Media Centre Home

Our First Sarnia Place media centre offers you direct access to the information, references, resources and contacts you'll need to keep your audience up to date on our truly unique development on the St. Clair River waterfront.

Check back frequently for the latest news releases and advisories of upcoming events. If you’d like to receive our news updates directly and immediately upon release, we welcome your request to be added to our list of accredited news media contacts.

During normal business hours, news media enquiries may be directed to 519-541-2343, or for your convenience, please click on the Request an Interview link at any time.

Latest News

Sales of luxury waterfront condos rebound

Sarnia, ON (November 23, 2009) If an increase in property sales is a sign of economic recovery, then the owners of First Sarnia Place condominiums have received the message loud and clear.

Seaway Centre Sarnia spokesperson John Gilvesy reported that sales staff for the waterfront tower in the city's downtown recently sold six of the luxury suites over a period of six weeks. The sales are a solid indication that interest in the downtown condominiums is growing once again, added Mel Inch, the project's sales manager.

"We saw an increase in the number of visitors to our sales model starting about two months ago, when news stories about the economy turning around first started to appear," observed Inch. "Our recent sales are proof that people are ready to move forward with larger investments, because they realize that the economy is improving."

Gilvesy suggested that people could be picking up cues about the state of the economy from a variety of sources, including the level of business at work, job circumstances and personal investments.

"From our downtown vantage point in the model suite, we've noticed increases in the amount of foot traffic on the sidewalks and in the number of store renovations underway. Even the number of ships on the St. Clair River is up," Inch noted.

The majority of the recent First Sarnia Place sales involved local residents, said Gilvesy, although he indicated that buyers would also be moving to the city from Winnipeg and Calgary. The remaining suites, which range in price from $279,000 - $529,000, continue to appeal to a wide demographic range of people, most notably retirees and business professionals.

The relative stability of the Sarnia-Lambton real estate market and mortgage lending rates are further encouragement for property buyers to become more active again.

"During the past year, even though people were afraid to buy, our local property values held fairly steady, " Inch observed. "And in my 37 years in real estate, I've never seen mortgage rates as low as they are now. These two considerations alone have got to be good signs for people thinking about buying property here."

Following the recent flurry of sales, First Sarnia Place has only 8 of the original 38 suites left to sell. The available suites are situated on various floors and offer a variety of views. With the condominium models uniquely designed around the 270-degree perspectives of the tower's four corners, each suite offers a good view of the river.

While the panorama of the river and the prime waterfront location continue to be the major points of interest for visitors to the sixth floor model, Gilvesy said that other features are also being promoted by those who now call First Sarnia Place home.

"The residents here continue to tell us and others they meet that they love living downtown on the waterfront at First Sarnia Place," he said. "It's very gratifying to hear them talk so enthusiastically about their new home."

Seaway Centre Sarnia, a division of Gilvesy Enterprises Inc., owns and manages First Sarnia Place, at 201 Front Street North, Sarnia, Ontario. The company's senior representative, John G. Gilvesy, P.Eng., is president of Gilvesy Enterprises Inc. and has extensive experience in real estate, development, construction and property management. The Gilvesy group of companies, which also includes Riverdance Holdings Inc., Gentrac Building Corporation and Permterra Development Corporation, has been involved in several prominent local projects, most notably the original development and construction of First Sarnia Place and the restorations of Sarnia's Lawrence House and Victoria Playhouse Petrolia.

Just too good to change

While the seven-floor transformation at the waterfront tower is attracting much attention, a number of the traditional features of First Sarnia Place will be staying just the way patrons like them:

• On the Front Restaurant & Lounge - 14th Floor
  Visitors are never disappointed any time they choose to enjoy On the Front's scrumptious and distinctive menu choices and the spectacular skyline view, still just a brief elevator ride from our main lobby to the top floor.
  On the Front continues to be the perfect location for special celebrations and everyday get-togethers with family and friends. Many have discovered that its skyline setting is also ideal for an intimate dinner with that someone special.
• Professional Services and Businesses - Floors 1 through 5 and 14th Floor
  Remaining on the lower and upper-most floors of First Sarnia Place is an array of professional service, business and government offices. Check the main lobby directory for the location of the businesses and services that continue to conduct business from the convenience of 201 Front Street in downtown Sarnia.

For further information please contact:
John Elliott
Media Relations
519-541-2343