THE HULL BLOCK, Edmonton Alberta
The first phase, exterior restoration and main floor tenant improvements, was completed in 2003, with a grand opening on October 25. The last phase of construction, parking lot development and roof-top amenities, was completed in 2005.
The owner is Bob Dawe, an archaeologist with the Provincial Museum. His development company is Mammoth Properties. He purchased the building, in the heart of Edmonton’s Chinatown, as a showpiece for his family businesses. The building was completely restored and refurbished to accommodate: luxury condominium residences on the second and third floors; the offices of Mammoth Productions, a video production company, on the third floor; main floor street-oriented retail businesses; a high-end recording studio in the basement.
The Hull Block, located at 9664 106 Avenue, was constructed in 1914 by William Roper Hull, an important Calgary businessman responsible for the Calgary’s Grain Exchange, Alberta Block, Albion Block and the Opera House. The building was designed by prominent Edmonton Architect E.C. Hopkins. It is an excellent example of the Late Edwardian Commercial Style, typified by brick construction, with subdued columns and capitals, and a prominent pressed metal cornice with arched brick pediments and name stones capping the roofline.
The building is designated, and hence protected, as a Municipal Historic Resource as well as a Provincial Historic Resource.