The building known as Killarney Kastle has been sold, and its new owners are planning extensive work to restore one of Prince Albert’s most recognizable heritage properties.
Duane Braaten, a real estate broker with Advantage Real Estate Services, said the sale of the property at 585 19th Street East is now complete. The building, also known historically as the Holmes Residence, was damaged by an electrical fire in 2023.
“It is officially sold,” Braaten said.
Braaten said the fire itself was mostly in the attic, but the damage was made worse by the water needed to extinguish it.
“There was an electrical wire in the top story in the attic,” he said. “It wasn’t much of a fire, but extensive water damage.”
Submitted Photo/Advantage Real Estate Services
The interior of the Killarney Kastle building at 585 19th Street East. Real estate broker Duane Braaten said the new owners plan to restore the property as a family home following an electrical fire in 2023.
The previous owner chose not to reopen the business after the fire, Braaten said. The property later became available, and after a number of showings, a buyer was found.
For Braaten, who said he has worked in Prince Albert real estate for 40 years, the sale was about more than a transaction. He described the building as a long-standing landmark with a deep place in the city’s history.
“It’s been a historic landmark for the city of Prince Albert since early 1900s,” he said.
The building was known to many residents as Killarney Kastle, but its history goes back much further. Braaten said the home carries a sense of the city’s early ambition, when large homes on East Hill reflected Prince Albert’s place as a growing centre in Western Canada.
He said walking through the building left an impression.
“Absolute grandeur,” Braaten said. “You kind of go back to the time, you know, the turn of the century.”
He described the interior as having a museum like feel, with fire places, wainscoting, ornate metal ceiling details and craftsmanship that is rarely seen in newer buildings.
“You don’t see properties like that very often,” he said. “Even after 40 years of real estate, it still kind of makes your heart sing.”
Although the fire and water damage affected the building, Braaten said the structure remains strong. He pointed to the foundation, brickwork and veranda as examples of how well the home was built.
“The structure is strong,” he said. “Over 100 years old and still standing strong.”
Braaten said the new owners are a family, not an organization. He said they plan to use it as a personal home and intend to complete major renovations.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
The entry gate of Killarney Kastle building at 585 19th Street East.
“They just want to bring it back to its grandeur,” he said.
He said the buyers were not discouraged by the heritage nature of the property or the work involved. He described them as people with experience in electrical, plumbing and carpentry work, and said they are planning to renovate the building from top to bottom.
Braaten said buildings like this require buyers who understand the cost, patience and responsibility involved.
“You have to have somebody that’s got competency and maintenance and building structure that can take on something like that,” he said.
He also said the sale is good news for Prince Albert because older buildings can be lost when no one is willing to take them on.
“It’s a great feather in the hat for the city of Prince Albert to have this building coming literally out of the ashes and being rebuilt again,” he said.
Braaten said there could be a possibility for the public to see the property after the work is done, but that will depend on the new owners.
For now, he said he is pleased to see the building moving into another chapter.
“We were flattered to be chosen to help sell the property,” he said. “We were just happy to be part of the successful sale.”
The previous owners of Killarney Kastle operated a fully licensed historical eatery in the building, along with a patio and gift shop. They also hosted events, like a Mother’s Day Brunch, and balcony parties. The owners announced they were closed until further notice in their most recent Facebook post on Dec. 1, 2023.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
