100 Princess Street - Penthouse Condominiums

Project: Penthouse Condominiums
Address: 100 Princess Street (Map)
Status: Completed 2011
Cost: $8.5m (2011)
Size: 60 units
Architect: J.H.G. Russel (1903 & 1912)
Contractor: G. Alsip (1903)

Background

This building was constructed in 1903 (as 102 Princess) for Campbell Brothers and Wilson, a successful grocery wholesaler and packager who dealt in goods such as sugar, spices, jellies and teas. The company began as Sutherland and Wilson in the early days of the city.

ca. 1903 (source)

Campbell Brothers expanded into the west with a Calgary warehouse in 1904 and in Regina in 1907. In 1912 they bought out Foley Bros. and Larson, another locally-based grocery wholesale business with interests in the west. This acquisition required a two storey addition to the Princess Street building bringin it to 83,000 square feet.

In April 1945 Campbell Bros and Wilson (by then called Campbell Wilson, Strathdee) was bought out by long-time general manager James M. Sinclair who renamed the firm J. M. Sinclair Ltd. and operated from that location into the 1950s.

NEFCO ad ca. 1960

In 1960 NEFCO took ownership of the building.

The company's roots went back to the North End Furniture Company, a 1930 furniture store started by Hymie Adelman at 843 Main Street (if the address sounds familiar, decades later it would be home to Kern Hill Furniture Co-op !) In 1961 they opened a six storey retail location at 339 Portage Avenue (now APTN). They ran both locations until 1966 when they consolidated at 100 Princess.

At the 339 Portage location the top two floors were home to "The Penthouse", specializing in upscale furniture and design. In the mid 1960s the entire NEFCO Furniture Warehouse was re-branded The Penthouse Interiors (eventually Penthouse Fine Furnishings). The building boasted 50,000 square feet of display space and around 40 employees.

In the autumn of 2008 NEFCO announced that their three stores in the city, Great Rooms by Palliser, Furniture Galleria and flagship Penthouse Furniture would close and the building went up for sale.

In 2009 Taurean Global Properties of Canmore, Alberta purchased the building and announced that they would invest $8.5m to convert the space into 60 condominium units.

Related:
Loft-style Apartments Eyed for Exchange District CBC Mar 31, 2009
Video Tour Bill Thiessen.com
92 - 100 Princess Street Historic Buildings Committee Report (1982)
Campbell Bros and Wilson Building Winnipeg Building Index
Campbell Wilson Building Heritage Winnipeg