By Adele Freedman
The Globe and Mail, July 19, 1986
"To hear of another condominium building going up on Bay Street or at Harbourfront could hardly raise an eyebrow, but how about an old picture frame factory in an ethnic neighborhood being converted into 16 "New York loft-style condo" to be known as The Oxford-on-Markham? That's the project Mitchell and Associates are in the midst of completing and it promises to be a honey. (It is also completely sold out.)
The Mitchells' shared career, whatever they choose to call it, started out innocently enough. They bought a house for themselves in the mid-seventies, and renovated it into a duplex. Next they renovated a number of houses in the Annex for the rental market. In 1981, says Mitchell, 'rental stopped making sense and we went into condos.' Their strategy was to acquire non-residential buildings in the downtown and make them into residences. This made sense on two fronts: they wouldn't be displacing rental accommodation, and they would be in a position to capitalize on features like thick walls and high ceilings.
Needless to say, these condos don't feel like the stacked, blanched boxes normally answering to the same name. They aren't cheap, ranging from $90,000 to $170,000, nor are they excessively large, being 900 - 1,800 square feet.
The picture-frame factory on Markham Street has both of these in abundance, and a lot of other things going for it, too. It may look like a little industrial building, but it makes a snug fit with the dainty, well-kept houses around it - and the street is within walking distance of Bathurst, Dundas and Queen streets. The Mitchells added a third story to the structure, raising the existing parapet with salvaged brick, and they carved out underground parking for 19 cars. These were the major moves, although what they accomplished inside by way of layouts and organization is just as commendable.
No two condos are alike at Oxford-on-Markham, named not for the English university but the former picture-frame company. Each is orchestrated differently and each is custom-finished. However, they all share certain characteristics.
The Mitchells aren't the only people turning factories into condos, but they're certainly among the leaders. Previous projects have included the recycling of the old Ontario Medical College for Women in Cabbagetown, and the conversion of a machine shop on Shanly Street. Where are they going to strike next? 'It's hard to say where you're going to grow,' Mitchell responds. 'This kind of work is time-consuming. You're limited by the type of buildings, the level of complexity required. Oxford-on-Markham is a nice threshold size. It's nice for people; there's a sense of community right in the building. Of course, I'm always looking for new things to do, but I don't want to see my good ideas printed in a newspaper.'"