Back in February, we paid visit to the corner of Chatham & Ferry. Since that time, I’ve come across some supplemental information about the building.
From the Evening Record: February, 1913:
The new universal car building, at the corner of Ferry and Chatham streets, a cut of which is given above, is a two-story building of pressed brick and is one hundred feet square. A space forty feet square on the ground floor is occupied as an automobile show room and a space 55 x 100 on the Chatham street side as a garage. On the second floor is a repair room. On this floor is also the Canadian branch of the Curtis Advertising Co., of Detroit. The grocery firm of J.M. Lord has rented all the space on the ground floor not used by the automobile agency and faces Ferry street. The architects and contractors for this up-to-date addition to Windsor’s down town section were Wells & Gray, of Toronto.
Here’s the site early on in construction.
From the Evening Record October, 1912:
Photo of the excavation work for the new garage at the corner of Ferry and Chatham. The frame building on the right is the old skating rink, owned by Fitz Bridges, who was joshed by Malcolm McGregor over allowing it to remain as an eyesore. “I know Mr. Bridges is going to tear it down and put of a new building some day” said Mr. McGregor. The photo shows a pile of debris where the new alley will run through to Ferry street, alongside of the new garage. Refuse has been allowed to accumulate owing to the indifference of the offending landlords and a sleepy board of health.
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..."sleepy board of health." HAHA! That's great.
Thanks for this Andrew, I spent many pints at the Coach and the Loop (and the Fish Market)!
kls.
Don't you wish some of our politicians today said the same think about Coco Developments about the Manning house (now the new bank site). That place was digusting for far too many years and yet they get rewarded with new contracts. Must be nice to have friends in high places...
I was hoping St. Clair was giong to buy that building and restore it but I am glad they have the old Salvation Army building. Too bad the owners of the Universal Car Building also don't do much with it because it could be a fantastic retail building with all of those windows.
Imagine using dividers to divy up the inside for small retail business of many a nature? Instead it gets slapped with multi-coloured paint every now and then and looks like shit on the nicest block in downtown.
Wait, no one was protesting saving the old skating rink back then? I'm shocked, shocked!! It's nice to see "joshed" in an article though, need to use that word more. It is a nice looking building even now, though the paint scheme isn't the greatest. Good article.
Does anyone know if the second floor was ever apartments?
I don't think so Neelie. It seems like it was always offices/retail space.
This building was also a furniture store before it became the Fish Market Restaurant in the 1970's - Baum & Brodies Furniture - there is still a bronze plaque on the east wall inside the FM Lounge.
Scott i had an uncle that worked in the building when it was the furniture store i believe that had furniture on display on the 2nd floor