Calgary Heritage Initiative forums

[newsposter]

May 4, 2006

Shell eyeing A&B building
By MICHAEL PLATT, CALGARY SUN

The old downtown headquarters of A&B Sound likely has a new tenant, but the only records you'll be hearing about in the former music store will involve soaring oil prices.

Energy giant Shell International has confirmed it's negotiating to lease the historic Bank of Montreal Building at Stephen Avenue and 1 St. S.W. on behalf of its subsidiary SURE Northern Energy Ltd. and it's expected much of the old bank will be used as office space.

A&B Sound occupied 76-year-old old bank for a decade, starting in 1993, and spent $3 million restoring the now-vacant space to its former glory.

Here is a link to a PDF of the property brochure:
http://www.barclaystreet.com/calgary/pdfs/140_8thAve_SW.pdf

[newsposter]

Confirmation of long-rumoured news (see above):

The historic Bank of Montreal three-storey structure at the corner of 8th Avenue and 1st Street S.W., which has been empty since A&B Sound moved out a couple of years ago, will become the home of SURE Northern Energy later this year after a $10-million "rehabilitation" project inside the building for office use, the Herald has learned. The building's heritage and unique features will be preserved. - Herald excerpt

Full story (free as of posting): http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/calgarybusiness/story.html?id=8db7f3da-aa0e-4920-a84e-82bff6879fcd

NEW Another story from March 2007:
http://www.cren.ca/content_view?CONTENT_ID=2729

[newsposter]

Well, in spite of earlier announcements the Bank of Montreal building on Stephen Ave and 1st Street SW remains vacant. (On the positive side, the once-proposed office discussed above would have been a poor use of this building.) We often get asked about this one. As David Parker reports in the Dec. 31, 2010 Herald, The Bank of Montreal has been vacant for far too long. Empty buildings along a city's main pedestrian thoroughfare are a bad advertisement for its health but the out-of-town owners don't seem to be motivated to address the problem. Perhaps if we could put some kind of tax on retail eyesores we might see some action.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/year+brings+projects/4044536/story.html#ixzz19tuJ3Z6j

[Admin]

There is now word that a prospective office client is slated to move in, and retail tenant on the lower floor will or is been sought after.

[newsposter]

The old Bank of Montreal on Stephen Avenue is leasing. There is information posted that lists all of the groups involved, including Sturgess Architecture. Here is some more information on the office leasing on 3rd and 4th Floor, including a pdf with some images.

http://www.collierscanada.com/5765

Taurus Group is doing the retail leasing, but I don't see anything posted as of this writing:

http://www.taurusgroup.com/

David Parker refers to this in his April 12 2012 column:

...Taurus is preparing to work on the retail leasing of phase one of Brookfield's exciting new projects being developed on the site of the former Herald building downtown. And just around the corner on the mall, it has begun leasing the grand Bank of Montreal building that is currently being renovated to accommodate almost 11,000 sq. ft. of retail on the main floor plus more space on lower and mezzanine levels...

Taurus Property Group looking out for landlords
By David Parker, For the Calgary Herald
April 12, 2012

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/insurance+giant+Arthur+Gallagher+acquires+Calgary+firm/6433963/story.html#ixzz1rriEEWrR

[newsposter]

New lease on life for Bank of Montreal downtown icon

By David Parker, For the Calgary Herald
April 19, 2012

The neo-classical Bank of Montreal building in downtown Calgary is undergoing a massive renovation.

The building, which proudly dominates the corner of Stephen Avenue Walk and 1st Street S.W., will ultimately offer two floors of character office space and a 10,900squarefoot main floor area soaring up to a gorgeous coffered ceiling with moulded plaster rosettes encrusted with gold leaf...
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/lease+life+Bank+Montreal+downtown+icon/6483319/story.html#ixzz1sVRxKbaS

[LauraGrace]

Historic Bank of Montreal building undergoes multi-million dollar restoration: Retail and office space being offered for lease in heart of Calgary

By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald
July 20, 2012


CALGARY — The historic downtown Bank of Montreal building is undergoing a massive multi-million dollar restoration and will spring back to life in a few months after sitting vacant for more than 10 years.

Retail space is available for lease on the main floor of the building and the mezzanine level while office space is targeted for the third and fourth floors. Restoration of the building will include a rooftop patio for office tenants.

Chelsea Harding, asset manager for Steiner Properties which owns the building, said retail space will be ready for occupancy by the end of September and the office space by early 2013.

The basement has been cleared and that space is leasable, she said. A main floor retail tenant could end up taking the basement as well or it could be a separate tenancy. Amenities in the basement will also include showers, lockers and bike storage.

“It’s a phenomenal location. It’s a beautiful building,” said Harding. “The timing’s right. The office market is doing well. We’re on a key corner of Stephen Avenue. We’ve had lots of encouragement to get going on this. The timing was right in both the office market and our position within the company in what we were ready to do.”



Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Historic+Bank+Montreal+building+undergoes+multi+million+dollar+restoration/6964422/story.html#ixzz21Af8vq1M