One of the nicest, underused buildings on Stephen Avenue, the 1930 Bank of Nova Scotia at 125 8th Avenue, is to be the home of "BR& (brand - get it?) Steak Frites at the Bank". Now hiring!
This provincially designated (i.e. protected) building, in the Stephen Avenue National Historic District, was the Banke nightclub for many fond years. It was also Rococco restaurant for a short time before becoming the office of a financial firm. Don't know when that operation closed, but new City rules for Stephen Avenue prohibit office uses at the ground level in favour of restaurants and retail. (see http://www.calgaryheritage.org/CHIForum/vi ... ht=stephen)
Almost nothing was built in Calgary during the dirty 30s, so it is a rarity with art deco features. It will be great to have a suitable, publicly-accessible use in this space. Now if we could only get something back in the old Bank of Montreal building (formerly A&B Sound)...
Photo by Annalise Davidson at flickr.com