Century Condos, the landmark building coming to the Grimsby Downtown, will elevate the area in more ways than one. This 4-storey boutique condominium, slated for the vacant property at 21-23 Main Street East, is a very exciting project for the community.
Significant investments were put into the design of the building to ensure this landmark development respects and enhances the character of the historic Downtown landscape.
The Town of Grimsby’s Planning Department and DeSantis Homes held the Town’s first-ever Urban Design Review Panel to ensure this building fits in with its well-loved surroundings. The Panel saw architects and urban design experts from across Niagara and beyond help refine and shape the building’s design.
In addition to the design of the building, we are delighted to share that the Century Condos project will deliver on clean energy and advance the environmental agenda.
DeSantis Homes and Subterra Renewables will partner to make Century Condos the first of its kind in Grimsby, utilizing a Geothermal Heating and Cooling System.
Geothermal is a system that exchanges heat by pumping refrigerant through pipes just below the Earth’s surface, where the temperature is a constant 10-15 Celsius.
During the winter, the refrigerant absorbs warmth from the Earth, and in the summer, the pumps will run in reverse and will help to cool the building. Geothermal systems replace equipment that emits large amounts of carbon with state-of-the-art heat pumps that utilize low-temperature thermal energy in the ground.
The positive impacts of this system aims to benefit future residents of the building, the community at large and the broader goals of climate mitigation and adaptation. Decreased consumption of natural resources to heat and cool the building reduces the overall carbon footprint of the development. Annually the Geothermal System in Century will result in a myriad of both cost and environmental savings.
For example, a project of this size will achieve the following yearly:
- 134 Metric Tons of CO2 saved per year; this is the equivalent to the Carbon Dioxide produced by a car driving 541,977 kilometres and a reduction of carbon that would be achieved by the planting of 2,214 trees, every year;
- The water savings realized is over 1 million litres;
- The use of natural gas is deleted, which is the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 120 vehicles removed from the roads yearly;
- Annual cost savings for future residents; and
- A better environment for us all.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the Geothermal system removes the need for large, loud and unsightly cooling towers from the top of the building, reducing neighbourhood noise pollution and enhancing the overall aesthetic of the development.
Did you know that the laneway running along the westerly side of Century Condos will be kept clear of snow by using a loop system below the asphalt to help thaw ice? This will keep people safer, reduce the use of salts in the winter and contribute to goals of sustainability.
The Town is grateful to DeSantis Homes for demonstrating their leadership and commitment to environmental goals by investing in sustainable and renewable sources of energy.
Gabe DeSantis, President, DeSantis Homes – “We strive to be environmentally conscious and work in collaboration with our architects and engineers to ensure our buildings are consistently raising the bar in terms of efficiency and design. It was incredibly important that we elevate our already high standards with Century Condos, as it will be the landmark development in downtown Grimsby. This project respects the local streetscape with both height and carefully curated exterior design and promises to re-infuse vibrancy and bring people to support local businesses.”
“Planning staff and the Town of Grimsby are working with the development industry to raise the standards of development through the lens of both design and environmental sustainability. In addition to more green buildings, Planning staff are exploring more ways to take action to combat climate change and its impacts.” Antonietta Minichillo, Director of Planning, Building and By-Law.
“I am pleased to see DeSantis Homes leading the way in green energy in the Town of Grimsby and hope that others will follow their environmental initiative.” Mayor Jeff Jordan
