Main Street in North Bay to see 20 new apartments added

Downtown North Bay's future looks bright A variety of new apartments are coming to downtown North Bay on top of Cecil's and the Grande. Jaime McKee reports.

Cecil's Brewhouse & Kitchen and The Grande Event Centre in North Bay are expanding.

This time, 20 apartment units are being added on to the upper floors of the Main Street building.

"I'm going to call it unique residential units," said John Lechlitner, the owner of the building and related businesses.

"The front deck slash porch will be extended up so all the units facing the lake will have outdoor living space," Lechlitner said.

"We're also looking at the feasibility for those who don't have outdoor living space to create an outdoor deck on top."

The construction is in the early phases, according to Lechlitner, who said they are hoping to have tenants in the building within the next two years.

"We're looking at what's the North Bay market?” he said.

“Who is going to want to live in this type of environment? And also what will be complimentary to the type of brewhouse restaurant that Cecil's is and what we do at The Grande because it all has to work, it's all under one campus, one roof," he said.

North Bay's downtown is set to receive work on its infrastructure this year and a new restaurant also recently opened on Main Street.

Lechlitner believes North Bay's downtown is headed in the right direction and the new apartments will only help that.

"Downtown is in the process and has already turned the pivotal corner," he said.

"You're seeing other restaurants, business open, you're seeing things where work is being done. I think downtown in the next one to five years is going to undergo a pretty cool and unique transformation."