Hudson’s Bay Co.

This Hudson’s Bay Warehouse was built in 1895 as a three-storey structure and was one of the first in this part of Water Street. It was used as a fur and liquor warehouse, and replaced their smaller warehouse and store located on Cordova Street.

In 1903, two additional storeys were added. Charles Osborn Wickenden, architect of the original part of the structure, also designed many of the company’s structures throughout Western Canada. Architects Dalton and Eveleigh designed the two-storey addition.

The Hudson’s Bay Company occupied this warehouse for more than sixty years, one of the longest occupants of a single building in Gastown, showing the continued viability of the area’s warehousing functions long after their time of primary significance.

In the early 1970s, the top floors were gutted by fire, and then rebuilt for commercial and retail space by Werner Forster in 1977, one of the first rehabilitation projects in Gastown. The building is now used as commercial office space in the upper floors, with retail space on the street level.

Source

Canada's Historic Places, Changing Vancouver blog

More information

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2552