The Phillips Building is architecturally significant as a representative example of commercial warehouse design.
The Phillips Building, located at 101st Avenue and 104th Street, was built for owners N. W. Purcell and J. G. Kelly during the pre-First World War economic boom. Completed in 1913 and touted to be a made-in-Edmonton building, The Phillips Building was designed and constructed by Purcell and Foote, local architects and builders, and the Edmonton firm of Aslip and Company supplied locally made sand-lime brick.
A unique feature of this building was the original 22-foot wide arcade, which provided an access opening through the centre of the building to the loading docks at the rear, making it a “first of its kind in Edmonton”. The main facade was redesigned in the sixties and subsequently restored in 2001.
The building was initially leased to the Western and Cartage Company to be used as a storage warehouse for manufactured goods for regional and northern distribution. This building was intended to be built as one of the first completely fire-proof buildings in Edmonton and used the latest 1912 technology of the time to this end, i.e. the latest fire-proof doors and windows.
The building was purchased in the early 1950s by James Brody, owner of Brod-Ease Shoe Co. of Edmonton. A complete renovation of the building then took place with its purpose changing from a warehouse to a commercial building. The exterior facade was recladded in 1956 with modern materials. The newly renovated building was renamed the Phillips building in honour of Mr. Brody’s first grandson. In the late 1960s, the Brody family sold the building to an overseas buyer.
Midco Equities Ltd., owned by Bill Comrie of the Brick Warehouse furniture and appliance chain, purchased the building and adjacent parking lot in 1981 for $6M, intending to erect a 25-storey offICE tower. The crash of the early 1980’s changed those plans.
In 2002, renovations were completed by Chandos Construction to bring the building back to its original character by converting the building to lofts. Prior to the renovations, the Phillips Building had been saved from demolition by Worthington Properties, a local Edmonton based developer, who hired Chandos Construction to execute a complete restoration and renovation of the building and renewed much of it to its original character. Throughout the process, the developer converted the former office space into 29 unique and highly desirable loft and three commercially zoned units.
The Phillips Building, an important element of the historic warehouse area streetscape, is consistent in scale and character to neighbouring buildings on 104th Street and strengthens the transition between Jasper Avenue and the commercial warehouse district.
Details
OTHER NAME(S):
PHILLIPS BUILDING
Purcell and Kelly Building
Phillips Lofts
YEAR BUILT: 1913
STOREYS: 5
TOTAL SUITES: 41
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Downtown EDMONTON
Character-Defining Elements
The commercial warehouse architecture of The Phillips Building is expressed in character-defining elements such as:
- the original 1913 west facade;
- recessed window bays defined by pilasters with cast stone base and corbelled brick beneath the cornice at the parapet level;
- the four recessed entrances with articulated quoin surrounds and cornice, the centre two entrances defining the original arcade through the building;
- detailing of the window surrounds including cast stone sills and headers;
- the dentilled metal cornice at the upper level and the storefront level;
- brick corbelling and parapet projections;
- the two date plaques on the west facade.
Recognition
Recognition Authority: Local Governments (AB)
Designation Status: Municipal Historic Resource
Date of Designation: 2001/06/12
Location
Street Address: 10169 – 104 Street NW
Community: Edmonton
Boundaries: Lot 163, Block 3, Plan B and Units 1 to 41, Condominium Plan 0222718
Contributing
Resources: Buildings: 1
Latitude/Longitude:
Latitude Longitude CDT Datum Type
53.542482 -113.498696 Secondary Source NAD 83
Historical Information
Built: 1913
Theme(s): Developing Economies / Trade and Commerce
Historic Function(s): Commerce / Commercial Services / Warehouse
Current Function(s): Residence / Multiple Dwelling
Architect: Purcell and Foote
Builder: Purcell and Foote
Designer: Purcell and Foote
LOCATION OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
City of Edmonton, Planning and Development Department, 10250 – 101 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3P4 (Digital File: 977772)
FED/PROV/TERR IDENTIFIER
4664-0026