Draft:Avenue Building

The Avenue Building is a historic building located at 220 3rd Avenue South in the Central Business District of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

The 4 storey brick-faced, concrete building was designed by William Fingland of Winnipeg. In 1912, Frank MacMillan Saskatoon’s future mayor began construction of the building to house the MacMillan Department Store which opened in October 1913. In 1927, MacMillan sold his retail business to the Eaton’s Department Store chain which then occupied the building for 2 years until the construction of their new building across the street was completed. In 1929, MacMillan made significant renovations to the interior and exterior, enlarging the building's windows and transforming it into an office building with retail stores on the ground floor. To this day the marble wainscotting and original bronze framed tenant list as well as unique tiling, wood and frosted glass office doors with transoms and dark wood trim on the 3rd and 4th floors remain intact and well-maintained. It was upon completion of these renovations that the building was renamed the Avenue Building.

The basement of the building extends underneath the surrounding sidewalk above. This area of the building was a bowladrome in the early 1930s then The Cavern Ballroom from 1942 to 1947 and then a jazz club known as Club 400 throughout 1950s until it closed in 1959.

In 2007, a fire broke out in the billiards hall in the basement and it was after that the space was transformed to accommodate 40 heated parking spaces.

Over the last century, the Avenue building has been occupied by many retail business, entrepreneurs and professionals.