Developer unveils vision for restored Sovereign

Progress on two in-fill projects on Creemore’s Mill Street is slow but steady, according to principal Frank Domenichiello.

Domenichiello, a Woodbridge based builder is restoring the historic Sovereign building, which was heavily damaged by fire in December 2022, and constructing a mixed use building dubbed Casa Riccia at 143 and 145 Mill St.

Architect Nolan Bentley, of D&H Architects in Orangeville, says the roof is scheduled to go on Casa Riccia this week.

“Then we can proceed with the stone and brick veneer, firewalls and fire separation, framing, plumbing and HVAC.”

Domenichiello says interior finishing will not happen until spring, and at that time, they will begin marketing the building.

“We’ve already had lots of interest. There will be one or two commercial units on the ground floor, with a total of about 4,500 square feet plus four second floor apartments and a roof top terrace. We have designed the commercial space to be flexible with good ceiling height and accessibility features.”

Over at the Sovereign, Phase 1 has been reinforcement of the existing building. With that work largely completed, the owners have applied for building permits for a Phase 2 addition. Ultimately, Domenichiello says the building will have about 6,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space and seven apartments.

“The footprint will be the same as the previous building, but there will be plenty of upgrades including a fully accessible elevator and handicapped washrooms,” he said. “We stripped all the paint off the brick on the original building. We want this to be a quality restoration so we needed to know what we were working with.”

It is possible that the foundation for the addition will be poured before winter fully sets in. That depends on the timing of permits.

He predicts that the revitalized Sovereign will be ready for occupancy sometime in 2026.