Medical Arts Building becomes a home for clerks and residents
The Medical Arts Building (MAB) in Windsor now serves as a temporary home to many Schulich Medicine clerks and residents doing their training in Windsor. It is thanks to Ray Redekopp’s passion for heritage buildings and architecture and his entrepreneurial spirit, that this modern and sophisticated facility has come to life.
Redekopp first visited Windsor in 1999, when an opportunity arose to buy the Devonshire Keg restaurant. Already running a Keg franchise in Alberta, Redekopp was motivated by the idea of running a business across the country and experiencing the unique opportunity to manage people and operations at a distance. The restaurant brought him to Windsor more often, giving him the chance to tour around the city with a keen eye to other potential property purchases.
When he first laid eyes on the MAB, he knew he had to own it. He purchased it in 2004, and began to plan out how the building would be renovated and used. Several ideas were considered including a retirement home, and a Boutique Hotel concept. During the interior demolition, he discovered that the planned uses would not work financially. It wasn’t until 2011, when Redekopp met David Musyj, chief executive officer, Windsor Regional Hospital and subsequently, Gerry Cooper, associate dean, Windsor Program, that the idea of the building being used for trainees first arose.
At the time, the living facilities for visiting clerks and residents were not ideal, and the opportunity to consider something new that was directly across the street from the hospital was of interest to the School. Renovations got underway in earnest.
Today, the facility is really more like a boutique hotel. The heritage entry and façade have been refurbished while Redekopp’s teams updated everything else. There are 15 smaller suites with mini kitchenettes, three smaller hotel size rooms, two two-bedroom apartments and one large three-bedroom apartment. There is also a full common area kitchen, outdoor patio, gym, spa area, boardroom and corporate office.
To date, the response from all trainees has been extremely positive.
While Redekopp doesn’t live in Windsor full time, he is certainly expanding his interest in the city. He has finished renovating the Devonshire Keg this past fall and he plans to renovate the Riverside location this year as well. He is also looking at other properties in the city.
