Alexandria Place

The original building at 254 Edmonton Street was known as the Alexandria block, a three-storey and 31-suite apartment building. John D. Atchison designed the 1905 apartment block, with a courtyard, decorative cornice, and multiple entrances for tenant convenience. These entrances had the block’s name carved in Tyndall stone above the doorways.

The building’s demolition was fought by one of the tenants, which delayed it. Carol Polson’s fight with developers Asta Investments Ltd., had ended in 1979 after she’d be given two separate notices to leave the property. Polson’s efforts granted the building only grade three status from the City of Winnipeg’s Historical Buildings Committee. This saved parts of the building from being destroyed, not the entire structure. Asta Investments Ltd., built a new commercial building in its place. The building constructed in 1979 was called Alexandria Place, after the demolished apartment building.

Alexandria Place was designed with a brick exterior and rounded awnings over the main level windows. The square building had a flat roof and corner entrance by the north-east corner. One of the Tyndall stone carvings from the entrances of the old apartment block remains near the entrance of the new building. The building was initially advertised as medical offices due to its proximity to the Medical Arts Building.

In 1997 a mural was painted on the west elevation of the building. It depicts recognisable buildings from Downtown Winnipeg as well as a large red monkey, helicopters dropping presents, bumble bees, and many cheerful people in the streets. The mural was painted by Anna Scott and was initially a different painting. Originally, the helicopters were firing bullets and gas at the monkey climbing on the buildings, with a banana in hand, as it was trying to swat down the helicopters. The people in the streets were drawn as devils running through the streets firing guns. After the painting’s completion Scott was asked to make the image a lot less violent and the painting was altered.

A 2017 plan for renovations removes the rounded awnings long the main floor windows. The plan indicates a new awning, repainting the building, and the redesign of the main entrance and elevator lobby.