Today’s old ad comes from the same booklet that had yesterday’s ad for Routley’s Motel, published in 1954.
Smith’s Department Store on Ouellette Ave. was a long time local fixture. Founded in 1914 as the C.H. Smith Co., the downtown store was expanded in 1925.
The main store on Ouellette following the 1925 expansion. Photo from the collection of the Windsor Archives.
The Smith’s annex on Pitt St., built in 1928. Photo from the collection of the Windsor Archives.
The beginning of the end of the downtown store occured on October 23, 1974, when Smith’s opened a 90,000 sq. ft. department store in the Mall. On October 10, 1975, Marks & Spencer bought Smith’s, the Downtown store was closed on August 14, 1976.
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My Mom used to bring us kids to Smith's constantly - she was a working woman and needed the best of outfits - ya know ? The current Downtown BIA really needs to take a look at getting a department store downtown. Currently the Shoppers Drugmart and the Bargain Shops on the corner of Wyandotte and Ouellette are the only viable ???? shopping facilities available. I'm extremely curious about "Shells" comment regarding the bus from LaSalle - which company had a bus from LaSalle to Downtown??????
Speaking of the Smith's Department Store site, I just came across the artist's renderings for the 4 storey stucco structure with a hideous post modern wing sticking out of the front of it to be built on the site. http://www.mikhailholdings.com/property/BankCenter/BankingCenter.html
According to the site, they've got pre-leases signed for 75% of the units in 2010. What a waste. The city had a beautiful 4 storey Smith's demolished for this?? How does the city get away with appoving buildings like this.? At least build something taller!.
In my opinion, I would rather see that on the site than for it to remain a parking lot. Nothing has go on there for 30 years, so anything is an improvement over what's there now.
[GULP]
I've never seen a building accented by a jumbo butterknife stucking out of the ground next to it.
Thanks for the link, David. :)
I'm not against progress either, but there should be a balance between heritage buildings and new construction. By building cheaper buildings of similar height, they don't account for future demand. So when there is a future demand, they end up raising more heritage buildings buildings on prime downtown land, which probably could have been avoiding if they built taller buildings to accomodate future demand. There should be city bylaw that if buildings are razed, future buildings must be at least twice the height. They don't even account for the reduced downtown parking and the greater demand for parking which will end up putting the burden on the city for new taxpayer financed garages. I don't see a garage door on that corner that would indicate underground parking. They're already planning on completing a 14 storey building on the other side of the CIBC around the same time, so why do they waste the potential of this prime land?? It should be at least twice the height or at least sell it to whoever wanted to raze the block on the other size of Pitt to build the 8 storey TD tower.
Anyone know what's happening with the two empty buildings on the southeast corner of Pitt & Ouellette? I didn't see them listed on the public MLS today. Did the developers finally decide to buy it? If so, is it just the two buildings they plan to raze or did they buy more adjacent property? If so, did they get any city approvals? Also, what's happening with the former Joker's nightclub? Did the city approve it's demo or did they stop it? I haven't seen the crane and garbage bins around there lately.
John, it doesn't look like a large butterknife to me. It looks more like a middle finger...
Trudeau Towers?
Does this middlefinger/bank buildng fall under any design guidelines? Is it the DWBIA or the city that allows for all that stucco? Shameful!
Wow,I remember Smith's. It was the store that I bought my wedding gown in,back in 1969. I paid only $69.99 for it and it was very beautiful.I always missed that store and still do. They had a lot of really nice clothes back then and a huge selection.