with white or grey/taupe cabinetry, islands and stainless appliances, which contrast nicely with the huge windows (some with wood trim, others with drywall returns), arched, timbre-lined ceilings, exposed brick walls and exposed ductwork. The larger units have ceilings that soar up to a height of 26 feet."
Wiebe says the units — which range in price from $89,900 for smaller suites to $274,900 for the largest, most luxurious ones — possess a broad appeal.
"I think they’re a great option for anyone from doctors commuting from Boundary Trails Hospital in Winkler, to empty nesters looking for a well-appointed move-down condo in a quiet community, to young professionals looking for a stylish place to make as their first home. The project is in a great location — it’s situated between Morden and Carman, just 55 minutes from Winnipeg."
All the hard work has ended and Roland Church Lofts is set to be unveiled Sunday, when an open house will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
"We’re really excited," Wiebe says. "It was a lot of work, but turning the church into a loft condo development truly was a labour of love. They’re unique, beautiful and functional, and I think people who come to see them will fall in love with the units, too."
For more information on Roland Church Lofts, visit facebook.com/rolandchurchlofts or call Luke Wiebe at 204-380-2582.
lewys@mymts.net
