In 2015, while serving as Chair of the Port Dalhousie Business Association, I developed a vision for 9 and 15 Lock Street and I set out to build a plan to acquire the properties and redevelop them.  9 Lock Street was the original CIBC bank in Port Dalhousie and was being used as a basic office.  15 Lock Street had been known for a generation as the Lion Tavern, however, it had been vacant and in condemned disrepair for several years at the time it was acquired.  It had been subject to a fire, flooding, and years of neglect as a vacant seemingly abandoned building.

My original business model was based on having a high-end artisan coffee shop, and very specifically a Balzac’s Coffee in 9 Lock to anchor the project.  15 Lock Street would then house a farm-to-table local artisan bistro/bakery, an Ontario craft beer and VQA wine, bar and my own aktiv-lifestyle triathlon and multisport retail store.

The craft beer bar instead became Lock Street Brewing Company and the bistro is now CHZ PLZ.  The brewery expanded already to take over one of the retail units and what used to be Trysport Niagara is now a real estate office.  As of 2020 the third floor of 15 Lock Street is now complete and hosts more office space.  Between the two buildings I host 5 commercial tenants.