January 29, Ted in Toronto asked about the Security Building, where his father had his offices for 40 years.
The rendering above appeared in The Border Cities Star, December 31, 1926.
The building designed by architects Pennington & Boyde, was built in 1927.
The caption to the render above read as follows:
According to plans of a local syndicate headed by S. E. Loveridge and C. A. Haley, this splendid office building will rise next year on the northwest corner of Pelissier and London (now University) Streets. The Security Building as it will be called, will be 10 storeys in height, with stores on the main floor and offices on the nine floors above. It will cost in the neighbourhood of $250,000.
$250,000 1926 dollars, is equivalent to about $3.1 million 2007 dollars.
Was it CBC Radio that used to broadcast from the top floor(s)? There was a sign on the outside.
Yes, at a miniumum it was home to Radio-Canada (French CBC).
Andrew, the Security Building and the building across Pellissier are two of my favorite buildings in Windsor. They are just interesting to look at. Last year while my kids were drawing at the Chalk and Chocolate Fest I took a bunch of pictures of the details of these two buildings.
Yesterday I tried to post but something computer related wouldn’t let me. I had a thought, Christian Aldo was able to secure a vacant store-front for a gallery. Maybe you and others that have historical collections could do something similar. Perhaps on weekends or get a grant for a couple of students or volunteers. I think it would be welcome – I’d even volunteer a few hours to it.
What’s interesting about that $3.1 million estimate for 2007 is that the Canada Building at 374 Ouellette, a larger building (11 stories) built around the same time period, has been listed on the market for several years at $2.2 million and they still couldn’t find a buyer for it because it’s overpriced. So, if the figures are correct, the Security building cost more to build than it was worth. Yet, the new 14 storey glass and stucco office building with cheaper architecture on Riverside Dr. that Makhail holdings wants to build is estimated to cost $26 million. What a disparity and lack of consistency in prices. I wonder what it cost to build the Canada building?
I pretty sure it was home to both English and French radio, but the English radio may have moved out first. I seem to recall the early morning CBC Windsor news announcers alluding to their location in the “Security building” – for some reason.
Andrew, thanks very much for the follow up work on the Security Building. I have fond memories of that edifice, including its marble foyer and slow elevators. I believe that the CBC radio stations were CBE and CBEF, both on the AM band. Thanks again. Ted in Toronto
Andrew, thanks again for your sleuthing with respect to the Security Building. Ted
Somewhere around 1998ish Artcite’s “art city” (is that what it was called…i forget) took over some of the top floors for a few weeks and showed various pieces and installations. Do they still do this? They also did it at the Walkerville post office (biggest urinals i have ever seen).
Anyway, the ruins of the radio studio were visible in the Security Blding.
Windsor had a good, robust scene in the 90s, then it went away and the venues (mostly Norwich Block) were destroyed. Remember the Hurst Legacy. Small, stunted gain for long term demise and culture evaporation.
Thanks for posting about the Security Building Andrew! I have to completely agree with James above on this one – those are my two absolutely favourite buildings too, along with the smaller three-storey building which houses Milk. What a great intersection!
I figure CBC radio was in the building from the days before TV, then when the TV station was built on Riverside it was CKLW first (right?) and once the CBC took over, it was a while before the radio operations moved over.
Am I making this up or do I remember seeing CBC Radio ads that featured the building?
That I don’t know. But I do know that I was in the CBC studios in there in High School, so they were there at least until the early 1990’s.