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It was an inheritance and emotional connection two siblings just couldn’t let go, an old, derelict garage sitting along Fort Road as the weeds grew, pavement cracked and debris piled up in the unfenced yard.

It sat abandoned — a garbage dump beside a residential neighbourhood — for more than 10 years. Then they sold it.

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Fawzy Abuamra now calls it his “castle.”

A city pilot project targeting 40 similar derelict commercial properties across the city got long-term funding in the city’s operating budget. With new ownership and renovations already underway, the old Fort Road garage was an easy one for the team to strike from their list. Its renewal illustrates the potential of the new program.

With new paint, new windows and working garage doors, Abuamra’s place on Fort Road and 122nd Avenue already looks great. He filed a rezoning application last month, and hopes to have a used car lease-to-own facility open shortly, testing out a new concept for those who struggle to afford new cars.