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Feature: Vancouver's historic mansion to be restored by efforts of Chinese immigrant

Xinhua, June 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

A derelict historic mansion in Vancouver is on the way to its original glory, thanks to the efforts of its new owner, a Chinese immigrant.

Mingfei Zhao bought the three-story house called The Rosemary three years ago for 11 million Canadian dollars (8.5 million U.S. dollars) in a ritzy Westside neighborhood.

"As soon as he saw the home, he put in an aggressive offer to purchase the home, just because he fell in love with it," said Jim Perkins, president of Fair Trade Works, is in charge of renovating the 14,000-square-foot residence for Zhao.

After nearly three years of repair, the renovation is about half-way complete and needs at least a year and half before final completion, Perkins told Xinhua. By the time the renovation is done, Zhao would have invested about 6 million Canadian dollars (4.65 million U.S. dollars), he said.

Perkins said the biggest challenge with this project is simply the disarray that the home was in. Completed in 1918, the house was poorly maintained, leading to leaks and rot. Moreover, it had been abused by the movie industry for a couple of decades, which had left behind at least 10 layers of paint.

"But now we're kind of into the fun part where we've restored all the existing rooms and we're going into rebuilding and redesigning the kitchen, the basement, the top floor," Perkins added.

Built originally for businessman Albert Tulk, The Rosemary was occupied by Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia in the 1930s and 40s. Later, the sprawling mansion became home of a group of Catholic nuns.

The exterior of the house is protected by the City of Vancouver's stringent heritage regulations, meaning that many of the exterior features must be restored and preserved as originally designed. The Rosemary is an architectural blend of English Manor and Art-and-Crafts design.

There are altogether 220 such buildings that are protected by heritage laws in Vancouver. Perkins believed The Rosemary is a very unique property and will be one of the most unique properties in British Columbia. Endi