The Ritz comes to Sharbot Lake

Jeff Green | Jun 18, 2015

Matthew Robinson, the CEO of Robinson Asset Management, travels in fancy circles when he travels to Bay Street to do whatever investment porfolio managers do to ensure healthy returns for their investors' money.

One of those places is the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto.

“I was siting in the lobby one day and I thought, this is a really nice space, but it would be even nicer if it was set against Sharbot Lake.”

That was the genesis of the idea of construction of a well-appointed patio at the rear of the Simmonett building where his company headquarters are located on a precipice between Road 38 and a gentle hill that leads to the shore of Sharbot Lake.

With the building providing an effective sound barrier, it is hard to believe that the patio and gardens are only a few feet away from the busiest road in Frontenac County. The space includes a complex of couches, a spacious bar with a thick granite counter-top, umbrella-covered tables and more, making it an ideal location for a fancy reception such as was held last Sunday to introduce the patio to the public.

One use of the patio will be for the staff at the Simonett building, who will be able to use it for lunch or even as a work space, since it is covered by the building's wi-fi.

Robinson also said that the space will be made available to community groups for receptions and other events.

“This is a community space as well,” he said. “One of the best parts of Sharbot Lake is that we all share the environment.”

Mayor Frances Smith said a few words on behalf of the township, thanking Robinson Asset Management for making the space another community asset.

The township helped cover some of the costs of the new patio by providing a grant under the Frontenac Community Improvement Plan.