The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

14 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, June 21 1988 Village dream is now a reality hn in Fourteen years after Lou Stein {| first set eyes on Poplar Park, his dream has come true. From an empty field, the princi- pal of Ribcor Holdings has fa- shioned a unique and affordable | subdivision of unusual homes, all styled with Victorian ambience. Victorian Village, as it is known, is the product of Ribcor Holdings, Picture Homes and Lou Stein's persistence. More than a decade ago the To- ronto developer saw potential in Port Perry, so he purchased the ; land known as Poplar Park(nestled SE behind the Immaculate Concep- tion Catholic School, south of Highway 7A) with the help of partners. "We loved Port Perry even then. | I love this town. And we thought it had a lot of potential," Mr. Stein said. a -- Se ------------ A ------ p-- es ------------------ Potential and an affection for the land wasn't quite enough to get a development off the ground, how- ever, and due to a whole slew of it problems, the partnership dis- solved and Mr. Stein's dream was put on hold (the new partnership 1s unrelated to the old). Maybe other people would have abandoned the idea altogether, but Mr. Stein was persistent. Sometime during those 14 years he took a trip to the United States and had a first-hand look at some of Boston's beautiful victorian style homes. When he returned he approached architect John Beresford and said, "I want his. Can you do it?" The trip provided the inspiration for Victorian Village, a subdivi- sion of not split-level semi's, but of two-story victorian style homes with all the necessary details that set older homes apart from modem bungalows. | Mr. Beresford, a partner in the Toronto firm Flanagan, Beresford and Patteson, was a little taken aback at first, but his initial as- tonishment soon gave way to en- thusiasm. He calls Mr. Stein's idea "unusual" and admits the whole concept was "taking a chance"-- | compared to the safer development of a more typical subdivision. | Taking the idea and flying with it, Mr. Beresford came up with de- signs that "simulated, not copied" the Victorian look--and contained all modern amenities (like laundry rooms and garages) at the same time. "Victorian" styling, he says, is as varied as the town it originates in. A century or so ago, homes in a certain area tended to reflect the abilities of the local builder. If, for example, the builder knew how to lay bricks, most of the homes in the village would be brick. If he specialized in frame construction, most of the homes would be built from wood. "It (Victorian style) is very Imuch based on a lot of individu- als a long time ago." Frame was a typical building material in many parts of Ontario, and Mr. Beresford liked the idea, but realized "People aren't willing to keep up wood siding." I ---- OPEN TO PUBLIC SAT. 9 AM to 2 PM - ing Victorian Village, response played important roles in the de- manufacturer of quality FIBREGLASS BATHTUBS and WHIRLPOOLS Empress Desigiv So to make things easier for modem day buyers, the Victorian Village homes are covered with vinyl siding. In those bygone days, of course, garages weren't necessary because cars weren't invented. These days garages are important to new ome buyers. The problem for John Beresford was incorporating a modern garage with an old-style home. He points out the houses would have looked slightly lucridous with an attached garage in front. So what he did was design the gar- ages set back apiece. Therefore, passersby notice the house first, not the garage. As for all the details that make up a "Victorian style" (front bal- conys, hexagonal dining rooms ; ' that butt out from the rest of the oC house, decorative trim, big kitch- Lou Stein (second from left) couldn't be any happier about Victorian Vil- bos, gic.) Mr. Beresford ow fhe lage. The Innovative subdivision Is In Its finishing stages, after 14 long St iceas [rom Lie past, Insiead of years In the making. With Mr. Stein, above, are the people who helped focusing on one particular style. make this longtime dream come true--(from left) architect John Beresford, "What we see as Victorian in southern Ontario," he points out, Lorne Stein and Marty Stein (his son). See story for detalls. "is a vernacular style. This is what we've come to know as vic- torian." Whatever it is, people really seem to like it, and from the mo- ment the company started advertis- was immediate and overwhelming. Many homes were purchased be- fore construction even began. People were impressed with the original designs, and the affordable prices. Buyers came from as far away as Toronto. Construction of phase one of the project is almost complete, and already 70 per cent of the 88 homes are sold. When 100 per cent are sold, phase two will be- gin. Lou Stein calls the public's re- sponse to Victorian Village "tremendous. We were very happy with the response." He was pretty happy himself last Wednesday June 15 on a sun- ny, blustery day, with a small crowd gathered for the official opening of Victorian Village. On a hot, sunny blustery afternoon the opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting were held June 15 to celebrate the opening of Victorian Village, a subdivision that could fit nicely In with other homes bullt more than a cen- tury ago. Above, Mayor Jerry Taylor helps the development's principals As Mayor Jerry Taylor, local councillors, the top brass of the development and members of his family (including his son Marty and nephew Lome--both of whom cut the ribbon in front of a model home. Allen's Siding P (FORMERLY CHRIS ALLEN ALUMINUM) ALUMINUM & VINYL WINDOWS -- Tilt for easy cleaning -- Install in existing frames velopment) cut a wide red ribbon, Lou Stein was all smiles. roducts vm. REACH INDUSTRIAL PARK FLORIDA ROOMS He did, after all, go through a lot to get to that point. Typical development headaches combined with problems with the land (which have all been rectified) made the construction process a lengthy and expensive one. But all those complications are behind him now. Most of the -- Casement Bay, Bow Side Sliders Enjoy the houses are completed, and many We and many more styles. summer surrounded of Ibs homey A og SHUTTERS - WINDOWS by sunshine! point, is would he go through all . DOORS - AY Incs For more information this again, if he had it to do over? Bua PHONE 985-3741 He laughs a bit, shakes his head in the affirmative, and says, "I knew we had something here, an idea people would really love. 1 knew it would work out.' And it did. 'Your One-Stop Aluminum Needs' IN-STOCK -- Variety of Colours Siding, Soffit, Eavestrough - 5" Seamless SUPPLY ONLY or SUPPLY & INSTALL -- STEEL AVAILABLE -- IN A VARIETY OF COLOURS [PV IRELIRA WoL yg TTT ET CT bo 3 £ Weng | The best 4 pdiodons FOR MORE INFORMATION ~~ - OPEN - | on the market! & FREE ESTIMATES CALL: Mon.-Fri. 8t0 5 7 = Double or Triple Glazed i ) Mg ii \ NIE 985-3141 w.... 1-105-328-1402 80 VanEdward Drive Port Perry 985-3100