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<\/p>\nAt the corner of 103rd Avenue and 106th Street in downtown Edmonton, you\u2019ve likely watched over the past few years as boards slowly crept up over the windows of the historic brick building. Now surrounded by a fence, new life could potentially be breathed into the Massey Ferguson Building.<\/p>\n
A readout from the Edmonton Historic Resource Management Program explains the two-storey warehouse, which was built in 1947 in the International style and features masonry cladding, large storefront windows, and a strong horizontal presence along the avenue.<\/p>\n
In the years following the Second World War, Edmonton saw significant economic growth. Even before oil was discovered near Leduc in 1947, new consumer spending and post-war optimism drove demand for commercial and warehouse space. In July 1946, the Canadian Massey Harris Company received a permit to build a \u201cwholesale warehouse\u201d here.<\/p>\n
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City of Edmonton\/Facebook<\/p>\n
At the time, the company was the largest agricultural equipment manufacturer in the British Empire. The two-storey showroom in Downtown Edmonton served as the main showroom and distribution centre for the region.<\/p>\n
In 1953, Massey Harris merged with Ferguson Company of Ireland to become Massey Harris Ferguson, later shortened to Massey Ferguson in 1958. By 1970, the building had been repurposed as the main showroom and warehouse for the Healy Ford dealership.<\/p>\n
Now vacant, the Massey Ferguson Building is valued for its association with commercial development in the Downtown area of Edmonton in the post-Second World War era and was designated as a Municipal Historic Resource in September 2025.<\/p>\n
Now, a new chapter may be on the horizon.<\/p>\n
According to a formal submission package<\/a>\u00a0submitted by Faction Architecture on behalf of ESH Housing Ltd. (care of Faction Projects Inc.), a privately owned and operated student rental housing development is in the works.<\/p>\n The project is designed to house students from nearby institutions, including MacEwan University, NorQuest College, NAIT, and the University of Alberta via easy LRT access.<\/p>\n Faction<\/p>\n Consisting of four six-storey, mid-rise buildings, totalling approximately 696 residential units, the development will restore the 1947 Massey Ferguson showroom fa\u00e7ade and integrate it into the south phase along 103rd Avenue.<\/p>\n Amenities would include indoor study rooms on each floor, a fitness area, a theatre room, and rooftop terraces on two of the buildings. A single-level underground parkade will provide 123 to 126 parking stalls and 696 bicycle parking spaces.<\/p>\n The site will also feature two open-air landscaped courtyards and a central public pedestrian space, the design submission states.<\/p>\n The project is designed to be completed in two phases, with the north phase first and the south phase second.<\/p>\n But while the plans are promising, it\u2019s still a long way off before we see any construction activity on-site. Significant hurdles remain, including design approval and securing a development permit.<\/p>\n The most recent design revision was submitted in February 2026, and we\u2019ll be checking back to see what becomes of this corner of downtown YEG!<\/p>\n Recently, ATB Place (10020 100th St. NW) announced it is undergoing a massive transformation<\/a> that will make the space \u201cmore accessible, energy efficient, and comfortable for tenants and visitors\u201d in an effort to reinvigorate downtown Edmonton.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-11-at-1.46.42-PM.png\"\/ "\\"\\"")
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