- Hub staff

When it closed in 2015 Legate Furniture at 2nd Avenue East and 8th Street stood on the site of one of the first buildings in Owen Sound. According to Grey Roots, "The store building was built in 1906 by William Legate. It originally housed a Farmer's Bank, a feed and flower (flour?) store, and a grocery store.

In 1914, Mr. Legate converted the main floor into a furniture store, at the suggestion of William Goldblatt. There were apartments above the bank and stores, that eventually were converted into use by the furniture business. Eventually all three floors of the building were furniture display areas."

In 2014, the store celebrated its 100th anniversary, and the following year the owners retired from the business.

The building was vacant until  2017 when it was sold to an  an out of town buyer. The sale price was not made public, but it had been listed at $595,000. Each of its three levels was soon for lease by the square foot at "a standard downtown rate", but there were no takers.

By October 2018, the handmade wooden letters and the marble below the windows were gone, and the building was being-refaced.

Advantage Royal Group had it listed for sale for $999,999 and described as: "Iconic well-known building on a prominent corner location offering tremendous exposure. Beautiful downtown 2 storey building with over 8500 square feet plus basement. Brand new exterior stone facade currently being renovated. City Hall right across the street. Many uses with C1 zoning - restaurant, daycare, medical clinic, law office, fitness facility, etc. The second floor could be converted into apartments - great rental and income property. Great investment opportunity. "

Creative renovations would be required to separate the levels for independent uses while meeting current accessibility and safety standards.  Lack of parking and loading areas is a challenge in a downtown that has grown up around a commercial building from a pre-car era.  

Now in 2022, the facing put on less than four years ago is falling off.

City Manager Tim Simmonds replied to our enquiry "Public Works placed barricades and signage in place due to a hazard relating to the integrity of the stone façade on the building. In the meantime, the owner assembled scaffolding to assess the area and tarp it as a first step in the repair process. The owner is in the process of applying for a Street Occupation Permit and then facilitating the required repairs."

In January 2021, a gate was temporarily erected across the doorway of the empty building after a man was found sheltering there overnight. The building opposite Owen Sound city hall remains empty for its seventh year.

photos: David Galway, Anne Finlay-Stewart, Google street view