Canada Permanent Trust Building
The Canada Permanent Trust Building (now known as "The Permanent") is an 18-storey office building located at 320 Bay Street, in downtown Toronto. It was designed by the architect Henry Sproatt and completed in 1930.[1]
| Canada Permanent Trust Building | |
|---|---|
 Architectural rendering of the building | |
| Type | office building |
| Coordinates | 43.64962°N 79.38107°W |
| Built | 1928–1930 |
| Architect | F.H. Wilkes, Mathers & Haldenby; Sproatt & Rolph |
| Architectural style(s) | Art Deco |
| Owner | Menkes Developments Ltd. and TD Greystone Asset Management |
| Designated | Nov 26, 1975 |
Heritage Information
The building is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since November 26, 1975. There is also a heritage easement agreement on the building, Registered C440805, since January 7, 1988. The building has a heritage designation plaque to inform the public, placed in 1978.[2]
Per the official designation: "The Canada Permannent Trust Building, 320 Bay Street at Adelaide Street West (SW), 1929–30 by F. Hilton Wilkes & Mackenzie Waters; Mathers & Haldenby, Associates. Sproatt & Rolph, Consultants."
The Canada Permanent Trust Building is designated to be of architectural value as being one of the finest high-rise bank buildings of its period in Canada. Designed using the simplified classical forms of the Style Moderne, it combines an emphasis on its vertical height appropriate to its basic form, with the impressive vaulted banking hall, characteristic of bank buildings at the beginning of the Century. The building is also important as a part of the Bay Street canyon of high-rise buildings that has come to be regarded as symbolic of Toronto's financial quarter."[3]
Ownership and renovation
The Canada Permanent Trust building was purchased in January 2019 by Menkes Developments Ltd. and TD Greystone Asset Management. It is now known as "The Permanent".[4] A major restoration of the 270,000 square foot structure began in 2021. This includes repurposing of the street level of the building, electrical and mechanical upgrades, as well as improving "the quality and service of the space, while preserving its history and architectural elements" including enhancements to the late 1920s façade.[4]
References
- "Canada Permanent Trust Building". Architectural Conservancy Ontario – Toronto. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- "Heritage Property Detail, Address: 320 BAY ST". City of Toronto's Heritage Property Register. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- "No. 502-75. A BY-LAW To designate the Canada Permanent Trust Building at 320 Bay Street of architectural value.". By-law No. 502-75 of 1975.
- Wilcox, Don (January 10, 2019). "Menkes partners with TD Greystone to renovate 320 Bay Street". Real Estate News Exchange. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
