On this day in 1945, one of Edmonton's oddest downtown office buildings was sold.
The Agency Building was just 25 feet wide, making it an instantly recognizable landmark downtown, nestled beside the Capitol Theatre on Jasper Avenue. Despite its narrowness, the building was six storeys tall and about 150 feet deep.
There was a specific reason for these odd proportions: Money. When plans were drawn up in 1911, Edmonton was growing rapidly, and the real estate market was booming. Land along Jasper Avenue was reaching exorbitant prices, and prices were calculated by how much frontage a building had along the avenue.
By building narrow, tall, and deep, the Northern Investment Agency was able to save a lot of money. The result was a building made of reinforced concrete, faced with both grey and plain bricks. The skinny skyscraper took advantage of its height by painting its name on both of its exposed sides, where it loomed above all the other buildings on the street.
Inside, there was only room for about 30 offices running down one side of the building, connected by a single hallway on the other side. The design wasn't exactly safe. Since there was only room for a fire escape on the office side, it could blocked if certain offices were locked.
Despite the questionable safety, the building soon housed a number of different companies and professionals, including insurance agents, stock brokers, and architects. In 1923, the Northern Utilities gas company opened its offices on the third floor. Within a few years, they would make the building even harder to miss by erecting a giant neon sign to advertise their services, creating a bright beacon that stood out from the rest of the street. Later, it would be replaced with a Shell Oil sign.
Eventually, tenancy in the building declined, and taller towers began to spring up downtown. In 1972, the Agency Building was torn down, along with the Capitol Theatre, to make room for a 20-storey tower.
The Agency Building harkens back to a time when a six-storey building could loom over Jasper Avenue. Today, more than a century after it was built, much taller towers now dominate the skyline, with several more in various stages of development. This fall, Edmonton city council approved the zoning for a 31-storey tower on Jasper Avenue and 120 Street.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse of @VintageEdmonton.