A local developer is converting a former downtown Dartmouth hotel into an 81-unit rental micro-apartment building.

Sidewalk Real Estate Development has begun to pre-lease the property at 65 Kingstreet. The developer plans to upgrade and expand the seven-storey brutalist building with an eighth floor and ninth-floor common rooftop. Dubbed the Shuffle, the revamped building will include ground-floor retail space.

A micro-apartment building typically comprise suites of less than 400 square feet, according to LP Building Solutions. The units contain fully functioning kitchens and bathrooms.

While some developers might have brought in a wrecking ball, Sidewalk’s webpage on the project says the company “saw opportunity in the bones and unique features of the property.”

The property will feature a six-storey mural.

Sidewalk bases its business on upgrading and reinventing older properties. The company is converting the 56-year-old Centennial building in downtown Halifax into a rental apartment tower.