Historic 1914 Edmonton apartment building at Victoria Promenade changing hands
"That nice old brick, you don't want to even touch or change anything. It's that good."

Article content
Edmonton’s Annamoe Mansion was built in 1914 for Robert Childers Barton, who named the apartment building after the town where he was born in County Wicklow, Ireland.
Now, an Edmonton rental company has made an offer to purchase the 110-year old piece of Edmonton’s architectural history at 11950 110 Ave. for $3.5 million.
“I’m very excited about this, because it’s an old building. Like, I haven’t done anything historical before,” said Ali Hassan from ARH Homes.
Hassan’s company may become the latest owner of the Annamoe, which stands near the western edge of Edmonton’s picturesque Victoria Promenade. If the building’s exterior facade didn’t give it away, the centenarian property stands out on the strip, despite being in the shadow of taller apartment and condo buildings.
“That nice old brick, you don’t want to even touch or change anything. It’s that good,” said Hassan.
Ruth Blayney and her siblings own the building and said Sunday “the deal has not closed yet.”
To ensure the best chance of acquiring the property, Hassan said he offered full asking price for the building with no conditions. The three-and-a-half-storey walkup has 25 units inside, comprised of nine studio suites, 12 one-bedroom suites, and four two-bedroom suites. Hassan’s company usually does hefty renovations to its properties across the city, but for the Annamoe, they plan to take a lighter touch, focusing on upgrading the kitchens first, should the sale be finalized.

Some history
The Annamoe was built as Canada entered into the First World War, with Britain declaring war on Germany that August.
The building was one of several constructed in Edmonton around the same time in similar areas, including the LeMarchand Mansion at 11523 100 Ave., the Derwas Court Apartments at 10146 121 St., the Buena Vista at 124 Street and 102 Avenue (now the MacLaren), and the Westminster at 9955 114 St., states a City of Edmonton walking tour brochure for the W?hkwênt?win (Oliver) area.
The flurry of construction would help accommodate Edmonton’s growing number of white-collar workers.
The fact that Edmonton only had its first car on the roads just 10 years prior to the Annamoe construction may explain why the whole building offers three parking spots out front.
One of the suites was the first home for clothier Henry Singer and his wife, Millie. Singer started his first menswear company, which ultimately became the iconic clothing store, in 1938.
The historic building and others like it punctuated the Victoria Promenade and similar nearby streets throughout the broader area with a distinctive touch that has lasted more than a century. Even after 100 years, Hassan said offers for the property were still competitive.
“You don’t see anything for sale in that block every 20 years,” said Hassan, adding he’s “proud” his company is looking forward to what’s to come.
“People don’t sell because with that view and that part of Oliver. Everybody loves that area.”

According to the City of Edmonton, the building is listed in its inventory of historical resources, which differs from the city’s Registry of Historical Resources. The former means that the property is eligible to be registered as a municipal historic resource, but is ultimately unprotected by the city whereas properties on the registry are legally protected from alteration or demolition.
As is evident by the building’s surrounding properties, the Annamoe has managed to avoid redevelopment over the years, while its neighbours weren’t so lucky. In 2005 there was concern during a busy Edmonton construction period where the nearby Lessard House was redeveloped that the Annamoe could be next. After 20 years, however, the mansion remains unscathed.
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to indicate the sale of the Annamoe building has not been finalized.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.