SteelCity905
Lister Block DSC05121
Hamilton, Ontario Canada
The Lister Block, first built in 1886, was destroyed by fire in 1923 and the second building was erected in 1924. This classic Renaissance building is 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2) with six floors and sits on the corner of James and King William Street. It is a pivotal building in the commercial history and environment of downtown Hamilton.
When it was erected, in 1923-24, to the designs of Bernard H. Prack, architect, it demonstrated the most advanced retail marketing ideas of the time, and reflected the transition from smaller 19th Century retail establishments to the emerging 20th Century phenomenon of integrated department stores.
Its ground floor and 2nd floor L-shaped arcades, accessible from both James and King William, were remarkable innovations for their time and contributed to its success. Its key corner location, large double street frontage, six-storey height, and robust architectural design helped give it a dominant character within the James Street North urban streetscape. It originally stood in the heart of Hamilton’s civic core, directly across from City Hall (1888) and Market Square, and just south of the Federal Building (1856- 1920).
A changing retail environment of malls with free parking and the demise of downtown anchor "Eatons" brought about a huge shift of consumer spending. After thriving as a business and retail space for years, tenants eventually began to vacate. The building was closed in 1991 . The building sat empty in 1995 and was seen as a symbol of downtown decay. LiUNA bought the Lister Block back in 1999, letting it sit vacant for over a decade. In the following years, there were three failed attempts to revive the building, and after decades of vacancy, neglect, and sprawling development. a demolition permit was submitted in 2005.
In 2010, LiUNA and Hi-Rise Group began to renovate the building at the cost of $25 million, with a $7 million contribution from the province. The renovation was completed in early 2011.
Lister Block DSC05121
Hamilton, Ontario Canada
The Lister Block, first built in 1886, was destroyed by fire in 1923 and the second building was erected in 1924. This classic Renaissance building is 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2) with six floors and sits on the corner of James and King William Street. It is a pivotal building in the commercial history and environment of downtown Hamilton.
When it was erected, in 1923-24, to the designs of Bernard H. Prack, architect, it demonstrated the most advanced retail marketing ideas of the time, and reflected the transition from smaller 19th Century retail establishments to the emerging 20th Century phenomenon of integrated department stores.
Its ground floor and 2nd floor L-shaped arcades, accessible from both James and King William, were remarkable innovations for their time and contributed to its success. Its key corner location, large double street frontage, six-storey height, and robust architectural design helped give it a dominant character within the James Street North urban streetscape. It originally stood in the heart of Hamilton’s civic core, directly across from City Hall (1888) and Market Square, and just south of the Federal Building (1856- 1920).
A changing retail environment of malls with free parking and the demise of downtown anchor "Eatons" brought about a huge shift of consumer spending. After thriving as a business and retail space for years, tenants eventually began to vacate. The building was closed in 1991 . The building sat empty in 1995 and was seen as a symbol of downtown decay. LiUNA bought the Lister Block back in 1999, letting it sit vacant for over a decade. In the following years, there were three failed attempts to revive the building, and after decades of vacancy, neglect, and sprawling development. a demolition permit was submitted in 2005.
In 2010, LiUNA and Hi-Rise Group began to renovate the building at the cost of $25 million, with a $7 million contribution from the province. The renovation was completed in early 2011.