2 downtown Edmonton buildings made municipal historic resources

The Boardwalk and the Revillon buildings at 10310-102nd Avenue have been declared by Edmonton’s city council to be municipal historic resources.

“The Revillon Building and the Boardwalk are two of the most cherished and recognizable buildings in Edmonton,” said principal heritage planner David Johnston.

A glass atrium was built in 1986 to connect the two buildings but each building played its own role and tells its own story.

Both buildings will be receiving $500,000 for renovations and repairs.

The Boardwalk

The boardwalk was previously known as the Ross Brothers Ltd. Warehouse. It was built in three stages: stage one in 1910, stage two in 1928, and stage three in 1940.

The warehouse served as a wholesale trading centre. Due to the warehouse sitting on the Canadian Northern Railway spur line, processed goods were unloaded directly from railroad cars onto chutes and large electric freight elevators. The goods were then weighed on industrial scales and stored on the upper floors of the warehouse.

The building was designed with springing arches and parapet cornice. It was built in a “second renaissance style.”

The building was made of local brick with arches and lintels lined with stone.

After the Ross Brothers, the building was owned by other companies, including the J.W Ashdown Hardware company, which explains the letter “A” seen on the elevator penthouse on 103rd Street.

In 1970 the building was converted from an industrial building to a commercial one. The wooden sidewalk was built and the building was rebranded as The Boardwalk.

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The Revillon

The Revillon building was built in 1912 for one of the largest fur manufacturers in the world, the Revillon Frères Company. The building is defined by its exposed concrete base and brick infill. The building was used as a warehouse for the fur manufacturers that turned Canadian fur into luxury goods sold in places like Paris, London, Milan, New York, etc.

The spur line that served the Boardwalk also served the Revillon as it ran directly east from the warehouse. In 1929, Revillon Frères sold the building to J.W. Ashdown Hardware.

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The ownership of the two buildings has been tied together for almost a century.

“Although the two buildings have served many purposes over the decades, their architectural beauty remains largely unchanged,” Johnston said. “This heritage designation will help ensure both buildings are repaired and renovated in a respectful manner which honours their history.”