2nd Avenue Lofts
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Avenue Lofts is a historic building located in the Central Business District
of Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
.
The original building on the site was a five story concrete and steel building with a pressed brick facade building constructed in 1913, to house the J.F. Cairns Department Store. J. F. Cairns settled in Saskatoon in 1902, opening the first mill in the city before entering the retail business. The five story building was built by G.H. Archibald and Company containing 90,255 square feet. The building was taken over the Hudson's Bay Company
(HBC) department store chain in 1922 making it the 11th department store location for HBC. On October 14, 1922, the Chippendale style, Imperial Restaurant opened on the fourth floor, the restaurant contained banquet facilities and was used for special events in the city.
The original building was torn down and in 1960 the Hudson's Bay Company opened in a new more modern three story building on the same site. At a cost of $3 Million the building provided 157000 square feet (14,585.8 m²) of retail space over three floors and had provision for the addition of two more floors. In 1967, a fourth floor was added as well as skywalk to a six floor parkade. In 2000, HBC left the building to move into the former Eaton's
location in Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon)
shopping centre a few blocks away.
In 2004, Wayne Lemauviel, Gary Bender and later Gene Dube purchased the building and began work on converting the building into lofts. A fifth story was added to the building, and due to the high ceiling on each floor it was possible to create each loft with an internal mezzanine. The ground floor was retained as retail space. The same year, the skybridge across second avenue was removed and the parkade torn-down. The interior design on the building has won an Award of Excellence. The conversion from retail to lofts is part of a larger residential revival occurring in the central business district with an influx of people moving into the area.
Central Business District, Saskatoon
The Central Business District is one of seven suburban development districts in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The central business district is Ward 6 of a Mayor-Council government represented by councillor Charlie Clark. Formerly called West Saskatoon, this area arose when the steam engines...
of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The original building on the site was a five story concrete and steel building with a pressed brick facade building constructed in 1913, to house the J.F. Cairns Department Store. J. F. Cairns settled in Saskatoon in 1902, opening the first mill in the city before entering the retail business. The five story building was built by G.H. Archibald and Company containing 90,255 square feet. The building was taken over the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
(HBC) department store chain in 1922 making it the 11th department store location for HBC. On October 14, 1922, the Chippendale style, Imperial Restaurant opened on the fourth floor, the restaurant contained banquet facilities and was used for special events in the city.
The original building was torn down and in 1960 the Hudson's Bay Company opened in a new more modern three story building on the same site. At a cost of $3 Million the building provided 157000 square feet (14,585.8 m²) of retail space over three floors and had provision for the addition of two more floors. In 1967, a fourth floor was added as well as skywalk to a six floor parkade. In 2000, HBC left the building to move into the former Eaton's
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Co. Limited was once Canada's largest department store retailer. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an Irish immigrant. Eaton's grew to become a retail and social institution in Canada, with stores across the country, buying offices across the globe, and a catalogue...
location in Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon)
Midtown Plaza (Saskatoon)
Midtown Plaza is a shopping mall in Downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, that is owned by the Oxford Properties Group. The two main anchors are Sears Canada and The Bay and the shopping centre has a total store count of approximately 130 stores, making it the largest shopping centre in...
shopping centre a few blocks away.
In 2004, Wayne Lemauviel, Gary Bender and later Gene Dube purchased the building and began work on converting the building into lofts. A fifth story was added to the building, and due to the high ceiling on each floor it was possible to create each loft with an internal mezzanine. The ground floor was retained as retail space. The same year, the skybridge across second avenue was removed and the parkade torn-down. The interior design on the building has won an Award of Excellence. The conversion from retail to lofts is part of a larger residential revival occurring in the central business district with an influx of people moving into the area.